15 seeds
Coltivation: Easy
Seeds savingi: Intermediate
Water Requirements: 3
Mother Mary's Pie Melon (Cucumis melo)
Mother Mary's Pie Melon (Cucumis melo): we chose this small melon because of its ease at cultivation and very few demands. Kept by a family in Minnesota for over a century, it started to be reproduced and distributed in 1997 thanks to the donation made to the “Seed Saver Exchange”.
Even if it is an ecotype of melon, it is different from the Italians ones, it looks more like the oldest of the species, such as the Melon Mango, with which it shares the beautiful yellow colour and white pulp. It is rounded and gets to 250 grams, it tastes a lot like a Cantaloupe, but a bit less sweet. This type of melons, as can be inferred by its name, is also suitable for cooking; in fact, it can be used to replace apples in a pie.
The plant is very productive, undemanding, as mentioned, hence suitable for those approaching cultivation for the first time. Ready in 75 days after transplanting, it is harvested when the stalk is still attached to the plant. To get the seeds wait for it to detach itself.
- Very low: no need for irrigation
- Low, also suitable for hot and arid areas, irrigate only in case of prolonged drought
- Reduced needs, this variety is amongst the leas demanding of its species, hence it is highly suitable for areas with sporadic rainfall, to be irrigated only in case of prolonged droughts
- Tolerant to water stress, it needs moderate irrigation, suitable for gardens with low water consumption.
We are currently creating a guide for this kind of cultivation, unfortunately, until the guide is published, this is only an overall indication that we can provide without causing confusion about the process. Dry farming, in fact, requires cultivation techniques suitable for the specific pedoclimate and substrate. All of the varieties included in this category have been acclimatized in Italy.