What does kiwano look like and how to grow it?

Kiwano is an exotic thorny vegetable that is easy to grow. In our country, varieties have been bred, zoned for different natural and climatic zones. You can find the seeds of this unusual crop in any shop for gardeners and gardeners. Let's talk about how to properly grow Kiwano in your garden.

The Kiwano people are better known as "horned melon" and also "African cucumber". Wildlife grows like a liana. The homeland of this culture is Africa, it was widely spread in New Zealand and Israel.

There is no information about when exactly this exotic came to our country. However, its botanical characteristics can be found already in reference books of the 70s. last century. Commercial success for these unusual fruits came in the late 1980s. Today Kiwano is cultivated on an industrial scale in Australia, China, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, as well as in the United States. These fruits are exported to a wide variety of countries around the world.

Consider what a horned melon is and what it looks like. This is a culture of the Pumpkin family, in the way of growth it is similar to an ordinary cucumber.... She forms an elongated lash with many stepchildren. Leaf plates are similar to cucumber ones, but slightly smaller in size. Each plant has both female and male flowers.

The only difference is the fruits. From the very moment of appearance, the ovaries are completely covered with thorns and resemble small hedgehogs. Kiwano grows the size of an orange, the fruit is cylindrical in shape.

In the state of final ripeness, the flesh remains bright green, and the rind becomes yellowish-red in color. The consistency is jelly-like, the pulp is all speckled with seeds. The taste is somewhere between cucumber and sweet, reminiscent of a mixture of kiwi, pineapple, citrus, banana and other exotic fruits.

Plants can be consumed at any stage of ripening. - both weekly greens and fully ripe fruits. Many people use them in the manner of gherkins; in this form, the fruits can be salted and pickled. The ripened kiwano is cut into several parts and the pulp is consumed with a spoon. Horned melon is often used to make jams and preserves, smoothies and cocktails with honey or yogurt are made from it.

This is a very healthy fruit, it can be called a real storehouse of potassium. That is why it will be very useful for all people suffering from diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Berries strengthen the immune system and increase muscle tone. You can also eat tough peel - it contains a lot of ascorbic acid and fiber.

The edible part of the African cucumber is 89% water. The calorie content does not exceed 40 kcal per 100 g of fresh product, therefore Kiwano is classified as a dietary fruit.

Other nutrients found in African cucumber include:

• potassium, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and zinc;
• vitamins A, C, PP and B;
• folic and pantothenic acid;
• cellulose;
• proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.

The balanced composition of micro- and macroelements of horned melon strengthens the body's defenses.The inclusion of coarse fibers helps cleanse the intestines from toxins, hazardous toxins and radionuclides. Kiwano will be useful for diabetics, since the amount of sugar in it is reduced, and the concentration of fructose does not create a load on the pancreas.

In folk medicine, the pulp and juice of the plant is used to solve a number of health problems:

• in case of violation of the water-salt balance;
• to thin the blood;
• with frequent colds;
• during the recovery period after serious illness;
• for any injuries and damage to the skin (wounds, abrasions, swelling and burns);
• as an anthelmintic;
• with the addition of flower honey - to combat insomnia.

In total, the Cucumis metulifer family includes 32 varieties of horned melon, but only 2 of them are used commercially. These are the cultures of Cucumis metuliferus and Cucumis anguria. Moreover, both varieties were bred outside Africa.

In 2006, a new Kiwano variety was bred in Siberia, which received the name "Green Dragon", information about this is contained in the State Register. This variety is adapted for all natural and climatic zones of our country. It can be grown both in greenhouse conditions and in the open field.

This is one of the most popular exotics, it builds up a whip up to 2.5-3 m long. From the moment the first shoots appear until the fruits are fully ripe, 75-80 days pass. Fruits are yellow, oval in shape, have tubercles and slight pubescence. The weight of each is 150-160 g, the length is 6-8 cm. "Green Dragon" is characterized by a high yield, from one square meter of the garden you can collect 3.5-4 kg of fruit.

The official resource of the National Novosibirsk Botanical Garden does not contain any information about the resistance of the "Green Dragon" to diseases. The opinions of summer residents on this issue are twofold. Some say that this is a plant with powerful immunity, which is almost never affected by anything. Others claim that the culture often withers from powdery mildew. One way or another, this is the only variety that has become widespread in our country.

The best way to germinate horned melon is by seedling. This culture does not tolerate low temperatures, the heat background + 20-30 degrees is acceptable for its growth and development. Already at + 13-15, development stops, and at +10, the plant may wither. That is, it is possible to plant seedlings in the ground only not earlier than the end of May-beginning of June, when a stably warm average daily temperature is established on the street and the risk of recurrent frosts is over. Accordingly, seeds for seedlings are planted 3-4 weeks before that - most often this is the end of April - the first half of May.

The plant is not as demanding on soil fertility parameters as a traditional cucumber. It is important for him that the soil is moisture-permeable, drained and light. It is best to compose the soil mixture yourself on the basis of garden soil, humus, peat and any baking powder, the greatest effect is given by vermiculite or perlite.

Agrotechnics includes a few simple steps.

• Before sowing, seeds of African cucumber are soaked for 10-12 hours in Epin or any other growth stimulant... If sodium humate is used, the soaking time is increased to 24 hours. Such treatment promotes the disinfection of seeds and improves their germination.
• The soil mixture for growing seedlings should be prepared in advance. A couple of days before sowing, it must be spilled with a pale solution of potassium permanganate.
• Each seed must be sown in a separate container 8-10 cm deep... It is not recommended to plant seedlings in a common container, since this plant is extremely difficult to tolerate a pick. Seedlings are buried to a depth of 2-3 cm.
• In order for a young plant to develop successfully, it is important to maintain a comfortable temperature background for the seedlings.... Even at night, the temperature should not drop below 24-25 degrees.
• Before the first shoots appear, the glasses are covered with foil or glass - this will keep the required moisture content. As soon as sprouts appear, the film is removed.
• Seedlings love good lighting, so care should be taken to maintain 14-16 hours of daylight hours. If necessary, you need to use artificial lighting. However, direct sunlight is dangerous for young leaves - they can burn the leaf plate.

