competition

[AlanP]

Every year, my son in Woodbridge, my sister in Bath and myself in Cumbria have a competition to see who can grow the heaviest melon, the winner provides the seeds for the next year from the wining melon. This has worked quite well for quite a few years. The winner last year was my son, this person left the seeds in the greenhouse to dry out, this made a lovely feast for the mice that set up home under the bench, so he has had to buy seed for this year and in his wisdom has sent out Water Melon seeds, so looking at Water melons on the web I find out that they have a spread of three meters (oh joy)
So I was wondering if anyone has grown one of these, where I live I guess I would need to grow it in the polytunnel and thought I might be able to train it up a frame work.

Any thoughts peeps, apart from the obvious one of telling him to buy some proper Melon seeds

Alan

[AlanP]

[artichoke]

If you know West Dean College, I used to teach plant illustration there. One year I was commissioned by a Saudi Arabian to paint water melon including leaves and flower dissections. The gardeners kindly grew a plant for me, contained within one of their historical brick/glass cold frames. They must have pruned the plant skilfully because it did not take up much room, and produced several flowers for me to dissect, and finally one fruit. I have to say that the fruit was not particularly large. Enough for my purposes, but nothing to compare with the giants found in Greece, Spain etc. Hope that helps.....

[AlanP]

Thanks for the interesting reply artichoke, sounds as though they can be kept under control.

Alan

[Jeannine]

It would depend on the variety. If he bought seeds in the UK I would presume it would have been one of the short season varieties like Sugar Baby or Black Beauty , but you do need to know the variety to know it's growing needs as Sugar Baby for example comes in a bush and a vining variety. I do grow them now and again and I did a couple of times in the UK. I grew Blacktail Mountain back then.  If you can find the variety I can help you more.

XX Jeannine

[Deb P]

I'm growing Charleston Gray this year, got it to fruiting size outdoors a few years ago growing it over black plastic. I didn't get mildew as much as melons usually do, and I just kept pinning down the new growth in a circle to keep it neat. I do the same with squash too.

[Jeannine]

You are doing very well to get Charleston  Gray to maturity  over there Deb well done

[AlanP]

Thanks for that Deb

Jeannine, the type that my misguided son has sent is Blacktail Mountain 


Alan

[Jeannine]

You should be OK with that one. Start it early, keep potting it on.In the Uk  I used to do this till they were in gallon + pots, then plant out. It is a variety that was bred for cooler seasons but it will still do best in a poly tunnel if you can do that. Feed it well. The vine will grow 10-15 feet.

There will be a lot of info on the net about this one as it was bred by a kid who wanted to grow a water melon is a cooler area, and he did it.

If you google you will also fine info on growing large water maelons. This is not the one for growing giants but the info would be useful to you.

Good Luck, give that son a good run for his money!!

Next year, remind me and I will try to find you some seeds over here for really big melons.

[AlanP]

Thanks for all that Jeannine, the first seed is just pushing it's head up, I will post pics as it grows (or doesn't)

Alan

[AlanP]

As I said I would, her is an update, and a question.
Should a nip the growing tip out to produce a more bushy plant?

Alan