tindora, ivy gourd

garnetmoth · June 6, 2009

Is anyone else growing this?
I found a link to someone on GW who is offering plants for this and seeds for a type of moringa-

I read about tindora in Vegatables from Amaranth to Zuchinni and am quite excited about it. I havent had great luck growing my own squash and I hope these are more robust than other cucurbits for me.

Ill report back with pics and how it tastes- Its put up 2 or 3 leaves this week and I think its hardened off enough in the screened room to put it in full sun....

garnetmoth · June 17, 2009

I accidentally cut off the top leaf and a little stem when I was unpacking this plant, and put it in a shot glass on the windowsill, and it put out 2 more leaves, and started making root buds this week. Pushed out a bit long root in the last few days!

im going to give it 1-2 more days and then plant it!

the plant outside is doing fine too and trying to tendril up things- I should find a support for it this week!

garnetmoth · July 31, 2009

in yet another effort of talking to myself, I ate my first Ivy Gourd today! actually i had about 1.5, and shared 1.5 with my husband!

theyre tasty, a little like a sour cucumber. neat seedy texture. and the part that I accidentally cut off is rooted and growing a bit slower than the thick cutting that I was sent.

the plant gets occasional mold/fungus looking leaves, i just pick those off, and it keeps putting more out! its spreading a lot, but its so delicate and light. its flowering a lot and we have some more fruitset, will probably try cooking the next batch with Indian spices .

I have darn squash bugs all over my zucchini in the front, but no bugs seem to bother this plant at all (knock on wood!)

habitat_gardener · July 31, 2009

Is it crunchy? You ate it raw? Is it a rampant vine? Is it prolific? Sounds interesting.

garnetmoth · July 31, 2009

Hi Habitat!
Yes indeed, i just tried them raw. only had 3 ripe.
they are a bit less crisp than a cucumber, but the seeds give it a texture a little different than a cucumber.

Ive got it in a 2 or 3 gallon pot with an extra (got a little banged up last year) tomato cage around the pot for something to climb.

the vines themselves are thin, smaller than a pencil, and each leaf is about the size of English ivy. it does grab onto things with its tendrils, but you can reposition it onto where you want it to grow every few days without a problem.

If i understand correctly, I can just bring this plant in before frost and nurse it over winter. Plants take a while to produce from seed.

i might actually get around to pictures soon....

I was curious about this as last year the squash bugs killed my zucchini- i do have 2 squash living despite the bugs (one from seeds in the compost pile i guess, it makes roundish-tall zucchini type squash). The ivy gourd fruits are quite small, but from what I can tell the female-only plants are self fertile- it seems every flower on my plant is female and has started becoming a fruit.

June 6, 2009	#1
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	tindora, ivy gourd Is anyone else growing this? I found a link to someone on GW who is offering plants for this and seeds for a type of moringa- I read about tindora in Vegatables from Amaranth to Zuchinni and am quite excited about it. I havent had great luck growing my own squash and I hope these are more robust than other cucurbits for me. Ill report back with pics and how it tastes- Its put up 2 or 3 leaves this week and I think its hardened off enough in the screened room to put it in full sun....

July 31, 2009	#5
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	Hi Habitat! Yes indeed, i just tried them raw. only had 3 ripe. they are a bit less crisp than a cucumber, but the seeds give it a texture a little different than a cucumber. Ive got it in a 2 or 3 gallon pot with an extra (got a little banged up last year) tomato cage around the pot for something to climb. the vines themselves are thin, smaller than a pencil, and each leaf is about the size of English ivy. it does grab onto things with its tendrils, but you can reposition it onto where you want it to grow every few days without a problem. If i understand correctly, I can just bring this plant in before frost and nurse it over winter. Plants take a while to produce from seed. i might actually get around to pictures soon.... I was curious about this as last year the squash bugs killed my zucchini- i do have 2 squash living despite the bugs (one from seeds in the compost pile i guess, it makes roundish-tall zucchini type squash). The ivy gourd fruits are quite small, but from what I can tell the female-only plants are self fertile- it seems every flower on my plant is female and has started becoming a fruit. Last edited by garnetmoth; July 31, 2009 at 08:24 AM. Reason: more info

June 17, 2009	#2
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	I accidentally cut off the top leaf and a little stem when I was unpacking this plant, and put it in a shot glass on the windowsill, and it put out 2 more leaves, and started making root buds this week. Pushed out a bit long root in the last few days! im going to give it 1-2 more days and then plant it! the plant outside is doing fine too and trying to tendril up things- I should find a support for it this week!

July 31, 2009	#4
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	Is it crunchy? You ate it raw? Is it a rampant vine? Is it prolific? Sounds interesting.