Thumb watermelon fruit tastes delicious and has a flavor similar to banana and limes that can be eaten directly.

Thumb watermelon

Peppkino generally refers to thumb watermelon

Thumb watermelon (scientific name: Melothria scabra Naudin): plant height 1.2m-1.8m, fruit spacing 22-30cm. It's a wild plant that comes to Central America.

Annual or perennial climbing vines, slender vines climbing along the climbing net.

Leaf blade palmate, lobed, crawling along vines, apical leaves small. There are curly tendrils.

The vine can reach several feet long, forming a scaffolding or spider web-like curtain.

The fruit is oval and fleshy, like a miniature version of a small watermelon.

The appearance is the same as the ordinary watermelon, the inner flesh is turquoise, the taste is as crisp and refreshing as cucumber, the nutritional value is higher than the ordinary watermelon, can be eaten directly.

From Central America. Most of the habitats are along swamps, sand roads and low forests.

The cultivation is successful in many places, and the planting method is the same as planting cucumber, which is relatively simple. The main economic value is edible.

Morphological characteristics

The plant height of "thumb watermelon" is 1.2-1.8 meters, and the fruit spacing is 22-30 cm. It's a wild plant from South America. Annual or perennial climbing vines, slender vines climbing along the climbing net. Stems and branches furrowed, densely white or yellowish hispid. The tendrils are slender and undivided. Leaf blade palmate, 3-7-lobed, serrate, both surfaces scabrous, shortly setose. The largest leaves grow near the roots of the plant, about 2 inches long, the leaves crawl along the vine, and the apical leaves are small. There are curly tendrils. The vine can reach several feet long, forming a scaffolding or spider web-like curtain.

Monoecious, yellow flowers, with very small 5 petals. Fruit elliptic, fleshy, usually indehiscent, smooth or verrucose.

Seeds numerous, oblate, smooth, glabrous, seed margin not arched.

It has exactly the same shape and skin pattern as ordinary watermelon, but it is only condensed by a head.

The inner flesh is turquoise, and the outer skin is smooth and delicate, only 3 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, each weighing 6 grams.

The shape is similar to the sweet potato, the appearance is the same as the ordinary watermelon, the skin is white, the taste is crisp similar to the ground screw vegetable, the root is stem-shaped.

"thumb watermelon" has two colors and shapes, one is light green with patterns, melons and fruits are usually oval; the other is dark green and yellow, melons and fruits are generally round.

The size of "thumb watermelon" is only 1x20 of a large watermelon, with green skin, red flesh and black seeds; some are cut like a combination of watermelon and cucumber, with a turquoise interior and taste like cucumbers with a lot of water. The "thumb watermelon" is planted in a flowerpot. The fruit is only 2 centimeters in diameter and covered with thorns. It looks like a little cactus.

Habitat of producing area

"thumb watermelon" is a wild fruit from Central America. Its preferred habitat is along the edges of swamps, sandy roads, low forests, parking shrubs and almost any fence.

When Dutch food producers found it, they brought the seeds back to Holland for greenhouse cultivation. In 1987, a Dutch company began growing in the United States and Asia, with a growth cycle of 60 to 85 days and a yield of 60 to 100.

Cultivation method

"thumb watermelon" can be cultivated in spring and summer, and should be selected in sufficient sunlight or plastic greenhouse. It is suitable to be planted in fields with loose texture, fertile and convenient drainage and irrigation, and pay attention to the supply of fertilizer and water during planting to increase yield. The pH value of soil is neutral or slightly acidic, which is beneficial to the improvement of soil quality. If the indoor seedlings are raised and the leaves are grown and then transplanted outdoors, the effect is better. It can climb or stand on the ground, and the output of the frame is greater. The general growth period is 60-85 days, the height of single plant is 1.2-1.8 meters, and the yield of each plant is 60-90.

Sowing from late February to April: germinate at about 24 °C and grow two or three leaves, the temperature can drop to about 18-21 ℃. Give them enough calories during the first four weeks of growth. Potted plants are usually good to be placed on a sunny windowsill. The harvest season is from July to September.

Disease prevention and cure

The disease of thumb watermelon is rare, and there is sporadic powdery mildew in autumn. It is sprayed with 25% ethoxylate 800 × 1000 times for 3 times. The main insect pests are aphids and melon silk borer. The aphids were sprayed with 36% acetamiprid granule dispersant 3000 × 6000, and the melon silk borer was sprayed with 5% Puzun (chlorobenzamide) 1000 times.

Edible cooking

Thumb watermelon fruit is edible, can be eaten directly, watermelon seeds can also be eaten, this kind of watermelon fruit taste delicious, there is a similar banana, lime flavor. Thumb watermelon can only be seen in high-end restaurants, mainly with salads. The mini watermelons are eaten in a variety of ways, from salads to desserts: they can be eaten directly as a snack or appetizer, served with a simple summer salad as a home-cooked dish, stir-fried watermelons, or fruit juices made into sorbet for summer summer. it tastes better with dark chocolate.

Introduction condition

The United Kingdom

Mini watermelons are now on sale in the UK. After landing in the UK, mini watermelons immediately caused a sensation, and restaurants ordered them one after another for people to taste fresh.

Chengdu

Seedlings were raised in Liujiang, Xinjin County, Chengdu in March 2011 and transplanted to the greenhouse in early April. Due to the abnormal climate and the lack of experience in the first attempt in 2011, only 28 of the 100 seedlings survived. Fertilizer and management are no different from ordinary watermelons, but they also like high temperatures. Since June, when the temperature has reached more than 30 ℃, it has grown very fast. The main purpose of trial planting is to accumulate experience, explore the market, and other seed expansion, the survival rate and hanging fruit rate have been improved, and then reasonable pricing according to the market situation.

Hangzhou

The vegetable Research Institute of Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences introduced the mini watermelon into Hangzhou in 2011. Mini watermelon has low sugar content and is suitable for some special people to eat. The introduction of mini watermelons not only meets the market demand, but also increases the diversity of fruits and vegetables in Hangzhou, providing consumers with more choices.

Huizhou

Luofu Mountain in Huizhou first introduced mini watermelons to Guangdong. 50 seeds were planted in January 2011, and on June 2011, 3000 fruits were successfully produced, with appearance like watermelon and inner meat like cucumber, refreshing and slightly sweet. In Guangdong Province, because the climate is more suitable, it can be planted all the year round, and the planting method is the same as planting cucumber.

Shanghai

On June 27, 2013, the fruit and vegetable professional cooperative of Gaolaozhuang, Shanyang Town, Jinshan District successfully planted "thumb watermelon". This kind of melon is the size of the virgin fruit, the inner flesh is turquoise, the taste is slightly sweet, mini and lovely. According to the head of the cooperative, "thumb watermelon" is planted for the first time in Shanghai, but it is actually not a watermelon, but a fruit from South America. After 3 years of cultivation, it was finally successfully planted in Shanghai. The market price is about 160 yuan / kg.

Main value

The biggest feature of "thumb watermelon" is that it is high in vitamin C, rich in potassium and magnesium, and will be sour and sweet when fully ripe.

The fruit of this small watermelon tastes delicious and has a flavor similar to banana and limes. Contains 12.6% protein, 16.30% fiber and 56.8% carbohydrates.