Also known as Mouse Melons or Mexican Sour Gerkins. They look like miniature watermelons the size of a grape. Grown on a dainty vine with rinds that crunch and look like baby watermelons but have the same seedy inside as a cucumber. Flavor is refreshing but slightly tangy. You either love it or you hate it, but it is always worth growing at least once.
These dainty vines will set a lot of growth, so give them a tall trellis to grow up. Start seeds in March or April and plant outside in June. They love the heat! Give them all the sun that you can. Once production starts, it won’t stop till the frost kills them. The bees will be so happy that you planted them. The little yellow flowers attract all the bees to the yard!
I suggest harvesting early in the morning to avoid disturbing the bees while they are hard at work. If you don’t have a trellis, you can grow them in hanging containers and let them drape down over the edge. Just make sure to keep them well watered through the summer heat. Remember, soil that is above ground dries out faster than soil that is part of the earth. If you plant them in the ground, they are drought-tolerant once established.
These are not new plants; in fact, they have been a part of the Mexican and South American culture since the 1800’s. They just happen to come in and out of popularity. With the way our summers are getting warmer for longer, we are able to grow them here well. // NIKKI PARKS
Find more Urban Gnomestead @urbangnomestead and at free monthly garden talk 1-3 p.m., July 26 at Ridgeline Brewing in Bremerton. This month’s topic: Rutabagas
