Difficulty:
Easy
Suitable for Small Pots
Yes
New This Year
Yes
SOLANUM AETHIOPICUM
Novelty Tiny Pumpkin ShapesGrown for its tiny ribbed fruit, which look like 2 1/2 in/ 6 cm orange-redpumpkins, are not edible but are used as unique small dried pumpkins that donot lose their color when used for fall decorations along with small hardshellmini pumpkins like Baby Boo white, Jack Be Little orange and various tinybicolored ornamental Indian corn. Plant is quite vigorous and rambling withlong, spreading vines that produce 6 or 8 tiny fruit per vine. Plant spreads30-40 in/80-100 cm and should be sown indoors March 1st or outdoors June 1st ina warm sheltered place. CULTURE: Sow indoors April 1st-15th. Germinate in sandysoil or Jiffy Mix in large 8 in/20 cm pots, cover seeds lightly for 10-15 days.Sell spreading green plants in pots by late May and advise customers totransplant in a warm sunny location in early June. Harvest in late Aug/early Septafter they have the proper orange-red color and dry fruit in a warm ventilatedarea until they are firm. Tiny fruit have a very long shelf life - if properlydried. Sell or use in late Sept/Oct as an ornamental dried fruit to blend withmini hardshell pumpkins and small ornamental Indian dried corn.
