Melon help needed!!

[pumpkin cuddler]

Hi

Have been growing pumkins and squash for lots of years now and always done very well.


This year we have tried out melons, 3 sorts, honeydew, hero and water melon.

The plants are really healthy, we have male and female flowers but cannot seem to get the fruit to set. Unlike the squash and pumpkins there seems to be very little pollen, in fact the floweres always look dry, but using the same technique as the squash to pollinate, (male rubbed onto female flower).
Nothing though, no joy at all. Just after a time the small fruit falls off.

Please if anyone has any advice would love to hear from you.
I know it is now rather late even if one did start to grow but would really like to get some fruit another year.

[TEB]

I use an artist brush to pollinate as I seem to have more luck with this method.

[binley100]

My melons have survived past two leaves this year .....counting my blessings at that . Lucky you you've got a step further ....

[BUFFS]

I use an artist brush to pollinate as I seem to have more luck with this method.

spot on,we get 8/10 melons off 3 plants each year pollinating them with a childs little paintbrush,and in the greenhouse,even with the summers we get up here,and you wont believe the taste....

[pumpkin cuddler]

Thank you so much for all the advice, I suppose that I will now have to wait until next year to try out the paint brush idea. Is it ok though that there seems to be no pollen in the flowers.
I assumed they would be like squash and pumpkins with loads of visible pollen.
Is this also something wrong or is this how melons are??

[BUFFS]

Thank you so much for all the advice, I suppose that I will now have to wait until next year to try out the paint brush idea. Is it ok though that there seems to be no pollen in the flowers.
I assumed they would be like squash and pumpkins with loads of visible pollen.
Is this also something wrong or is this how melons are??

there is no real visible pollen but the little brush always works,rub it round the small male flower,pull back petals on the female and rub the pollen on,summer is now so cold that 2 out of 3 melons are now dying in mid august with fruit half formed..