Kiwano is an organically grown African horned cucumber variety. It's also known as African horned cucumber or horned melon or hedged gourd. This fruit vegetable originates from Africa. It has a very unusual and striking spiky appearance. The fruits start out green and turn deep orange when ripe. This plant needs a lot of light, warmth and shelter to produce fruits. It can be grown indoors (greenhouse) or outdoors.The flesh is delicious and slightly watery with a lot of pips. Use as fruit or with desserts with for example ice. Height: 200 - 250 cm.
Indoor sowing: march - april
Outdoor sowing: may - june
Germination: 10 - 21 days
Germination temp. : 20 - 26°C
Sowing depth: ½ - 1 cm
Plant distance: 80 - 100 cm
Plant position: very sunny and sheltered
Days till harvest: 120 - 130
Sow indoors from march on in seperate pots with moist potting soil. Sow 2 seeds in each pot and cover with a thin layer of soil. Cover the pots with clingfilm to retain the moisture. Keep moist and warm. Keep the pots in a warm and light enviroment. Remove the clingfilm when the seedlings emerge. Harden the seedlings about 14 days to outside conditions end of april - beginning of may. Put the seedlings on a very sunny plot with some shelter against the wind.
From mid may, when there's no longer any danger of frosts, sow on a very sunny plot with some shelter. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Keep moist and weedfree. Give enough water during germination and dry spells. Harvest the Kiwano's by cutting them with scissors.
