Features of variety Crazy (wild) cucumber

Wild cucumber is an unusual type of culture of the pumpkin family. Gained popularity due to the ability to throw seeds. And also for unpretentiousness in leaving and resistance to diseases.

Mad (wild) cucumber

Used by gardeners in decorative purposes and in folk medicine. This is a poisonous plant, so you must be extremely careful with it.

Har line providers varieties

Culture received its name from the interesting way of reproduction Her name still echinocystis or kolyucheplodnik Crazy cucumber -.. is an annual herbaceous plant is the only representative of this type of Momordica -.. the most famous brand. Originally from North America, he was introduced to Europe in the 19th century. Now distributed in the Azores, in the Mediterranean, in the south of Russia and Ukraine, in Asia Minor.

In the wild, found near roads, in garbage places. You can see it as a weed plant near the sea.

Description of the bush

The culture looks like a vine. It is developing rapidly, stretching up on a support. The length of the shoots is up to 6 m, in good conditions it can reach 10 m.The stem of the plant without antennae. It spreads on the ground, has small fibers on its surface. The root is white in color, thick, fleshy.

Description of leaves: arrangement on the petioles is alternate, the shape is heart-shaped or triangular. On the edges they have denticles. The top is green, the bottom is wrinkled, grayish-felt. Size 5-10 cm, can reach 20 cm. Petioles are fleshy, their length is 5-15 cm.

The flowers of Mad Cucumber are regular, pale yellow. They are unisexual, monoecious, rarely dioecious. The flower has the shape of a corolla, five-parted. Five stamens, four of which are fused, the fifth is placed separately. Pestle of three carpels with lower ovary. The aroma is pleasant, reminiscent of the smell of gardenia. Therefore, the plant attracts insects, especially bees. This significantly increases the yield of horticultural crops. Flowering occurs in July-September.

Description of the fruit

After flowering, juicy fruits are formed. The color is green or gray-green, the shape is ovoid. Length from 3 to 6 cm, width – 1.5-2.5 cm. Seeds are dark brown, their surface is smooth, length is about 4 mm. They have spiky bristles. The skin is thin. Ripening occurs in August. Then the fruits turn yellow. If you touch them, shoot the seeds. This is due to the high pressure that forms inside (up to 6 atmospheres). Because of this, the plant received its name. The seeds of Mad Cucumber spread to a distance of 6 m, spraying everything around with mucus. So the culture multiplies.

If you do not touch the ripened fruit, it falls off from the dried stalk. A hole is formed through which the seeds exit.

Young fruits can be eaten

The fruits of mad cucumber can be used only as young food at 10 days of age. In the more mature – they are very bitter. Before use, they are soaked in salt water for 10-12 hours. The procedure can be repeated until bitterness disappears. The skin must be removed. The pulp is used to make salads or stew.

Also, the Mad Cucumber plant is used in the medical practice of traditional medicine. After all, it has useful properties due to its valuable composition. Scientists research them to this day. It is known that these wild fruits contain:

• alkaloids;
• glycosides (elaterins, elatericins A and B);
• sterols;
• nitrogen-containing compounds;
• fatty and organic acids;
• proteins.

The presence of carotenoids, triterpenoids, vitamins C and B1 has been proven .

Our ancestors used not only green fruits for medicinal purposes, but also stems with juice. Used for diseases such as worms, dropsy, hepatitis and joint pain. It also has antitumor, diuretic, decongestant, absorbable and bactericidal properties. Fresh juice of the plant is useful for abscesses, fistulas and hemorrhoids.When preparing it, gloves should be worn to avoid burns.

Use drugs prepared on the basis of Mad Cucumber, under the supervision of a doctor and monitor your well-being. Do not take them during pregnancy or lactation. Overdose threatens nausea, dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid pulse.

Growing

Momordika loves sunny places, but can grow in partial shade. Does not accept drafts. They plant near the supports on which the vine will curl. It should be borne in mind that it has the ability to spread to other plants that are located nearby.

The most suitable soil for growing a crop should have the following properties:

• water permeability;
• lightness;
• neutrality or weak acidity.

These criteria correspond to loamy or sandy soils. If the composition of the land is not suitable for cultivation, it can be improved. To neutralize excessive acidity, liming is carried out.

Planting in open ground

Momordica is planted both by sowing directly in open ground and by seedling. You can make a purchase of seeds in the store or harvest yourself. To do this, put the fruit in a bag and shake it. Content remains in it. The seeds are washed. Sometimes they are simply collected when the plant shoots. But then most of them will fly away in an unknown direction.

It is better to sow cucumbers in early May

Wild cucumber seeds can be planted in the ground even in autumn. They tolerate winters perfectly and germinate well due to cold stratification. They must first be soaked. But it is better to land after the end of the frost. This is somewhere around the beginning of May.

The landing site is moistened. The distance between the bushes should be 30-50 cm.

Growing seedlings

Preparation of the seed of the plant Mad cucumber should begin in April from scarification. To do this, rub the tip of each seed with sandpaper, since their shell is very hard. Then pour a warm solution of potassium permanganate. Leave for a few days. To germinate the seeds, they are placed in a box with wet sawdust or on a bandage moistened with water, gauze. The room temperature should be at 25 ° C.

After the appearance of small roots, the seeds are planted in cups, which are filled with soil mixture. To prepare it, take in equal proportions:

• leafy land;
• peat;
• humus;
• river sand.

In each cup put 2 seeds in order to then remove the weaker sprout. Vessels are left at home or placed in a greenhouse. The main thing is to be warm.

Seedlings are planted in a permanent place at the end of May. Abundantly watered.

Care

Growing a Mad Cucumber does not require much effort. In their plots it is planted for decorative purposes. They are decorated with balconies, walls of the house, gazebos, hedges. In one or two months it grows, landscaping the desired surface. The wild plant adapts well to different environmental conditions.

It can be planted by itself, since it shoots seeds over long distances. Therefore, it does not always grow in the desired places. At a young age, the sprouts are easy to tear out and remove from the site. Also, during the winter, the roots disappear, so you should not be afraid of the strong spread of the culture.

Watering

In addition to the sun, moisture is an important factor for the growth of barbed fruit. With normal natural moisture does not require additional watering. But in dry weather it is necessary to produce it in moderation. You can water it with other crops.

Garter

In order to provide the culture with the necessary lighting, it is equipped with vertical trellises. Then the plant will not fall and will not break. If it is used to shade gazebos or other buildings, you can not tie it up. After all, he will cling to the designs.

Fertilizing

Although the Mad Cucumber is not whimsical to maintain, it is fertilized for a beautiful appearance and rapid development. If the seedling method of cultivation is chosen, then for the first time top dressing is performed when it is planted in a permanent place.This is done in late May and early July. Half a shovel of humus is given to each landing hole.

The following fertilizers are applied twice a month. Organic substances such as mullein or bird droppings are used. Of these, solutions are prepared: 1 shovel of the product in a bucket of water. You can use full organic fertilizer. It is applied in the amount specified in the instructions.

Possible cultivation of the plant at home: it may be a windowsill, loggia or stasis maple balcony. But then they bring in mineral fertilizers, which they buy in specialized stores.