We present the Mexican pickling cucumber. It is a fascinating species, Melothria scabra, a climbing plant with abundant small fruits that look surprisingly like small watermelons. The fruits can be eaten in various ways, raw, cut into mixed salads, eaten as soon as harvested or even pickled in vinegar like a gherkin.
To grow this variety, it is recommended to sow the seeds in pots, nurseries, bunches, or rows. Ideally, the seeds should be sown in pots at a temperature of about 18-20°C, about 6 weeks before planting outdoors. After the last frost, the young plants are transplanted with the root ball still attached, at about 1m from each other, into planting holes previously enriched with compost. It is also possible to sow directly into the soil under similar conditions, when the soil is well warmed up and the outside temperatures no longer fall below 15°C.
For successful cultivation, it is essential to choose loose soil and to prepare it well by aerating it before planting. Sowing under cover usually takes place between March and May, while sowing in outdoors takes place from April to June. It is ready to harvest from July to October, providing a generous crop of delicious cucumbers.
Mexican pickling cucumber prefers a sunny to semi-shaded position, with medium water requirement. It grows best in moist, well-drained, loose, nutrient-rich soils. This variety is known for its earliness, which means that the first fruits can be harvested relatively soon after planting. Each sachet contains about 12 seeds. The fruits present an attractive light green colour, and measure about 4-8cm in length. This plant has a stolon habit, which makes it ideal for open ground or greenhouse cultivation.
