Now and then , I break a vegetable that make believe me wonder why I had n’t see of it before . Caigua is one of those plants . I ’ve fallen in sexual love with this tasty veg , and I think everyone should be growing it .
After all , this marvelous plant has been grown and treasured in South and Central America for one C of years and was a staple of the Incas .
allow ’s dig into this toppingly historical plant because once you maturate it , you will want to keep planting it season after season . Trust me . This wonderful flora wo n’t let down with its prolific , continuous harvest .
What is Caigua
Cyclanthera pedatais known by many names including , caigua ( pronounced kai - waa ) , caihua , wild cucumber , carpet slipper gourd , lug cuke , and achocha .
This extremity of the cucumber family was valued by the Aztecs , and it ’s easy to see why . It has a delicate taste of cucumber mixed with dark-green bean , and the plant produce prolifically .
From the trailing vine that loves treillage to the hollow green fuel pod , the whole flora is edible . The leave of absence and shoots are tasty , but the prized flavor arrive from the immature and hollow older fruits .
The seedcase are succulent and tender and can be wipe out raw like cuke , or used cooked like a immature bean once the seeds are scrape out .
Caigua produces a six - inch yield with a fragile curl at the destruction . It almost looks like a cucumber hide wrapped around a pepper .
It ’s an annual vine that self - seed promptly – so much so that in some areas it ’s considered a pest .
There are two type of caigua . The first is the most plebeian , with its somewhat rocky skin . There ’s also Zapatilla Gorda , which has smooth skin .
How to Plant Caigua
One of the tremendous thing about caigua is that it will grow in almost all zones except the cold areas prone to late frosts .
Aim for a pH of 5.0 to 7.1 , and caigua will be happy . Most soil type are hunky-dory , include loamy , sandy , or clay , so long as they run out well .
Caigua likes a sunny position but will tolerate partial shadiness . If you constitute in full shadowiness , the industrial plant wo n’t fruit . In full sun , you may encounter it wilt and fight to thrive , specially if you live in a hot region .
I favor to use a trellis or something else for caigua to climb on , but the vines could even be give up to shack along the ground in dry areas .
I prefer a trellis because I found I had a few problems when the ground became blind drunk suddenly . The vines can reach up to 20 base or more , so controlling them with a climbing frame lets you save room .
It ’s also easier to harvest when the fruits are cling .
Planting Seed
In coolheaded area , inseminate mid - spring when there are no more frost due . In ardent areas , plant life at the beginning of spring , as long as you ’re sure-footed no frigid snap bean will storm the frost - cutter caigua .
I ’ve followed the rule of pollex that the temperature should be a consistent 77ºF or more in the day and no less than 60ºF at nighttime , but that will change depending on where you populate .
The most of import matter is that you should make certain your plant wo n’t get murder by a frost , so jump them indoors if necessary . From germination to pick yield can take up to 90 days or more , so contrive ahead .
Caigua seed are honest , and around 95 percentage will successfully germinate . you may start the come indoors late wintertime to former spring , but I prefer to plant them straight off in the soil where I signify to grow them .
I implant directly into the soil because the seeds are so authentic and I can focus on other chore or fussier plants while the caigua seeded player do their thing in the ground .
Plant an inch mysterious , about three to four feet apart . Cover and firm the soil down light .
Water well for the first calendar week , being careful not to over - wet the soil . After that , keep the soil moist , but not soak . Treat caigua like tomato and you ca n’t go incorrect .
Caring for Caigua
Keep the grime moist , especially as the rise season gets hotter . supply a deep watering at least once a week as the vine gets bigger and more spread out .
You need to provide plenteousness of support for the plant as the yield grows . Use a love apple coop , trellis , fencing , or some other form of support to keep the flora from breaking or falling along the primer coat .
The plants have tendril to help them grab onto nearby structures .
As the plant grow over the time of year , trim out very scraggly part , pathological or damaged sectional . you could also trim back any part of your caigua that are originate where you do n’t require them to .
Caigua is robust and wo n’t support if you cut some away , but if you plant it in the correct place , you may pretty much leave it to do its thing .
Companion Planting for Growing Caigua
Try any of the followers to plant with caigua . It ’s not a hard plant when it come to companions .
Do n’t plant with :
Common Problems and Solutions for Growing Caigua
Caigua faces some of the same job as cucumber vine , but nowhere almost as many .
Powdery Mildew
Caigua is sometimes prostrate to suffer from powdery mildew , specially late in the season or in high humidness . We have an entireguidededicated to identifying and getting rid of this common disease .
Downy Mildew
This is another issue that is coarse to both cucumber and caigua ( not to mention a bunch of other plants ) . correspond out ourguideto this common disease .
Cucumber Beetle
When temperatures reach over 55ºF , cucumber vine beetlesemerge . They ’re one of the few pests to trouble oneself caigua during the growing season .
Symptoms include stunt growth , specially when untried , scars on yield , and scathe to the leave of absence and stems .
Keep an eye out for the beetles because it ’s easier to check them if you catch them early . float row covering are in force , as are beneficial nematodes , spinosad - based spray , and treatments withB. bassiana .
Harvesting Caigua
This is where the playfulness begin . Pick caigua when the fruits are untested to encourage serial yield growth throughout the season .
If there is no yield on the plant , do n’t be discouraged . Caigua can fruit quite late into the summertime and even into former fall .
Immature or young fruit can be eaten raw , pickled , or used in salads and stirfries .
As the yield matures , it becomes empty . They ’re pleasant-tasting stuffed with meat like chicken , Timothy Miles Bindon Rice , spice , and Malva sylvestris .
Seed Saving
Caigua is one of the wanton plants to grow and regrow next season . In affectionate areas , you could allow the plant to drop its seeds and ego - sow for next yr .
The downside to that is you ca n’t manipulate the number of plants that come along in the garden the next season . This is a industrial plant that will take over an country if given half a probability .
In Florida , caigua is considered a weed pest , so be wary of that .
The best way to plant for the following year is to take a couple of the empty mature yield and start some of the seeds out . As the fruit gets former , the seeds turn into black pointer shape .
dry out the seeds and store in a paper envelope .
Storing Caigua
Eat as you go , and if you have any left hand ( which is rarified in my menage due to the adorable tone ) , you could pickle or exsiccate them . you could also freeze them the same manner you ’d freeze chilis .
Slice in half , deseed , and lie on a tray in a single level . Once quick-frozen , position in moldable udder and sealskin .
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