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Cucumis melo 'Pepito'

melon 'Pepito'

A cantaloupe type, greenhouse melon cultivar producing oval ‘rugby ball’ shaped fruit with deep orange, sweet flesh. Shows good disease resistance

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Cucurbitaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing, Trailing
Potentially harmful: Pets: Bitter fruit can be TOXIC if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Cucumis is a genus of twining plants with tendrils which includes cucumber, melons and gerkins. Around 30 species are native to Africa and 25 to India, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Start from seed or buy as small plants and grow in a heated greenhouse, or on a windowsill. Can be moved to an unheated greenhouse, or outdoors, once all risk of frost has passed. Water regularly, feed plants in containers every 10-14 days, and provide support. See melon cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse
Edible fruit

Pruning

Under glass, remove the tip of the plant once it reaches the top of the support. Shorten sideshoots to two leaves beyond any developing fruit, or to 60cm if they have no fruit. If left to trail outdoors shorten the main shoot, and sideshoots with no fruit, after seven leaves

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, slugs and snails and red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, fusarium wilt and cucumber mosaic virus

Get involved

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