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Post by mskrieger on Jul 13, 2017 16:41:47 GMT -5
I planted mine late this year (early June) due to cool spring weather. Got good germination except for a couple varieties from Southern Exposure bred for the deep south. Which gave nothing, zero. But the others look great and have their first female flowers now! The seed I saved two years ago (maybe from 'uncle sam') is the most vigorous by far, though I have no idea if it's better adapted to my conditions or simply some hybrid vigor. It's growing next to 'Gris des Rennes', which is famous for its lack of vigor, so maybe it's just contrast (although the Gris des Rennes look like very robust cucumber plants, so they're doing well by their own standards.)
How's everyone else's?
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Post by reed on Jul 13, 2017 20:20:42 GMT -5
My patch isn't as large as last year and I had poor germination from my first planting. Since then the second planting has taken off nicely and the ones that did make it first time around have several small fruits. Looks like another pretty good assortment of shapes and colors. About 1/2 the musk melons were from the rock type I liked so much last year and 3/4 of the watermelons were from the smallest of last years.
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Post by steev on Jul 13, 2017 22:55:17 GMT -5
I think I've only a couple types of watermelons still growing, but they seem to be fine; I didn't plant any other melons, wanting to not cross Steev's Dry Wit, of which I've still not found seed. Damn! If I were organized, I'd be dangerous.
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Post by mskrieger on Jul 14, 2017 9:32:39 GMT -5
Those rock melons sounded really good, reed. I'm looking forward to hearing more about them. My melon patch is still in the early stages of "I plant everything I can get seed for and fit, and save what tastes good'. This will be only the second year I save seed. (Assuming I get tasty mature fruit, insha'allah.) Watermelons seems like they would suit your climate, steev. You have quite the Egyptian-themed garden. Watermelon and melokhiya, and favas (fuul) in the cool wet season. Yum. |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Jul 14, 2017 12:48:04 GMT -5
Mine seem to be doing fairly well. There are a few that have been growing faster / larger than the others despite seemingly getting the same amount of water and same soil. But who knows. Regardless, the fastest most vigorous plant of the small patch has a small watermelon already! Just noticed it now today! It seems to be oval in shape so i'm curious to see how well it does. I could have sworn oval fruits had somewhat been selected out by now naturally since the smaller ones have a better chance of ripening in my short season. But hey, who knows. If it's as vigorous as it seems perhaps it wont be a problem or it will be a small sized, yet oval shaped melon.
At some point, maybe next year? I would love to try growing Cantaloupes again. Specifically to try Joseph's Super Musky Muskmelons (which i don't currently have seed for) which he doesn't even call Cantaloupes since the store ones are so terrible.
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Post by ericbernhard on Jul 14, 2017 14:21:48 GMT -5
The melons are trucking right along. Snail damage has been kept to a minimum this year, which has definitely improved the overall health of the melons. My selection of Farthest North Mix is producing abundant female flowers and I have already had the chance to do some crossing with some short season hybrids. The hope is to get the disease resistance and melon quality of the hybrids combined with the extreme precocity and floriferousness of the Farthest North Mix. I crossing my fingers that the crosses take. I have not had much success crossing melons by hand in the past. The bees have always done a much better job than me. The watermelons are also doing well. Bozeman is growing really well and already produces female flowers. Sugar pot was growing well but seems to have put the brakes on its growth due to the cool weather we have been having lately. That convinces me all the more of Bozeman in my climate and encourages me to cross the two in the hope of getting a cool weather adapted bushier watermelon. Now the Sugar Pot just has to start flowering.  |
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Post by 12540dumont on Jul 14, 2017 16:25:27 GMT -5
Crimson Seedless, Sugar Baby, Grover Delaney, Asahi Miyako and a mystery watermelon...gosh don't you hate it when a package leeks into a bigger package. I was so frustrated, I just planted them anyway.
Also planted Collective Farm Woman, Marygold Honeydew, Anne Arundel and Kavun Kirkagac 589. Why these? All turn yellow when ready. The Marygold is one of my all time favorites.
So far, Crimson Sweet is here. Doesn't it just figure that the mystery melon is some giant long thing? Really hard to put in a box! I also can't find some melon seeds. I know this because when they came in, I threw them in with another bunch of seeds into a plastic bag in the seed freezer. Being too lazy to find the jar of melon seeds, in the very very bottom. Next year, I'll have to empty the whole freezer to find them.
Good thing the melons are doing well, it's a shit year for tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Every time they flower, we get triple digits and the darn flowers fry. I have two baskets of cherry tomatoes all year.
In a previous year when it was this hot, my melons burned. This year I put a trellis of Romano beans on the South side....I hope this gives them just enough shade to not cook.
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Post by steev on Jul 14, 2017 18:45:29 GMT -5
Joseph's Super Musky Muskmelons which he doesn't even call Cantaloupes since the store ones are so terrible. Joseph's right; the commercial melons are Cantashiesshunds. |
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Post by 12540dumont on Jul 15, 2017 14:26:28 GMT -5
Ferdzy! I spotted your Turkish Kaavan Kiragac 589 this morning in the melon patch. Wow, it's really a looker!
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Post by steev on Jul 16, 2017 19:35:25 GMT -5
Marble-sized fruit on the watermelons.
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Post by walt on Jul 17, 2017 14:44:50 GMT -5
I planted Iriquois melons again this year. They take the heat and drought and do well as an understory in corn. And they taste good, or why bother?
I had hoped to grow some others for crossing, but my bank said no last spring.
So they started blooming last week.
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Post by mskrieger on Jul 21, 2017 10:47:12 GMT -5
12540dumont what's so good lookin' about Ferdzy's melon?
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Post by mskrieger on Jul 28, 2017 16:25:43 GMT -5
This morning I noticed three fruit set on the seed I saved from two years ago. Possibly fruit set on other vines but they've been growing so aggressively that I cannot see.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jul 28, 2017 19:40:46 GMT -5
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Post by mskrieger on Jul 31, 2017 10:14:52 GMT -5
good lookin', so refined...and tasty too. I like that! How many days to maturity?
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