If your cucamelon fruits seem to be stuck at the size of a grain of rice, then you are not alone. There are a number of potential reasons for this which are listed below. Have a read through to see which may apply, and give it another go next year…
- Underwatering – cucamelons, like tomatoes and cucumbers, do need to be regularly watered. If you’ve been growing them in a greenhouse or polytunnel then it may be that they weren’t getting enough water in the heat this year.
- Lack of pollination – this is a likely cause for the fruits not swelling. If you’re growing them in a greenhouse/polytunnel then you might find that they’re not getting enough insects through to pollinate them. Try growing them outdoors next year, in a sheltered, sunny spot, or try to open a few more greenhouse windows to let the insects in.
- Too much foliage production – a lot of growers suggest pinching out the shoots once you see small fruits forming, to encourage the plants to focus energy on swelling the fruit rather than putting out new tendrils and shoots.
- Nutrient deficient – this is most likely if the leaves of your plants are on the yellower end of the spectrum – try a liquid feed next time.