THE CHINESE CUCURBITS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 35

How to Grow
Getting started. Pickling melons are a warm-weather crop. Sow the seeds in place
when all danger of frost is past and the soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Pickling melons
mature quickly (about 65 days), so you can grow them in just about any part of the Un-
ited States. In Connecticut, June planting is usually reliable, except in an occasionally
cool June. If an unexpected cool spell strikes, protect young seedlings with hot caps or
row covers.
Pickling melon likes the same rich, fertile soil as cucumbers. Dig in plenty of com-
post and a balanced fertilizer before planting. (See my trick for boosting soil on page 30
under Planting.)
Planting. Sow seeds ½ inch deep, about 4 inches apart in rows; thin plants to 8 inches.
Remember that plants can spread to 10 feet, so give the row plenty of room (or train
plants up a trellis).
Growing needs. Side-dress when blossoms begin to turn to fruit, and every two weeks
from then on. Alternatively, feed with fish-and-seaweed fertilizer. The vines are ag-
gressive and need to be turned constantly in the direction you want them to grow. Let
them go over the top of the fence and down the other side, if necessary; pinch off the
tips when they get as long as you have room for. Water copiously; plants must never be
allowed to dry out. A thick mulch will reduce the need to water.
How to Harvest
The time to harvest depends on the kind of pickle you want to make. Some Asian cooks
prefer the young immature fruit; others say the melons must be mature. Even for ma-
ture fruit, don't allow melons to pass the point of just starting to whiten, as after this,
they soon lose their good taste and get too dry. Pickling melons will ripen steadily over
a period of four to six weeks, so you'll have ample time to try out a number of different
ways of preparing this interesting vegetable.
Varieties
You won't find pickling melon in your average seed catalog; look for a company spe-
cializing in Asian vegetables.
Varieties to look for: Green Striped, Shimauri Stripe, Numame Early.