melons

[Itoero]

If the stem of the melon is a bit to long and thin, without leaves...
Can I place it deeper in the earth like with tomatoes?
Will it grow roots along the stem?

[Stvrob]

I don't think so, I have only seen roots grow from one of the leaf nodes. Once it is crawling along the ground, you can pile soil around one of the nodes and it will root from there.

[Itoero]

This is one of my melons.
I'm gowing them upright.
Can I fertilize that female flower, or is it to low to the floor?
The rule is to cut of all sideshoots below the 6th flower...but why?

[crmauch]

Originally Posted by Itoero

The rule is to cut of all sideshoots below the 6th flower...but why?

I had never heard of that rule, I did try to find something on the internet, but all I found was this:

An old garden adage suggests pinching off a vine’s growing shoots as melons start to ripen to cause the plant to divert all its energy to the ripening fruit. Research has proven this false. The vine needs all its leaves to produce the sugars that sweeten fruit. Anything that reduces the total number of leaves available for sugar production reduces melon sweetness.

The more fruits that ripen at the same time, the less sweet they’ll be, since the vine will have to divide the leaves’ sugar production between fruits. In warmer climes with a long growing season, experienced growers often prune off all but one newly forming melon every 2 weeks. Ripening 1 melon at a time yields maximum sweetness. As you gain experience, you’ll develop your own technique.

In colder regions, remove any blossoms that start to develop within 50 days of your area’s first average frost date. This ensures remaining, larger fruits will ripen before frost.

This was on this site: http://bonnieplants.com/growing/grow...neydew-melons/

Where did you hear about removing the lower shoots?

I'm also growing melons and watermelons vertically in a 'sort-of' Florida weave.

Chris