Pepino Solanum muricatum L. native to Peru and Chile, and currently grown mainly in Spain, Morocco, Israel and Kenya. It is an interesting species that can be used as a vegetable or fruit. It has a sweet taste that can be described as a combination of pineapple, lemon, pear and melon flavors. Pepino fruits are relatively large, weighing 200-400 g, spherical or ovoid in shape, cream-yellow in color with purple discoloration. A blooming and fruiting shrub can be a great decoration for a terrace or balcony.
Pepino is a perennial shrub, but only in warm climates.In Poland it can only be grown as an annual plant, both under cover and in the field, but its thermal requirements are quite high.The bushes grow up to about 80 cm, although in cultivation under cover they can reach up to 2 m. The leaves can be single, like in peppers, or complex, like in tomatoes. The fruit can be harvested 4-5 months after planting rooted plants.
Pepino can be grown from seeds or vegetatively multiplied, which has a better effect on yield. It responds well to cultivation in containers, which makes it easier to overwinter (the minimum temperature is 5 ° C), because in the spring of the next year we can pick up a fragment of the shoot for rooting. For this, we choose he althy, 10-15 cm sections of the shoots. A well-proven substrate is moist sand, which is later replaced with peat substrate. Rooting cuttings can be planted in a 1- or 2-liter pot, and after about 30 days, when the plants have rooted, transplant into a larger container or into the ground. Planting in the field is possible only in the second half of May, so that the young plants do not freeze.Only pepino that is more advanced in growth can withstand short-term frosts down to -2 ° C. Pots for container cultivation should be quite large, with a capacity of 30-40 liters.
Pepino requires supports due to its fairly large, heavy fruit.The cultivation site should be sunny or slightly shaded, and the soil or substrate rich in organic matter. Grown in the ground, they should be planted 50-80x80 cm apart.
Due to the emerging diseases and pests (mainly spider mites), pepino is better to be grown as an annual plant. However, if we decide to treat it as a perennial, it should be taken care of, although not always, despite the provision of appropriate conditions, it will not always survive the next winters. The plant is sensitive to excess and deficiency of water in the substrate, therefore it should be kept in a constantly moist position.
Self-he alth
Fresh pepino fruits are a source of valuable ingredients for he alth, incl. vitamins C and A, organic acids, minerals, especially potassium and iodine, and carbohydrates.The fruit can be used at various stages of maturity, depending on preferences and their intended use. As a fruit, due to its higher sugar content, pepino is eaten fully ripe, and as a vegetable - before it is ripe. It can be eaten raw or processed. As a vegetable, pepino can be stewed, boiled and fried, and ripe fruit can also be made into jams. They are also suitable for freezing, drying and candying. Ripe fruits are quite soft and susceptible to deformation, therefore they are not suitable for too long storage.
