How to grow Pepino Melon

Where to plant

Pepino does best in a warm, relatively frost-free climate, in sun or light shade, sheltered from strong wind. A spot against a south-facing wall or on a patio suits it. Plants survive a brief drop to 27 or 28°F but may lose many leaves.

Temperature controls the crop. California Rare Fruit Growers notes that plants will not set fruit until night temperatures are above about 65°F, and high temperatures reduce the sugar in ripening fruit, so it is not well suited to hot interior gardens.

• Central and South Florida and Hawaii: plant in spring for an early summer crop before the hottest weather.
• The Gulf South: frost tender and sets fruit poorly in hot, humid weather. Plant after the last frost for an early summer crop, or grow it in a pot you can move under cover.
• Southern California: best away from the hot interior; plant in spring or fall.
• Northern California: plant in April or May after frost; it has fruited in milder parts of the north.
• The low desert is too hot and dry. Colder regions: grow it in a pot and bring it inside for winter.

Choosing a variety

Named varieties include 'El Camino', 'Kawi', 'Quito', 'Sweet Long' and 'Sweet Round'. Better varieties are sweet and juicy; poor ones can have a soapy aftertaste. Plants grown from cuttings of a good variety are more reliable than seedlings.

How to plant

1. Start from rooted cuttings or plants. To root your own, take 3 to 5-inch stem cuttings with 4 or 5 leaves at the top, dip in rooting hormone and keep them in a fast-draining mix with humidity and bottom heat.
2. Plant out after the danger of frost, 2 to 3 feet apart, in fertile, free-draining soil with some well-rotted manure worked in a few weeks ahead.
3. Stake or trellis plants like a tomato, as they sprawl and fruit weighs down the stems.
4. Mulch to keep down weeds; young plants compete poorly.

Watering and feeding

Pepinos have shallow roots and are sensitive to drying out, which affects fruit set and quality, so keep the soil evenly moist.

Feed like a tomato, with a fertilizer lower in nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. Soil that is too rich gives lush leaves, fewer fruit and more pests.

Pruning and care through the year

• Pruning is only needed if you train plants to a trellis; then treat them like a tomato vine. Opening the fruit to light improves the purple striping.
• Plants set fruit without pollination, but crops are heavier when flowers are pollinated, so growing two or more plants helps.
• Cover plants with frost cloth on cold nights, or move pots to shelter.

Harvesting

Fruit matures 30 to 80 days after the flowers are pollinated. Pick when fully mature for the best flavor: the background color of many varieties turns yellowish to light orange and the fruit gives slightly. Ripe fruit bruises easily, so handle it gently. It keeps 3 to 4 weeks cool and humid at around 38°F.

Eat pepino chilled and fresh like a melon. Less ripe fruit can be sliced into salads like cucumber.

Growing in pots

Pepino is small enough to grow well in a large container, which is the easiest way to grow it where winters freeze. Use free-draining mix, water consistently, and bring the pot into a bright, frost-free place for winter.