Pepino Melon-Pear NT

The Melon Pear, also known as Pepino, is a vigorous vegetable plant that produces juicy fruits with a flavour that lies, as you may have guessed, between a pear and a melon. It is a surprising plant, still not widely cultivated, perhaps because it requires warmth, which will delight enthusiasts of exotic flavors. It is sown from March to May for a harvest in late summer.

Originating from South America and belonging to the Solanaceae family (like tomatoes), the Melon Pear (in Latin, Solanum muricatum) is a perennial plant generally cultivated as an annual in European climates. Vigorous, it forms a good metre-tall plant, branched from its base and adorned with vibrant green foliage, composed of lanceolate leaves. Its flowering occurs in summer in the form of white star-shaped flowers, marked with violet and punctuated with prominent yellow anthers.

The fruits of the Pepino appear in late summer / early autumn. They are ovoid, cream-coloured with a hint of yellow and striated with violet, sometimes reaching 1 kg. Their flavour is pleasant but unique, slightly acidic, resembling that of a pear and its texture reminiscent of a melon. These fruits are rich in vitamin C, and can be consumed raw or cooked, in compotes, pies or jams.

In the garden, the Melon Pear thrives in the sun or under light shade, in a location sheltered from cold winds. It is cultivated in rich and well-drained soil. Its cultivation is no more difficult than that of tomatoes, but it requires plenty of warmth and regular watering to develop satisfactorily. It will thrive in open ground in warm southern regions but elsewhere, it will benefit from being sheltered by a greenhouse or tunnel.

The Pepino is not hardy, if you wish to cultivate it as a perennial, you will need to plant it in a pot and overwinter it in a heated shelter, at a temperature equal to or above 5°.

Harvest: The harvest is carried out when the fruits reach ripeness, they then turn a yellowish colour. If weather conditions do not allow ripening on the plant, it can be done indoors in a warm place.

Storage: The fruits can be stored for several weeks in a cool place.

Gardener's tip: Like tomatoes, the Melon Pear can be susceptible to powdery mildew, so be careful not to wet its foliage when watering.

The untreated or "NT" seeds come from plants cultivated conventionally (often with the use of pesticides), however they undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are allowed in organic market gardening when organic seeds are out of stock.