The Cucamelon, aka Mouse Melon, is a fantastic yet relatively unknown fruit producing plant in the cucurbit family. They look just like miniature watermelons, but their taste is much like a refreshing cucumber with an added tanginess. They can be enjoyed fresh off the vine, in salads, cooked in stir fry’s, or fermented into pickles. The leaves are also edible and nutritious too. Because of their flavour, versatility, and productivity, these are a favourite here at the homestead.

These plants produce for much longer than standard cucumber varieties. They’re vigorous climbers, and will keep producing fruits on their disease resistant vines until frost. An amazing feature about this plant is that it's also a perennial, so if you live in zone 8 or warmer, and mulch the plants well for the winter, you can expect to get an earlier and even larger crop than the first year. If you live in a colder region than zone 8, you can always dig up your plants in the autumn, replant into a gallon sized pot, and store them inside a greenhouse or garage until the following spring.

The plants are quite vigorous, and if provided with the right conditions, they’ll grow multiple 10 foot long vines. These vines can be clipped back at any time if they become too large for your liking. They’ll provide you with a harvest for much longer in the season than standard cucumbers, so they’re a great use of space in the garden.

Growing Instructions:

For the highest yields, It’s best to start Cucamelon seeds indoors about 2-4 weeks before the last frost; we start them here on the farm in mid march. It's good to sow the seeds in a sterile growing medium; most available seed starting soils should do the job nicely; we use sunshine mix (peat moss and perlite). The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds 1/4 - 1/2 inch below the soil surface. Store in a warm area until tiny sprouts emerge from the soil. A heat mat greatly aids in this step, but is not necessary. Once germinated, the first true leaf or two has formed, and nighttime temperatures don't dip below 8°C, then it's time to transplant them to their final location. For us at the farm, this is around early May. These plants prefer to grow in full sun, and will handle just about any type of soil or PH. The plants are drought, flood, deer, and pest resistant.