Growing pepino: planting and caring for evergreen perennial

What is pepino is such a question, probably, every person asks when he hears this name. In this article we will talk about this interesting plant, and also find out the basic principles of planting and caring for pepino in the country.

Pepino - what is this plant

Pepino, better known as melon pear, - evergreen shrub from the nightshade family, originally from South America. Great interest in this plant appeared in the 80s of the last century. Today, there are 25 varieties of pepino. For our climate, bred varieties "Ramses" and "Consuelo." Fruit pepino, or melon pear looks like a melon or pumpkin, has quite tasty fruits. Pepino tastes like a sour melon, which vitamin C contains.

Features of cultivation, conditions for melon pear

Pepino, or melon pear - very capricious plant, growing and caring for them at home is painstaking work. Pepino grown from seed and cuttings. When growing it, it is very important to cut off extra branches, if not to do this, then the plant produces almost no fruits. Repeat this procedure weekly. The plant pepino (or melon pear) loves light, it suits the same diet that you use when growing eggplant.

How to choose a place for growing, lighting

For pepino, it is necessary to choose a well-lit, ventilated place with a low humidity level, as the plant tolerates sudden changes in humidity. The optimum temperature for a plant during the day is about 22 ° C, the temperature above 30 ° C can adversely affect pepino, the night temperature should not be lower than 18 ° C - the color may fall.

Soil for planting

Pepino requires for the cultivation of the soil, which must be neutral, not rich in nitrogen, causing a strong growth of the stem at a loss of fertility. It also complicates its protection against parasites.Soil temperature should not be higher or lower than 20 - 22 degrees.

How to plant pepino, melon pear breeding

The melon pear is propagated in two ways: from seeds and grafting. But it is still better to have cuttings, because not every variety produces full seeds, and those grown from pepino seeds bear fruit later.

Growing from seed

Melon pear seeds do not all germinate, and even in special conditions, it’s about 50% for Ramses and 80% for Consuelo. Already in November or December, it is possible to germinate seeds - in a flat vessel with a tight lid, covering the bottom with moistened filter or toilet paper. A closed container must be kept at a temperature not higher than 28 degrees. Seeds begin to hatch already a week later and up to a month after being placed in a container.

When the seeds peel off, pepino can be dived into a pot or tray with light soil, and they also need constant light. A month later, the backlight is reduced to 16 hours and in another month to 14 hours. And only in the middle of February you can switch to natural light. Pepino is planted in open ground in mid-April or early May, in order to avoid frost.Seedlings are planted in moist soil at a distance of about 50 cm from each other, sprinkled with dry earth, this should be done in the afternoon.

Still, to avoid frost over the seedlings, they stretch the film, if there is a drop under the film, drip irrigation can be carried out. When the temperature rises, one of the sides of the film can be opened for ventilation.

Cuttings

In a month-old seedling, it is already possible to break off cuttings and root them, preferably in peat, without hiding them. For better rooting, you need to take cuttings with 8 leaves. It is noted that Pepino cuttings root very well.

How to grow in the country, the rules of care

To care for a melon pear should be the same as for tomatoes. The most important in the care of pepino are: airing the greenhouse, removing stepsons, tilling the soil and getting rid of weeds, watering as needed, top dressing.

Features of watering plants

Watering melon pears - moderate, in no case pereuvlazhnyat. To avoid rotting and disease, the greenhouse must be aired.To reduce irrigation and preserve the substrate, the soil must be mulched with fresh straw or sawdust - this also helps against weeds.

Soil care

Pepino likes a light and prolific soil with a slight acidity. It is better to plant a melon pear in places where legumes, onions, and cucumber have previously grown. After they are harvested, the soil is loosened, weeds are harvested, dug up and fertilized with manure, which is well decomposed with compost.

Garter

It is necessary to tie up and form a pepino bush in a week - two after planting. The stems are tied up as the plants grow, the fruits are not tied to the trellis - they can be simply hung.

Feeding melon pear

Feed melon pear need every month. For the first time, they feed up two weeks after planting in the ground, a second time - after the first cutting of the stepsons, and then every two or three weeks. The plant responds well to top dressing from manure or bird droppings, but it contains a lot of nitrogen, therefore we keep the proportions: 1: 6 for manure, 1:20 - droppings.

Pest and disease protection

The melon pear is affected by the same diseases and pests as tomatoes, therefore the prevention of diseases is the same. The main pests are Colorado potato beetle, whitefly, aphid; ripe fruits are very fond ants

Harvesting melon pear

It is possible to collect fruits from a plant when they reach 10 - 12 cm and become pale yellow, cream-colored. Fruits do not sprout at the same bush at the same time, therefore, the crop needs to be harvested several times during the season.

How to save a plant in winter

Pepino has a period of rest, and this allows you to save the plant for next year. During this period, watering is minimal, no light is needed at all, the temperature is gradually reduced to 6 degrees. The plant sheds leaves and can now be stored. about two months but no more.

In order to have cuttings next year, pepino bushes are pruned in the fall by 1/3 and transplanted into a bucket, etc.

At the end of February, the number of waterings is increased and the temperature is raised to 16 ° C.The resulting buds are cut, and the cuttings are carefully separated and transplanted into the substrate. For better rooting, the cuttings are placed in a greenhouse with a humidity of about 90%.

Melon pear fruits contain a lot of iron, carotene, vitamins C, PP, group B. They even contain a lot of sugars, but they are easily digested, which makes pepino interesting in terms of cultivation, as well as tasty and healthy.