photo credit: Jonathan Shield

Several years ago I heard of the “Vine Peach.” It’s a seed that is more difficult to find. Heirloom seed catalogs and specialty seed catalogs carry it.  What attracted me to this seed was the fact it was a fruit you could grow annually in your back yard and that it had an interesting background. So… I had to find the seed and grow it in my garden. I did manage to track a package of seeds down and since that time I have harvested the seeds at the end of the season for future crops.

Originally this fruit grew wild across most of the United States. As growth and development began the vine peach started to disappear. It was a favorite of the American Indian and with the rich heritage of numerous Indian cultures in our area I wanted to try this crop.

The peach vine looks a lot like a cucumber plant when it is young and has a lot of the same growing characteristics. It need warm nights to grow successfully and should be planted after the last frost warnings in you area has passed. I grow my vine peaches on a trellis. I find the crop grows better vertical and it saves room in the garden. For color I usually add a few scarlet runner beans to the area.

The fruit could be compared to a cantaloupe but it is much smaller and has a very mellow taste. I found that is was perfect for jams and jellies. It’s a crop that I don’t grow every year but when I do it’s a great addition to the garden,

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photo credit: wolfpix

The search was on for more information and the seeds. I found the seeds in Burgess seed catalog and placed an order. The garden would have a new fun plant!

Growing a new plant or crop is always an adventure. Sometimes it’s a disappointment but the fun it adds to the garden while watching it makes each day a joy to head to the garden. My neighbors always ask about my new plants too and have to come up to check how they are growing.

Peach Vine Plant or Vine Peach

A peach vine plant (Cucumis Melo Var “chito”) is about the same size and color as a peach. It’s a little lighter yellow and less orange in my opinion. It is said to have the same nutritional value as a peach.

I read that vine peaches make excellent jams and pies, and had a vine-ripe flavor and texture much like a mango. I was interested in the jam aspect of the fruit plus I like fruit.

I live in a zone 5 so was a little concerned about planting the seeds in the ground, not knowing how long they took to germinate. But I did plant them in the ground after all danger of frost was over. They germinated nicely and reminded me of cucumber seedlings.

My experience growing the peach vine was that is was unique and fun. It was easy to grow and I didn’t notice any insect problems. The fruit matured in about 80 days on vines that would spread out. The next year I put them by a trellis to grow. I prefer to trellis plants that vine. It makes weeding and garden cleaning easier.

The first year I planted them in hills like a cucumber or squash hill planting. The hills were 4 feet apart. I planted the seeds about 1/2 inch deep with 5 seeds in each hill. After they sprouted I thinned the plants down to the healthiest three plants. The fruit was about 3 inches in diameter when mature. It had a yellow skin with a white flesh.

Growing conditions

The peach vine plant likes full sun and about 6 to 8 hours of good light. I would use a lot of fertilizer or good compost for this plant because it bears a good crop. They have a very pretty yellow flower, which adds color to the garden and attract bees, butterflies and some types of birds.

I have heard that the plant was originally from China and introduced into America in the 1880’s. In the Orient this type of melon is pickled.

Technorati Tags: garden history, gardening tips, heirloom seed

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2008. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: garden history, gardening tips, heirloom seed

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