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  • Melon help please.

    Last year a friend gave me a melon plant neither of us had any idea what variety is was and I have never grown melons before, result big plant and of course no melons.

    Not one to give up I have decided to try and do things properly. Inquiries lead me to believe that Sweetheart is a good type for an unheated green house so I have purchased a packet of seed and tomorrow I will build a small frame in the green house.

    Any help or tips would be gratefully received.

    Colin
    Potty by name Potty by nature.

    By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


    We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

    Aesop 620BC-560BC

    sigpic

  • #2
    I would recommend training them "by the book" and hand pollinating them. In years when I have not had time Sweetheart has carried fruit where other varieties have not, and it is much more vigorous, so I think its a good choice.
    K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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    • #3
      Thankyou Kristen it is good to know that I have at least picked the right variety.

      I have obtained a book the 'Fruit Expert' and it recommends that if you are going to grow them in a green house you build a frame for them to grow up, that has been done today.

      Its a bit of a challenge really. I have a friend who is an excellent gardner and he too received a plant last year, he also failed to produce any fruit.

      We meet every week to take a beer and put the world to rights and he has for many years taken great delight in bringing me his first tomato of the season which is usually well ahead of my own. It would be rather nice if I could take him a melon this year, nice for me that is.

      With regard to hand pollination the book tells me that this should be done at midday is this a must?

      Colin
      Potty by name Potty by nature.

      By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


      We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

      Aesop 620BC-560BC

      sigpic

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post
        With regard to hand pollination the book tells me that this should be done at midday is this a must?
        I doubt it (or maybe that's where I've been going wrong all this time!). Perhaps they tend to close at night (can't remember) so may not be open first thing in the morning.

        I just break off a male slower an "insert" it into the female - rather than using a paintbrush or whatever.
        K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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        • #5
          I have grown Sweetheart for the past two years in my mini plastic greenhouse. I did not hand pollinate, just made sure that I left it open during the day and loads of insects went in, got 4 melons of each plant.
          AKA Angie

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          • #6
            Thankyou both I feel I might just have started to learn something.

            Kristen, that maybe where I went wrong last year Iused a paint brush, this year I will do as you recommend.

            Selfraising, Thats good to know as per my above post just ONE would do the trick.

            Colin
            Potty by name Potty by nature.

            By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


            We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

            Aesop 620BC-560BC

            sigpic

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post
              that maybe where I went wrong last year Iused a paint brush, this year I will do as you recommend.
              I would say that the paintbrush is the "right" way, however I've never bothered (but I don't think that makes it a good recommendation for not using one!!).

              I wonder if you had too much Nitrogen ... so the plants concentrated more on growing than flower & fruiting? or perhaps their pots were too small and they didn't have enough root run?
              K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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              • #8
                I tried growing melons last year, dismal failure , hardly grew at all never mind get fruit. Will be trying again this year .......
                S*d the housework I have a lottie to dig
                a batch of jam is always an act of creation ..Christine Ferber

                You can't beat a bit of garden porn

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by binley100 View Post
                  I tried growing melons last year, dismal failure , hardly grew at all never mind get fruit. Will be trying again this year .......
                  In a greenhouse, or not? If not then I think you will need a pretty exceptional summer to be in with a chance

                  Mine don't live up to the expectation I get from the seed catalogues - but I am very idle in terms of the amount of TLC they get.
                  K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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                  • #10
                    Kristen, thanks for the further info.

                    You may have just hit the nail on the head. I was using a high nitrogen fertilizer, I don't know the forum rules so I won't mention the trade name but it is delivered through a spray ( I am bone idle). Loads of plant no fruit, do you think tomato food would be better.

                    Colin.
                    Potty by name Potty by nature.

                    By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


                    We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

                    Aesop 620BC-560BC

                    sigpic

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Kristen View Post
                      In a greenhouse, or not? If not then I think you will need a pretty exceptional summer to be in with a chance

                      Mine don't live up to the expectation I get from the seed catalogues - but I am very idle in terms of the amount of TLC they get.
                      They were in the gh , never grew very big and every time they grew a new leaf one of the others shrivelled up and fell off ........ I would have given them some tlc if there was something there to give tlc to ........
                      S*d the housework I have a lottie to dig
                      a batch of jam is always an act of creation ..Christine Ferber

                      You can't beat a bit of garden porn

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by binley100 View Post
                        They were in the gh , never grew very big and every time they grew a new leaf one of the others shrivelled up and fell off ........ I would have given them some tlc if there was something there to give tlc to ........
                        Snap! thats exactly what happened to me. I wasnt going to bother this year, but I just might !!

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post
                          I don't know the forum rules so I won't mention the trade name
                          ..tis OK to mention what you used....so long as you don't work for them!!!!
                          "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

                          Location....Normandy France

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post
                            Loads of plant no fruit, do you think tomato food would be better.
                            Yes Tomato fertilizer should be fine - that's high in Potassium which is beneficial for fruiting.

                            Originally posted by binley100 View Post
                            They were in the gh , never grew very big and every time they grew a new leaf one of the others shrivelled up and fell off
                            Sorry, no idea what the cause of that is. Red Spider possibly - but that would usually not occur until quite late in the season. Or Verticilium Wilt perhaps?
                            K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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                            • #15
                              Thanks for all your help will keep you posted as I go along.

                              Colin
                              Potty by name Potty by nature.

                              By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


                              We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

                              Aesop 620BC-560BC

                              sigpic

                              Comment

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