By gisette
Outdoor Melons 2011
Submitted on Fri, 2011/05/13 - 3:35pm
Last updated on Sun, 2011/08/21 - 1:41pm
Posted in
Transplanted out my melon seedlings, aged nearly 3 weeks. Was encouraged by the mild success of the one sweet n early cantaloupe last year. 
Wish me luck...
20110518: Planted backup seeds next to each 3.5 week transplant. Think transplants are dying...
20110526? : Planted more backup seeds, tho new seedlings have emerged from half the prev seeding.
Harvests:
Minnesota midget: 0 (died 7/30, aged 10 weeks, with melons...
)
Sweet n early cantaloupe: 3 (first 8/1, 10 weeks from transplant, last 8/18)
Gold bar melon: 4 (first 8/5, 10.5 weeks from seed, removed 8/17)
Ambrosia cantaloupe: 1 unripe (vine died 8/13, 11.5 weeks from seed)
Tue, 2011/05/17 - 10:33am
#2
Beth - my melons died in the growbox before needing much support. 
I just had a couple bamboo arches with some twine macramé. Wrapped some floating row cover around that. They were on a balcony, so figured when they outgrew that, they could sprawl around the deck. A patio would be good... My driveway is probably too hot.
In the squash family, my plants seem to do well in the growbox for only 2-3 mos, then fail. Which is plenty of time for zucchini, allows some harvest for cukes, and is totally inadequate for melons. If I tried melons again, I think they'd have to be the only thing in the growbox; omit any dolomite; and let the reservoir get fully dry between refillings. It was when the baby melons started to plump that the vines suddenly failed, and my best guess was that the vines didn't have enough root development.
Wed, 2011/05/18 - 7:16pm
#3
I think my melon transplants are dying already. 
It's been raining... and raining... for four days. Today the rain and wind got pretty hard, and the little melon seedlings look flattened. They may make a comeback... But I was thinking it would be smart to go ahead and plant seeds directly in the ground as backup anyway. So, did.
Sun, 2011/05/22 - 9:24pm
#4
Out of 4 melon transplants, 3 died, and the last doesn't look good. Combination of cool weather, heavy rains, and bugs, I think. Caterpillars and ... something that leaves nothing but leaf skeleton. Planted replacement seeds for them all... Not germinated yet.
Mon, 2011/05/23 - 1:29pm
#5
Pity about the melon, we are having the exact opposite in weather - sun, more sun and no rain, the lawn is becoming browner and everything in pots needs watering each night!
Mon, 2011/05/23 - 9:43pm
#6
There may be kind of a climate see-saw across the North Atlantic. We're up, you're down, in turns.
It was supposed to be sunny and warm since Saturday. Still waiting... 
One of the replacement melon seeds has germinated (ambrosia cantaloupe). Hope it survives until the warm sun shows...
Sun, 2011/05/29 - 1:03pm
#7
Now have new melon seedlings (mostly) and warmth. Last chance, little melons.... Grow.
Mon, 2011/05/30 - 1:09pm
#8
Hi Gisette,
I'm pulling for the little guys! I'm thinking of starting a late melon in the earthbox. I'll be watching the progress. I'd like to time the seeds to grow while I'm on vacation, but not get out of hand until I get back. Then have time to ripen before frost.
Beth
Mon, 2011/05/30 - 2:31pm
#9
Thanks, Beth! Good luck with your melon strategy!
FWIW, my only attempt to grow sweet n early cantaloupes in a growbox failed. They grew, they set fruit, then as soon as they started to plump out the baby fruit - whole vine failure. 
Like cukes, I suspect a love-hate relationship with damp humusy soil... Were you telling me that? That they may not have had enough root development, and then when they really pulled on the roots to plump fruit, they couldn't?
I have high hopes that at least one of my varieties will do well. Three of them are quick, for melons. I don't have the length of season or the heat you get in Maryland. Well, most years.
Mon, 2011/05/30 - 6:40pm
#10
I planted these is 09, I have alot of slugs in my backyard and they were a problem.
Edit: Gisette edited so she could see the pictures in closeup.
I'm thinking of doing a melon in an earthbox this year. I forget how you supported yours?