Benincasa hispida
Wax gourd
Common names: Winter melon, Ash gourd
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 100 cm, rows 150 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Sowing
- Mar–Apr
- Harvest
- Sep–Oct
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- High
Photo: Suyash.dwivedi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The wax gourd (Benincasa hispida) originates from South and East Asia. It takes its German name from the white waxy layer that forms on the ripe fruit. This layer protects the fruit so well that, stored cool and dry, it keeps for months, which is also why it is called winter melon. The plant climbs vigorously, needs a great deal of warmth and space, and produces large, mild fruits that are often used in soups and curries in Asian cuisine. For a home garden in Central Europe, it is an exciting experiment, because it requires a long, warm growing season. Raw, the wax gourd has little flavor, so it is almost always cooked.
Care instructions
Sow the wax gourd indoors in a warm room from mid-April, calendar week 16, and plant it out only after the Ice Saints, that is, from late May, calendar week 21, either in the open ground or in a greenhouse. It needs a trellis or plenty of ground space, a nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil, and consistent moisture, since drought keeps the fruits small. Fertilize regularly during the growing period with mature compost and mulch the root zone, which retains soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Harvest the fruits once the waxy layer has become thick and visible, usually from September, calendar week 36, to October, then store them in a cool, dry place. Throughout the season, watch for slug damage on young shoots, as the tender leaves are a favorite target in damp weather.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr
HarvestSep–Oct
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 18 °C, ideally 26 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 14 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 2 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich
Wax gourd likes a deep, humus-rich soil that holds moisture well without becoming waterlogged. Work in plenty of mature compost before planting, because the vines produce enormous quantities of fruit over the season. The plant tolerates waterlogging poorly, so a loose subsoil with good drainage is important.
Wax gourd is a heavy feeder and should return to the same plot after four years at the earliest. Green manures or legumes, which enrich the soil with nitrogen, make good preceding crops.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
May–Aug
Work in a generous portion of compost or well-rotted farmyard manure before planting. During the growing phase, feed every two to three weeks with diluted nettle feed or compost drenches. A mulch layer of grass clippings or straw retains moisture and also releases nutrients.
Overwintering
Wax gourd is frost-tender and is harvested as an annual crop up to the first frost. The plant itself does not overwinter, but well-ripened fruits can be stored for several months at a cool 10 to 15 degrees and in dry air. For the next year, simply sow again in spring.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
Wax gourd is propagated exclusively by seed. Start it under cover in pots on a warm windowsill from mid-April; the seeds germinate best at temperatures around 25 degrees. After the Ice Saints in May · week 20 to 21, plant out in the open ground or in the greenhouse as soon as the soil has warmed up. Direct sowing is also possible from the end of May in sufficiently warm soil.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
Beans and peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, which cucurbits, as heavy feeders, can make good use of.
For example PeaBush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled pea and 36 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
You should avoid planting potato and cucumber together because they share disease pathogens such as leaf and brown rot and stand in each other's way as strong feeders.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 14 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Wax gourd yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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