This years melons what are you all growing? - Page 3

GreenThumbGal_07 · June 15, 2007

Earl,

Whoa, now you've got me looking forward to trying that Haogen!

I'm growing it a couple of miles north of here at the office (in a slightly cooler microclimate) but the little seedlings are in a sunny spot and seem to be full of vigor.

GTG

materlvr · June 15, 2007

Shellybean, we have winds that kick up every afternoon. I've seen bees in the garden but not lately. Can the wind pollinate my watermelons? The winds pollinate my tomatoes very well!

Thanks!

shelleybean · June 15, 2007

Wind is not going to cut it with cucummber, melons or squash because the there are male flowers and there are female flowers. In tomatoes, the male and female parts are in one blossom, but not so with melons. If you have bees in the morning before you get the wind, they're probably taking care of it for you. You'll know when you get melons that start to grow larger and that attached flower dries up.

materlvr · June 15, 2007

Thank you, Shelleybean. I'll ckeck them out tonight when I get home!

CLa · July 4, 2007

One of my seedless melons.
Probably Orange sunshine

**nctomatoman** · July 4, 2007

Melon question - I've grown Passport before so I know it is a slip melon. I assume Touchdown is as well (looks like a typical Cantaloupe, from the Johnny's pictures). Question is on Ananas - is it also a slip melon, or does it have to be cut like a Honeydew? And if so, how do you know when it is ripe?

orflo · July 5, 2007

Everytime I fill in the SSE forms I have problems finding out what's a honeydew and a musk melon? Can you tell me the exact difference and what's a slip melon? Maybe I can answer your question, I grow ananas à chaire verte and ananas à chaire rouge, other ones I am growing: Streits Freiland grungenetzt, ledermelone, vielle france, gris de rennes, lughan, orlinabel, de bellegarde,turkish leopard, sakata sweet,

Frank

**nctomatoman** · July 5, 2007

Slip melons are those that are easy to tell when to pick/when they are optimally ripe - you gently press where the stem meets the fruit and they slip off (typical Canteloupes, Galia melons, etc). Other types have to be cut from the vine - and they can either be eaten immediately, or, I assume, can sit on the shelf for a few days to ripen further (Honeydews fit this class).

Fert1 · July 5, 2007

This year I'm growing

Cantaloupe:
Prescott Fond Blanc

Watermelons:
Orangeglo
Moon & Stars (round)
Ali Baba

I have little melons on all of these but the first to actually set was a Prescott Fond Blanc

orflo · July 6, 2007

Well, I gues s ananas is a slip melon then, I do cut most melons, because I'm growing them mostly upgoing in the greenhouse, and if they fall down, they just burst open, I just the ripness by looking at the place where the stem meets the melon, if there are little cracks appearing (and sometimes the smell!) over there, I cut them, and depending on the variety, eat them within a few hours or days. The only exception are the winter melons, which can be kept until December, I cut them three to four weeks after they are fully grown,
Frank

harleysilo · July 6, 2007

Seedless watermelons....

Ruth_10 · July 6, 2007

Craig, from the photo for Ananas in Amy Goldman book, it looks like a non-slip variety, but I could be wrong.

Ruth_10 · July 6, 2007

2006
Watermelon:
Orangeglo
Ali Baba
Moon and Stars (from a volunteer)

Cantaloupe/muskmelon:
Ambrosia
Savor
Petit Gris de Rennes

2007
Watermelon:
Orangeglo
Ali Baba
Blacktail Mountain

Cantaloupe/muskmelon:
Ambrosia

I think I will always plant Orangelo and Ambrosia. They are wonderful.

This is my first time growing Blacktail Mountain. I'm hoping it will be significantly earlier than the others to space out the harvest a bit. I have a Blacktail Mtn. fruit that is pretty good sized. Does the "pig-tail" die back as a sign of ripeness? How about the underside? Is there a color change that is helpful?

Razorback04 · July 11, 2007

Watermelons

1. Big Crimson
2. AU Producer
3. Raspa

The Big Crimsons were planted about 1 week earlier than the others and a few are already reaching 20+ lbs.

