Horned Cucumber Kiwiano Seeds

Info: The horned cucumber or horned melon belongs to the pumpkin family and is perhaps known from the supermarket under the name Kiwano. The plants climb up to 2 meters high and need a climbing aid. The approx. 5x10 cm spiny fruits are very tasty, refreshing and juicy and the taste is reminiscent of a mixture of banana, lime and cucumber. It can be grown in a bucket with a climbing aid in the garden or on the balcony. Do not store the fruit in the fridge.

Sowing & cultivation: Sowing starts in mid-April and takes place inside in individual pots with a sowing depth of 1-2 cm. After the last frosts at the end of May, the plants can move outside. They like a protected, warm location and a nutrient-rich, slightly permeable soil. Water regularly, but it also tolerates dry periods. You can let them grow up 2 shoots e.g. on strings. Sometimes the flowers have to be pollinated by hand. The orange ripened fruits can be harvested from September onwards.

Image source: Kaldari, Kiwano 2009, als gemeinfrei gekennzeichnet, Details auf Wikimedia Commons