Echinocystis is an annual herb belonging to the Pumpkin family. The distribution of the annual began from the countries of North America. Among gardeners, you can often hear "mad cucumber" in his address.
Fruits, strewn with thorny needles, burst as they ripen. Echinocystis is a liana-like climbing shrub that can form a solid green carpet on house walls, hedges and fences. If earlier vines were attributed to weeds, now many summer residents use such crops when organizing landscape design in garden plots.
Description of the plant
Echinocystis shoots are flexible and strong, fibrous rhizome type. The surface of the shoots is overgrown with green bark with a small layer of pile. The length of the stems is sometimes about six meters. The leaves are attached using petioles. In botanical sources, only one representative from the pedigree is known - this is Echinocystis lobata. In addition to the leaves, twisted antennae extend from the internodes.
The shape of the leaf blade resembles a grape leaf. The surface is smooth to the touch and painted in a light green tone. The size of the plate does not exceed 15 cm.
Echinocystis lobed blooms in early summer. Flowering lasts several months. Tassel inflorescences are formed from small white flowers. One bush produces bisexual flowers. The corolla is no more than 1 cm long. During budding, the scent of a plant envelops the whole garden. Bees flock from all over the world thanks to the intense aroma to feast on the sweet nectar. The named annual is an excellent melliferous crop and is often used in beekeeping for mass cultivation.
Fruit ripening is expected at the end of August. In place of the inflorescences, membranous capsules with green seeds are formed. Their length ranges from 1 to 6 cm. The skin of the fruit is thin and covered with thorns. The grains, like pumpkin seeds, are shrouded in slime and look flattened. During the rainy season, fruits have the ability to accumulate moisture. Subsequently, the skin becomes thinner and torn, and the seeds slip out through the partitions of the fruit and spill out onto the surface of the soil.
Planting and growing echinocystis
Echinocystis seeds are planted directly into the ground. Sowing is recommended before winter or spring. If you opt for an autumn planting, seedlings will appear the next year in May or April. Sowing material in the soil in early spring gives green shoots already at the end of May. Soon, the stems of the creepers will grow in different directions and fill the area with a beautiful carpet. The seeds are resistant to low temperatures, so the germination rate is quite high. The plant also reproduces by self-sowing, if measures are not taken in time.
The most active development and growth of vines is observed in light air-permeable soil. It is better to organize the location of future plantings near water bodies. The soil is selected with a neutral or slightly acidic environment. In alkaline substrates, the growth of echinocystis slows down. The distance from one specimen to another must be at least half a meter.The rapidly growing stems of the vine require support.
Echinocystis care
Caring for echinocystis does not cause difficulties for gardeners. This tenacious plant can withstand even adverse conditions. Since the culture belongs to annuals, they do not make a shelter before wintering. After the bushes are dry, they are cut and removed from the site.
The main condition for the successful cultivation of echinocystis is to ensure regular watering. The lack of moisture leads to the drying out of the vines. For this reason, the "mad cucumber" is advised to be planted near a water source or in lowlands with a close occurrence of groundwater. Roots need oxygen, so careful attention should be paid to weeding.
Throughout the year, the vine is fed with organic matter: compost, chicken droppings and rotted cow dung.
Blooming vine shoots exude a honey scent and attract bees. At the same time, pollination occurs with a number of neighboring plants. As for vegetables and other fruit crops, it is better to place them away from suffocating vine stems. The annual demonstrates aggressive behavior towards the rest of the gardeners. Thickened thickets of echinocystis can destroy even apple and plum trees. Unlike shoots, the root system grows slowly.
"Crazy Cucumber" is not afraid of diseases and parasites. Liana is characterized by resistance to disease and is rarely infested.
Benefits and Applications
Echinocystis is grown as a vertical gardener in the garden. It can be used to transform an old fence into a picturesque green hedge. Creeping shoots will be a wonderful ground cover crop, covering vacant areas.
Echinocystis is in special demand among beekeepers. Planting this annual is an excellent bait for bees. The nectar collected from the flowers of the liana gives the honey a specific aroma and a rich amber hue.
