Market Farming

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

Reducing water as fruits mature is more or less standard advice, but I
can't say which ones should not get that treatment.  Anyone?

paul tradingpost AT lobo.net

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes. 
--Henry David Thoreau 
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 8/9/2006 at 1:17 PM Adriana wrote:

>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
>
>
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