Cucamelons are small grape-sized fruits that have the taste of cucumbers with a hint of lime and the shape of a mini watermelon with a patterned green shaded skin.

Cucamelons have a hard outer skin with a crunchy texture and are perfect eaten raw in salads, pickled like gherkins, added to stir-fries or served as an appetiser with olives. You can even pop one in your G&T for a bit of colour & fun.

These exotic little fruits are not new but an old heritage variety that has been grown for centuries in Mexico and South America. They do however cope well with the UK climate and decent crops can be grown here if given a sunny but sheltered spot in the garden.

One of the benefits of growing you own is growing new & unusual or different varieties that are not widely available especially in high street supermarkets so why not gyo tasty 'little mouse watermelons' as they are known in Mexico (Sandiitas de raton).

Cucamelon Seed Information

Seed Quantity:	Approx 20 seeds per pack.
Site:	Sunny, well sheltered area or greenhouse.
When to Sow	April to May indoors.
How to Sow:	Sow seed into a seed tray and lightly cover with a thin layer of compost. Carefully water, place tray in a heated propagator and keep at a constant 20C. When seedlings are large enough to handle 'prick out' into 9cm pots. When plants have 3-4 true leaves pot on into large pots, growbags, or transplant outside (when risk of frost has passed) into a sunny, well-sheltered spot in the garden, 40 cm apart and support with canes.
Care:	Will require tying to support. When vine reaches 2m tall 'pinch out' growing tip to encourage the plant to produce more fruits & trim side shoots to about 30cm. It is a perennial so it roots can be lifted in autumn and stored in a frost-free area and replanted the following May.
Harvest:	July to October (until first frosts)

When to Sow Cucamelon Seeds

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec