From July, your plants will start to fruit and will continue until late September. Pick them when they are firm and the size of small grapes – leaving them longer will affect the flavour.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nCan I Grow Cucamelons In The UK?<\/h2>\n
Although these plants hail from warmer climates than the UK, you can happily grow them in this country without too much trouble.<\/p>\n
As long as you make sure that they have all their favourite conditions, and that you look after them well in the winter, you can grow cucamelons for a good few years.<\/p>\n
Cucamelons originate from Central America, and as such they are used to warmth and humidity.<\/p>\n
This does not mean you can\u2019t grow them in different hemispheres in the world! Just make sure you keep them warm enough, and they should thrive.<\/p>\n
If you keep them warm, either in a sunny spot in your garden or in a greenhouse, you should be able to grow a good cucamelon crop, whether in the ground or in containers.<\/p>\n
How Long Do Cucamelons Take To Grow?<\/h2>\n
Although it takes a little while for the seeds to start to sprout, they actually don\u2019t make you wait too long before you can start to harvest the fruit.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, it will be between 65 and 75 days from when<\/strong> the first shoots appear to when you can start picking your cukes.<\/p>\nObviously, some plants will take longer than others, and some years the conditions will be better so the process might be quicker.<\/p>\n
Conversely, if there are poor weather conditions or your plant is not in its favourite conditions, the harvest may come later.<\/p>\n
Do Cucamelons Grow Back Every Year?<\/h2>\n
Cucamelon plants are considered to be a perennial<\/strong>, meaning that they can keep growing from their root stock for a few years to come.<\/p>\nHowever, those growing in colder climates may grow like an annual, if the cold weather in the winter kills them off.<\/p>\n
You can keep them going for another season or two, if you take good care of the tuber in the cold winter months.<\/p>\n
You will have to dig up the root as the weather starts to turn colder, then store it over the winter in a cool, dark place.<\/p>\n
Once the weather starts to warm up again, plant it back out and wait for the second fruiting.<\/p>\n
If you leave your cucamelon plant outdoors over the winter, the cold temperatures will kill off the plant and it won\u2019t come back the following year.<\/p>\n
How Do You Grow Cucamleons In Pots?<\/h2>\n
Growing these little beauties in pots is perfectly possible – and in fact it may be easier to dig up and store the tubers over winter so you get another crop.<\/p>\n
Cucamelons are quite happy in pots; they don\u2019t like to be too crowded so make sure you only have one plant per pots, and that the pot is a good size.<\/p>\n
Once you have sown your seeds, allowing 2-3 seeds per pot in case one or two don\u2019t sprout, you should transplant them into pots that they can grow into.<\/p>\n
As the plants mature, they should be placed into larger pots that will be their final home – this should be at least 5 gallons in size, with drainage holes.<\/p>\n
The cucamelons will need to be watered regularly as they won\u2019t be able to spread out their roots to find water in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n
You will need to add stakes or trellises – these little plants love to climb and spread, and the harvest will be better if they are allowed freedom.<\/p>\n
If you are growing in pots, you can even keep your cucamelons indoors – just ensure that they have a sunny position and something to climb.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a useful video showing you the best way to grow cucamelons in pots:<\/p>\n