Melons

[xspye]

I have brought a couple of melon plants to grow this year, they will grow in my greenhouse but they will have to go in pots. Can anyone give me some advice re size of pot and type of compost/soil/other growing material that would be best.

Also i've heard that you need to support the melons as they ripen in bags as the fruit gets too heavy for the plant, is this correct? If so is it ok to grow them up canes or go i need something more substantail?

[spacemagnet]

Hi there, it's the first time for me growing melons to. I've put mine in grow bags and they are going great guns. The foliage is growing the same way as my courgettes. I haven't found a need to put any support in but as soon as the melons get too big i'm gonna wrap them in my stockings (stop laughing!!) and try to keep them off the floor.
If you haven't room for a grow bag then a large container should be fine. I started them off as seeds with compost and they've been growing steadily ever since.

[Janette]

I have been collecting the net bags that satsumas and oranges come in since Christmas ready for the melons. It is amazing how many one family gets through.

[blackkitty]

I'm also having a go with melons this year. I thought I'd do what I did with gem sqash last year. I've got some cheap staging from wilko's. I put the pot on the bottom shelf and then guided the foliage up the legs and onto the higher shelves.

[Worldor]

Do melons have to be in a greenhouse? Is there no chance of them growing out of doors?

[Alice]

They need a fair bit of heat Worldor, like about 24 degrees, so in the west midlands you might be a bit short of this.

[poultrychat]

I grew mine in a pot last year but they only got about 5 inches across

[smallblueplanet]

I grew mine in a pot last year but they only got about 5 inches across

Try Minnesota Midget they probably don't get any bigger than that! Just don't google it!!!

[bramble]

I grew suger babe melon last year and got a fair crop. I took a lot of the small ones off and left just four on and they grew to roughly the size of a small football. I grew them in the greenhouse.

[poultrychat]

Try Minnesota Midget they probably don't get any bigger than that! Just don't google it!!!

I won't now that you've said not to

Bramble I think that's where I went wrong, I didn't take any off the plant, if it gets warm enough this year I'll take some off and see if I can beat my record and get some 6inchs across

[bramble]

Good luck Poultrychat. We in our family all sat down and had a tasting and all voted that you would'nt taste anything like it if bought in a shop. If i had it over again perhaps i would't have taken so many off but will know better next time.

[eskymo]

I'm growing sugar baby this year and got four on the go in a grow bag - but silly me forgot to put drainage holes in the bottom of the bag and it got quite saturated. I've added holes now and tried to squeeze as much water out as I could, but I thinkt he melons have had it as they all seems to be going floppy.