Market Farming

["Adriana" <adriana AT chefsgreens.com>]

Paul, you may be right, I was diligent that year and set that patch up with 
drip irrigation...I was probably too nice to  them.  Maybe for future crops 
I will water only until the first fruit begins to set, then be very stingy 
with water so as to concentrate the flavor.
> I had a few ordinary Hale's Best cantaloupes last summer, just planted in
> nitrogen poor, sandy soil amended with aged manure and not irrigated
> enough, and they produced the sweetest melons I ever tasted.

Bill,  the variety I grew was Savor - they weren't over-ripe, I had been 
warned to look out (or sniff out) for the distinctive perfume which they 
emanate when they are ready.  I will try your leaf method next time - that's 
similar to watermelon harvesting.
> The tricky part comes when they mature. Look at the little branch ... the 
> leaf will fade and begin to die back.

And then I'll add a dose of my special "Alabama terroir" for good measure ;>

Adriana