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.

Flower Friday

I'm a huge fan of Bougainvillea.  A large Bougainvillea in bloom is really a sight to behold, it's absolutely gorgeous.  They'll actually grow relatively well even as houseplants when given a tonne of sun.  The only downside for me is that they have thorns.  For some reason thorns and I don't mix.  I remember my first experience with a rose as a child.  After staring at a lovely flower for about 20 seconds I realized I had grabbed the stem and had a thorn buried deep in my thumb.  For some reason I don't remember what happened after that...

Thorns aside, this is one plant that I would love to have even though I know I'll be tempting fate.  Some varieties even have variegated leaves and you can see that they come in a variety of colours.  They grow readily from cuttings, so maybe I'll ask if I can start one.  Enjoy the lovely blooms!

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.