Melotria Rough

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Melothria rough (lat. Melothria scabra) - perennial liana of the genus Melotria of the Pumpkin family. The native land of the plant is the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. Cultivated primarily for small edible fruits that taste like cucumbers. In Russia, melotria is relatively new.

Characteristics of culture

Rough melotria is an annual herb that forms sprawling lashes with a large number of lateral shoots with rough antennae up to 3 m long. The leaves are pubescent over the entire surface, pointed, triangular in shape. The flowers are small, bright yellow, funnel-shaped, dioecious. Female flowers are single, male flowers are collected in axillary bundle-shaped inflorescences.

Fruits are medium-sized, 1.5-2.5 cm long, usually light green in color. In addition to fruits, plants form nodules weighing up to 300-400 g, in shape and taste they resemble sweet potato tubers. Rough melotria bears fruit in July-November (depending on climatic conditions). The fruits overripe very quickly, so they are harvested every other day. Under favorable growing conditions and timely care, you can get up to 5-6 kg of fruits and up to 1-1, 5 kg of tubers.

Growing conditions

Melotria rough prefers open sunny areas, although semi-shaded areas, for example, under voluminous tree crowns, are also not prohibited. Fertile, light, moderately moist soils are preferred. Acidic, saline, swampy and waterlogged soils are not suitable. The culture of lowlands with stagnant melt water and cold air does not accept.

Sowing

The seeds of melotria rough are small enough, so they are sown in the ground without embedding. You can grow the culture in a seedling way, in this case, the seeds are sown in special boxes filled with a nutrient mixture, gently sprinkled with warm water and covered with plastic wrap. Seedlings appear in 2-3 weeks. Young plants need good lighting, the air temperature in the room is optimal at 29-30C.

With the appearance of three true leaves on the seedlings, the seedlings dive in separate containers of 2-3 pieces. After 7-10 days, melotria is fed with complex mineral fertilizers. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the end of May.

The first fruits can be obtained a couple of weeks after planting, although this largely depends on climatic conditions. Melotria is a productive plant, practically in every node a fruit is formed. Young fruits are distinguished by a more interesting and rich taste and aroma than those in which the seeds have already formed.

Care

Since melotria grows very quickly, it needs support, a chain-link mesh will perfectly cope with this task. In the initial stage, plants require regular weeding and loosening. In the future, melotria will suppress the weeds on its own. Watering is carried out as needed; drying out of the soil in the near-stem zone should not be allowed. The first dressing in the open field is carried out a week after planting, then a couple of additional dressings must be carried out. The culture is not prone to damage by pests and diseases, and occasionally it can be susceptible to powdery mildew.