Tropical Pepino melon

[bovine421]

Some of the descriptions of this sound tasty but some reviews from grocery store bought melons not so much. Could it be with proper picking and ripening it would  taste melon like


https://youtu.be/oRfIOfMjQU8

[spaugh]

They are ok.  I think tomato is better. 

[elouicious]

Ate a lot in peru-

a good melon but nothing too amazing

[bovine421]

 Can they take the heat and humidity of a Florida summer.

[pinkturtle]

I heard the round Shaped variety is taste a lot better, more sweeter than oval shaped.

[elouicious]

I dont think they like heat- I struggled with them in texas

[FloridaManDan]

I recommend the Kiwano melon; while it kinda tastes like a sour-ish cucumber, I found it very refreshing for hot S FL days. My vine was too aggressive for my small space so I had to remove it, but it thrived down here. Heads up though, it is a spiky vine.

Baker Creek has two different varieties but all my vines came from store-bought fruits.
https://www.rareseeds.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=kiwano

[Galatians522]

The pepino I had tasted ok. I would say it had more of a fruit flavor than most tomatoes. Tomatoes always taste like a vegetable to me. They like the same growing season and conditions as tomato. I started a cutting last year about this time and it is flowering now. I think it needs a pollenator, though.  It declined over the summer, but has perked back up nicely. I think they benefit from shade in the height of summer.

[K-Rimes]

I dont think they like heat- I struggled with them in texas

Even in the shade here mine don't do very well, and they are a major attraction for ants to install mealy bug type action on. I don't even bother watering the patch of them I have anymore... Not really worth the space imo.

[a_Vivaldi]

I had some last year, enjoyed the taste. A little under-ripe they taste like a sweet cucumber. I didn't get any to fully ripen but the ripest one had far more of a cantaloupe taste (weird, since they're tomato family and look like a rambling potato plant with jumbo-sized horse nettle fruits). Pretty juicy, nice texture, quite soft. Very attractive flowers.

I wasn't able to get any into the ground until midsummer, so I didn't get many before the frost. Will try again this year.

They seemed ok with the heat, but I'm not sure they set fruit well when its really hot.

[K-Rimes]

I had some last year, enjoyed the taste. A little under-ripe they taste like a sweet cucumber. I didn't get any to fully ripen but the ripest one had far more of a cantaloupe taste (weird, since they're tomato family and look like a rambling potato plant with jumbo-sized horse nettle fruits). Pretty juicy, nice texture, quite soft. Very attractive flowers.

I wasn't able to get any into the ground until midsummer, so I didn't get many before the frost. Will try again this year.

They seemed ok with the heat, but I'm not sure they set fruit well when its really hot.

Ah yes, my other issue, they are all ground cover and it seems when you spray water them they don't set. The flowers are indeed, very nice honey flavor. At least my bees will be stoked!

[a_Vivaldi]

Oh, I hadn't noticed that issue, but it wouldn't surprise me, given the weird climate they're from.

I'm going to try trellising them to see if that helps much.

[Plantinyum]

Nice tread , i am also growing pepino mellons, last year i had 2 varieties, one with round fruit and another eith elongated oval ones. Didnt had them growing in the perfect conditions whille the fruit was ripening so it really wasnt that good. I discarded the round one, now left with the elongated type.
Havent really had a nicely ripened fruit till now, they awlays set in late summer/ fall ,dus they never have the chance to ripen in the sun and warmth.
2 years ago i had one thatripened earlier and i remember it was quite nice, aromatic, refreshing and juicy.
This year i will be making some kind of a trellis along a wall for them, also planting them in extra large pots so they have alot of room.
They awlays seem to have a mite or a whitefly infestation for me, quite prone to those 2 . Flowers smell like urine left in the sun , i really hate the smell of those flowers...

[K-Rimes]

Oh, I hadn't noticed that issue, but it wouldn't surprise me, given the weird climate they're from.

I'm going to try trellising them to see if that helps much.

I had good luck with them on a tomato cage, got a ton more fruit, but goddamn ants had a field day and installed mealybugs to the point that the stems died down to the roots. I have major issues with ants here.

[shot]

I grew them in Florida in the 90s and early 2000s,even tried different root stocks for them.They get Thrips and mites and at times some leaf miners and other lepidoptera, nematode but they grow pretty good.Shifting shade in summer is good.I had some named cultivars from Pacific Tree Farms 4301 Lynwood Dr Chula Vista CA .They were close  to my brothers house in Chula Vista Bill Nelson owner.Good memories of Bill and worker Tom Del Otell.
 The only thing that was a bit of a let down they were not sweet enough just add some Kal stevia.

[Oolie]

Tom was the Chair of the CRFG San Diego chapter when I joined.

He's moved away since.

[shot]

I wondered were he had gone.

Thanks Oolie
Tom was very enthusiastic

[Galatians522]

The only thing that was a bit of a let down they were not sweet enough just add some Kal stevia.

Good bye pepino hello poha berry.