Detailed Guide to Pepino Cultivation Techniques, Planting Methods and Management Essentials

Pepino is a fruit with very high nutritional value. In our daily lives we often see many “baby-shaped fruits” in supermarkets, but those are actually not pepino at all. A real pepino does not grow in a baby shape; it is simply named pepino because of its high nutritional value. So how exactly is pepino cultivated?

Pepino Cultivation Techniques

1. For the planting site, generally choose a plot with plenty of sunlight, sandy and fertile soil, and convenient irrigation and drainage. In mountainous areas, valley paddy fields with few pathogens are also very good for planting. Before fertilizing, it is best to scatter some pesticide against pests and diseases in the holes.

2. Pruning: pepino has extremely strong branching ability. Keep 3-4 branches per plant between 10-20 cm as fruiting branches, and cut off all the other branches for raising seedlings, cuttings, or as livestock and poultry feed; after flowering and fruiting, only 1-2 fruits may be kept per flower cluster.

3. Watering: pepino is neither cold-tolerant nor waterlogging-tolerant. Potted pepino should keep the soil moist, and during the fruit enlargement period the water supply should be sufficient. Generally, water once in summer, preferably in the morning or evening; in spring and autumn, water every other day, in the morning, evening or at noon; in winter, water once every 3-4 days, preferably at noon.

4. Pest and disease control: in hot seasons and the rainy season, pepino is prone to diseases. The main diseases are gray mold and viral disease. When symptoms are found, spray early with 800-fold vinclozolin solution, or 800-fold pyrimethanil solution.

5. Trellising and shaping: pepino stems are relatively soft, so potted pepino needs attention to trellising and shaping. At the same time, choose and keep flowers and fruits distributed around the four sides and top of the pot, evenly distributed, uniform in size and attractive in fruit shape, to improve its ornamental value.

Pepino Seed Propagation

Pepino can be sown all year round. Under open-field conditions, spring is the most suitable. For autumn seedling raising, because of the high temperatures and abundant rain in the early period, shade and rain protection measures should be taken. The requirements of seed seedling raising for the plot are the same as for cutting propagation.

Before sowing, the seeds should be soaked to promote germination. When the 10 cm soil temperature stabilizes at 12 degrees C, sowing can begin. First water the sowing bed thoroughly, and before the water seeps down, spread soil to level the bed surface. To prevent seedling-stage diseases, it is best to use medicated soil with “soil above and below.” Seeds can be broadcast or sown in holes. The seed spacing is best at 7 cm square. If thinning is done once, 5 cm square is acceptable. The soil covering the seeds should be thin: 0.2-0.3 cm in cold seasons, and about 0.5 cm in hot seasons. After sowing, cover with film or grass to retain moisture.

After sowing, maintain the temperature at 25-28 degrees C during the day and not lower than 15 degrees C at night. When raising seedlings in hot seasons, strictly control the temperature so it does not exceed 28 degrees C. On the premise of sufficient bottom water, generally do not water before emergence; after emergence, water moderately according to soil moisture. When the base fertilizer is sufficient, generally no chemical fertilizer is applied during the seedling stage, and foliar fertilizer can be sprayed. When the seeds arch through the soil, remove the covering and scatter a layer of fine soil on the bed surface to strengthen moisture retention, increase soil pressure, and reduce seedlings emerging with seed coats.

Field Management

1. Temperature: pepino likes warmth but fears high temperatures. During cultivation, temperature management often varies with different seasons, different weather, and different growth stages.

For autumn-winter cropping, when the weather changes from warm to cold and the daily average temperature drops to about 16 degrees C, plastic film should be put up, and when it is below 10 degrees C, straw mats should be added at night. In the early stage after covering with film, pay attention to ventilation during the day, keeping it at 15-25 degrees C during the day, with a maximum not exceeding 28 degrees C; at night 15-10 degrees C, with a minimum not lower than 5 degrees C. When the temperature cannot be guaranteed, temporary heating measures should be taken. In the early stage of winter-spring cropping, special attention should be paid to increasing and preserving temperature. After the weather becomes warmer, pay attention to ventilation to prevent high-temperature damage. When the external minimum temperature stabilizes above 10 degrees C, ventilation can be carried out day and night; when the external minimum temperature reaches above 15 degrees C, the greenhouse film can be gradually removed. Temperature management is exactly the opposite of autumn-winter cropping.

2. Topdressing and watering: when the soil is fertile and the base fertilizer is sufficient, generally no topdressing is done at fruit set, as topdressing too early can easily cause excessive vegetative growth. When the first fruit cluster is the size of a walnut, begin topdressing and watering to promote rapid fruit enlargement. Apply 20-25 kg of ammonium nitrate or diammonium phosphate per 667 sq m. Generally, topdress once for each fruit cluster set. After the weather warms up, flush with human and animal manure urine 2 times, using 1000 kg each time per 667 sq m. During the flowering and fruiting period, foliar fertilizer should be sprayed multiple times. After entering the fruiting period, pepino continuously flowers and fruits, and its water requirement also increases rapidly, so watering frequency should be increased to keep the ground moist.

Taboos in Pepino Management

1. Avoid temperatures that are too high or too low: when the temperature is above 38 degrees C or below 8 degrees C, pepino cannot grow normally; below 0 degrees C, the whole plant is frozen to death.

2. Avoid cultivating in waterlogged, low-lying, heavy clay plots: pepino fears waterlogging. In the rainy season, especially in years with excessive rain, it is extremely prone to root rot, and in severe cases the whole plant dies.

3. Avoid improper pesticide use: pepino is extremely sensitive to dimethoate pesticide, and it should not be used to control aphids and mites, otherwise it will cause plant death or total loss of yield.

4. Avoid failing to remove side buds in time: pepino side buds sprout very easily. This not only affects growth, but also causes physiological flower drop and affects fruit set. Therefore, apart from the branches selected to keep, all other side buds should be removed in time.

5. Avoid excessive humidity: excessive humidity easily causes Phytophthora disease, so pay attention to ventilating the greenhouse to reduce humidity; in rainy years, pay attention to timely spraying Xinhigaozhimo, carbendazim, chlorothalonil, etc. for control.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has now understood how pepino is planted and cultivated, and has gained a further understanding of pepino! Many merchants use “baby-shaped fruits” to pass them off as pepino, but in fact those baby-shaped fruits are pears and apples grown in molds, and are not real pepino!