cantaloupes

[catjac1975]

For those of you growing cantelopes for the first time. You will see a change in color of the skin. When you just touch the melon the stem will slough off. Perfection. Watch them every day.

 

[digitS']

I just had some cantaloupe with my second breakfast. It's from the store . So Good --- melons are one of the reasons that I'm a gardener .

My problem with that is that I don't live in a very melon-friendly climate. The cool nights slow their development and they just don't perform the way the seed catalogs claim that they will. An example is the cantaloupe that is in the garden right now. Goddess is supposed to be a 68 day from transplant variety. Oh sure. It always comes thru, for 10 years + except for one recent year with crazy temperatures during June.

We had crazy June temperatures last year but they were exceedingly HOT rather than Up&Down&Up&Down. Last year, I might have been able to grow most any melon of 85 days from transplant, or less! Have tried so many varieties over the years including in 2021. A small problem with last year's bountiful harvest was that we were not especially happy with the flavor of 2 of the new-to-us varieties - and, they were later arrivals .

Goddess was there for us as was the Galia melon that has become a mainstay: Passport. Galia melons are sometimes listed as "Tropical Melons." So strange ... I could almost understand referring to our climate as "Alpine" but not tropical. Growing season - it's broadly Mediterranean. Anyway, such an early Galia works.

Cantaloupes are a favorite and being sorta stuck with one variety (of anything) is concerning. Oh, I'd be happy with some more types, maybe a Crenshaw, a Canary, a Watermelon ... something new-to-us and flavorful!

Steve

 

[meadow]

Thank you so much for this tip!

We've only grown cantaloupes once before. We grew Petit Gris de Rennes and Ananas D'Amérique A Chair Verte (Green Fleshed Pineapple), and both did very well here. This year we're trialing Rocky Ford and Louie's Wonder; they were free samples that happened to pique our interest.

Steve @digitS', Sweet Dakota Rose watermelon did very well for us... much better than Blacktail Mountain which was a recommendation for our area (I think we may have cooler days than you). Both grown in the same bed and under the same conditions: SDR was outstanding and BlM was lacking in flavor.

 

[digitS']

I will have to check out the Sweet Dakota Rose, @meadow .

Here was my experience with Blacktail Mountain. You can note the date and click - it's a TEG post.

Aug 4, 2014

Steve

 

[R2elk]

I will have to check out the Sweet Dakota Rose, @meadow .

Here was my experience with Blacktail Mountain. You can note the date and click - it's a TEG post.

Aug 4, 2014

Steve

The best short season watermelon I have grown is by planting mature seeds found in a seedless watermelon. I can usually find one or two seeds per melon. All the ones I have tried resulted in a short season seeded melon.

 

[catjac1975]

I just had some cantaloupe with my second breakfast. It's from the store . So Good --- melons are one of the reasons that I'm a gardener .

My problem with that is that I don't live in a very melon-friendly climate. The cool nights slow their development and they just don't perform the way the seed catalogs claim that they will. An example is the cantaloupe that is in the garden right now. Goddess is supposed to be a 68 day from transplant variety. Oh sure. It always comes thru, for 10 years + except for one recent year with crazy temperatures during June.

We had crazy June temperatures last year but they were exceedingly HOT rather than Up&Down&Up&Down. Last year, I might have been able to grow most any melon of 85 days from transplant, or less! Have tried so many varieties over the years including in 2021. A small problem with last year's bountiful harvest was that we were not especially happy with the flavor of 2 of the new-to-us varieties - and, they were later arrivals .

Goddess was there for us as was the Galia melon that has become a mainstay: Passport. Galia melons are sometimes listed as "Tropical Melons." So strange ... I could almost understand referring to our climate as "Alpine" but not tropical. Growing season - it's broadly Mediterranean. Anyway, such an early Galia works.

Cantaloupes are a favorite and being sorta stuck with one variety (of anything) is concerning. Oh, I'd be happy with some more types, maybe a Crenshaw, a Canary, a Watermelon ... something new-to-us and flavorful!

Steve

They are tough. I have success on good years.

 

[catjac1975]

Thank you so much for this tip!

We've only grown cantaloupes once before. We grew Petit Gris de Rennes and Ananas D'Amérique A Chair Verte (Green Fleshed Pineapple), and both did very well here. This year we're trialing Rocky Ford and Louie's Wonder; they were free samples that happened to pique our interest.

Steve @digitS', Sweet Dakota Rose watermelon did very well for us... much better than Blacktail Mountain which was a recommendation for our area (I think we may have cooler days than you). Both grown in the same bed and under the same conditions: SDR was outstanding and BlM was lacking in flavor.

When you find something that works in your climate stick with it.

 

[flowerbug]

the Petit Gris de Rennes from @ninnymary did really well here the first year, the 2nd year they did mostly ok and i was happy with them. this year they look to be doing ok, not sure about the numbers of melons yet. i also have about 1/4 of the plants this year compared to the two previous seasons, so it's going to be interesting in how it ends up.

 

[catjac1975]

the Petit Gris de Rennes from @ninnymary did really well here the first year, the 2nd year they did mostly ok and i was happy with them. this year they look to be doing ok, not sure about the numbers of melons yet. i also have about 1/4 of the plants this year compared to the two previous seasons, so it's going to be interesting in how it ends up.

Melons like a hot climate. So my results vary by year. More poor results than successful.

 

[buckabucka]

Our melon grow in a hoop house with irrigation. They are exploding this year! We've eaten several candy-like Sugar Cube melon, just picked the 2nd petit gris de renne, and are also enjoying green-fleshed galia -type (courier?). There are 4 Fantasy watermelon, not quite ripe yet, but one is close. It is very dry here this year. Hopefully not so dry that the well runs out!