Vegetables and spices Anguria citrullus

Description

Characteristic Features of the Antillean Cucumber

The Antillean cucumber (Anguria) is a strong-growing climber with lots of side shoots. It has a round fruit with fleshy spikes that resembles a hedgehog. The fruit is green, with an average weight of 300 grams and the length of 12 centimetres. It has a cucumber taste with a slight lemon flavour. Just like regular cucumbers, Antillean cucumbers are used in salads and for pickling. In addition to culinary uses, the Antillean cucumber has medicinal properties and is used to treat kidney and heart diseases, anaemia, atherosclerosis, and obesity.

Antillean cucumber. Growing:

The growing methods of Anguria and the regular cucumber are quite similar. It is best to propagate the plant by seedlings. Prepare the seeds 25 days prior to planting. Pre-soak the seeds for an hour in a weak potassium permanganate solution, wash, and leave in a damp cloth to germinate. Sow the seeds in open ground in mid-May. The seeds are sown 2.5 centimetres deep and 50 centimetres apart in rows 70–80 centimetres apart. Stake the plants. During the first phase, regularly water and weed.