**nctomatoman** · July 18, 2007

Ah, a little slice of heaven! We harvested our first melon this week - a nice 5 pound Passport (a hybrid Galia type melon). A few things that made harvesting easy - the melon pretty much changed its color overnight, going from netting over a greenish background to a bright yellowish background. I gave the stem ★★★★★★★★ a gentle nudge and the stem popped off of the melon. Gave it a chill in the fridge, cut it open - gorgeous pale green flesh shading to salmon at the core. Melting flesh, not overly sweet (candy sweet), but well balanced and smooth - just delicious.

Now we await Touchdown and Ananas!

June 15, 2007	#33
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Wind is not going to cut it with cucummber, melons or squash because the there are male flowers and there are female flowers. In tomatoes, the male and female parts are in one blossom, but not so with melons. If you have bees in the morning before you get the wind, they're probably taking care of it for you. You'll know when you get melons that start to grow larger and that attached flower dries up. __________________ Michele

July 4, 2007	#36
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Melon question - I've grown Passport before so I know it is a slip melon. I assume Touchdown is as well (looks like a typical Cantaloupe, from the Johnny's pictures). Question is on Ananas - is it also a slip melon, or does it have to be cut like a Honeydew? And if so, how do you know when it is ripe? __________________ Craig

July 5, 2007	#38
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Slip melons are those that are easy to tell when to pick/when they are optimally ripe - you gently press where the stem meets the fruit and they slip off (typical Canteloupes, Galia melons, etc). Other types have to be cut from the vine - and they can either be eaten immediately, or, I assume, can sit on the shelf for a few days to ripen further (Honeydews fit this class). __________________ Craig

July 5, 2007	#39
Fert1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Upstate SC, Zone 7 Posts: 543	This year I'm growing Cantaloupe: Prescott Fond Blanc Watermelons: Orangeglo Moon & Stars (round) Ali Baba I have little melons on all of these but the first to actually set was a Prescott Fond Blanc __________________ Holly

July 6, 2007	#42
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Craig, from the photo for Ananas in Amy Goldman book, it looks like a non-slip variety, but I could be wrong. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

June 15, 2007	#31
GreenThumbGal_07 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 300	Earl, Whoa, now you've got me looking forward to trying that Haogen! I'm growing it a couple of miles north of here at the office (in a slightly cooler microclimate) but the little seedlings are in a sunny spot and seem to be full of vigor. GTG

June 15, 2007	#32
materlvr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Temecula, CA Zone 9b Posts: 181	Shellybean, we have winds that kick up every afternoon. I've seen bees in the garden but not lately. Can the wind pollinate my watermelons? The winds pollinate my tomatoes very well! Thanks!

July 5, 2007	#37
orflo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: belgium Posts: 134	Everytime I fill in the SSE forms I have problems finding out what's a honeydew and a musk melon? Can you tell me the exact difference and what's a slip melon? Maybe I can answer your question, I grow ananas à chaire verte and ananas à chaire rouge, other ones I am growing: Streits Freiland grungenetzt, ledermelone, vielle france, gris de rennes, lughan, orlinabel, de bellegarde,turkish leopard, sakata sweet, Frank

July 6, 2007	#41
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	Seedless watermelons....

July 11, 2007	#44
Razorback04 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NW Arkansas Posts: 47	Watermelons 1. Big Crimson 2. AU Producer 3. Raspa The Big Crimsons were planted about 1 week earlier than the others and a few are already reaching 20+ lbs.

July 18, 2007	#45
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Ah, a little slice of heaven! We harvested our first melon this week - a nice 5 pound Passport (a hybrid Galia type melon). A few things that made harvesting easy - the melon pretty much changed its color overnight, going from netting over a greenish background to a bright yellowish background. I gave the stem ★★★★★★★★ a gentle nudge and the stem popped off of the melon. Gave it a chill in the fridge, cut it open - gorgeous pale green flesh shading to salmon at the core. Melting flesh, not overly sweet (candy sweet), but well balanced and smooth - just delicious. Now we await Touchdown and Ananas! __________________ Craig