General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.
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March 9, 2007 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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This years melons what are you all growing?
I planted these varieties this morning.
Watermelon Tender sweet Royal golden Moon and stars Georgia Rattlesnake Blacktail Mountain Orangeglo Cantaloupe and odd ball Kansas Gingers Pride Asian Tigger Golden Sweet Banana from a friend, Thanks! Yes I do have room for all of these melons with a lot of fence and the area in the back. What are the rest of you all growing? Worth |
March 9, 2007 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Iuka, Mississippi Zone 7b
Posts: 482
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Watermelon
Orange tendersweet Mickeylee Others Tigger Banana
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Richard |
March 9, 2007 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,296
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Watermelon:
Blacktail Mountain Orangeglo Sweet Siberian Cantaloupe/muskmelon: Pride of Wisconsin Golden Gopher Crane
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there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
March 9, 2007 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Arkansas zone 6b
Posts: 441
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Watermelon:
Desert King Blacktail Mountain Orangeglo Moons & Stars - Van Doren Moons & Stars - yellow flesh Jemez Other: Charentais Green Machine Noir De Carmes Cochiti mix jelly melon |
March 9, 2007 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
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Okay, I'm trying not to be totally depressed that I only have room for these two melons and you guys have so many more to grow and eat.
Green Climbing (green flesh) Golden Midget (tiny watermelon) Before we put a pool in our back yard, I grew Blacktail Mountain and Sugar Baby. We liked both of those but it was hard to tell when the Sugar Babies were ripe. I've also grown several of the small muskmelons with short vines and had good luck with most of those. I have sandy soil here by the beach and the melons seem to like it. I'm trying to add some things back into the garden I think my kids would like. Melons are one of the things I've managed to cram back into this small space and they'll be grown vertically. I hope they do well enough that the kids don't spit them out!
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Michele |
March 9, 2007 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Utah
Posts: 675
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I have seeds for Charentais and Sataka's Sweet. I've never grown melons before. I think I may start with those and try some shorter season water melons next year. I really want to try an orange flesh one, I've heard great things about them.
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May 28, 2007 | #7 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Arkansas zone 6b
Posts: 441
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Quote:
Had several jellymelons growing, but something ate all but one of them. Again, more space for another one... |
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June 5, 2007 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Va. Beach, VA
Posts: 178
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Do you plant any flowers in your garden beds to help attract bees? I planted some around my melons, cukes, squash and eggplant. Only thing with a start of a bloom is one eggplant.
How do you hand pollinate melons? Sounds like a stupid question (and I work in a urology practice!), but how do you tell the male flowers from the female flowers? Thanks, Carol |
June 5, 2007 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
Posts: 2,648
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Carol, the male flower is on a plain stem and the female flower has a tiny little melon at the back of the blosson. You have to get the pollen from the male flower to the female to pollinate it. In squash, this is really easy because they have big flowers, but small flowers are trickier. You can cut the male flowers off and try to transfer the pollen that way. With squash, I use a Q Tip to do this but I know in cucumbers the Q Tip is too big. I think it's going to depend on the size of your blooms.
I have not seen many bees this spring. I usually have a lot of bumble bees but not right now. My basil is starting to bloom and that usually attracts them so we'll see if any show up to help with the melons, cukes and squash.
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Michele |
March 27, 2007 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Northwest shore of Lake Ontario Zone 6b
Posts: 117
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Paul, have you grown golden Gopher before? And can I ask where you got your seed? I saw it somewhere, now I can't remember where??
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March 27, 2007 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Va. Beach, VA
Posts: 178
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I am going to grow Sleeping Beauty muskmelon, Green machine and Golden midget.
Carol |
March 27, 2007 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 153
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I have a short season here but I'm going to try Prescott Ford Blanc Melon.
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March 29, 2007 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 271
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I'm growing most of my melons in containers this time around. Last year we kept getting heavy rains just before each batch of melons ripened, so they were blaaaand.
Containers: Minnesota Midget, Green Machine, Golden Sweet, and maybe Yellow Doll watermelon. Ground: Golden Jenny and maybe Sakata's Sweet, both trellised to save room. |
March 29, 2007 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,027
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March 30, 2007 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 271
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They're painted styrofoam coolers about 6 gallons. I'm growing one per container, and chose types with more compact growth habits. I've got a bigger container that I might use for the Yellow Doll. I grew summer squash very successfully last year in the coolers so I'm hoping they do well with the melons this time around!
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