What did you do in the garden today?

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Usually they pop off the vine - the stem separates from the vine, when peak ripeness. However, some are prone to splitting - this isn't terrible if you are checking every day or 2x er day - you will catch the split right after it happens, take inside for eating that day or next.

I'll recommend propping up the cantaloupe melons off the ground. I find that even propping up on two sticks is really helpful bc there are certain bugs here that will bore into the part touching the ground, so having even a small amount of separation seems to stop them.

Oh good to know i wondered bout that too...I've been rotating which side it lays on...and it just keeps growing! Lol

 

[WthrLady]

I live in an armadillo state now. What damage do they do, dig for grubs? Can they climb?

And when you startle them they can jump straight up in the air 3 feet. Ask me how I know that.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

And when you startle them they can jump straight up in the air 3 feet. Ask me how I know that.

And now I need to find an armadillo to sneak up on.

 

[Sally PB]

Hey got a cantaloupe growing!!! Saw it peeking out from under the ever growing vine even though I keep pinching that thing back! Got lots of baby ones too!
Any advice on how and when to harvest it?

I'll recommend propping up the cantaloupe melons off the ground. I find that even propping up on two sticks is really helpful bc there are certain bugs here that will bore into the part touching the ground, so having even a small amount of separation seems to stop them.

Here's what I know about cantaloupe.

Propping the melons up on something (I really like bricks for this) will keep most of the ground things from getting into them. Mine had a tendency to start rotting on the spot where they touched the ground too, and this helped prevent that.

When are they ripe...
The slip test: You can see the stem separating from the melon, and they will pick easily.
The sniff test: They smell sweet and melon-y.
The color test: The skin under the netting should be a buff color, not green. I use this for judging if a store bought melon is ripe. Or, ripe-ish. They're never as good as home grown or farmer's market melons.

I've been told that melons do not get sweeter once they're off the vine. They may get a bit softer, though.

I learned that melons have to be about the size of my fist by the first weekend of August, or shortly after, to have time to ripen. Therefore, any that are not that big get culled. This forces the plant to put all its energy and sugar production into the melons that are on the vine. Once I started doing that, I got sweeter melons!

 

[Sally PB]

Running total of JBs caught: 179 + 112 today = 291.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Did manage to get the tables done in the coop .. Still have a broody in jail air under her better now ...
Going to look for salad to have with dinner in the garden.

 

[WthrLady]

And now I need to find an armadillo to sneak up on.

Simple, go walking after dark to avoid the blazing sun, dizzy from the fog of the 20 gallons of Mosquito spray you're wearing, slap on a headset to drown out the buzzing of the flies, and focus on not having a gator jump out of a drainage ditch as you walk by. Then absentmindedly go to kick the giant long leaf pin pinecone in your path, only to find out it's NOT a pinecone. Easy.

 

[Elyrian1]

Startle the armadillo? Sure. Just don't touch them, they can carry leprosy.

 

[jerryse]

And when you startle them they can jump straight up in the air 3 feet. Ask me how I know that.

I hear they can carry leprosey .

 

[WthrLady]

Startle the armadillo? Sure. Just don't touch them, they can carry leprosy.

Yep.