Pepino Melon Seeds

Pepino melon is an eggplant relative and is grown like one: start seed indoors and set the transplants out after all danger of frost, as this plant is not frost hardy and needs a fairly long season of about 120 days to mature. Sow 1/8 inch deep; germination is slow, 14 to 21 days, and the plants want 65-85 F.

Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart in full sun. Pepino melon is a bush plant listed for zones 9-11 and for container growing, and this fun plant can be grown indoors.

• The climatic growing requirements can vary greatly in this diverse family of fruit; however, all melons are known for their love of sandy loam soil.
• Choose the best variety for your season length.
• Melons are very frost-sensitive, so be sure to plant once the soil has warmed and the nighttime low has reached above 50 degrees.
• Melons grow best when direct-seeded, but it is advisable for those folks with a very short growing season to start plants indoors. Just be careful not to leave plants in pots longer than 3 weeks; cucurbits hate becoming root bound!
• Sow seeds 1 inch deep.
• Seeds germinate in 7-14 days.
• Ideal germination temperature is 75-90 F.

• Plant seeds or thin seedlings to 2 feet apart with rows six feet apart; these vines love to sprawl!
• Melons are very frost sensitive, so be sure to plant once the soil has warmed and the nighttime low has reached above 50 degrees.
• Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Weeding around the vines without damaging the plants can be nearly impossible. For this reason, most growers mulch around plants with straw.
• For growers in northern climates, black plastic mulch will suppress weeds and warm the soil.
• Do not overwater melons; they do not like wet feet. Instead, just water when the soil becomes dry.
• Related to cucumbers and squash, melons have the same insect pest issues, such as cucumber beetles, melon aphids and pickleworms.

• Melons are insect pollinated and will readily cross with other melon varieties. They will not, however, cross with their close relatives, watermelon or cucumbers.
• To ensure pure seed, isolate different melon varieties by 1⁄2 mile or try caging and hand pollinating.
• Harvest seeds by cutting ripe fruit in half and scooping the seeds into a large bucket; add water until the seeds and pulp are just covered. Allow this to ferment for 2-3 days, being sure to stir the mixture daily.
• After the seeds have fermented, add water, stir and pour off the pulp. Good seeds sink to the bottom. Discard the nonviable, floating seeds.
• Continue to change the water and skim off the rotten pulp from the seeds until water runs clear and only good, clean seeds are left.
• Spread clean seeds out on a piece of cardboard for 12-15 days to allow them to dry.
• Store in a jar in a cool, dry location. Seeds will remain viable for up to 5 years if stored this way.