Cucumis melo
| Cucumis melo | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cucumis melo (common name: melon)
Propagation: Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.
Cultivation: Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a warm, very sunny position[1].
A frost-tender annual plant, the melon is widely cultivated in gardens and commercially, especially in warmer climates than Britain, for its edible fruit. Some varieties may succeed outdoors in Britain in hot summers but in general it is best to grow melons under protection in this country[2][1].
This is a very variable species that has long been cultivated for its edible fruit. As a result, a number of distinct forms have arisen and there are many named varieties within each of these forms[2][3][4]. These forms have been classified by botanists into groups as detailed below. Each of these groups has been given a separate entry in the database.
C. melo agrestis. A wild form of the melon. It is not usually grown for its fruit but is of potential value in breeding programmes.
C. melo cantalupensis. The cantaloupe or netted melons.
C. melo chito. The orange melon. This form occasionally escapes from cultivation and is naturalized in some tropical and sub-tropical areas.
C. melo conomon. The pickling or sweet melon. This form is also of value in breeding programmes for disease resistance.
C. melo flexuosus. The serpent melon.
C. melo inodorus. The honeydew melon.
C. melo momordica. The snap melon. This form is also of value in breeding programmes for pest and disease resistance.
Grows well with corn and sunflowers but dislikes potatoes[5][6]. The weeds fat hen and sow thistle improve the growth and cropping of melons[6].
Range: Probably native of Asia, though it has been in cultivation for so long its native habitat is obscure
Habitat: A weed of cultivated fields in Turkey[7]. Probably as an escape from gardens.
Edibility: Fruit - raw[2][8][3][9]. Very watery but with a delicate flavour, it is very refreshing. Rich in vitamins B and C[6]. The flesh of the fruit can be dried, ground into a powder and used with cereals when making bread, biscuits etc[10]. The size of the fruit varies widely between cultivars but is up to 10cm long and 7cm wide[1].
Seed - raw[11][12][9]. Rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat[K]. The seed contains between 12.5 - 39.1% oil[13].
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[9][4].
Medicinal: The fruits can be used as a cooling light cleanser or moisturiser for the skin[6]. They are also used as a first aid treatment for burns and abrasions[6].
The flowers are expectorant and emetic[13].
The fruit is stomachic[13].
The seed is antitussive, digestive, febrifuge and vermifuge[13]. When used as a vermifuge, the whole seed complete with the seed coat is ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purge in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body[14].
The root is diuretic and emetic[13].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo[15].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Davis, Peter. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press, 1965.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Organ, John. Gourds. Faber, 1963.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.