Pepinoes are easy to grow if you follow a few basic guidelines

Press, 26 October 1984, Page 15

Pepinoes are easy to grow if you follow a few basic guidelines

GARDENING

by

M.Lusty

It is hard to believe that not many years ago the pepino was a relatively unknown fruit with a somewhat restricted local sale and limited appeal. The product offered at the time came from the North Island. Today, although not to everyone’s liking, it has become well known to most people through extensive advertising, by growing it, and its general availability.

Since those early days of release, considerable work has been done to improve both the qualities and yields of this fruit, which has also helped to popularise it. The pepino, a native of certain regions of South America, belongs to the same family as the potato and tomato, although its common name is Spanish for the unrelated cucumber.

It is relatively easy to grow from seed or stem cuttings, but most growers tend to rely on readily obtainable plants almost all of which are now named cultivars.

It is, however, also possible to retain present season’s plantings for subsequent cropping where protection can be given from frost.

Pepinos are not difficult to grow well provided some minimum provisions are made.

To get the best results

from pepinos, plants should be grown in a sheltered sunny location. A moisture retentive but reasonably well drained soil containing plenty of well rotted organic matter suits them best

A sunny position is particularly desirable to assist ripening. Ripened fruit has a far superior flavour, as well as being more juicy. Plants can grow at least half a metre high with spread of almost double this. Sufficient room should be provided to allow for development and also to capitalise on the cropping potential of individual plants which can produce in excess of 50 fruits.

Moisture availability is an important cultural aspect which should not be disregarded for successful cropping of the pepino. Apart from the desirability to provide sufficient water from the time of fruit set, indications are that misty, over-head applications before this stage also improves the setting of

fruit, a similarity shared with tomatoes, especially those grown under cover. Little other attention is required.

As the growing season advances some pest and disease problems are likely to beset the plants. Late blight, which is a common plague of potatoes, can similarly affect pepinos, attacking foliage and fruit. Typical symptoms are the blackening of appendages. Timely application of maneb should give control. Mites, white fly, and looper caterpillar, particularly the mid-season on, can ravage plants in a very short time once infestation has built up. Triforine, or dicfol, will control the former, while acephate can be applied against the other two.

Fruit can be picked and used in salads, or cooked as a vegetable when green. When ripe, at which stage the most general appearance is a bronzy yellow with prominent purple stripes, the pepino has quite a dif-

ferent taste, is very juicy, and has a considerably wider range of uses. It can be used as a dessert, be juiced, with or without accompaniment. It will also keep well for a couple of weeks under ordinary conditions, or longer at 10 degrees C, providing that it has not been bruised in handling, which is very easily done.