Can any one tell me how to grow Zucca Mellons. I have tryed many times with no luck at all. I know they are a old mellon but i have the seeds. Rojack@cablerocket.com
Hi Rojack, The problem might be that you don't have a long enough growing season which they require. You appear to be in hardiness zone 4. From this site located in Cochin, Saskatchewan which is hardiness zone 4b: http://www.prseeds.ca/catalogue/vine.php?C=Vine "ZUCCA (Lagenaria siceraria) - The ZUCCA melon, despite its name, is a member of the gourd family. The plants look like overgrown pumpkin vines but the leaves are soft instead of rough, and the large flowers are white. It requires a long growing season and each plant will cover an area 25-30' across. The fruits look like pale green giant zucchinis, slightly enlarged at the blossom end, and used to be grown commercially to make candied peel. In 1996 our one plant produced one fruit which, despite weighing a bit over 80 lbs., did not produce any mature seed. The seed I am offering you comes from California." I would suggest you start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last expected frost. From this site, with more growing info, under "Bottle gourd". http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5043E/x5043E07.htm "The fruits are ready for harvest 100 - 120 days after sowing." You might also find this helpful. http://www.langleyadvance.com/issues02/073102/features.html Newt
