Feature:
They are drought resistant and pest-resistant due. Similar to the cucumber，
these plants produce both male and female flowers. These plants can
fertilize themselves， but the flowers are not self-fertile. Flowers are
small and yellow， about four millimeters in diameter. Fruits develop at
the base of the female flower.

Is it an exceptionally small cucumber or the world’s cutest watermelon?
That is the vexing question.

Growing:
Growingis no hassle at all. Simply start them indoors the same time you would
begin seedlings for cucumbers， and plant them outdoors at exactly the
same time. In fact，  are a little more cool-weather tolerant than most
cucumbers， which is an added bonus should you get a late cold spell. The
plants are also fairly drought-resistant， more so than cucumbers， they
don’t need the cover of a greenhouse， fancy pruning or training
techniques and suffer from very few pests.

The plants make pretty， high-yielding vines that can be planted really close together to
get the most out of a small space， as little as 15cm (6in) between
plants around a trellis.

Cucamelons are also fine to grow indoors
as long as they get enough light and heat， for example in a
conservatory or by a bright windowsill in a warm living room.

Sowing:
Sow under the proteced in pots late February to April.
Place seeds on end， blunted end pointing downwards in compost and simply push into compost out of sight.
Water thoroughly and germinate at a temperature of around 24°C (75°F).
When two or three seed leaves have developed， reduce the temperature to around 18 to 21°C (65 to 70°F).

Cucamelons，unlike most cucurbits (squash， courgettes， pumpkins， etc)，
take a while to germinate， up to four weeks.
The key factor to speeding this up is giving them enough heat.
Usually a sunny windowsill is perfect，
but under very cold conditions they can be popped into a heated propagator.

Cultivation:
Plant out late March in a heated greenhouse or late May in an unheated greenhouse，
or later if growing outside.
Plant two plants per grow bag or one per large pot.
Keep the compost moist， for always water around the plant， not the foliage.

Harvesting:
July to September.
Harvest them when they are the size of a grape， but still nice and firm.
The best for salads are the tender ones less than 2.5cm (1in) in length that have not developed many seeds.

One of the annoying things about a
regular cucumber is peeling and seeding it， no need with the cucamelon.
Just cut it in half， put it in salad and there you go - instant food.
They are perfect for little hands to pick and enjoy. A great fruit to
add to a lunch box and a great way to get kids to eat healthy.