How's everyones melons doing - mine have gone mad. One plant has 7 fruits the other has 5! All about 8" diameter already (which probably means they'll all be ready at the same time... >:( )
The Galia in the greenhouse has gone mad and is growing like there is no tomorrow, no fruits yet.
The honeydew in the garden is growing and has a few tiny fruits.
The Canteloup outside is doing very well.
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4706/canteloupav9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
No other fruits yet but I am hopefull.
Helen
Heres mine
(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d57/keef30/DSC00232.jpg)
(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d57/keef30/DSC00231.jpg)
Wow, without any inuendo what lovely melons you have ....
Mine are doing quite well, Passport:
Our watermelons are doing fantastic, loads of fruit on them and still more every day.
The charentais melons we were kindly given have just started setting fruit and are looking good too.
fantastic melons, I have one plant with 2 on in the greenhouse, will try them outside next year, do you have to hand pollinate outdoor ones like you do with greenhouse ones?
My watermelons and melons are doing great!! however, how do I know when the watermelons are ready to pick? I take it that for the melons I should be able to smell the sweetness. but not sure about the watermelons...
thanks,
vaca
Quote from: Simon05 on August 04, 2006, 12:27:40
fantastic melons, I have one plant with 2 on in the greenhouse, will try them outside next year, do you have to hand pollinate outdoor ones like you do with greenhouse ones?
Nope - nature done it all for me...
Until I read this page I didn't know you could grow melons outside in this country.I would have to grow them outside as I have know green house.How do you start to grow melons, do you plant seeds, or buy plants. How do you grow them, what tips do you have, I just think this is amazing that we can now grow melons in this country. I have so got to grow them next year.
I have one 'Blacktail Mountain Watermelon' growing, it's about grapefruit size now, have no idea how big it's supposed to get. And I also have 3 other fruit (all about egg size) on the other plants but I can't remember which is which, I think they're 'Ananas d'Amerique', but could be 'Collective Farm Woman' or 'Minnesotta Midget' too! And there are a few other possibles eveloping although too early to tell if they've set ok.
I've been trying to hand pollinate them but not sure if I'm having any success, or whether it's the work of the bees that are getting in when I leave the doors open. I wanted to collect the seed so that I could offer next year for others to try, but at the moment if I get any seed I'm not sure I can guarantee their parentage!
Anyone know if watermelons crosspollinate with other melon types?
Also I noticed when trying to pollinate that there seem to be 2 types of flower; the ones that look like female flowers with a bulge behind the petals also seem to have anthers; and the ones that look like other male flowers on long stems and without the bulge. I was wondering whether they will pollinate if I just wiggle a brush inside the female flowers, i.e. will the anthers in the female flowers do for pollen, or does it need to be from another flower?
thanks
Buy the seeds and plant in pots in the greenhouse first - then plant out. Treat them like cucumbers, squashes etc..
Remember to plant the seeds on there sides to stop them rotting.
I dig a big hole and fill it with manure - then plant the melons on top of that.
Water them every other day or so. As i said i hav'nt bothered hand polinating them.
This is the forth year in a row i've grown them, up till now i've had 2 or 3 melons on each plant, but they deffinatley like the hot summer this year so far.
The seeds are quite expensive - but you get a good germination rate. The seeds keep well too, i've just finished using a packet i bought three years ago.
Quote from: keef on August 04, 2006, 13:10:56
Quote from: Simon05 on August 04, 2006, 12:27:40
fantastic melons, I have one plant with 2 on in the greenhouse, will try them outside next year, do you have to hand pollinate outdoor ones like you do with greenhouse ones?
Nope - nature done it all for me...
nice one
I started mine off indoors, pots on windowsill in early May, and had to keep them in because weather was so cold here until first week June. I put 3 or 4 buckets of rotted kitchen waste in a heap, watered it, covered it with woven black plastic weed suppressant, cut slits in about 60cm apart and planted one in each. I haven't been watering every day, probably about one or maybe two good dousings a week.
Thanks folks I think I can do this......beats courgettes hands down :D