Check out our range of Pick Me Edibles products online and at your local Bunnings. Whats not to love?! If planting seed, start them indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost. Small vigorous bush that flowers in spring and bears fruit from December till first frost. Outside of the Andean region, it has been grown in various countries of Central America, Morocco, Spain, Israel, and the highlands of Kenya. Pepinos have smooth and glossy greenish or yellow skin and purple stripes when it is ripe. They just hang on the small bush. You can easily grow new pepino plants from cuttings. We may earn a small commission. Not sure Dorothy, they do REALLY like compost and water Ive noticed, so perhaps up their food? At first I had in growing in a 40 cm pot but it was not at it's best. Lets find out. Takes root easily wherever it sprawls. . And lastly, where did you manage to get seeds/cuttings in South Africa?? I prepared the hole with good compost. The fruit usually gives off a sweet aroma when it is ripe, similar to a cantaloupe. Remove broken branches. As a result, the fruit has been introduced into up-scale markets in Japan, Europe and North America and it is slowly becoming less obscure outside of South America. Favourite fruit: quince, cornelian cherry and blueberries Favourite vegetables: peas, tomatoes and garlic. However when I have accidently knocked some off the bush, Ive just left them on my kitchen bench to ripen over a few days and they still taste delicious phew. Once the pepino fruit has turned a golden yellow color and purple stripes have formed, it is ready to harvest. Pepino fruit is susceptibleto pest attacks similar to those in the same nightshade family, tomato and chili for example. We love slicing them up and devouring (the skin can be a little chewy so you might like to remove it), or using as a refreshing addition to fruit salads or smoothies. I've been trying to get a Pepino plant or three but without any luck. Egg shaped fruit turning yellow with purple stripes when ripe. More commercially viable cultivars were introduced from New Zealand and elsewhere towards the end of the 20th century, leading to its introduction into up-scale markets in Japan, Europe and North America.[4]. At room temperature, melon pears keep fresh for a few weeks. Tweaks by binarybhu, Home Harvest: Thoughts & A Virtual Tour 2023. Show more Growing Pepinos from. Growing Pepinos | Good Life Permaculture These two-stemmed fruits have light, sunny yellow skin, which, when ripe, is covered in dark purple, horizontal stripes. If you grow it in potting soil, make sure you place it in a pot that can drain well. I havent grown yacon would love to , Hey Hannah Wow, I dont think Ive ever seen one of these before! Pepino plants may be grown in sandy, loamy, or even heavy clay soils, although they prefer alkaline, well-draining soil with an acid neutral pH. A pleasant fragrance as well as a colour change accompany ripening. Where it originates naturally is South America, where the climate is warmer and humid. I grow them in Blackmans Bay. Pepino melon: planting, varieties & overwintering - Plantura But do make sure the fruits are ripe! Chargrill the fruit in halves, drizzle with honey and serve with ice-cream or yogurtfor dessert. Botanical Name Syringa meyeri Palibin. That sounds great Anja, dont forget to protect the Pepino fruit from pests. Pepino Melon ~ Eating and Growing These Tasty Melons Flower color purple with light purple in the edge, Contents show Pepino flower Work and live at Daley's Fruit Tree Nursery. Available in-store only . Im going to make something special with this first small harvest combines with pineapple sage. We grow it throughout our orchard and are loving its fresh melon flavour and the fact its heaps easier to grow than melons (we live in a cool temperate climate). You can plant pepino melon seeds directly, or make use of a pre-grown, young pepino plant from your local garden centre. The size of the fruit can vary from passion fruit size up to the size of an adult hand. Small bush rarely above 1 m tall with yellow fruit stripped purple up to 10cm.