Favorite Melon varieties to grow?

[Acre4Me]

Melons don’t love to be transplanted. They do not like their roots disturbed. So, start only 2-3 weeks before planting out so roots are not as likely to be disturbed. So, using peat pots that can be directly planted can also work, but I don’t use those.

Personally I’ll just make hills and plant seeds direct. If I were to start them early, in the ground, I’d first warm the soil with CLEAR plastic for a couple of weeks. Clear plastic will create a greenhouse effect and really heat up the soil before planting. Then, direct seed and cover with clear cloche or tented clear plastic (vented during day or removed if strong sun/clear day that is warm). Use black plastic to keep soil warm underneath and to keep moisture in. Don’t use clear plastic on the ground bc it can raise the temp too high when a plant is growing.

My melons are not under plastic. Maybe next year though. This year I’m trying sweet potatoes, and many recommendations to use black plastic, so I did that for most of the SP slips. I had extra slips, so planted them in full/all day sunny spots, but no plastic. The ones under black plastic are much more developed with leaves and vines than the ones not under black plastic, despite same plant date.

 

[GardenBlooms22]

@Acre4Me When do you direct sow your melons? I have heard people say they do it in Zone 6. Do you only direct sow early maturing melons (like Bush Sugar Baby watermelon) or do you direct sow all types?

Interesting idea with the clear plastic!
Thank you for the information!

 

[Acre4Me]

@Acre4Me When do you direct sow your melons? I have heard people say they do it in Zone 6. Do you only direct sow early maturing melons (like Bush Sugar Baby watermelon) or do you direct sow all types?

Interesting idea with the clear plastic!
Thank you for the information!

This year I direct seeded melons in May 23. This is because the 10-day forecast looked good. Three or four have not yet set fruit -but have been producing male flowers for awhile. Hoping for female flowers soon. But, four have set fruit.

 

[GardenBlooms22]

This year I direct seeded melons in May 23. This is because the 10-day forecast looked good. Three or four have not yet set fruit -but have been producing male flowers for awhile. Hoping for female flowers soon. But, four have set fruit.

Thank you for the response! Perhaps I'll experiment with direct sowing some melons next year.

Best of luck with your remaining melon plants, hopefully they'll still set fruit.

 

[Sally PB]

Here's what I've done when I grew melons that I started from seed. All were cantaloupe of one kind or another.

I make my own pots using large cottage cheese or yogurt containers. Put a few small holes in the lid. Cut the bottom off. Put the lid back on, and turn it over, so the lid is the bottom of the pot. Fill with whatever potting soil you want to use and plant your seeds. Sunny window, grow light, green house; whatever warm, well lit space for the plants to grow.

When it's time to plant them in the garden, dig a hole big enough to put the pot in. Take the lid off, set the pot in the hole. Gently loosen the pot and lift it off. The taper will make it easier to remove. Fill in the hole around the plant's roots and water well.

I'm in zone 5b, and about the first weekend of August, I removed any melon that wasn't the size of my fist. If they weren't that size, they wouldn't have long enough to grow and ripen before the average first frost. Bonus of doing this: the remaining melons were sweeter because the plant was putting all its effort into ripening the remaining fruit.

 

[GardenBlooms22]

@Sally PB Sounds like a good system! I like the idea of using the lid of the container as the bottom of the planting pot so that you can simply remove it when it's time to transplant instead of trying to flip the plant out of the pot, therefore reducing the chance of damaging the plant's roots.

 

[Percheron chick]

My new favorite is Picasso. Bought one at the store and I'm hooked. Planted some seeds but being a hybrid who knows what will show up. Hopefully I can find seeds for next year.
Zone 5. I've never had any luck starting any vines inside. Would be nice as the growing season is only 5 months.

 

[GardenBlooms22]

My new favorite is Picasso. Bought one at the store and I'm hooked. Planted some seeds but being a hybrid who knows what will show up. Hopefully I can find seeds for next year.

Picasso melon, never heard of it until now. I was reading that it tastes like pear and honey. It seems pretty rare, it doesn't look like many seed manufacturers carry it. It seems like it's a muskmelon (the same family as a cantaloupe).

Good luck with the seed experiment!

 

[Percheron chick]

I'm not holding my breath. They probably planted some squash in with the melon to create a frankenmelon that is inedible if you tried to grow from seed.

 

[GardenBlooms22]

I'm not holding my breath. They probably planted some squash in with the melon to create a frankenmelon that is inedible if you tried to grow from seed.

Lol, hopefully you don't encounter one of those.