The best time to start the seeds is 2 weeks after the last frost. Fuzzy Melon needs about 110 frost-free days to grow successfully. If you don’t have a long growing season, you can start the seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost.
Prepare the soil, breaking the top 7 inches and mixing in a generous portion of aged manure or organic compost. Leave the soil to rest in the sun for a few weeks before planting the seeds. Arrange the soil into little mounds about one foot in diameter and the same in height. Plant about six seeds in each mound. Plant the seed one inch deep into the soil and cover it with a thin layer. Water the soil to get it moist. Don’t let the soil go dry until the seeds germinate. Depending on the soil temperature, the seeds could take anything from 10 days to 3 weeks to germinate. When the seedlings have developed 3 true leaves, thin them out leaving about 3 seedlings per mound.
You can also use inverted hills instead of mounds to grow Fuzzy Melon vines. They allow the vines to run alongside the mounds and improve the drainage and aeration of the soil. Once you have the vines growing successfully, you’ll need to cater to the water, pruning, and watch out for pests and diseases.
Soil
Well-drained loamy soil is the operative word for the success of the Fuzzy Melon. Since you’ll be growing it on mounds, then even dense clay soil will work. However, it’s recommended that you mix in plenty of organic materials to such soil to improve its tilth and structure. Also, check the soil pH while you’re arranging it into mounds and make sure it’s either slightly acidic or neutral. Any reading between 6.0 to 6.8 is good enough for the wax gourd.
Water
Fuzzy Melon vines prefer the soil to be constantly moist. It has a low tolerance for both dry and wet soil. So striking a balance between the two extremes will keep your vines healthy and disease-free. The water needs of the melons will grow once the fruits start to develop. The average fruit has about 95 percent water and all those juices come from the moisture in the soil. When watering the vines, avoid getting the leaves wet since that could trigger a fungal infection. Also, you need to factor in the rainfall and humidity levels in your zone. Don’t water the soil unless the top one inch is fully dry.
Fertilizer
As with all edible plants you grow in your garden, it’s always better to use organic compost over chemical fertilizers. Between aged manure, homemade fertilizers, and composts, your plants will have better flavors and a more natural taste. Since Fuzzy Melon needs rich soil, you’ll need to mix plenty of organic materials into the soil prior to planting the seeds. This gives the vines a good start and keeps them nourished throughout their short life. If you notice the vines showing signs of malnutrition with a slower than usual growth rate or smallish leaves, you can side dress the mounds with another dose of aged manure. Keep applying the fertilizer once every three weeks until the fruits reach their full size.
Pruning
As you’ll notice, the vines will rapidly grow and cover the hills and mounds you created with their dense foliage. But you’re not growing this annual for its leaves. It’s the precious fruits you’re after. All these extra branches and leaves do nothing but draw more energy and resources from the plant. So to encourage the vine to focus more on the fruits rather than the foliage, you’ll need to trim those sprawling branches. Remove all the old leaves near the base that have started to turn yellow. Keep the branches from getting entangled and cut away any infected ones. You can cut back the plant by about one-third but not more. Over-pruning can impact the vine’s growth and yield.
Harvesting Fuzzy Melon
Fruits that start hairy, lose their hair, while those with green skin, change that color and turn yellow or creamy as the fruits ripen. But the one common indicator of a ripe Fuzzy Melon regardless of its variety is the leaves on the vine turning yellow. It’s a sure sign the vine has turned off the nutrients and moisture spigot since the fruits no longer need any more of them.
Pick up the ripe fruit with both hands and give the stem a good twist to snap it off the vine. You can store the ripe melons for many months at room temperature and feed on them throughout the winter.