In all other respects, the seedlings require standard care - regular watering and loosening. A couple of weeks before planting in open ground, you need to start hardening. To do this, in the daytime, the bushes are left on the street, first for 30-40 minutes and step by step brought to a whole daylight hours.

At the time of planting, at least 2-3 true leaves should form in the horned melon. It is not necessary to plant many African cucumbers for one family, as the culture grows very much - from one plant you can collect up to a bucket of fruits. Liana grows aggressively and quickly occupies all the free space; with its lashes, it is able to "strangle" other cultivated plants. Therefore, the planting density should not exceed 2 bushes / m2.

The substrate should be well drained and pH neutral. Fertility does not really matter. It is best to plant the plant in sunny areas; in shaded areas, the yield drops sharply.

In general, horned melon requires standard care - weeding, shaping the bush, loosening, irrigation, application of nutritious fertilizers, as well as combating fungal diseases and insect pests.

The African cucumber responds with great gratitude to watering. He needs a lot of water, irrigation is carried out at least three times a week. And if the weather is hot and the soil dries out quickly, then watering should be done every day. Liana tolerates drought very badly, without moisture it simply dies. It is best to water the crop late in the evening or early in the morning; moisture in direct sunlight can burn the green parts of the plant.

After watering, it is imperative to mulch the ground. For this, chopped conifer bark, peat, sawdust or humus are suitable. If the soil heats up too much during the day, it will be useful to perform hilling - this procedure will create additional protection for the roots from temperature fluctuations, and in addition, it will allow you to keep moisture in the ground as much as possible.

An important part of agrotechnical measures when caring for horned melon is loosening the soil and weeding from weeds... This treatment improves the access of nutrients and oxygen to the plant roots. Loosening is necessary every time a dry crust appears on the surface of the earth. Like watering, this work is best done before sunrise or in the evening after sunset.

The plant is not demanding on soil fertility, but nevertheless, the introduction of additional nutrition every 15-20 days promotes powerful development and improves the formation of ovaries. To feed the liana, several formulations are used:

• mullein, diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 5;
• chicken droppings, dissolved in a ratio of 1 to 15;
• ready-made mineral preparations "Kristalon" or "Fertika".

African cucumber grows very quickly, so special attention should be paid to the formation of the bush. Excessive vegetation can negatively affect overall yields. To prevent this from happening, the kiwano lashes are tied to a net or support, after which the shoots are pinched on the sides. In this case, the lashes are carefully pinched down to the ovaries, and the male flowers are removed altogether.

To send the vine in the desired direction, it is tied up with any soft material. It is especially important to use this technique when cultivating in greenhouses, since a comfortable microclimate is artificially created there, and the plant grows very quickly.

Important: during these works, it is advisable to protect your hands with gloves, since the stems and leaves of the horned melon are covered with dense, hard villi. In some cases, they can cause serious skin irritation in summer residents.

Jelly cucumbers, like many other members of the Pumpkin family, are characterized by exceptional resistance to the activity of pests and fungi. However, they sometimes encounter parasites. However, getting rid of them is easy.

So, ants and aphids can be driven away with soda or soapy water. The bear may pose a danger to the culture; it feeds on the roots of young plants. To prevent its appearance, it is necessary to carry out a pre-sowing disinfection of the soil with fungicides, and also use traps.

At high humidity, fusarium and powdery mildew may appear on the leaves. To get rid of them allows treatment with solutions of Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate.

In the Moscow region, the central part and the middle zone of our country, Kiwano reaches full maturity in August. Thus, the time from planting to fruiting is 2 months. At the same time, ripe fruits are covered with a wax-like film - it prevents putrefactive processes and thereby contributes to the long-term storage of horned melon.

Some summer residents pluck the fruits as they appear, such a trick can significantly increase the yield. Experienced gardeners claim that up to 200 fruits can be obtained from one bush in this way.

However, there are no definitive guidelines on when to remove the fruit. African cucumber can be eaten at all stages of ripening: from the stage of young greens to technical and full ripeness.

The liana itself is covered with agrofibre, the large fruits remaining on it will still have time to ripen. If desired, you can always pluck horned melon in the early stages of staining - in this case, the fruits can be stored until the arrival of spring and slowly ripen at home. But the frozen product cannot be stored, it must be eaten immediately.

And in conclusion, we note that today you can buy exotic fruit in every major supermarket in the country. It is sold in individual packages, the price of one fruit is about 350-400 rubles.

Of course, this is quite an expensive pleasure, so it is very important to choose the right horned melon. Here are some tips.

• Small unripe fruits in a raw state are often tasteless, and too large, in fact, turn out to be overripe.
• It is better to give preference to fruitsthe size of which resembles an orange, that is, about 15 cm.
• Do a little test - lightly press down on the peel with your fingers. It should remain tight, always elastic, without dents.
• But you don't need to pay attention to the color of the prickly fruit, since this indicator is multivariate and largely depends on the grade. Available in yellow, red or orange shades. At the same time, the color is often heterogeneous and includes marble stains.
• If you have purchased a green fruit, you can leave it on the window. In this case, it will ripen at home, and you can eat it a little later.

If you wish, you can always buy a kiwano for future use. Horned melon has a good keeping quality. The product can be kept on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for up to six months. True, as practice shows, few people have enough patience for this.