Dangerous Fruit

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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foxd
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Dangerous Fruit

Post by foxd »

I'm considering trying to grow Cucumis metuliferus (aka Horned Mellon) next Summer and am wondering if anyone else is growing it.

I have taken a step toward growing it by buying a Horned Mellon from Krogers. First blood was from the checkout clerk who wasn't paying attention to the items he grabbed to scan. I bet he does now. :shock:

What I've read about it is interesting. It is an annual vine that grows in a Kudzu-like manner. Vines can grow up to over a hundred feet in length and bear over a hundred fruit. However the growing season in Indiana may not be long enough for it to bear fruit.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by foxd »

Seeds germinate far faster than I was expecting. :shock:

Okay, I'm going to have to seriously rethink my timetable on growing these.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by canadianplant »

LOL "first blood was the clerk...." :twisted:

I did the same thing with my asperagus (not as dangerous as the horned melons, of course). Every thing I read, stated that I should start them 14 weeks before last frost. They ended up growing a foot in 3 weeks.

I had to look it up! Now I know what it is. They grow them in the kalahari. I would grow it like a normal melon or cuc. They need heat, so a hot south wall, and some black multch, over top of a hill, to raise the soil temp. I would follow instructions for growing cantelope.

They sort of remind me of a pommegranate/melon.

You have any pics of the seedlings?
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by bamboothew »

I'm going to need to look into this one too, very neat vine and fruit! Vines can definately grow surprisingly quickly indoors: I took tiny cuttings of Thumbergia alata just before first frost to overwinter just in case it doesn't self-seed and it has already taken over my kitchen window and flowered! I suspect the cuttings will soon run out of soil and I will be forced to take cuttings from the cuttings :)
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by Alan_L »

bamboothew wrote:...and I will be forced to take cuttings from the cuttings :)
That's a good strategy, as you'll have young, vigorous plants instead of a rootbound, struggling for nutrients and water older one. If it's a plant you *really* want to see make it through the winter, you want some backup plants and plans.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by canadianplant »

Also depends on the vine. My passiflora incarnata are inside, in pots in southern windows. They dropped their leaves, and looked totally dead LOL. On the other hand, I have a mendevella (sp?) indoors this winter, that has not stopped flowering, and I had to cut down the 10 foot vines (too spindly, seems to happen to them).

Again, can you post any pics of the seedlings alan? I cant find decent pics of the vine online..
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by foxd »

canadianplant, that is how my indoor P. incarnata plants look though a few of them have started to sprout new vines from the roots or old vines. I have seeds if you want them.

I will probably take pics in the next couple of days when I take pics of the pineapple plant. Right now I'm going to have to clear space for the seedlings.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by canadianplant »

foxd wrote:canadianplant, that is how my indoor P. incarnata plants look though a few of them have started to sprout new vines from the roots or old vines. I have seeds if you want them.

I will probably take pics in the next couple of days when I take pics of the pineapple plant. Right now I'm going to have to clear space for the seedlings.

My P incarnata is doing the same. Both pots are re leafing. I appreciate the seeds, but these things will probably give me all the plant and seeds I need. I have way too many seeds atm to get any more ( roughly 150 packs of food and randoms, and about 25 kinds of seeds not planted, combined with the 25 types of things that are already started). I need to get a new light, as well as clean off a few tables to make some room for my 500+ seedlings LOL

Cant wait to see how those melons look
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by foxd »

I find myself in a similar situation, I am going to have to find homes for unwanted plants, such as the Passiflora suberosa, and plant out the ones that may or may not survive our climate, such as the palms.

Definitely going to have to get another light for the seedlings to keep them alive until Spring.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by foxd »

Here's a picture of one of the seedlings. I now have 19 seedlings.

Image
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by canadianplant »

Nice! You may wanna think about deeper peat pots, melons hate being transpanted..
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by foxd »

canadianplant wrote:Nice! You may wanna think about deeper peat pots, melons hate being transpanted..
Yeah, growing these is going to be a learning experience for me. Since I've never grown these before I had no idea they would germinate that quickly or even if at all. BTW, I haven't seen any more seeds germinate since last night so I think all that are going to germinate have done so.

Thinking about it, I do have some peat pots that have been sitting around for years...
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by canadianplant »

Ive never grown that melon, but I can go from melons in general. Since you started em early, they are going to put out some decent roots. Melons hate root disturbance. Not saying yours wont do well, they just may be set back and/or may loose a few during transplanting.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by Iowaboo »

Image when I tried it, only got one orange, growing season in north wasn't good enough.
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Re: Dangerous Fruit

Post by bamboothew »

Iowaboo wrote:Image when I tried it, only got one orange, growing season in north wasn't good enough.
Lance, when I first saw that pic I wondered why you were posting a pic of a cactus in this thread :shock: :lol:
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