Description

The tindora is a tropical vining plant that produces a small fruit. On the outside it looks like a tiny watermelon and on the inside it looks like a cucumber. The flavor is similar to that of the common cucumber but it has a much thicker skin and larger seeds. It is also known as "ivy gourd." It is native to Asia and is a common cooked vegetable in Indian cuisine. Traditionally, the fruit is eaten while green, however, it is also edible when fully ripe and red. Our favorite way to eat tindora is by fermenting them like you would the common cucumber. This is a sterile cultivar. Please read below to learn why we only sell this sterile tindora cultivar.

Tindora is traditionally grown from seed. Plants are either male or female, and at least one male is needed to pollinate the female plants. The vine is also a vigorous perennial, and in warm climates it readily grows from seed. Due to this, it has the capacity to escape and become a noxious weed. To overcome these issues, we only grow a tindora cultivar that is STERILE. When growing this sterile cultivar no pollination is needed for the vine to set fruit. You will only need ONE plant in order to get a good fruit set. The seeds that the sterile cultivar produces are NOT viable and they WILL NOT germinate if you plant them. This prevents the species from escaping and becoming a weed. The only way to propagate the sterile cultivar is through cuttings.

The tuber you will receive is the sterile tindora cultivar that is started from cuttings. This means that you only need one plant in order for it to set fruit. No male plant is needed. Tindora plants grow a tuber in the ground. The tuber you receive will be dormant. Once planted it will take a few weeks for growth to appear. If you live in an temperate climate I advise you to order your tubers closer to spring time. Young plants can struggle if they spend too long growing indoors under grow lights.

If temperatures are below freezing in your area then make sure to bring your package inside as quickly as possible. Do not let it sit out for many hours in very cold temperatures at the front door. The tuber you receive will be dormant and packaged in a plastic bag to maintain its moisture. It needs to be planted immediately into a pot of soil when you receive it. It is not cold tolerant so it needs to be kept somewhere warm, ideally above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

To learn more about growing tindora read the tindora plant profile here.