Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: kingkano on May 21, 2004, 12:11:24
-
Growing various melons for the first time ever this year ::)
they're all reaching the 4/5 leaf stage now, does everybody pinch out the growing tip at this point?? Why is this done anyways?? DO I literally just lop off the tip after the last leaf?
thanks in advance
ken
-
Inside or out? = Tim
Assuming it's outside, yes - this is to prompt sideshoots which are trained around the plant & then stopped when they reach their allotted bounds. Indoors it's a bit different. = Tim
-
Well they are destined for outdoors yeah ;D
Okay I best pinch them out then. their blinkin huge :o
I take it the tendrilly lookin things are gonna be the sideshoots??
thanks as always Tim
-
As always, could be wrong - but don't expect more than 4 per plant. And don't be hurt if you don't achieve that. They are hot clime fruits. = Tim
-
I'm a first time meloneer too King. I read that you pinch the top out after the 6th leaf, the melons will only grow on the side shoots and you pinch those out after 5 leaves and after you get a fruit you pinch it again after 1 leaf behind the fruit, something like that.
I have 6 leaves now but they are so tiny, I think I'll let it grow a while longer. Hopefully that's not a mistake.
-
Only got 3 leaves on my melon :'(
-
The tendrilly looking things are tendrils.
Shame you have to do this in the U.K.- rows of melon plants, mine are 3m apart, as they reach out to each other are quite attractive in their own right. By the time I start picking I am walking on a carpet of melon vines and leaves.
-
Just as well though - much as I love melons, & admire squashes, I need what little space we have for the essentials! = Tim
-
the leaves on mine are quite big haha. sorry didnt take a pic (and now they are down hardening off ::)) I pinched them out at about the 5th or 6th leaves on most of them. Some dont need pinching (think they were ogens or something) - see how it goes.
And 4 fruits would be fine, I have about 8 or so plants ;)
Sounds like alot of work and pinching tho!! Hope I can manage it.
thanks for all the replies
-
For me, Tim, fresh melons are an essential part of a Vermont summer. Except for my own aubergines everything else makes way for melons. Just a different country or am I on a different planet (er, you better not answer that)?
-
Melons, at least the ones we have grown, have had a nasty habit of ripening all at once, and a melon lasts me a week! = Tim
-
Nah not us. That is partly why 3 different melons, hopefully slightly different ripenings, but a bit of variety that week ;D ::)
Definitely the taste of summer tho, and you can always freeze them, all cubed up and ready - if you have to *chuckle*. But my gf will no doubt be eating them still attached to the plant!!! :)
Ken
-
I just noticed my cucumber packet says the same thing, I never pinched out cucumber's main stem before ::) :o
Has everyone else always done this too? :-\
-
I have never pinched my squashes back..... but I am going to do some this year, just to compare really. I have always had plenty of fruit, but I won't complain if I get more! ;D
-
KK - nor have I. Even tho' it says do so when the plant hits the roof - it then sends out 2 new ones.
Emma - all I ask is to be able to find/get to each root for watering. I could grow 200 courgettes in the room taken for 30 squashes! = Tim