Melons!

[smallblueplanet]

I have succombed to buying some charentais canteloupe melon seeds.

How do folk grow their melons? I was wondering whether it might be possible to get them to grow outdoors up a trellis? Maybe if I put black plastic over the soil to warm it up and keep them fleeced 'til it warms up?

[rustylady]

What does your seed packet say? Here in East Anglia growing melons outdoors would be distinctly dodgy. I wouldn't even try them in the greenhouse, much as I like them. My greenhouse space goes to tomatoes, sweet peppers and chillies.

[smallblueplanet]

I haven't got the pkt yet, but they're from USA anyway. I've grown melon in the greenhouse border a couple of years ago, but the variety wasn't great. Just wondered if anyone had tried melons outdoors as our g/h is fairly full too.

[veg4681]

Guess what, I'm growing melons too . Mine are

T&M's Eldorado F1
Real Seeds' Prescott fond Blanc (Rock melon) and Collective Farm Women, all 3 sowed and still waiting for germination but not in heated propagator as there is no space. I think it's still better if you're able to grow outdoors but we don't have the weather for it. Somewhere I read that the melon grow outdoors because the pot was sitting on gravel or paved patio that heats up during the day.

[smallblueplanet]

Don't take this the wrong way Ami but blimey you're sure sowing lots of stuff very early - when we grew a melon in the greenhouse border, we didn't sow it until 5th May. They're real fast growers and need to be warm and light.

Here's one of the fruit we got, I think we got three or four in total off one plant.

[Sue]

Hi
I got a 4' x 4' cold frame as my christmas prezzie so once the seeds are all done I was going to grow a melon in there, remember seeing this recommended in a gardening book somewhere.

I've only got a tiny greenhouse and with the peppers, chillis and aubergines there's no room for a melon in there.

Sue

[shirlthegirl43]

Don't take this the wrong way Ami but blimey you're sure sowing lots of stuff very early - when we grew a melon in the greenhouse border, we didn't sow it until 5th May. They're real fast growers and need to be warm and light.

Here's one of the fruit we got, I think we got three or four in total off one plant.

[ATTACH]3893[/ATTACH]

That is a beauty!! I sowed melons in march last year and finally got one the size of a ping pong ball - hoping for edible ones this year.

[veg4681]

Don't take this the wrong way Ami but blimey you're sure sowing lots of stuff very early - when we grew a melon in the greenhouse border, we didn't sow it until 5th May. They're real fast growers and need to be warm and light.

Here's one of the fruit we got, I think we got three or four in total off one plant.

[ATTACH]3893[/ATTACH]

Blimey, I'd say you already have melon growing success to speak of. That looks decent stuff that you can buy from shops and 3-4 fruits per plant is pretty good going. What melon variety was that?

I know I've sown them too early but there'll be more sowings too later on (even May if that's what you'd recommend) but with my luck, I bet the the late sowings will still go NADA on me.

[Seahorse]

I'm no help really, other than saying that a late (May, I think) greenhouse melon sowing got absolutely nowhere last year! I also have Collective Farm Woman (who with the least lefty tendencies could resist that!?) as well as Shark Fin (is that a real 'melon' ) and Cantaloupe.

I don't hold out huge hopes of success but I think stuff like this is great fun to have a go at.

[smallblueplanet]

Well we live and learn, they say.

The melon variety was Minnesota Midget (true!), first time growing - was okay but not the best taste, so gonna try Charentais Canteloupe this year.

[smallblueplanet]

I'm no help really, other than saying that a late (May, I think) greenhouse melon sowing got absolutely nowhere last year!

Last year was a wash-out for most things though - try early May this year.

[veg4681]

The melon variety was Minnesota Midget (true!), first time growing - was okay but not the best taste, so gonna try Charentais Canteloupe this year.

Minnesota Midget you say, well I thought there was something fishy with your resounding success, of course it's one of Real Seeds' melon that's guaranteed to suceed (unless if the grower is unreliable/erratic like me ). Glad you've tried the MM to report that it isn't worth it for the taste.

Am getting a bit confused/discouraged that Shirl's March sowing didn't do well and neither did Seahorse's May sowing . So how can we make it work? Fairly early sowing with the right variety that can perform...that is why I chose Collective Farm Woman as they grow them in Ukraine which can't be as hot as the Mediterannean.

[smallblueplanet]

...Am getting a bit confused/discouraged that Shirl's March sowing didn't do well and neither did Seahorse's May sowing . So how can we make it work?....

Seahorse sowed melon last year when the weather was poor , I'd discount anything from last year tbh unless you're looking for stuff that did well in very poor weather!

We sowed MM earlier than the May sowing and lost the plant, so we sowed again early May.

Got the MM seeds from Dave's, PJ's (same owner) have them this year

>>MELON SEEDS - Minnesota Midget<< on eBay, also Vegetables Fruits, Plants, Seeds, Bulbs, Gardening Plants, Home Garden (end time 13-Feb-08 04:38:13 GMT)

[bobleponge]

Lunar planting

I was given a lunar planting chart, and according to that (this is from memory as I am away at the moment) melons should be planted at 5pm on March 1st.
I will be home then and am going to plant to see what if any success I have, but I will also be planting later just in case

[smallblueplanet]

Hi bob le, I think March 1st would be a bit early here! Lol! Be interested to try if there's a date around May-time? What type of melon are you growing?