Mouse Melon cucumber seeds
These adorable cucumbers look like tiny watermelons. Each melon is the size of a standard red or green grape.
The flavor is similar to market cucumber but with a slight sourness.
The cucumber itself is native to Central America and Mexico. Eventually, they made their way to the U.S and other locations around the world as their popularity grew due to their generous fruit production. We grew these for the first time last year and I was amazed at how well they climbed up to our cattle panel. We grow vertically a lot, so I had a 1-gallon container tied to our cattle panel and these things took off like crazy. The vines are dainty but very strong with numerous tendrils. These are small, but their vines will climb and reach up to 10 feet.
In addition to being "salad ready", the flowers of the mouse melon are also great for attracting bees due to their bright yellow color. The vines will yield more than enough fruit. Any excess can be pickled or chopped up in soup to add texture. These are slow to start, but once they get going, they will take off. These are drought-resistant and pest-resistant due to their slightly sour flavor profile. The maturity time on the mouse melon is around 70-80 days.
Seed count: 20
Botanic name:
Melothria scabra
Plant spacing:
10-12 inches apart
Color:
Dark and light green mottled
Sowing depth:
1/2 inch
Sun requirements:
Full sun
Utilization:
Miniature white cucumbers are delicious raw, diced up in salads, used to flavor water, or for skin ailments.
Frost hardy:
No
Maturity days:
70-80 days
Life cycle:
Annual
Start indoors:
Yes
Container friendly:
Yes
Other names:
Melothria Scabra, Cucamelon, Mexican Sour Gherkin, Sandíita , Sandia De Raton, Watermelon cucumber, Pepquinos
Vine Habit:
