Looking for melon recommendations for next year

[maupin]

I have had great luck with yellow moon and stars. It loves my hot, humid climate and tastes like creamy candy, leaving a delicious aftertaste.

I enrich the soil in a 12 x 30 rectangle, then cover the entire patch with weed barrier and cover the weed barrier with shredded pine bark mulch. Cut X holes, build mounds, plant seeds. Watering is limited to the mounds, and this cultural practice, in con★★★★★★★★ with the weed block in place, cuts down on risk of disease and soil borne pests.

Vines sprawl every which way on the weed barrier without encroaching on any other plants.

I trellised Annas in the past (with disappointing results) and have found this method superior to trellising.

[Ruth_10]

Okay, we're into our second Ali Baba watermelon of the season and it is wonderful. This year it beats Orangeglo, I'd have to say. One big difference between the two (other than one is orange-fleshed and the other is red) is that the rind of Orangeglo is much more fragile than that of Ali Baba. Orangeglo has a tendency to crack open along many lines when you start to cut into it. It doesn't affect the flavor, just makes it more difficult to store. But the Ali Baba melons have been just about perfect.

[nctomatoman]

We are getting everything coming at once - this was today's harvest...right to left, two Passport, an Ananas, the small striped watermelon is the new yellow fleshed hybrid from JSS, two rather unusual (nearly pear shaped) Moon and Starts, and a 40 pound monster - the lone fruit from the lone germinating seed that Fusion sent me of an heirloom watermelon - pale green rind, supposed to be yellow flesh, white seeded. It is chilling down, and will be cut tomorrow night!

[JerryL]

Here is what’s left of a Cream of Saskatchewan I took to the CHOPTAG Taste Fest.

[Raymondo]

I really like Nutmeg. Great little melon.

[Spatzbear]

I will be growing Nutmeg this year again.
The frost got last year's lot. The frost got most of last year's lot. It was unusual, it was very very late frost and it was too late in the season to start anything again.

So better luck this year! To you, too, Ray!

[Tormato]

Had my first Haogen.

Step aside Charentais, Petit Gris, Noir des Carmes, etc...

Tormato

[Douglas14]

Three I've grown, and really like are Charentais, Petit Gris De Rennes, and Golden Gopher.

[rodger]

Everyone needs to try out Stone Mountain Wateremlon. It was a 1924 release by Hastings seed company of Atlanta Ga. During the 40's-50's it was the top commercial melon in the US. Dark green rind 20-30 lbs red flesh ,thick rind making it a good storage, shipping and candying melon. The flesh is juicy and sweet. This melon has not been availble for years but Bakers Creek and Southern Exposure seeds will both carry it in the 2008 catolog. Rodger

[shelleybean]

Has anyone grown Early Hanover? Any thoughts? Thanks.

[Plant Lady]

I've tried alot of different melon varieties, But the ones that are keepers for me that seem to grow well in my hot and humid area are Delicious 51-muskmelon, very sweet and juicy and a fairly large melon. Moon and Stars(-red) Has done very well for watermelon with a real old fashion watermelon flavor and very juicy also.

[uno]

I grew Ambrosia cantaloupe last season and it grew and tasted great...better than I ever expected. It seems that a lot of people also like charentias. I tried them also and they didn't grow well for me in Pa. and the few I did get I didn't like the taste...they tasted funny to me.

Jim

[Tania]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Has anyone grown Early Hanover? Any thoughts? Thanks.

I grew it this year, the seeds I got might been been crosses as some plants gave me melons without any taste, and only one plant was producing very small sweet melons - it was very early here in PNW (I had first ripe fruits in August, before I got some ripe tomatoes ). I saved seeds from the good plant.

[shelleybean]

Thanks, Tania. I like your HanGover sign. I got my seed from SSE. We'll see what I get next summer! I think I'm going to try four plants.

[Tania]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Thanks, Tania. I like your HanGover sign.

me too - I keep spelling it this way, don't ask me why.