[ButterflyLion]

We've only planted melons a couple of times and they didn't do much. For anyone that grows them do they need anything special to grow well?

I'd especially like to be able to grow some of the really small melons. Here's one I saw:

Watermelon Golden Midget NEW FOR 2012 $2.50

A small melon that's perfect for the refrigerator, Golden Melon reaches about 3 pounds when ripe. No need to guess when this sweet, delicious melon is ready for eating. It turns yellow when ripe. The fruit is a pleasant shade of salmon-pink and ripens in just 70 days. Pkt. 25

http://summerhillsee...012-p-1253.html

[rockysmom]

I've tried melons too, cantaloupe and watermelon. Small, tasteless fruit. I was really disappointed.

[TJB]

I prefer plump, juicy melons.

[papa]

Water like crazy as the vines are running but then cut back when fruit starts to set to not dilute the flavor
Here is an informative little article makes sense to me as they grow very nicely in the south GA dry hot days.

http://www.vegetable...eet-watermelons

[rockysmom]

Not for nothing but with this fruit.....let's go krogering!

[feelip]

I always dug a hole about 3 feet wide and about a foot to 18 inches deep. Mix the dirt with an equal amount of composted cow manure or mushroom compost and over fill the hole so there is a mound. You can plant 6 or 8 seeds per mound. Give them plenty of space to run and learn when they need water.

[surepip]

Ours did well last year, considering the weather. In addition to the raised 4'x8' beds we now have 15 or so 40 gallon plastic tubs with holes in the bottom. The soil is a mixture of composted manure and wood chips, and we add some good quality 10-10-10 when planting, and miracle grow from then on.

I forget the variety name, we have collected seeds the past 3-4 years, but it is a red personal size melon, a little bit bigger than a softball, which is fine for the 2 of us.


We do 4 or 5 vines per tub, and let the vines climb down the sides, pulling any early flowers until they reach the ground. When the melons start forming, we put a plastic nest pad under them. Its a 12"x12" piece of pretty tough astroturf, and it keeps the melon from rotting on the ground.

Bear in mind that many vegetables will not set fruit [including tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes, etc.], when it is in the mid 90F range everyday. Hence pretty much everything we had growing late July-August just kind of quit producing until it cooled off a little.

With our super warm end to winter and beginning of spring, we are a bit intimidated by what this summer will bring temperature wise.

[ButterflyLion]

surepip, on 17 April 2012 - 10:43 AM, said:

Ours did well last year, considering the weather. In addition to the raised 4'x8' beds we now have 15 or so 40 gallon plastic tubs with holes in the bottom. The soil is a mixture of composted manure and wood chips, and we add some good quality 10-10-10 when planting, and miracle grow from then on.

I forget the variety name, we have collected seeds the past 3-4 years, but it is a red personal size melon, a little bit bigger than a softball, which is fine for the 2 of us.


We do 4 or 5 vines per tub, and let the vines climb down the sides, pulling any early flowers until they reach the ground. When the melons start forming, we put a plastic nest pad under them. Its a 12"x12" piece of pretty tough astroturf, and it keeps the melon from rotting on the ground.

Bear in mind that many vegetables will not set fruit [including tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes, etc.], when it is in the mid 90F range everyday. Hence pretty much everything we had growing late July-August just kind of quit producing until it cooled off a little.

With our super warm end to winter and beginning of spring, we are a bit intimidated by what this summer will bring temperature wise.

Thanks. That sounds interesting.

Were those watermelons? Have you grown cantaloupe type melons?

What are the plastic tubs originally made for? What color are they? Do you plant other things in the tubs?

[surepip]

ButterflyLion, on 17 April 2012 - 11:15 AM, said:

Thanks. That sounds interesting.

Were those watermelons? Have you grown cantaloupe type melons?

What are the plastic tubs originally made for? What color are they? Do you plant other things in the tubs?

These come from a company I do consulting work for out of Texas. At the poultry exposition in Atlanta every January they show all of their poultry plastics, but also bring random samples of other products they mold such as these tubs. I believe their primary purpose is for cattle and horses and the such to drink from.

