Trichosanthes cucumerina is a ANNUAL CLIMBER growing to 5 m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious and is pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Requires a rich well-drained soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season. Cultivated in India for its edible fruit it is not hardy in Britain, requiring greenhouse cultivation, though it may be possible to grow it as an annual in a very warm sheltered bed outdoors. The plant is very variable in the shape of the fruit, there are some named varieties. Plants grow best with short daylengths and stable temperatures above 25°c. Plants climb by means of tendrils and also have a slightly twining stem. A weight is sometimes attached to the growing fruit to ensure that it grows straight.
HabitatsNot known