Allotments 4 All

Well I picked a really poor year to trial some melons; Farthest North Mix and Early Moonbeam (watermelons). Both are meant to be tolerant of cooler weather....
They are still in their little pots in the greenhouse, not really growing much at the moment. Anyone having any luck with theirs?



(edit spelling)

I got banana melon seeds, suposedly do well in scotland. They grew well, planted them in the poly border but, unless I am there to open the door every 15 minutes when it gets warm and close it when it gets cold, they're not going to do well. I've surrounded them with a wall of demi john cloches, I don't want to put them over the plant in case it gets too hot, by some strange chance  ;D

Ahh, melons.......stupidly I decided to have another go this year. Two little plants, in my greenhouse, about a foot long and knowing my luck that is about as big as they will get...!

I hope to finish the net+poly tunnel tomorrow evening (weather permitting).... ATM I've got about a dozen melon plants in my greenhouse.... will need to sort the autowatering out for them too pretty much as soon as they're in...

I tried to grow melons for about 4 years, and the only time I ever got anything looking like a watermelon, it was only about the size of a tennis ball and then it wouldn't grow any more cos the weather changed and went to winter,so haven't bothered for the last couple of years :(

Grew several nice ones last year beside a straw bale to keep them warm and a 99 plastic table cover thrown over the lot.  Damp bale rotted slowly and kept them warm.

Worked out they were cheaper to buy. ;D   Slugs just hoovered off this years ones.   :(

Quote from: Deb P on July 01, 2012, 21:58:46
Ahh, melons.......stupidly I decided to have another go this year. Two little plants, in my greenhouse, about a foot long and knowing my luck that is about as big as they will get...!

Woohoo, sounds promising, that's way bigger than my babes, which are looking really pathetic at the mo.

Hope they do well Chris  :)

Banana melon sounds interesting Manics. Get too hot, chance would be a fine thing! I replaced my decidedly falling apart outside table and chairs, and its pretty much rained every day since!

Quote from: susan1 on July 02, 2012, 00:03:44
I tried to grow melons for about 4 years, and the only time I ever got anything looking like a watermelon, it was only about the size of a tennis ball and then it wouldn't grow any more cos the weather changed and went to winter,so haven't bothered for the last couple of years :(

I've never had good results with watermelon either, which is why I fancied trying Early Moonbeam ones, but I'll be lucky to get a pea sized fruit at this rate :'(

Ive got 20 pots of melons in the gh half are Ogen from a gardening mag giveaway at harrogate  and half are sugar baby a lidl special. Almost all have got tiny melons on them and so far so good. I have been giving them a tickle every now and again though as not to many bees flying in the rain!

I think its going to be a big fight against mildew this year as its warm and damp so we will see.

good luck with yours lets hope we get a bit of sun in july to ripen everything up.
x sunloving

Well, even here so well south of you guys. I have no luck with melons. I have given up and now just buy nice ones from the market  ;D
Funnily enough, go 50km south over the other side of the Loire river and they grow fine... sod's law

See what I mean  ::)

Mine are doing ok from a second planting - the first lot got nibbled to death by woodlice.

They are planted through black plastic so that probably helps, (old pond liner actually ;))

These here are two plants, one much further forward than the other. The male flowers are forming so waiting now for the females.
http://s1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg536/eddibbles

Quote from: manicscousers on July 02, 2012, 18:21:52
See what I mean  ::)

They are bigger than mine Manics  :)
I'm sure they will all be growing well soon just a little sunshine would help though!
I defo have a bit of melon envy here Sunflower, but good to know there is hope  ;D

Looking good Ed.

Still no melons  :'(, but a couple of small fruits look promising, just hope they don't turn yellow and drop off again! I'm trying not to hand pollinate as I'm hoping for a UK tolerant melon so they need to cope and get on with it. I noticed a fair amount of bumble bees this past week, but I think I'm asking a bit much particularly this year.

No fruit on ours, either. A few male and I can see a female. Fingers crossed  :)

This year I have got 3 fruit from 4 plants, they are the size of a plum. They are Charentais from Lidl and grown in the greenhouse border, just gone back to growing them since trying other varieties without success. Hopefully they will mature before the cold.

I have just had to fish an old bra out for mine.  Two nice sized ones ideally placed to fit in a cup each and a third on its way all on one plant that I rescued from Homebase for 25p.  :D

It is planted in a terracotta pot in a shaded greenhouse.

My Ogen have done great each pot had one big melon then when this was harvested a second one is forming. Im very pleased. The new baby have just started to show as big as a grapefruit after doing nothing for months but grow more leaves.

Im so happy as the last three years they have been rubbish. I wonder if you need more than 2 plants really for good pollination this year i have around 20 plants previously i had maybe 3.




Yipee! x sunloving

Wow looks fantastic ;D
Touch of envy here  :P ;D

Can I be cheeky and ask if you would save me a some seeds from the next fruit? I'd love to add them to the my mix for next year  :)

Sure, just remind me in Sept though because it will go right out of my head. They are Ogen, i'd never heard of them before either!
x sunloving

try the ogen with prawns and marie rose sauce (mayo, tom sauce,Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce and a glug of scotch) they go very well together.