Q&As/Fruit Trees & Berries/Pepinos
I have grown Pepinos for several years with reasonable success but this year there are plenty of flowers and no fruit set. Growing conditions remain the same as in previous years. Can you tell me what may cause this?
Pepinos are a sweet and tasty fruit from Peru and Chile and do well in a sunny location with free-draining, fertile soil. Fruit set has always been a problem with pepinos and this is probably one of the main reasons why they have not become more popular as a home garden fruit.
Presumably, your problem is with pollination and perhaps a lack of pollinating insects. While it may be too late this year, we would suggest that next season you hand pollinate your pepinos using a very small paintbrush to transfer pollen from one flower to another.
Be sure not to over fertilise your plant or it will encourage leafy vegetative growth at the expense of your fruit set and growth.
Quite possibly, the damp summer may have also had a role in the poor fruit set, as it did in reducing fruit set on other different fruit trees.