Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

It's hard to find that answer, but this is what I went by last year. I 
hesitate to try again because they are so addictive.
paul tradingpost@lobo.net
-------------

http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/stories/PE_Fea_Daily_D_master0818.32b2626.html

No supermarket melon can compete with the flavor of a home-grown melon picked 
when it's perfectly ripe. The Charentais melons are considered the 
finest-flavored of the gourmet melons, but they are more challenging to grow. 
Most of the cantaloupe varieties commonly grown in our gardens will separate 
from the stem (slip) when they are ready to harvest. If you give just a 
little tug on the melon, the stem will pull away cleanly from the fruit. If 
they separate from the stem, you know they are at the perfect stage for 
harvest, and if they don't, they are not quite ripe and you know to try again 
tomorrow. The Charentais melons do not slip, so they require careful 
observation to determine ripeness.

 When almost ripe, Charentais melons will begin to change color from medium 
gray-green to a pale green with perhaps a yellow-tan tint in places. Unlike 
our common garden cantaloupe varieties, the rind of Charentais melons does 
not have the familiar reinforcing netting. Consequently, it has a tendency to 
split if left on the vine too long. As the perfect time to harvest a 
Charentais approaches, a shallow crack that circles the stem will begin to 
develop. Additional shallow cracks may develop that radiate from the circling 
crack, and the melon's fragrance will be noticeable. These are the indicators 
that the melon is ready to harvest. Cut the ripe melon from the vine. Do not 
try to pull it from the stem or you will surely put a hole in the rind.

As you can see, Charentais melons require more attention than other melons, 
but the outstanding flavor more than justifies the extra effort.

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 1/10/2010 at 7:41 AM Debbie Mcdonald wrote:

>It is not mild here now, SOMETHING happened:O. It is miserably cold for
>man and beast. I put sweatshirts on the goats. And it is dragging on and
>really, it's been a lot of freezing nights for this early in the winter,
>many :(  I'm off to tote hot water from the house for the goats to warm up
>their drink so they don't get dehydrated. Thank you for the links. I am
>sorry so dense but how did you know the time to pick the Charontais, by
>smell or did you have to cut into them.
>
>--- On Sun, 1/10/10, Tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net> wrote:
>
>> From: Tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Seed resources Re: Tomatoes
>> To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>> Date: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 9:25 AM
>>
>> I'm not 100% certain. I got the original seed five years
>> ago and saved seed since, and as I recall either
>http://www.gourmetseed.com or http://www.italianseedandtool.com/ had them
>back then
>> Since starting them I've wondered if they were actually
>> Costoluto Fiorentino which is less ribbed. But now you can
>> find them at
>http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/product_details.aspx?item_no=PS10987
>> or several less known companies if you google costoluto
>> genovese seed.
>>
>> I was growing in NE TX until ten years ago and miss the
>> milder winters there with eight month growing season. The
>> only problem I have with Charontais is the very narrow
>> window for harvesting to get that incredible fragrance. Like
>> maybe a day or two.
>>
>> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>>
>>