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Please take your time removing your plant from it's packaging.

Your Pepino was grown in filtered light, so i don't advise giving it direct sun just yet, to prevent wilting and burning.  I recommend growing your plant in a pot for at least a month, so you can acclimate it to the sun slowly.  Start it with either filtered sunlight, or 2-3 hours of morning or late afternoon sun.  Every 4 or 5 days, give it an extra hour or two of sun, until it is eventually in full sun. This will give it enough time to grow a larger root system, so it can handle full sun without wilting. If your midday sun is hot and strong, try to give it some midday shade, at least for the first month.

Before sliding your plant from its pot, please water it thoroughly, so the soil doesn't break apart, which can damage the roots. Carefully plant in a 1 or 2 gallon container. You can use regular potting soil (well-draining). After planting, water until the soil is thoroughly moist. For the first month, please make sure that the original soil ball stays moist (but not soggy).

Like it's cousin the tomato, Pepino can grow "floppy" and should have some support. Push some stakes or a trellis into the ground around the plant, and simply tie it to it as it grows. Pepino is a vigorous brancher, so if you clip the top, it will grow bushier. Try to keep the branches from flopping onto the dirt. You can grow Pepino as a hanging plant if you want.

When the roots reach the bottom of the container and poke out of the holes, it's time to carefully repot your Pepino into a larger container, like 3-5 gallons - or plant her in the ground.

Pollination: You can use an artist's brush to manually pollinate the flowers. This will give a higher yield.

Feel free to take cuttings of your Pepino, so you can have several - or grow one as a "spare". Simply cut a 4" piece and stick it in water. Change the water daily. When the roots are an inch long, carefully plant into soil.

For more information on growing Pepino, please see: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pepino.html

Enjoy your plant!

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