wax gourd (winter melon)

Patchofdirt · February 9, 2015

Anyone grow Chinese wax gourds? I have a terrible time growing cukes because of beetles. Once I remove the row cover for pollination, cukes get eaten alive and die from wilt.

So, I've thought about trying to grow wax gourds as a possible mild tasting cuke substitute. I grew luffa last year, but they didn't grow too well because of the cool weather.

Father'sDaughter · February 9, 2015

Never grown them, but I do have one currently sitting in my "pantry" -- a closet in my dining room that has two outside walls and doubles as a sort of root cellar. One of my husband's customers gave if to him and I haven't quite figured out what to do with it.

jmsieglaff · February 9, 2015

Have you considered trying a parthenocarpic cucumber (variety that does not need pollination) so you could just leave them covered?

Patchofdirt · February 10, 2015

I've thought about the parthenocarpic varieties, but I try to save my seed from year to year. Which ones specifically would you recommend?

jmsieglaff · February 11, 2015

I don't grow any parthenocarpic varieties, so I'm no help there. I just thought if your beetle population is that bad it might be your only alternative. Or manually pollinating non parthenocarpic varieties, but that would require daily morning trips to do the bees work. FWIW, I grow English telegraph improved and Sweeter Yet hybrid.

Tracydr · February 12, 2015

Armenian cukes are prolific,hardy and,IMO,better tasting than regular cukes. Sweet, never bitter and skin is tender.
Not sure how they do with SVBs but they were extremely prolific for me in AZ, esp in the shade.

February 9, 2015	#1
Patchofdirt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: KC Posts: 9	wax gourd (winter melon) Anyone grow Chinese wax gourds? I have a terrible time growing cukes because of beetles. Once I remove the row cover for pollination, cukes get eaten alive and die from wilt. So, I've thought about trying to grow wax gourds as a possible mild tasting cuke substitute. I grew luffa last year, but they didn't grow too well because of the cool weather.

February 9, 2015	#2
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	Never grown them, but I do have one currently sitting in my "pantry" -- a closet in my dining room that has two outside walls and doubles as a sort of root cellar. One of my husband's customers gave if to him and I haven't quite figured out what to do with it.

February 9, 2015	#3
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Have you considered trying a parthenocarpic cucumber (variety that does not need pollination) so you could just leave them covered?

February 10, 2015	#4
Patchofdirt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: KC Posts: 9	I've thought about the parthenocarpic varieties, but I try to save my seed from year to year. Which ones specifically would you recommend?

February 11, 2015	#5
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	I don't grow any parthenocarpic varieties, so I'm no help there. I just thought if your beetle population is that bad it might be your only alternative. Or manually pollinating non parthenocarpic varieties, but that would require daily morning trips to do the bees work. FWIW, I grow English telegraph improved and Sweeter Yet hybrid.

February 12, 2015	#6
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Armenian cukes are prolific,hardy and,IMO,better tasting than regular cukes. Sweet, never bitter and skin is tender. Not sure how they do with SVBs but they were extremely prolific for me in AZ, esp in the shade.