Market Farming

["Tom at Limerock" <limerock AT thirdplanet.net>]

Hello  --

This is =our first good year with watermelon, we are growing jade star, an
ice box melon.

Question:  The vines are dying.  We have had okay rain and watering
in-between.  The plants are on black plastic and the summer has not been hot
as usual.  I have not seen  any vine bore in the vines, the leaves do not
show a lot of holes, and the cuke beetles are not extreme.  It is possible
that I did not pick off the riper melons earlier enough.  Will not picking
off the early ones shut down the vines as with cukes/squash?  Thanks in
advance for any comments.

Tom Anslow
Limerock Orchards and Roadside Market
Catawba Island, Ohio