Scientific Name: Melothria scabra

Common Names: Mexican sour gherkin is known by many other names including mouse melon, cucamelon, Mexican sour cucumber and Mexican miniature watermelon.

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Origin:

Mexican sour gherkin is an ancient, open-pollinated crop native to Mexico and other central American countries.  It was cultivated and eaten by indigenous peoples of these areas long before contact with the west.

Culinary Uses:

Mexican sour gherkin can be pickled or eaten fresh.  They're great for adding burst of lemony cucumber flavour to salads or just for snacking on straight off the vine.

Growing Tips:

Mexican sour gherkin is more drought and pest resistant than conventional cucumbers and gherkins.  They don't suffer as badly from powdery mildew than regular cucumber varieties.  They can be slow grower at first, the leaves will be soft and require regular watering when young, but is a very vigorous and productive vine once established.  Produces separate male and female flowers like other cucumbers and may require hand pollination if insect pollinators are absent.  Grow up a frame to keep fruit off the ground and for ease of picking.

When To Sow:

In temperate regions sow Mexican sour gherkin from September to February.  In the subtropics sow from August to February.  In tropical regions of Australia sow Mexican sour gherkin during the dry season from April to August.

How To Sow:

Mexican sour gherkin seeds are tiny compared to other cucumbers so sow them no deeper than 8mm into the soil.  Space plants 50cm apart along a trellis to give them plenty of rooms to climb and sprawl.  Choose a planting site full sun for best fruit production, but they'll also successfully grow in light shade.

Germination Time:

Mexican sour gherkin takes between 7 and 14 days to germinate from sowing.

Time To Harvest:

Expect to harvest your first Mexican sour gherkins 10 to 11 weeks after sowing.  Pick the fruits regularly to encourage further fruit production.