Melons!

[bobleponge]

SPB I am about 300miles or so further south than you, and I agree it does sound a bit early but if thats what the moon says ....
I am attempting Charantaise melons grown from seed given to me by a friend who grew them from seed last year. No greenhouse as yet (although goodness only knows how I am trying) going to start on the south facing windowsill that has so far this year sprouted toms, peppers, onions and a chillie.
We shall see

[shirlthegirl43]

I sowed 2 seeds each of Earlygold and Eldorado on 3rd February. They are in the house sat on the dining table next to the patio doors. The seed packets for both say sow February to April, so this year I am going to sow seeds each month and see if any of the plants are successful. Last year was just a hideous growing year so just gets notched up to experience of growing and losing stuff.

[smallblueplanet]

Well BLP we'll be able to compare charentais then as thats what I've just bought seed of.

Be interesting to see how your experiment goes stg43 (!), have you somewhere to grow them on, we've only got an unheated g/h?

I'm gonna see if I can google some more info about growing under cloches to try and save g/h space. Found a bbc page talking about someone near Colchester growing melons in a polytunnel as a crop!

[shirlthegirl43]

frost free greenhouse here but we don't get a lot of frost - too close to the sea. I found last year that they grew fairly slowly at first so they should be fine in the house for a while before going to the greenhouse.

[smallblueplanet]

...so they should be fine in the house for a while before going to the greenhouse.

You must have a bigger kitchen table than us - well ours will have toms and peppers and stuff too!

[veg4681]

One of my melons (Prescotty) has germinated . It took 17 days to germinate which is still shorter than HRM aubergines which are about to be ditched, more Calliope sowings but soaking them first.

Like Shirl, I might do more melon sowings later too between Mar-May.

[Alison]

Grew some a few years ago (not sure what variety) but think I sowed in about April and got about half a dozen small fruit off each in an unheated greenhouse. Took a lot of space up though and the fruits needed to be supported in little nets as they swelled otherwise they pulled the plant down. Smelt and tasted fab though!

[smallblueplanet]

There's an interesting (?) article about coloured plastic mulches, raised beds and melon production here

Journal Article - Colored Mulch Trial


Photographs - melons on colored plastic for bigger image.

Here is an interesting quote:

Canteloupe Cordele production was higher on Blue and Red plastic mulch than in Black plastic in both bed treatments. The combination of Blue plastic mulch color and raised bed appears to provide the best conditions for higher production with....melon crops....

All plant nutrients were analyzed, but only those in Table 4 showed sharp differences. Raised beds tended to have higher uptake and accumulation of nutrients than flat beds. This might explain the early flowering observed on raised beds.

We've got some blue rubble bags that might make good soil mulches then.

[SueA]

I've got some seeds of watermelon 'Sugar Baby' & honeydew melon which were in a kit with kiwi seeds & alpine strawberries from Wilkinsons. I've no idea if I'll be able to grow them though as I don't have a greenhouse & only have a tiny garden but I might try strating them off in the house & moving them out to the mini greenhouse & maybe under a polythene cloche after. I think I'm being a bit optimistic trying watermelon though!

[moggssue]

I have seeds of melon and watermelon, though cant remember the varieties at the mo and the packets are at home. I'm hoping for a decent summer to see if they'll grow outside - taking the motto 'nothing ventured' as my inspiration. Will be after all the advice you can muster folks! From memory, the packets say sow Feb to April so I'll go with that lunar theory and try on March 1st, then again a month or so later.

Good luck to all ..........