Pepino: growing at home. Pepino Ramses and Consuelo: Specifics of Growth and Reproduction

Now there are many exotic plants that gardeners and gardeners try to grow on their sites. This experience is not always positive, although cultivation is usually not a problem. Such plants include pepino. Cultivation of this fruit at home is not difficult. There is this fruit tree quite a long time ago, and it should be noted that this is not a hybrid that the breeders brought out. True, cultivating pepino in our regions has become relatively recent, so some agrotechnical subtleties are known to few.

What is Pepino?

This is a medium-sized fruit that has a sweet taste and a melon flavor. But for this, the fruits should mature very well, which is quite problematic in some areas of our country. However, this does not prevent some gardeners from enjoying delicious pepin from year to year. The smell of ripe fruit is also very expressive. So you can determine its maturity. If there is no scent, then the fruit has not yet ripened. The color of pepino depends on its degree of maturity. In a ripe fruit, it is bright, rich, yellow-orange. Such pepin is consumed in fresh form as a dessert. If the fruit did not have enough time to ripen due to weather conditions, then it is used as an ingredient in salads. The melon pear - pepino - has different sizes and weights up to 0.5 kg.

Than pepino is useful

Fruit pepino has in its composition a lot of useful substances. That they are well absorbed by the body, it is better to eat it during the day, until 18 pm. This fruit practically does not contain proteins. Their mass is only 0.3-0.4 percent. Fats in pepino are absent altogether. Carbohydrates occupy 6 percent of the total mass, and they too can not be called the main components. The value of pepino lies in the content of vitamins B, A and K. This fetus contains a very large amount of vitamin C, as well as iron, potassium, copper and magnesium. Therefore, pepino, growing at home which is quite possible, is not only a delicious, but also a useful product.

Cultivation

The melon pear (pepino) is small in size. This plant can be grown both in greenhouses or open ground, and on the windowsill. Collection of fruits occurs throughout the season, as the time of their maturation is not the same. The skin of pepino is very thin, and the seeds are small. The flesh is very tasty and juicy. This made the fruit unusually popular among gardeners and truck farmers.

This is a tropical plant that does not like a strong drop in temperature. Therefore, it is better to breed pepino in greenhouses, on glass balconies or terraces. The temperature should not be below 14 degrees. Also, the plant requires high humidity of both soil and air. The temperature fluctuation should not be strong, especially during the growing season.

Outdoor cultivation

Many experienced gardeners grow pepino and in the open, while achieving good results. Some manage to collect up to 7 kilograms of fruit from one bush. Despite the fact that this tropical plant, it does not tolerate a strong heat. Regardless of watering, in the hot months Pepino blossoms, but the fruits do not tie, and the flowers fall off. More active ripening of fruits begins in the early autumn, in September and October. Pepin very badly tolerates strong wind gusts, because the root system of the plant is shallow and formed in the upper layer of the soil.

Suitable soil

What kind of soil does Pepino love? Growing at home should be organized in light and fertile areas, with good drainage. Soils that are prone to bogging, low in oxygen because of their high density are not suitable for this fruit. Excess moisture leads to decay of the root system. Therefore, watering should be carried out as necessary. You can spray the plant, since the humidity of the air is vital for it, especially in droughty months.

Grade Ramses

Are there varieties of pepino? Cultivation at home is possible, and for this use two varieties of culture. One of them is Ramses. This is a very productive variety with a high yield. It is resistant to adverse effects. The fruits are medium in size and yellowish-orange in color. Pepino Ramses features delicious, juicy pulp with a slight pepper shade. This variety is ideal for growing at home.

Consuelo

The second in the polarity cultivation grade Pepino - Consuelo. It is also successfully grown in our regions, achieving good harvests and sufficient maturity of the fruit. Consuelo has bright yellow fruits with light lilac strips. The conditions for growing this variety must be very favorable, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve fruiting. But, nevertheless, this is one of the most commonly used species of pepino in the home-grown. At observance of all agrotechnical requirements it can regularly bear fruit. It is better to use Consuelo for growing in a closed ground.

Reproduction by cuttings

Pepino is propagated both by seeds and by cuttings. Sometimes the second method is more preferable. Seeds in our regions are immature. In autumn, cuttings are planted in pots with a fertile and light soil. They are located on the windowsill on the south side. Do not forget that Pepin is a tropical plant that loves warmth. In two or three weeks the cuttings will take root. Better first time to cover them with a film. So they better adapt to new conditions. Rooting time depends on many conditions: temperature, watering and soil quality. Cuttings are planted in open ground in mid-May or slightly earlier. Everything depends on weather conditions. It is better to place them under a tree that has a rare crown. This will provide the plant with enough heat and light, but will not let it suffer from heat in the hottest months. That's how they multiply Pepino. Growing at home in this way is quite simple and affordable.

Propagation by seeds (germination)

The second way of reproduction is a bit more complicated. Cultivation of pepino from seeds is a labor-intensive matter, and their germination is not high. Even if you specially germinate the seeds, the productivity will still not be too high. Seeds in our climatic conditions do not receive sufficient maturity, which leads to such results. But if you have patience, you can grow a wonderful pepino and in this way.

Seeds germinate very long. The appearance of the first signs takes up to one month. It is important to prepare the seeds for planting. However, when sowing, only a few grow into the soil. As containers you can use plastic cups or jars. The bottom of the container is lined with filter paper, which is moistened with water. In it lay seeds and clean them in a warm place, where the temperature does not exceed 28 degrees. When the shoots appear, the containers are moved under a fluorescent lamp. There, the seeds must lie down until a good sprout appears, and the seed does not bifurcate. If necessary, you can help the plant to get rid of the seed peel, but you need to do it carefully.

Plant the seeds

When the plant is completely freed from the peel, it is planted in the soil in order to obtain seedlings. It must be pretreated with a hot manganese solution. The development of the plant is slow, and it needs artificial lighting up to 16 hours a day. In a month and a half the growth of seedlings is accelerating. During this time, you need to spend a few fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. If there are stepchildren in the period of growth, they are removed. Pepino should not have more than three stems. The smaller the branches, the faster the flowering will begin and the fruiting will occur. Plant pepino at one time with tomato seedlings. This is a heat-loving crop, so it should not be allowed to affect the spring frosts. Requirements for care in pepino are the same as in tomatoes. This plant also requires garters and pasynkovaniya. The whole period is important: preparation of seeds for planting, germination, obtaining seedlings and landings.

Fruiting

Fruit tying usually occurs in late spring and early autumn. In summer, pepino does not form ovaries due to extreme heat. Fruits that appeared in spring ripen in early June. Therefore it is very important to plant pepino as early as possible. Autumn fruits usually do not have time to ripen, especially in the open ground. Therefore, it is necessary to exert maximum efforts to obtain a crop from the spring ovary or to grow pepino in a closed ground.

Use

What is prepared from pepino? How to eat this fruit? If properly harvested, the fruits are very tasty and raw. Peel should be removed before use, also do not forget to remove the seeds. Unripe fruit is used to make jam or salads. Residents of New Zealand prepare soups and sauces from fruits and serve them with seafood and meat. In addition, pepino salt, freeze and dry. And from this fruit, you get delicious jams and compotes.