"Nick Maclaren" wrote after
vsop wrote:
I've been given some seeds but no info on how to propagate the
plants......nor can I find any data in the local library.
Can anyone offer help and advice on rearing please ?
Things like :-
Are they indoor (cold greenhouse only) or outdoor ? Are they tender ?
If indoors, humid, dry conditions ?
Should they ramble or be trained vertically like tomatoes ?
How many fruits per vine is reasonable ?

They are just another cucurbit - treat them like marrows :-)

Sow them indoors, possibly germinating them on damp kitchen roll
in a small pot covered with cling film. Sterilise everything
with dilute bleach, including the seeds and use that to dampen
the paper. Seriously. It isn't critical, but I find it helps
to avoid rot.

Grow them in pots until the weather has seriously warmed up, and
then plant them out. They like good drainage, ample water, warmth,
sun and (which growing) feeding. You could get anything from no
to six fruits per plant.

I have never succeeded with them, because they need that little
bit more sun than squashes and pumpkins. I don't mind, because
I don't like them :-)

They are definitely tender, and the fruits will damage with more
than a mild frost, especially as the autumn Sun in the UK is too
anaemic to ripen them properly. Only the first fruits will ripen,
if any.

We had great success with them, they seem more disease resistant than most
cucurbits and are easy to grow. The plants will run about a lot rather like
pumpkins. The fruits are born in abundance and are best kept for 3 months in
store before using (like other cucurbits).
We dig a hole, fill it with well rotted compost, plant the young plant on
that and water well. They do like to be kept moist.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London