Pathetic Melons

[Marb67]

Well, pathetic germinated melon plants potted on into these large yoghurt cartons. In the greenhouse to get plenty of heat and light but still tiny. I need to get them to fruit so any tips (bearing in mind I haven't the luxury of space in a tiny garden and greenhouse is full of toms) The leaves are the usual twisted, distorted shape because of "£%$^ thrips and aphids I seem to be cursed with.

[Jungle Jane]

They’re planted very close together,could they have a larger container each,one for each plant?

[ameno]

You should plant them one to a pot, as said above.
However, when did you sow them? I always find melon seedlings to be rather slow to get going, growing quite slowly until they get to the three adult leaf stage, then they romp away.
Also, I'm fairly sure those are not melons. Most, if not all, of them look like watermelon seedlings (melons don't have cut leaves like that). Watermelons are even slower to get going than melons are.

[Nicos]

Yep - those are watermelon.
I struggled to grow those outside last year even with a heatwave and twice daily watering.. Agreed- very slow to grow.
A nice experiment marb but I’m thinking they aren’t going to mature in time to fruit. No harm in trying though!

[Marb67]

Looks like another failure then

[Nicos]

Just keep on with them marb.
Dont let them go beyond one flower and keep them nice and warm. If you have an Indian summer you may well get small ones.

[ameno]

You don't have much garden space, do you Marb? That being the case, I wouldn't really recommend growing watermelons. The plants grow quite large and they need a good amount of root space.
Normal melons don't grow as big, not to mention they grow faster, so you may be better off with trying those next year (grow an early maturing variety. I grow Emir, and it always does well outdoors).

Yep - those are watermelon.
I struggled to grow those outside last year even with a heatwave and twice daily watering.. Agreed- very slow to grow.
A nice experiment marb but I’m thinking they aren’t going to mature in time to fruit. No harm in trying though!

I got a 5 kilos of fruit from three plants outside at my allotment last year. If anything, I think it was too hot for them, or at least too dry.
This year I have six outdoor plants and they are doing really well - three of Petite Yellow (yellow flesh, normal green skin), and three of a yellow skinned variety I accidentally bred myself (a plant I grew last year from seeds saved from a Sweet Siberian I grew the year before produced yellow-skinned fruits. I saved seeds from that fruit, and they seem to have come true from seed).
The plants are growing very strong, and I have five fruits set already, the largest of which are about fist sized already.

I find watermelons are best sown indoors in mid March for outside planting, and melons in late March to early April (they are faster than watermelons, but definitely not as fast as other cucurbits). If you're planning on growing them under cover then you could sow earlier.

[Marb67]

I'll keep them going through Winter in the greenhouse and hope they get going next Spring.

[ameno]

They won't survive. Even in a heated greenhouse melons won't survive the winter. They are only annual plants, after all. And I believe your greenhouse is unheated...