What do I do with my melons?

[bobbin]

That probably was not a good thread title so keep it clean
I have a melon growing very nicely in a grow bag in the greenhouse.It's the yellow flesh variety Avedo(spelling may be dodgy). It's full of flowers so what do I do next? take some off to concentrate the plants efforts on a certain number of fruits or leave them all. Can anyone help.

[Cloud]

I usally have a maximum of no more than 4 fruits on a plant otherwise you might end up with loads of small unripe fruit.
You'll know when yhey are ripe cos you get a strong melon scent from the fruit!

[Kristen]

"what do I do next"

First wait for female flowers - they have a little melon right behind the flower. Its unmistakeable, but the male flowers tend to come for a few weeks before the first female flower.

You need to polinate the female flowers - I take a male flower off the plant, tear off the leaves and part of the bit below that so that the pollen / stamens are exposed, and then push that against the centre of the female flower - and leave it there. A paintbrush might be easier, but I never remember to take one to the greenhouse!

Pinch the top out at 5' - 6'. Pinch out the laterals at 5 leaves, and any side shoots off those at 2 leaves.

You'll need some side-ways wires in the greenhouse to train the laterals along.

Once the melons have formed they need supporting with some tights or nets. Tying them up won't be strong enough.

You might struggle to get 4 or 5 fruits if you have not got any which have set yet, but see how you go - you can always remove some fruit if the others are not fattening up quickly enough.

Regular watering and feeding is important

[bobbin]

Me melons.

Thanks Kristen for the advice. It's a bit involved is'nt it. I think I should have stuck to tomatoes!I will persevere but I am not to hopeful of the results.

[bobbin]

Kristen you have lost me on the pinching out.My plant is in a grow bag and has about six branches about 20" long trailing over the grow bag. So the pinching out at the top at 5-6" and laterals at 5 leaves has meMy plant seems a little out of hand to put it mildly.
Can you translate your excellent instructions into numpty speak for me.Please......sorry