anyone growing melons this year?

[Hilary B]

i lovingly tended my melons, and they are growing a bit ...... but for some reason the ones i really don't want in my lawn are shooting up, all overcrowded, and straight out of a melon, without even washing the gunge off

can't win can you lol.

Well nature wouldn't 'wash the gunge off', so perhaps that is the secret<g>. A neighbour of mine once accidentally got a massive crop of marrows. Someone gave her a marrow, and she didn't use it, so it got thrown on the heap where she cleaned out her chicken house. Next summer THOUSANDS (well it seemed like it) of marrows, and the heap was invisible. She didn't like marrow, so I got free choice of the crop.
Apart from wanting more warmth, are melons very different from marrows?

[lynda66]

Well nature wouldn't 'wash the gunge off', so perhaps that is the secret<g>.

tried it with tomatoes and kiwis ..... and they didn't grow

[Hilary B]

tried it with tomatoes and kiwis ..... and they didn't grow

I can't see anything eating a whole wild melon and er.... sowing... the seeds complete with fertiliser (well maybe an elephant) whereas tomatoes and kiwis that would seem quite realistic.....
It always pays to think how nature grows things....

[Demeter]

End of season melon update

How did everyone else do?

From my 4 plants I ended up with 3 melons, one tiny one and two small ones lol. Was pleased to get any given the weather, and it being my first go. I've only eaten one so far (delicious, the tiny one) but the others are going to be eaten this weekend!

Any variety recommendations for next year? I might well give Sweetheart another try, but possible start them off a few weeks earlier - only sowed them in May this year, maybe aim for mid-April next time.

[lynda66]

i mowed the ones in my lawn, but the others are still growing, but no sign of any fruits at all but then, they were very late going in.

[BrideXIII]

i mowed the ones in my lawn, but the others are still growing, but no sign of any fruits at all but then, they were very late going in.

you mowed your melons?

on second thoughts why am I even asking, it could only be you, I am so NOT going to google growing melons on your lawn.

[lynda66]

you mowed your melons?

on second thoughts why am I even asking, it could only be you, I am so NOT going to google growing melons on your lawn.

lol, i accidentally lost some seeds on the lawn, and they kinda grew, but they were in the way, so i mowed them ..... is that not normal??

[bobleponge]

I had 10 plants in the end (due to poor labelling and giving away no melons but loads of other stuff). I only ended up with 1-2 melons per plant, and none of them grew to an edible size.
My chickens used to cause havoc in the tomato plot, and there are plenty of tommie plants now in their area.