How to Grow and Care for Cucamelons in Your Garden

How to Plant Cucamelons 

Cucamelons can grow as perennials in USDA zones 9 and 10, however, these tender perennials don’t handle winter weather well and they’re generally grown as annuals elsewhere. That said, cucamelons are small enough to keep in pots, so they can be overwintered indoors or in greenhouses if desired.

When to Plant

If you live in a region with a long growing season, you can directly sow cucamelon seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has past. But in cooler locations, it’s best to start cucamelon seeds indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost of spring.

Selecting a Planting Site

Cucamelons can grow in pots or garden beds that receive plenty of sun. For best results, choose a growing location with rich, well-draining soil and plenty of room for trellising or another support system.

To boost harvest yields, consider growing cucamelons near flowering companion plants that attract pollinators, such as yarrow, calendula, borage, and dill.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

For proper growth, cucamelon seeds should be planted about ¼ to ½ inch deep in soil amended with a bit of compost. Cucamelons should be spaced about 12 inches apart.

Once established, cucamelons spread vigorously, but they’re much more manageable with trellising. Trellising also allows you to grow cucamelons vertically for space savings and prevents common plant diseases like powdery mildew.

Cattle panel trellises, sturdy tomato cages, or bamboo trellis towers all work well for cucamelons, but it’s best to install trellising at planting time to avoid disturbing tender plant leaves and stems later on.

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Cucamelon Plant Care 

Light

Like most other food crops, cucamelons are full sun plants that need at least 6 to 8 hours of bright light daily. Plants grown in very hot regions can tolerate partial afternoon shade, while plants grown indoors will usually need supplemental lighting from grow lights left on for at least 12 hours a day.

Soil

Well-draining, loamy or sandy soil with a slightly acidic pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is ideal for cucamelons. Amending the soil with a bit of compost or aged manure before planting can give cucamelons a boost and reduce fertilizer needs.

Water

Regular watering is key if you want cucamelons to fruit well. These plants typically need about 1 inch of water per week, although plants grown in hot climates or containers may need to be watered more regularly.

When watering, direct your hose at the soil line or use drip irrigation to keep plant leaves dry and prevent mildew. Add a thin layer of mulch around the base of your plants to reduce watering needs.

Temperature and Humidity

Cucamelons are frost-sensitive and they can be damaged by cold temperatures. Warm weather helps cucamelons grow faster and these plants are at their best when temperatures are between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

While cucamelons are typically not picky about humidity, high humidity conditions with minimal air flow can encourage powdery mildew. Keep plants well-pruned and follow proper spacing recommendations to reduce mildew problems.

Fertilizer

Adding compost to the soil before planting cucamelons can help plants grow better, but cucamelons will still need to be fertilized throughout the growing season.

Follow the instructions on your fertilizer packaging and apply a balanced, organic fertilizer every few weeks until cucamelon plants begin to flower. Then, switch to a high-potassium fertilizer to support flowering and fruiting.

Pollination

Cucamelons are self-pollinating and produce both male and female blooms on a single vine. These plants are pollinated by wind and insects, but you can increase harvest yields by companion planting with flowers that attract pollinators. Just keep in mind that cucamelons grown indoors or in greenhouses will need to be hand pollinated!

Harvesting Cucamelons 

Harvest season usually starts in July, or about 65 to 75 days after cucamelon seeds are planted, and plants can continue to fruit until the first frost of fall. It’s time to harvest cucamelons when they are about 1 inch long and have firm, bright green skin. Overly ripe cucamelons turn bitter and become soft quickly, so harvest often.

To harvest, simply twist cucamelons off the vine with your fingers or clip them away with scissors or pruners. Support the plant vines when harvesting to avoid broken stems and leaves.

Fresh cucamelons can be stored for about a week in the fridge in perforated plastic bags or containers. For longer term storage, try pickling, canning, or freezing your harvest. Freezing changes the texture of cucamelons, but frozen cucamelons are still good for cooking.

How to Grow Cucamelons in Pots 

If you want to save space in your garden or grow cucamelons on a sunny porch or patio, you can keep cucamelon plants in plastic or terracotta pots and planters, or fabric grow bags. One advantage of growing cucamelons in containers is that you can move plants indoors if cold weather is in the forecast.

Choose a growing container with drainage holes at least 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep. Fill the container with a rich, well-draining potting mix and add a small trellis to keep cucamelons vines from spreading too vigorously.

You should water and fertilize container-grown cucamelons more regularly than plants grown in vegetable beds.

Pruning 

Cucamelons usually don’t need much pruning, although you will want to clip away dead, damaged, or diseased leaves when you see them. Light pruning thins out leaves, boosts air flow, and reduces the chances of mildew.

If you grow cucamelons in containers or your vines spread too quickly, pruning controls the growth and size of particularly vigorous vines.

How to Grow Cucamelons From Seed

Cucamelon seeds are usually started indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date of spring. Sow seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep in pots filled with a quality seed starting mix, water well, and then place the pots under grow lights.

Once cucamelons are a few inches tall and frost is no longer expected, harden off young plants for a week or two. Then transplant your cucamelons into pots or a vegetable garden and add a nearby trellis to support vines as they grow.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases 

Compared to many other food crops, cucamelons are relatively resistant to pests and diseases. However, cucamelons can still develop issues like powdery mildew, aphids, slugs, and snails. Companion planting with fragrant herbs and flowers can reduce pest issues naturally, while powdery mildew can be prevented by watering plants at their roots and using pruning and trellising to increase air flow around plant leaves.