Coccinia GRANDIS

Coccinia GRANDIS - Ivy gourd, Scarlet gourd, Coccinia grandis.

Coccinia is a genus of climbing or creeping perennial herbaceous tuberous plants in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), numbering about 30 species, most of which are distributed in the highlands of tropical Africa. Some species grow both wild and cultivated in hot tropical valleys of India, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia.

All members of the genus are perennial dioecious vines climbing supports by means of tendrils and forming a large tuber, most of which is underground, which can reach a weight of several kilograms (pounds). It serves as a water-storing organ of the plant during the dry season, which in its natural habitats can last more than six months. During the dry season, the aboveground part of the plants dies off, and with the onset of the rainy season, shoots grow back again.

It blooms with beautiful, large, solitary or racemose white or yellow flowers. The fruits in appearance and taste resemble a cucumber or bitter melon in an early stage of ripeness.

Coccinia grandis is a perennial deciduous vine with simple tendrils, growing annually from a caudiciform tuber. The climbing glabrous stems can reach 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length, branching at any point along the stem and rooting if they touch the ground. Glabrous palmate leaves, alternate and simple, grow up to 5-10 cm (2-4 in) in diameter.

It blooms from August to September. White flowers 3-4.5 cm (1.2-1.8 in) long open for a single day. The plant is dioecious (male and female flowers occur on different plants), pollinated by insects. The fruit is a smooth striped berry 2.5-6 cm (1.0-2.4 in) long, which upon approaching maturity begins to redden from inside out and from the distal end of the fruit to the pedicel. Berries are edible raw or cooked.

Flowering and fruiting can occur almost year-round in a frost-free climate, but are most productive in the warm months when the plant is in active growth. The time from flowering to harvest is about 2-3 weeks.

Seeds are pre-soaked in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant for 24 hours, treated with a fungicide, then sown into a loose substrate to a depth of 0.5-1 cm (0.2-0.4 in), moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 23-28 °C (73-82 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. Waterlogging and drying out of the sowings must be avoided. Seedlings appear within periods ranging from 2 weeks to 4 months.

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For growing Coccinia, a bright sunlit location is preferred. South-, southwest-, and southeast-facing windows are wonderful fits. In summer, the plant can be taken out into the fresh air. To avoid sunburn after a cold and insufficiently bright winter period, the plant should be acclimated to direct sunlight gradually.

All members of the genus are demanding regarding maintenance temperature and do not tolerate drafts. In summer, the temperature can reach above 30 °C (86 °F); in winter, it should not drop below 16 °C (61 °F). Plants do well on windowsills above heating radiators.

Watering during the spring-summer period is done carefully, avoiding soil waterlogging to prevent root and stem rot. In winter, watering is reduced, but without complete drying out of the root ball. Warm, well-settled water is always used for irrigation. If leaves drop, it is recommended to stop watering for several weeks and resume it only after new foliage appears. Air humidity does not matter much.

The plant is fed during the spring-summer period once every two weeks with mineral fertilizer for cacti and succulents with nitrogen content lower than the remaining elements, as its excess can provoke root rot. An optimal NPK ratio is considered: nitrogen (N) - 9, phosphorus (P) - 18, potassium (K) - 24. It is better to refrain from using organic fertilizers. During the first month after repotting, plants are not fertilized.

Grown-out plants are repotted no more than once every 2-3 years, young ones annually. During repotting, one should handle the delicate roots of the plant very carefully. A permeable nutrient substrate of peat with sand and a small amount of sod soil is preferred. A ready-made potting mix for cacti and succulents can be used. It is desirable to add charcoal and crushed brick to all substrates. A good drainage layer of at least one-third of the pot height is necessary. With each repotting, the caudex is raised slightly from the soil.