How to grow Winter melon

Winter melon plant grow and care – – plant of the genus Benincasa also known as Benincasa hispida, Winter melon annual plant grow as semi vine or vine, can grow mediterranean, desert, subtropics or tropics climate can be grown in temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone 5+, might need special care to bear fruit in hardiness zone 5-7.

Leaves color green in heard shape and lobed, margin also wavy.

Flower color yellow with five lobs, female contain semi fruits that looks like a little melon, and male flower are smaller

Winter melon plant fruits edible (vegetable)

Fruit in green color the taste is sweet when the fruit is young after the sweet taste gone and it use as vegetable the size can be 10-80 cm in round shapes and shapeless, after picked the fruit can be used after ripen, seeds also edible

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How to grow Winter melon plant growing and care:

Long summer at least 3 month from flowers recommend to watering on the ground and not watering on the leaves or the fruits, some species need trellising (the small ones),

What is the best way to start growing?
Seedling / Seed

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No

Difficulties or problems when growing:
When the plant attacked in the base if not treatment well it will die

Planting season – When to plant:
Spring

How to plant:
Planting in well ventilated soil, dig bigger hole than the plant and put organic matter, humus and dead leaves

Pests and diseases:
Powdery mildew, aphids, fungal disease, spider mites

Pruning season:
All the season

How to prune:
Infected leaves needed to take out, before cut, try to clean them, don’t prune growth vertex

Size of the plant:
2-6 m, 6-19 feet

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing

Water requirement:
Big amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes

How to grow winter melon in container:
planting in containers need to be at least 20L (5 gallons), well-drained soil, the plant not react well to overwater, need to make enough holes in the container for good drainage also choosing soil for container important and need to be soil well ventilated, can be potting mix or peat soil with perlite, when use bottom for the pot need that it will dry in the same day.

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Late spring / summer

General information about the flower
Yellow flower with five lobs, female contain semi fruits that looks like a little Winter melon, and male flower are smaller

Thinning the bloom:
Sometimes happened because disease or not enough water

Pollination is done by:
Bees and more pollinators, by hand

Edible fruits

Fruit harvest season:
Summer – autumn

Fruits pests or diseases:
Powdery mildew

What can be done with big quantities of Winter melon fruits and how to eat?
Cooked, pickle

Work requirements on the fruit:
Sometimes to space it from the ground

How long does it take to bear fruit and when to harvest?
100- 140 days

How to grow Winter plant from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Easy to sow no special treatment

Saving seeds until sowing:
Room temperature, dry place

Sowing season:
Spring

How to plant:
Better to plant it in light soil that will be well ventilated and keep the moist like vermiculite

Planting spacing – How far apart to plant:
Depend if trellising 40*50cm (16*20 inches) when crawling 1*1.25m (40-50 inches), sowing to transplanting 5*5cm (2*2 inches)

Depth of Sowing:
1-2cm (0.5-1 inch) from the top

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, full sun

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water

Germination time:
4-20 days

Condition of seedling:
Warm weather, big amount of water, full sun

Do the seeds require burying?
No

Scientific name:

Benincasa hispida

Alternative names: Wax gourd, Ash gourd, White gourd, Winter gourd, Tallow gourd, Ash pumpkin

How to grow Winter melon

Winter melon plant

Categories

Blooming Seasons
  • Spring flowers
Edible Parts
  • Edible Fruit
  • Edible Seeds
Culinary uses
  • Cooked
  • Stuffed or Wrapped
  • Vegetables
Flower colors
  • Yellow flower
Climate
  • Desert Climate
  • Mediterranean Climate
  • Subtropics Climate
  • Temperate Climate
  • Tropics Climate
Harvest Season
  • Autumn Harvest
  • Summer Harvest
Ornamental parts
  • Ornamental fruit
Plant growing speed
  • Average growing plants
  • Fast growing plants
Plant life-form
  • Annual plant
  • Herbaceous
Plant Uses
  • Edible plants
  • Ornamental plants
Planting Season
  • Spring Planting
Plants sun exposure
  • Full sun Plants
Watering plants
  • Regularly water
Hardiness zone
  • Hardiness zone 10
  • Hardiness zone 11
  • Hardiness zone 12
  • Hardiness zone 13
  • Hardiness zone 4
  • Hardiness zone 5
  • Hardiness zone 6
  • Hardiness zone 7
  • Hardiness zone 8
  • Hardiness zone 9