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["Naomi" <dragon-star@cableone.net>]

Free Manure!!
Four different fascinating flavors! Sure to perk up the even the most jaded
of garden soils.
Goat
Chicken
Donkey
Beefalo

Bring your own shovel!
Naomi
in Idaho

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of David Consolvo
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 6:25 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Melons


I have what might be considered a great soil for melons, a dark sandy loam
which heats up fast and drains very well.  I grew great melons the first
year or two, but after that my melon plants had little vigor with little
growth, hardly enough to ripen one melon.  I think this nice loose soil
loses its nutrition quickly, and needs lots of good stuff like manure added
back to it in order to grow hi-nutrient-needing plants like melons.
Opinions anyone?

Sandy soils are notoriously infertile. If melons like sandy soils so much,
how do they get the nutrition they need to grow so fast in one season?

Dave Consolvo
Hungrytown, Virginia
Zone 7




> From: "Doreen Howard" <gardendiva@charter.net>
> Reply-To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 16:00:41 -0600
> To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Melons
>
> Melons are native to Africa, and the trick to getting the best quality
fruit
> to duplicate the continent's hot sun and sandy earth as best you can.
> Situate melons in a south-facing, full sun area.  Because seeds and
> transplants do nothing until the soil has warmed to at least 60ºF, lay
clear
> or black plastic to heat up the ground. Black landscape cloth and clear
> plastic work, too.  Floating row covers also help.   The covers are also
> excellent for controlling cucumber beetles and vine borers, which are the
> worst melon pests.  Row covers should be removed when plants start to
bloom
> so that pollinating insects can reach flowers.
>
>
>
> Light, fluffy soils warm up faster than do clay ones.  Plus, melons love
> loose, well-drained dirt.  If your ground is clay,  add compost or leaf
mold
> or sow a cover crop such as winter rye or hairy vetch the previous fall.
> Turn it over in the spring a month before you plant.
>
>
>
> Start melon seeds four to six weeks ahead ahead of planting if you are in
a
> cold climate with a short growing season.  Direct seeding is best, if the
> growing season is long enough.
>
>
>
> I inoculate my seeds with mycorrhizal fungi when I plant them.  Vines are
> longer, bigger and melons are bigger, too.  I also spray a boron solution
on
> the vines when they begin to ramble.  That is a solution of 1 TBS.
household
> Borax to 1 gallon water.  The boron is supposed to sweeten the melons.  It
> seems to work.
>
> Doreen Howard
>
>
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