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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Unsweet melons silicon

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  • From: "Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>
  • To: <growyourown@earthlink.net>, "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Unsweet melons silicon
  • Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 11:21:31 -0500

I find this all very interesting. Since watermelons are basically a bag of water, and silica strengthens cell walls, you can see that having plenty of silica available is going to give stronger cell walls. I personally think that the lack of silica in our clay soil is why we have gotten mushy melons the few times we've succeeded in getting a melon or two. It might be worthwhile to go through stacks of old SSE yearbooks looking for anyone saying that they have or had a watermelon recommended for clay soils. What if watermelon roots are simply designed for the loose, well aerated sandy soils they prefer? If their roots don't work right in clay, or can't penetrate it properly, the part of the plant we can see isn't going to perform properly. In that case, loosening clay with organic matter may do more good than adding sand. And raised beds, though I don't like them myself, they may help with melons.
It's hard for me to imagine that the silica in sand is the complete reason for melon flavor, or the lack of it when they are grown in clay. As some of you have pointed out, heat units are a factor, also the same limiting factor as in fruit trees, of enough leaf surface to properly feed a certain number of fruits. Sandy soils are not exactly known for their big supply of trace minerals, so I don't think that trace minerals are that important, though it may be that what minerals sandy soils CAN hold or DO have are in different proportions than those in clay soils. Maybe we have too much of something in clay to make for good watermelon flavor. Cantalopes ARE different as someone pointed out, and we have grown some, they tasted good. I think Pike is the one developed for clay soils specifically. Donna




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