The Pepino melon, Solanum muricatum, is a shrub native to South America, where it has been cared for and cultivated for thousands of years. Pepino melon is characteristic for its sweet and refreshing fruit, with high water content and a flavor very similar to that of melon. Caring for and cultivating Pepino melon or pear-melon has recently spread to the rest of the world. Among its main producing countries, is Spain. If you want to know more, we will tell you how to care for and grow Pepino melon.
What parts is the Pepino melon made of?
Next, we show you the most important parts that make up the Pepino melon plant:
Estate. The roots of the Pepino melon are very extensive, although superficial. The good development of this part of the plant is largely due to the high humidity it needs.
Stems. The stems are green and herbaceous at their base.
Leaves. Pepino melon leaves are simple and can sometimes reach 30 cm.
Flowers. The flowers sprout in compound clusters and white flowers with purple veins and it is necessary to help them mature before they can bear fruit.
Fruit. The fruit of the Pepino melon is a fleshy berry that is usually ovoid or elongated in shape. Its color is whitish or golden and with a characteristic purple stripe.
How to care for and grow Pepino melon?
Here we tell you how to care for and grow Pepino melon.
Grow it in temperate climates
The Pepino melon is a plant that can be grown in temperate, mild, and somewhat humid climates, with the areas closest to the sea being the most favorable. This plant is very sensitive to frost, although if these are not very extreme, the Pepino melon can recover and continue to develop. It is also necessary to avoid exposing this fruit to winds, whether they are hot or strong, as they dry out the plant.
Plant it in drained soil
The Pepino melon needs well-drained and loose soils, although it tolerates some waterlogging quite well. This plant is not too demanding with the types of soil, its needs being very similar to those of the pepper.
Water it every fortnight
Although it needs a certain humidity and a certain level of water, the sweet cucumber is quite tolerant to mild droughts. Water every 15 days, avoiding unnecessary excess water. Install automatic drip irrigation, since it is the type of irrigation that will best adapt to this crop.
You can fertilize it on poor soils
This plant is very undemanding with fertilizer, which allows it to be harvested on poor soils, although choosing the right fertilizer or fertilizer can provide good fruit production, accelerating its development.
What pests and diseases can Pepino melon have?
Among the cares in the cultivation of Pepino melon, it is very important to treat and prevent pests and diseases since these can reduce the product Pepino melon on of fruits or kill the entire crop. Next, we show you the pests and diseases of Pepino melon and what to do to treat and prevent them:
Pests:
Red spider
This insect causes punctures in Pepino melon leaves and yellowing. If the attack is very intense, cobwebs can become visible and the fruits are seriously damaged. Solution: choose an insecticide to control the pest, although you have to change the product to avoid creating resistance.
Aphids
Aphids create colonies on the plants, weakening them, as they suck their sap and leave the sweet cucumber exposed to attack by fungi and viruses. Solution: the attack must be treated as soon as it occurs in order to control the pest. Use insecticides specific to this pest.
Whitefly
This insect produces yellowing in the leaves when it feeds on it, in addition to being transmitters of different types of viruses. Solution: Look for specific insecticides to kill the larvae.
Miner fly
This pest is very dangerous, although it develops mainly in greenhouses since it evolves better and faster in very humid spaces. The larva of this insect makes galleries in the leaves and weakens the plant. Solution: Some types of insecticides, such as acephate, are effective.
Leaf-eating caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the Pepino melon, causing serious damage, as they devour the plant at great speed. Solution: It is advisable to use insecticides as soon as the attack begins.
Diseases:
Mildew
This disease develops with very high temperatures and humidity and is transmitted through the wind and raindrops. Mildew produces black spots on the leaves and fruit rot. Solution: preventive treatment is recommended by choosing fungicides to disinfect the area.
Alternaria spp
This disease is favorable in wet periods and spreads through raindrops. It produces necrotic spots on the leaves, causing them to fall throughout the plant. Solution: Apply fungicides to treat this disease.
Tomato mosaic virus
This disease is transmitted mainly through farming tools and produces necrotic spots on leaves and fruits. Solution: disinfect work tools to avoid contagion.
Tan virus
This virus is transmitted by thrips, although the damage is not usually alarming. Produces spots on leaves and shoots. Solution: use a healthy plant and avoid the thrips plague so that it does not transmit the virus.
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