Melon flowers

[ameno]

Also, if you can, try to use a male flower from a different plant to the female one. Melons can be pollinated by pollen from the same plant, but pollination is often more reliable if you use pollen from a different plant.

[peanut]

Well, I'm not sure if that worked. I tried to pollinate by hand, but there didn't seem to be much, if any pollen on any of the male flowers. I did find and dispose of a pollen beetle a few days ago but haven't seen any for the last couple of days. Fingers crossed it was successful, time will tell...

[ameno]

Flowers open first thing in the morning, so that's when there's most pollen, so is the best time to pollinate, if you can.

[peanut]

I think I must have a lazy female, she didn't open till about 11am (I kept checking!) The males, meanwhile were already open. This is going to be trickier than I hoped!

[ameno]

I think I must have a lazy female, she didn't open till about 11am (I kept checking!) The males, meanwhile were already open. This is going to be trickier than I hoped!

You can pick the male flowers as soon as they are open then keep them in the fridge. I did that with squash flowers last year. They should last at least 12 hours, and would probably still be good after 24.

[peanut]

You can pick the male flowers as soon as they are open then keep them in the fridge. I did that with squash flowers last year. They should last at least 12 hours, and would probably still be good after 24.

Oh that's very useful to know thank you Ameno. I'd be so thrilled if I manage to get just one melon!

[ameno]

Another of my melons got tunnelled by slugs...

[peanut]

Oh no not another one.

I found another female flower today, tried to pollinate with a new male, but it didn't seem to have any pollen on it. I think I'm going to let nature take its course and hope that some of the hoverflies that are filling the greenhouse do the job for me.

[ameno]

Still not managed to pollinate any banana melon flowers, despite them bearing dozens of females and hundreds of males between the four plants. Getting a bit fedup with trying to pollinate them.

I have noticed that one of the plants is bearing hermaphroditic (both male and female parts) flowers, though, which is odd.I looked it up, and apparently it happens sometimes, but it's not common as it's caused by a double recessive gene.

[Nicos]

My melon plants are just sat sitting there doiñg absolutely nothing

They are outside, so maybe it's just too cold for them -they are certainly being well fed and watered though so that's not the problem.
I'll give them a couple more weeks then hoik them out and plant some leeks - yes...you.....are ya listening????? You've got 2weeks!

[peanut]

I have fruits starting to swell

[ameno]

Harvested three Collective Farm Woman melons today. Two are still half green, but they have detached themselves from the plant, so they must be ripe.

Still no fruit at all on the banana melons or the watermelons, though...

[peanut]

Look what I've got! I realise I am unlikely to get an edible melon given it's so late in the season, but I am chuffed to bits that I got this far!

[ameno]

Look what I've got! I realise I am unlikely to get an edible melon given it's so late in the season, but I am chuffed to bits that I got this far!

It's not very late yet. In warm climates, melons take around 30 days from pollination to ripening. Even in this country, they should be ripe within about 50, possibly less if yours are in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

[Ms-T]

I have one as well