Bitter Melons or Cucamelons
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting
Bitter Melons or Cucamelons
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow bitter melons in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many bitter melons to plant
- Growing conditions for bitter melons
- When to plant bitter melons
- How to plant bitter melons
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning bitter melons
- Companion plantings for bitter melons
- How to harvest, store, and use bitter melons
Growing Bitter Melons and Cucamelons
Bitter melons or cucamelons (Melothria scabra) are slow-growing tuberous, warm-season vegetables. They are in the same Cucurbitaceae family as cucumbers and several summer melons [See: Summer Melons]. Because they are rarely sold commercially, they are fun to grow at home.
They bear several other common names, including mouse melon, Mexican melon, Mexican sour gherkin, and sandita (“little watermelon” in Spanish.) Bitter melons originally were native to Central America and the northern countries of South America.
These tubers share the common name of ‘bitter melon’ with several other edible plants, including Momordica charantia—a widely-distributed subtropical vine and another member of the squash family—and peppino (Solanum muricatum)—a South American herbaceous shrub and member of the nightshade family related to potatoes.
These bitter melons are subtropical plants and require protection from both heat and cold while bearing fruit. They grow on vines that often reach 10 ft. (3 m) tall. Yellow, tomato-like flowers produce numerous one-inch fruit that resemble miniature watermelons, zebra-striped cherry tomatoes, or grapes. The fruit has the crunchy texture of cucumbers and tastes tangy, sour or citrus-like. Both their skin and flesh are edible.
Plant bitter melon as seed in mid-spring after soils warm, or as tubers in late spring. First fruit ripens in 120-160 days and they bear into autumn until their flowers stop setting fruit as cooler weather begins. Lift the tubers for replanting after the vines die.
Summer Melon Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 1–2 plants per household member. Vines produce continuously in small–moderate quantities.
How to Plant
Best in U.S.D.A. plant hardiness zones 9–11 [See: Planting and Harvesting Planner]. Seed germinates in 10–14 days in sunny conditions and warm temperatures 70°F (21°C), but may require 24 days or longer under cooler or varied conditions. Early Starts: Plant indoors in large pots 8-10 weeks prior to last expected frost. Sow seed on soil surface and cover with 1/4-in. (6-mm) of soil; Plant tubers 1 in. (25 mm) deep. Water and set the pots in a warm, sunny spot or position them under grow-lights. Outdoor Plantings: Sow seed in full sun when soil warms to 70–80°F (21–27°C). Sow 2–3 seeds, 1/4-in. (6-mm) deep, 3 ft. (90 cm) apart, thinning to 2 plants per drill, in rows 4–5 ft. (120–150 cm) apart, or in mounds spaced 4 ft. (120 cm) apart. Plant single tubers 1 in. (25 mm) deep, as you would sweet potatoes, spaced as for seed plantings. Install sturdy wooden stake supports, wires, or trellises at time of planting.
Best Conditions for Growth
Best growing temperature: 70–85°F (21–30°C). Requires sustained temperatures between 70–85°F (21–30°C) to set flowers and develop fruit; flowers may drop if temperatures during bloom exceed 90°F (32°C).
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 2 ft. (60 cm) deep. Tubers: Pre-fertilize 2–3 in. (50-75 mm) below the surface with 5–10–10 formula and cover with 1–2 in. (25–50 mm) of soil before setting tubers in the planting hole, then cover with unfertilized soil. Avoid succession or repeat-season plantings of bitter melons in soils previously used to grow cucumbers, bitter melons, or potatoes.
Proper Care
Moderate to challenging. Keep evenly moist; avoid wetting foliage. Train vines onto supports as they grow. Protect from exposure during periods of wind and cool or hot temperatures. Apply ample water during the flowering and fruit-development stages. Fertilize monthly with 10–10–10 formula. Cultivate. Lift tubers in autumn, cure, and store them in an unheated, dry location for replanting in late spring. Squash-vine borer and powdery mildew, fusarium wilt susceptible.
Pairing Recommendations
Sweet potatoes, corn, pole beans, scarlet-runner beans, and morning glory.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
100–120 days. Pick bitter melons when husks of fruit begin to soften. Eat raw whole or sliced, in beverages or in aqua fresca. Pickle or preserve in jams.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in refrigerator for 1 week; preserved or pickled, 1 year.