General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
August 9, 2020 | #1 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
Quote:
No, not yet. I might prune off a fruit, though. I have one (hand pollinated) Sangria fruit that is misshapen and shrunken on one side. Size of a large grapefruit now. Should I just snip it off and let the vine redirect its energy towards any better-pollinated/more symmetrical fruit? |
|
August 10, 2020 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
Yes! I am really enjoying the leaves
"Should I just snip it off and let the vine redirect its energy towards any better-pollinated/more symmetrical fruit? I did snip off the third melon on a vine, but I had waited a while, and it was really behind the other two. |
August 15, 2020 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
I did snip that misshapen Sangria fruit (4.5 oz) this afternoon. Now I know to hand-pollinate thoroughly.
Did a lot of vine rearranging this afternoon. Moved the tomato plants aside and disentangled the melon vines from them. What in the world inspired me to grow full-size (20-24 lb.) watermelon fruit on a flimsy nylon trellis? Well, I'd never had this much success with watermelon growth before, just puny vines and fruit the size of a softball. They love the heat and now it's hot, they get sun all afternoon and early evening long, they grow and grow and grow and... I cleared the vines and saw an air watermelon. What's an air watermelon. you say. It's a 4-lb. watermelon dangling in mid-air. Now I have to find some support for it. A solid support. No "sling" will do with this one. Maybe a 3' or 4' planter stand. My this is getting expensive. |
August 16, 2020 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
I wanna see!
I was doubting my melons were continuing to grow, but at least one gained a half pound in a week. Another doesn't seem to have grown at all. These are about three or four. weeks ago ,last week, and today. Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 16, 2020 at 12:46 AM. |
August 17, 2020 | #5 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
Quote:
OK, so here's what I did. Assembled a light frame of PVC pipe with connectors, extenders below, four legs, about 18" x 24" with 48" legs. It's a bit rickety but it will do. Plywood sheets placed on top. Have the Sangria melon resting on the plywood. Let's see if this works. How big are these melons supposed to get? Around 20-25 lbs. per the Gurney's Seed site. |
|
August 16, 2020 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
Supposedly between 107-109 today. I'd need a fast camera.
They are in a sub-irrigation planter, which is filled twice a day by a drip on a timer.. Otherwise they'd be toast. My son lives in Turkey and asked someone there how to tell if they were pollinated and growing, and was told they grow at night and you could hear them! Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 16, 2020 at 04:13 AM. |
August 16, 2020 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
One melon fell off in a storm last night.
|
August 17, 2020 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
Well, even though the wind picked it for you, it looks ripe enough. How did it taste? What variety is it?
|
August 17, 2020 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
Sounds good ! The one that got "picked" was Tiger Baby and we thought it was pretty good. Strange thing was, it was not suspended. I was growing it lying on some cloth on the deck. It looked like lots of things that were on the deck flew around, and must have blown into it.
That's what I get for posting that "it never rains here in the summer" last week. Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 17, 2020 at 02:43 AM. |
August 22, 2020 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
Just found one of the smaller Sangria fruit, hanging on the trellis out in back, isn't really gaining in size. Because I've had to rearrange these vines multiple times to get them out of the way and onto the trellis, some vines had become twisted. I generally water the plants after such a rearrangement in order to reduce their stress. One thing I hadn't counted on was twisting the "umbilical cord" stem to the developing fruit. It's folded over on this one. I think I need to "untwist" so water and nutrients can again flow freely.
This seems to be an issue with the watermelons; no other cucurbit seems to have a fruit stem that is so long, so flexible, and so subject to getting pinched off. |
August 23, 2020 | #11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
Quote:
Snipped off this fruit, which had a green stem but was shriveled at the blossom end. This will teach me to leave developing fruit alone! If I get two good melons per vine I will be grateful. |
|
August 23, 2020 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
Not the kit, but the same sub irrigation planter. Best wishes.
Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 23, 2020 at 06:22 PM. |
August 23, 2020 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
Interesting!
My plants are now covered in ashes. On of the fires actually came in my back yard. I picked tow with brown, withered tendrils.Next time I won't try to grow 4 plants in one container. Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 23, 2020 at 03:14 AM. |
August 23, 2020 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Northern California
Posts: 300
|
Hi Shrinkrap, I hope the rest of your property was unscathed!
A nice sprinkling with the hose (or some rain coming next week?) can rinse away the ashes. Your melons look very nice. How did these two taste? Were these the orange and yellow varieties in your Renee's Garden Seeds 3-variety pack? How big was your container? Four vines in one container? I'm thinking maybe next time, two vines or one vine could work in a 7-gallon container. Maybe two vines in a 15-gallon container. |
August 23, 2020 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California
Posts: 701
|
The melons are chilling in the frig, and I haven't tried them yet. They SHOULD be the Yellow Baby. Yes, fout vines in one container, and I let two melons develop on each. I can't seem to find the dimensions or soil volume. Some instructions I found suggest 40 quarts.
it looks like this. Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 23, 2020 at 12:42 PM. |
|
|