Any tips on melon?

[Limbury Lad]

Hi
It's our first time growing melon from seed which has been very exciting as we have all three plants flowering.Unfortunately the flowers are not turning in to fruit but are just dying off. We have them under glass and they continue to grow constantly can any one suggest what we are doing wrong?
many thanks
Limbury Lad

[smallblueplanet]

I too would like some advice on type of melon to grow please?

Don't know if you've seen my pictures on the Veggies thread LL? The fruit look good but I've just tried it and it tastes like a cross between melon & cucumber - not very sweet at all and slightly bitter as you get towards the skin. The type was a variety called Minnesotta Midget - supposed to be a manageable sized vine and small fruit.

Anyone else grown melons in the greenhouse/garden?

[Lesley Jay]

Sweetheart is supposed to be lovely.

[SueA]

Hi Limbury Lad, it could be that your plants are not getting pollinated with being under glass. I haven't grown melons so am not sure but they may need hand pollinating (take a cotton bud/paintbrush & wiggle some pollen from one flower to another) if there are no insects around to do it.

[smallblueplanet]

Sweetheart is supposed to be lovely.

Ahh looks interesting LJ and its a (French!) Charentais type, more opportunity, besides the olives & mangetout, to pretend to be Continental!!!

[Lesley Jay]

One of the old guys grew them on the allotment a couple of years ago. He planted them in leaf mould and there were loads of small yellow melons.

[smallblueplanet]

Oh, I've been doing some more googling and I've found seed packet pictures where Sweetheart looks a smooth type or a 'netted' type! Ahhhh....more research needed.

[Limbury Lad]

Many thanks I will give it a go bit ,concerned asking my wife for cotton buds and disappearing(not the right spelling) to the greenhouse on my own though, what will she think!
Limbury Lad

[nick the grief]

Yep I can vouch for Sweetheart SBP. Not big but V.Nice. If you want to be really indulgent:-

1. Cut melon in half
2. Take a small slivier of the bottom to stop them rocking
3. Scoop out seeds (save for next year )
4. Place each half in a cereal bowl
5. Make a few slashes in the flesh
6. Fill with port & put in fridge overnight
7. quickly scoff dinner & start on the Melons for pudding or if you can't wait , have them for starters

Most Excellent to coin a phrase

[smallblueplanet]

very posh Nick!

but save seeds? I thought sweetheart was f1?

[nick the grief]

Sweetheart is an F1 but you can use this recipe for any melon. You can always try saving the seeds it just means you don't know what your getting - might be better, might be worse

[smallblueplanet]

Well come on then Nick post some piccies of your Sweetheart!

[scooby]

to hand pollinate first identify male and female flowers. female ones will have a small swelling where the flower joins the stalk. this swelling will form the fruit. then pull off a male flower (no swelling) pull off petals to reveal stamens, place this into the female flower and give a little wiggle you can use the male flower to pollinate several female flowers. keep well watered and dont let roots dry out but not water logged. as fruits swell provide them with support in an old onion net pair of tights etc to prevent damage to the stalk. hope this helps

[Limbury Lad]

Scooby ,
Many thanks all info is very happily accepted I will be out there first thing in the morning.

[Limbury Lad]

Lesley
I was taking advice from a 79 year old tonight and he was also talking about the old guys!
This must be good for you
Limbury Lad (just 40)