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Post by johan on Sept 12, 2014 4:48:05 GMT -5
This summer was extreme with the warmest July ever. Which was very lucky for my half hearted melon project. I planted out a few plants of: Josephs cantaloupe minnesota midget Josephs watermelon blacktail mountain sugarbaby sweet siberian moonbeam Earlieast by far was some very tiny minnesota midget, one of Joseps cantaloupe seemed very promising as well but it had got overgrown of squashes while I was away. My blacktail mountain came with female flower first. Josephs watermelon 5.8 Josephs watermelon same fruit as above 10.8 a bit underripe blacktail 5.8 this was the biggest fruit of all but not so strange when only one on the plant blacktail harvested 10.9 same fruit as above, maybe slightly overripe row sugarbaby 30.8 10.9 moonbeam, sugar baby and Josephs, the minnesota midget was perfect ripe and best melon I have tasted Some of the watermelons had a slight off taste. Anyone know likely reasons? I think it should be possible to get a few fruits also in a normal year if timing better and melons low growth habit also makes it easy to make plastic covers etc if needed. Next year I will focus more on cantaloupes, watermelons when it`s cold in september are not that useful.
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Post by philagardener on Sept 12, 2014 5:40:02 GMT -5
Looks like you did quite well, all considered! Congratulations on a good season!
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Post by imgrimmer on Sept 12, 2014 9:33:23 GMT -5
Dear Johan, can you describe how do you cultivated the plants? When did you seed and when did you planted them out, I am very surprised, I never had success like this... (I am in northern Germany, very oceanic climate) You did a really good job! Congratulations! Mikkel
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Post by johan on Sept 12, 2014 19:31:02 GMT -5
I am not sure when I started the seeds but I think I planted out at start of June around same time as planting out winter squash. Did you not have a superhot July this year in Germany? I do not know about oceanic climate or what we have where I live, but I live on an island close to the mainland 59 degrees north. Today I have eaten a yellow Josephs watermelon, which was the best tasting watermelon and the seeds were very easy to get out as well. My mother got the other fruit from same plant and told me she found this to be the best tasting watermelon as well.
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Post by hortusbrambonii on Sept 13, 2014 11:25:51 GMT -5
wow, impressive...
Next year I'll try again here in Belgium...
(anyone else thinks that 'melons in norway' sounds like a name for some indierock band?)
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Post by richardw on Sept 13, 2014 14:08:57 GMT -5
'melons in norway' sounds akin to like saying 'banana's in Alaska' johan- those fruit look wonderful,so well done and here's you at 59 degrees N while i'm at 43 S and ive had little reward trying my hand at melons
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Post by imgrimmer on Sept 13, 2014 15:07:57 GMT -5
We had a good july here all melons grew like crazy but august was like autumn and all my melons died by lettuce downy mildew (false mildew in german) watermelons got something else, in the end they are all dead, except some I build a coldframe around. We had a lot of rain and cold whether around 20°C but often less. In the end I had 3 melons to small to eat but hopefully with some seeds in it and no watermelon. I planted the same varieties as you, so lucky you! But new year new chance!
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Post by johan on Sept 14, 2014 5:34:24 GMT -5
I had read about success with outdoor melons in both Sweden and Denmark so I had faith if luck with weather. We had more normal weather starting 2nd week of August with most days then less than 20c but where I live not so much rain.
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Post by imgrimmer on Sept 14, 2014 5:37:48 GMT -5
Did all of your plants have fruits or only some of them? This would be a hint of selection. Would you share seeds of your melons? Today I found some watermelon seeds in a very small fruit first mistoken for a honey melon. I am happy that I can go on with my own seeds...
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Post by johan on Sept 14, 2014 12:45:06 GMT -5
All plants had fruits blacktail just one after losing one during drought most had two and a few three, cantaloupes 3-4. I only had a few plants. The earliest stood outside by my greenhouse so likely they had roots inside the greenhouse. But the soil there is different and also warms up much better.
I can share seeds just send me a pm but I don`t think they represent anything possibly better and I have not bothered to mark what fruits they come from except the ones from the first watermelon one of Josephs.
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Post by notonari on Sept 19, 2014 2:16:39 GMT -5
I grew some 'babymelon' (Cucumis melo convar. dudaim) here in Sweden this summer. They did very well, I got about 30 melons (about the size of a lemon) off two plants. They probably aren't the most interesting melon (they weren't very sweet and the fruit to rind/seed ratio is not too impressive) but at least it inspires me to try some other varieties next year as well. Do you by any chance have some of those 'Joseph's cantaloupe' seeds to spare?
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Post by Marches on Sept 1, 2015 15:32:26 GMT -5
Oh wow, Norway? Outside? I'd considered the usual early candidates outside here in England (Charentais and Charleston Grey) but in the end grew neither as I've never heard of anyone growing them outside. Sounds encouraging though with these early strains, I might give it a go next year now in a newly vacated former potato patch. Would be interested in getting some of Joseph's seeds.
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