Growing Honey dew melons

puppylover



Joined: 05/05/2008
Posts: 1427

Message Posted:
02/06/2010 18:31

Has anyone grown Honey dew melons here?



Bought a couple of young melon plants about 2 months ago and they have started producing melons.



As we are not expert gardeners can anyone give advice/tips on what we should/should not be doing to mature a successful harvest?

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
02/06/2010 22:31

Water them, water them, and then....water them!

Try to keep the melons themselves off the damp soil, I try to train mine along the edge of the gravel path

And harvest 'em when they're full grown and ripe - rap on them with your knuckle - you get a satisfying 'bonk' sound when they're ready

If you leave 'em too long, they'll start to rot, and also get invaded by burrowing insects and flies once the smell of ripe fruit is in the air

I think that's about it...

puppylover



Joined: 05/05/2008
Posts: 1427

Message Posted:
02/06/2010 23:35

Thank you Keith.



Looking forward to the satisfaction of a 'bonk' sound!!!

kenny



Joined: 26/05/2008
Posts: 405

Message Posted:
02/06/2010 23:51

mmmmmmm melons !

mikelapta



Joined: 20/11/2008
Posts: 2186

Message Posted:
03/06/2010 08:34

Thanks Keith my first year growing them,about to flower.Also have got water melons...same again?water,water,and again?

Mike

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
03/06/2010 09:18

One tip for growing melons - 'Water', or 'Honeydew':



Do NOT spray the actual plants with insecticide - spray the soil around and underneath them.



This is because non-systemic sprays will work on them systemically - i.e. the chemical is absorbed by the plant.



Please take this advice, as you don't want to poison yourself, or fill your system with any more toxicity than you can possibly avoid!

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
03/06/2010 10:01

Mikelapta,

Water melons don't require anywhere near as much watering, according to Çelen at 'Babel' - so I would think that a couple of pints or so of water per melon plant, first thing in the morning would do it, once they're established, and have got toots down into the soil.

If anyone knows better, please do say so

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
03/06/2010 10:15

Oh 'eck...

'At should 'ave read ROOTS or mebee t'roots

mikelapta



Joined: 20/11/2008
Posts: 2186

Message Posted:
03/06/2010 12:47

Thanks Keith,the toots are down in lots of sheep shat,or should it be shit!!!!

Teresa


Joined: 21/11/2007
Posts: 1018

Message Posted:
03/06/2010 14:41

Make sure that as they grow you keep them well hidden under the leaves or the birds will get them.

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
04/06/2010 01:50

Oh! Was given a melon plant by friend and it is flourishing well on my windowsill in the

lovely warm weather we are having in Ayrshire now. But! Shall I leave it, or transport it

to Cyprus super hot climate next month when I come?

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
04/06/2010 07:08

You could put some black netting over them to hide from the birds.



DD

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
04/06/2010 07:18

An inverted supermarket basket should do the trick..........er, perhaps I shouldn't have posted that!!!!!