Cassabanana (Sicana odorifera) Update

I brought some of my Cassabanana seedlings to the greenhouse and moved the others to a west-facing window at home.  For some reason they were beginning to wilt under the grow lights.  I keep my lights on 24/7 which most plants seem to be alright with.  Apparently Cassabanana is not one of those plants and enjoys a rest.

What I find most interesting is that both plants seem to be growing at a similar rate.  The greenhouse is warmer, sunnier and more humid.  This window sill has snow on the other side, only gets afternoon sun, and is dry.  I figured they would go crazy in the greenhouse but they really haven't.  The window sill one is actually a bit longer (less light) but both appear to have about a similar number of leaves.  I know many gourd/melon plants start out growing relatively slowly then just take off.  Maybe I'll see a difference in a few weeks.

I hope I actually see some fruit out of these plants.  They need about three months of warm weather to set fruit and ripen properly.  They should be well established and ready to flower by the time I set them outside.  We do have about 4 good months of warm, humid weather.  I just don't know if it will be enough for a tropical vine.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Cassabanana Update (Sicana odorifera)

Just a short post. I absolutely love the leaf patterning of these little guys. I really need to split them into individuals pots. The roots are going to be a nightmare to untangle!

Cassabanana Seeds Sprouting (Sicana odorifera)

I received my Cassabanana seeds a few months ago but decided to wait a few months before sowing them.  I stored them in the fridge for about two months and amazingly I've had 100% germination!  I soaked them for five days before planting.  I actually forgot about them and was worried they'd end up drowning but I guess it ended up being perfect. They were soaked at room temperature then kept at about 24C. The roots are already almost to the bottom of the pots (about 15cm) so I get the feeling these are going to be some extremely quick growing plants.

Here you can see them two days ago, just starting to break the surface:

Today you can see that 9/10 are fully vertical with open leaves and 1 is still on the way up (hidden in the farthest pot behind another seedling). I'm thinking these will need to be transplanted within two weeks at most.  I might have to pot them up at the local greenhouses just to make sure they have enough room.

Now I have no idea if I'll ever get fruit from these.  They need a long growing season and although we have warm, humid summer in south-western Ontario the season isn't long enough.  I'm hoping I'll see some by starting them this early so hopefully I'll have at least one fruit by the end of the summer!

Germinating Cassabanana (Sicana odorifera)

Source: http://zoom50.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/sicana-odorifera.jpg

    This is one interesting melon.  The fruit can reach over 60cm in length and may be black, brown, orange or deep purple.  The centre of each fruit contains a large number of seeds.  These are surrounded by fleshy melon that tastes similar to cantaloupe.  The vines themselves are vigorous perennials that grow up to 15m.  They can be grown as annuals in climates with cold winters (like mine).  They thrive on heat and may grow relatively slowly until summer comes.

    I'm planning on starting them inside for the winter, then planting them out in the spring.  In the fall I'll cut back the vines, dig them up, and bring them inside for the winter.  I have no idea if they'll survive this kind of trauma, but I figure why not try?  I expect to have fruit by fall next year.

    The seeds should be soaked for a day or less prior to sowing.  Plant them about 2cm deep and they should begin sprouting relatively quickly (within less than a week).  People recommend starting them 1 to 2 months before you plan on planting them outside.  I however will probably plant them immediately upon receiving them because that's how I roll.

    I saved my carnivorous plant for last in honour of Halloween.  It's a pitcher plant of the species Nepenthes rowanae.