Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi
It's our first time growing melon from seed which has been very exciting as we have all three plants flowering.Unfortunately the flowers are not turning in to fruit but are just dying off. We have them under glass and they continue to grow constantly can any one suggest what we are doing wrong?
many thanks
Limbury Lad

I too would like some advice on type of melon to grow please?

Don't know if you've seen my pictures on the Veggies thread LL? The fruit look good but I've just tried it and it tastes like a cross between melon & cucumber - not very sweet at all and slightly bitter as you get towards the skin. The type was a variety called Minnesotta Midget - supposed to be a manageable sized vine and small fruit.

Anyone else grown melons in the greenhouse/garden?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Sweetheart is supposed to be lovely.

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Hi Limbury Lad, it could be that your plants are not getting pollinated with being under glass. I haven't grown melons so am not sure but they may need hand pollinating (take a cotton bud/paintbrush & wiggle some pollen from one flower to another) if there are no insects around to do it.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Ahh looks interesting LJ and its a (French!) Charentais type, more opportunity, besides the olives & mangetout, to pretend to be Continental!!!

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

One of the old guys grew them on the allotment a couple of years ago. He planted them in leaf mould and there were loads of small yellow melons.

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Oh, I've been doing some more googling and I've found seed packet pictures where Sweetheart looks a smooth type or a 'netted' type! Ahhhh....more research needed.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Many thanks I will give it a go bit ,concerned asking my wife for cotton buds and disappearing(not the right spelling) to the greenhouse on my own though, what will she think!
Limbury Lad

Yep I can vouch for Sweetheart SBP. Not big but V.Nice. If you want to be really indulgent:-

1. Cut melon in half
2. Take a small slivier of the bottom to stop them rocking
3. Scoop out seeds (save for next year )
4. Place each half in a cereal bowl
5. Make a few slashes in the flesh
6. Fill with port & put in fridge overnight
7. quickly scoff dinner & start on the Melons for pudding or if you can't wait , have them for starters

Most Excellent to coin a phrase

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

very posh Nick!

but save seeds? I thought sweetheart was f1?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Sweetheart is an F1 but you can use this recipe for any melon. You can always try saving the seeds it just means you don't know what your getting - might be better, might be worse

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Well come on then Nick post some piccies of your Sweetheart!

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

to hand pollinate first identify male and female flowers. female ones will have a small swelling where the flower joins the stalk. this swelling will form the fruit. then pull off a male flower (no swelling) pull off petals to reveal stamens, place this into the female flower and give a little wiggle you can use the male flower to pollinate several female flowers. keep well watered and dont let roots dry out but not water logged. as fruits swell provide them with support in an old onion net pair of tights etc to prevent damage to the stalk. hope this helps

Scooby ,
Many thanks all info is very happily accepted I will be out there first thing in the morning.

Lesley
I was taking advice from a 79 year old tonight and he was also talking about the old guys!
This must be good for you
Limbury Lad (just 40)

Just to put the record straight I am not 79!!!

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Of course not Lesley, you're 29 & three-quarters like the rest of us ladies of a certain age!

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Although my melons are doing well in the greenhouse, I know Ive planted them a bit late this year (all down to when I got the greenhouse) but just as an experiment I'm continuing to grow them. Growing well, leaves doing well, just waiting for the flowers. What is the season for growing melons? At least I'll know for next year and with the greenhouse be able to get a head start. dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

You need to start melons in early spring as they need a really lonng growing season. They also need lots of sun and plenty of light to ripen them. If you do get flowers and get tiny melons to form this year i would suggest you take all but one or two off as the pant won't be able to sustain any more at this late stage.
Good luck whatever you decide.

Thanks Bramble - at least now I'm all set up I'll be able to get a head start NEXT year! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Great thread title - you will get a lot of visitors.

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it's written in the wind that we're two, carved out in the sand that we're real,
it's lit up in the stars that we're true, we're destined in the sky to be glad
Paul Weller
http://johntygreentoes.blogspot.com/

Get on with your homework!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

I saved some melon seeds from supermarket bought melon, they have now germinated Plan to buy a water melon today to do the same. will they grow ok or am I wasting my time? will they be able to be moved outside in May/June?

Thanks

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

I grew melons in my greenhouse last year. 2 sorts. 1 grew lots of golf ball sized fruits then died, the other - a water melon- grew 1 about 3" across before the plant died. I think they had some sort of virus as the cucumbers did the same. But the little water melon was delicious. I'm having another go this year.

.... but you are good for your age

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/