General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.
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#16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
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This reminds me of the woman I had squash growing at her place.
I had yellow crook neck and flying saucer squash. She would wait till the darn thing were the size of a hog before she picked them. Totally worthless as far as I am concerned. Worth |
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#17 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 313
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![]() ![]() I usually grow a 24-30' row, with plants spaced about 24" apart. The photo above is one picking, during peak production. .. so you can probably estimate from that how many plants you will need. In my climate, they are best started as transplants. In my experience, productivity varies widely, depending upon variety. The Chinese cultivar above, and a very bitter cultivar from Thailand with small, spiky fruit, are the most productive. Another Chinese cultivar I grew was less productive - but the top-shaped melons were up to one pound each! Your comments on eating the ripe fruit are interesting. Most of the references I've seen - including advice from Filipino friends - says that the ripe fruit becomes toxic; perhaps pressure cooking neutralizes that. The stage of ripeness you mention is very short lived, they can literally turn to mush in 2-3 days. |
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#18 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: 6a
Posts: 322
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I'm not sure about toxicity or if it's a myth. I grew up eating bitter melon. We like the ripe and non ripe versions. My family really like those that start to ripen but are not mushy for the rib dish.
Using about 15lbs bitter melon broiling with ribs or in a pressure cooker with some black bean sauce and you're in heaven. If you soak it in salt water, it helps reduce the bitterness. You can just boil it and make a tea also. It's supposed to be really good regulating blood sugar levels. Quote:
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#19 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 206
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![]() . No pro here. I don't grow it every year. My family isn't crazy about it. I cook it was tomatoes, onions, and garlic-I like it raw. . I used to grow Oodam's Devils Claw. The pods are huge and awesome. (invasive if you don't keep the seedlings under control) I ate one young pod raw. It was even more bitter than cooked bitter melon. . I want to try your Biter-melon recipe. It sounds great. . I don't know why more people don't try Opo. It is really wonderful. I still have to watch the seed leaf baby plants real close, or the squash bugs or cucumber beetles will get them-but once they start running, I don't think the bugs can stop them ![]() ![]() WOW! That is a great harvest of biter-melon! Fantastic photo-thanks for sharing! Last edited by tarpalsfan; March 7, 2017 at 12:37 PM. Reason: picture |
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#20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: central Virginia
Posts: 243
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#21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 313
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Wow, almost missed that comment. If few gardeners have grown bitter melon, there are very few who have grown devil's claw (Martynia) or even know what it is. The young pods were supposedly used by Native Americans much the way okra is used. I tried it, and it grows fast enough to thrive (and volunteer) even this far North. Like you, I found the pods to be a little too strong for my taste. I still let a few plants grow every year, to harvest the ornamental dry pods. Mine is the Paiute strain.
Last edited by Zeedman; March 7, 2017 at 11:48 PM. |
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#22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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We call devils claw cow catchers here they grow wild.
Worth |
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#23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 313
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Been hooked a couple times myself. Really tough spines, even my tiller can't break them. I've always wondered if I could bend the pods when young & form them into fish hooks.
![]() There are several species, I've read that the yellow-flowered is the most palatable. It is hard to find though, so I've never been able to test it myself. Last edited by Zeedman; March 8, 2017 at 09:27 PM. |
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#24 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 206
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. About the Devils Claw plant, aside from the sticky leaves, do you think that other plants like it. I kind of think other plants like it? . I still have seed, I will drop some and grow another few plants. But probably pick off the pods as I have too many. . You will think I am strange, but one of my plants grew an awesome branch with 4 big claws on it...I have had it for years-we hung it from my porch like a wind chime. . thanks for the rely ![]() ![]() |
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#25 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 206
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#26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 820
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I grow Seminole Pumpkin both to eat in place of squash when it is young and also let some mature into small pumpkins. I have given up on growing squash here because if the vine borers don't get it powdery mildew does. The vines are tough and I have never had a squash vine borer bother them. If you pick them green when they are about the size of a baseball you can cook them with the skin on or off. Because of their size a mature pumpkin is just the right size for a pie. I also use the ripe ones for any recipe that calls for butternut squash.
The vines can grow up to 100 feet long and will climb a tree if there is one around. You can keep cutting the vines back if you don't want it to take over your yard. They do put down roots as they grow along the ground. One of my vines grew over an 8 foot privacy fence so cut it at then fence line and forgot about. My neighbor ended up with a nice harvest of them too. |
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#27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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#28 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 206
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. Those are neat claws! (not for a cow of course!) But the claws I grow are different, most of the claws 3, or more likely 4 tines, the tines alone are about 8 about inches long. The claws I have are white seeded. My friend sent me some black seed for another claw...I got a new camera for Christmas, IF I can figure out how to use it, I will share a photo of one of the 4 tine claws. . By the way, you have Devil's Claw growing wild? I grew up in S. Texas. I only saw a Devil's Claw once there, and it was one my grandfather had. ![]() |
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#29 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 206
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#30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Yes it is wild just north of me everywhere.
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