Fall 2022 Ogurdynya Tohum Russian Cucumbermelon

In February of 2022, I ordered the Ogurdynya Tohum Russian Cucumbermelon from Oreshka seed. I had seen the Ogurdynya online many times before, but I never had the opportunity to order it before this time. This variety is some kind of Cucumis melo variety momordica or conomon. The seeds were a bit difficult to germinate, but once they got going, they became a little weedy.

With the end of the 2022 season approaching, I planted the seedlings in the greenhouse. One of the first things to interest me about this variety was its thin, yet spikey vines. Cucumis melo generally has fuzzy – not spiky vines. The fruit are still more fuzzy than spiky. Over time, the fruit grow from having small hairs to being nearly hairless and smooth.

Being that I grew this variety in the greenhouse, I had to self-pollinate them in order for the fruit to set properly. Most of the fruit that formed looked pretty similar to each other. They began somewhat light, but developed a darker blotchy striped pattern as they matured. The fruit were okay, but definitely not bad and definitely not bitter – an attribute that can sometimes express itself in the C. melo variety conomon. But as a crisp young fruit, it was alright.

Of all the attributes I appreciated most in this variety was how well it performed in the greenhouse. Given the minimal time and space I had to grow them in last fall, they did fantastic and produced enough seed to ensure that they are not forever lost.