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About this seed
Tinda (Praecitrullus fistulosus) is an annual vine grown for its apple-sized green fruit, which is picked young and cooked as a vegetable. It wants warm days of 25–30 °C and nights of 18 °C or more, and does poorly in cooler, humid areas.
Also known as: Indian baby pumpkin, Indian round gourd, Apple gourd, Green baby pumpkin, Squash melon, Round melon, Dilpasand (Hindi, Marathi), Tindsi (Rajasthani), Dhemase (Marathi), Meha (Sindhi), Aibhi (Sanskrit).
The plant and its fruit
- Habit: a hairy annual vine that climbs or trails; it can run on the ground or be trellised.
- Fruit: round, pale to dark green outside and creamy white to pale green inside; bristly while young. Tinda is picked small, about 5–8 cm across.
- Flowers: separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Males open about a week before females, and bees do most of the pollination.
Sowing and spacing
- Sow direct, 20–30 mm deep, three or four seeds per hill. Seedlings typically emerge in 5–7 days.
- Allow roughly 90 × 150 cm per hill, since the vines spread.
- Thin to one or two plants per hill 3–4 weeks after sowing.
- Choose a light or sandy, moderately fertile soil in full sun.
What goes wrong
Cool, humid weather slows growth and invites downy and powdery mildew. Aphids, thrips and whiteflies spread viruses, and fruit flies attack the fruit. Fruit set depends on bees; hand-pollinate if few visit.
Harvest and kitchen use
Plants start bearing about 70 days after planting. Pick fruit at the nearly mature green stage, about two weeks after fruit set; left longer it hardens. Tinda is cooked whole or stuffed, in curries, or pickled.
FAQ
Can I grow tinda in a cool climate?
Only in the warm part of the year. Growth is poor below the 25–30 °C day and 18 °C night range, especially in damp air.
How far apart should the plants be?
About 90 × 150 cm per hill, thinned to one or two plants, because the vine spreads widely.
Why pick tinda young?
The fruit is eaten immature. Overripe fruit becomes hard and less tender.