How to Grow Cucuzza

Plant cucuzza seeds in early spring, after the last frost. We plant them on March 19th, St. Joseph's Day.
Seeds can be planted in the ground or in small pots. We plant in small pots, so that if we do happen to have another frost, it won't damage the seeds/plants.
Once the plant is about 8-10 inches tall, it's time to plant it in the garde

Plant cucuzza seeds in early spring, after the last frost. We plant them on March 19th, St. Joseph's Day.
Seeds can be planted in the ground or in small pots. We plant in small pots, so that if we do happen to have another frost, it won't damage the seeds/plants.
Once the plant is about 8-10 inches tall, it's time to plant it in the garden.
A sturdy trellis is necessary!!! Cucuzza is a vine and it will go everywhere!!!!

Cucuzza MUST be pollinated, either by bees and other pollinators or my hand.
Pollinating by hand is very simple and should be done in the morning when the blooms are all open.
The cucuzza vine produces both male and female flowers. The above picture is of a female flower, as you can see that the flower is on the tip of a tiny cucuzza. T

Cucuzza MUST be pollinated, either by bees and other pollinators or my hand.
Pollinating by hand is very simple and should be done in the morning when the blooms are all open.
The cucuzza vine produces both male and female flowers. The above picture is of a female flower, as you can see that the flower is on the tip of a tiny cucuzza. The male flower will be at the end of a long, slender stem, with no tiny cucuzza.
If you see a female flower that has a bloom that is open (like the above picture), pick a male flower from the vine. Carefully peel back or pick off the petals, exposing the center of the flower with the pollen.
Lightly touch the male flower to the center of the female flower and lightly shake it or tap it so that the pollen from the male flower is transferred to the female flower.
That's it! It is that simple.

What happened to the little female cucuzza, it turned brown on the end and shriveled up? That means the cucuzza was not pollinated.
How often should the cucuzza be watered? The cucuzza is heat tolerant and survives our hot Texas heat, but I try to water every other day or every day when our temperature gets close to 100F. When I wat

What happened to the little female cucuzza, it turned brown on the end and shriveled up? That means the cucuzza was not pollinated.
How often should the cucuzza be watered? The cucuzza is heat tolerant and survives our hot Texas heat, but I try to water every other day or every day when our temperature gets close to 100F. When I water, I give it a good soaking.
Do I really need to grow cucuzza on a trellis? YES!!! See picture above. It is best to check your cucuzza vine daily and weave it in and out the trellis.
How fast does the cucuzza grow? It seems to start off somewhat slow, but when temperatures rise, the vine will go crazy. The vine itself can grow up to 2 feet in one day and the cucuzza can grow several inches in one day!