Caring for Mexican mini cucumbers »This is how vegetables thrive

How is pouring?

Mini cucumbers do not tolerate too much drought. You should therefore water moderately, especially on hot days. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs, as this quickly leads to root rot.

Which fertilizers have proven effective?

Melothria Scabra only needs a little fertilization. Applying a commercial fertilizer for vegetable plants once or twice is sufficient.

When can the plant go outdoors?

• Used or plants that have overwintered in the house should only be planted out after the ice saints.
• If late frost threatens, you must protect the plants with a fleece.
• Give the mini cucumbers a sufficiently high climbing aid, at least two meters high, so that they can develop freely.

Is it necessary to cut back?

The plant does not need to be pruned during the summer months. Overgrown tendrils can simply be wound around the trellis.

Only in autumn, when the foliage turns unsightly and yellow, should you cut back Mexican mini cucumbers remaining in the field.

How are the pickles harvested?

The slightly sour tasting fruits ripen again and again. You can then carefully pick them off the plant and enjoy them raw.

What diseases and pests are threatened?

Melothria Scabra is quite robust and easy to grow. Like many cucurbits, the Mexican mini cucumber is occasionally made from mildew infested.

The Mexican bean beetle is rarely found in our latitudes and therefore does not pose a great danger.

How does the mini cucumber have to be overwintered?

If it gets cooler in autumn, Melothria Scabra dies. However, it does not form real tubers such as Dahlias, but the roots are only thickened like a bulb.

• In autumn you can dig them up, store them relatively cool in slightly damp sand and plant them out again next year.
• In mild regions, the Mexican mini cucumber can remain outdoors, provided there is sufficient winter protection.