We use them for plants which like to trellis, such as cukes, sugar snaps and snow peas [that's what is in the picture], okra with 1/4" poly tubing collars to help them stand up, or plants that get very large like squash and zuccini because they can hang off the sides of the tubs so to speak, instead of eating up half a raised bed.

For stuff like green beans and lettuce and onions etc., they would not yield near what they do of stuff that grows "UP", or "OUT".

Colors of what I have are a random selection. Beggers can't be choosy....I take what they bring to the show. For me they are free, and should last many, many years. Which is more than I can say for the landscaping timbers from the Depot.

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[ButterflyLion]

surepip, on 17 April 2012 - 11:36 AM, said:

These come from a company I do consulting work for out of Texas. At the poultry exposition in Atlanta every January they show all of their poultry plastics, but also bring random samples of other products they mold such as these tubs. I believe their primary purpose is for cattle and horses and the such to drink from.

We use them for plants which like to trellis, such as cukes, sugar snaps and snow peas [that's what is in the picture], okra with 1/4" poly tubing collars to help them stand up, or plants that get very large like squash and zuccini because they can hang off the sides of the tubs so to speak, instead of eating up half a raised bed.

For stuff like green beans and lettuce and onions etc., they would not yield near what they do of stuff that grows "UP", or "OUT".

Colors of what I have are a random selection. Beggers can't be choosy....I take what they bring to the show. For me they are free, and should last many, many years. Which is more than I can say for the landscaping timbers from the Depot.

Thanks.

One reason I asked about the color is I was wondering if they were black or some other color and the heat during the summer.

[surepip]

ButterflyLion, on 17 April 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

Thanks.

One reason I asked about the color is I was wondering if they were black or some other color and the heat during the summer.

The darker colors provide more UV light protection. Most plastics without specific UV inhibitors will turn brittle as gtass.

For us, the plants growing in the tubs basically shade out the entire tub by July or so.

I have a 1/2" irrigation line running down the rows of tubs, cable tied to each tub rim, with a 1/4" line running into the tub with 2 drip nozzles so they get about 5-6 gallons per hour when turned on. This has worked out well.

We use soaker hoses in the 4'x8' beds, covering them with wood shaving mulch so they wick the entire surface area of the beds when running.

[ButterflyLion]

Surepip, were the melons you grew watermelons? Have you grown cantaloupe type melons?

[surepip]

Small red meat watermelons.

We have tried canteloupe, but never got any which tasted worth a damn. I believe they are more susceptible to too much or not enough water as the fruit matures.

[lowrider]

I don't get growing melons either.

Our garden was huge, a couple of acres and my grandaddy tried watermelons but it never worked for him.......now our neighbor down the road grew huge patches of watermelons. Same soil, same conditions but one could and the other couldn't.

My grandaddy also would grow about a 1/2 acre of peanuts. Now he could grow some peanuts!!

[feelip]

lowrider, on 17 April 2012 - 04:43 PM, said:

I don't get growing melons either.

Our garden was huge, a couple of acres and my grandaddy tried watermelons but it never worked for him.......now our neighbor down the road grew huge patches of watermelons. Same soil, same conditions but one could and the other couldn't.

My grandaddy also would grow about a 1/2 acre of peanuts. Now he could grow some peanuts!!

And nothing smells better than fresh peanuts boiling.

[lowrider]

feelip, on 17 April 2012 - 05:21 PM, said:

And nothing smells better than fresh peanuts boiling.

I can remember the smell of the dirt when he would plow them up.....

[cajunbull61]

feelip, on 17 April 2012 - 05:21 PM, said:

And nothing smells better than fresh peanuts boiling.

I'd put boiling crawfish against boiling peanuts any day..... lol But I may by a tad bit biased.

[ButterflyLion]

Thanks to all for the great posts.

[feelip]

cajunbull61, on 17 April 2012 - 07:57 PM, said:

I'd put boiling crawfish against boiling peanuts any day..... lol But I may by a tad bit biased.

Why would you cook bait?

[lowrider]

feelip, on 18 April 2012 - 09:59 AM, said:

Why would you cook bait?

[cajunbull61]

Raw fish is bait, but mud bugs are just good eatn...