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nafex - [NAFEX] Melons in zone 6b

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  • From: "Harrick, Barbara" <b.harrick@ilslaunch.com>
  • To: "nafex@lists.ibiblio.org" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Melons in zone 6b
  • Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:02:03 -0400

Hi all. Not a ton of experience growing melons either, but here are some
observations/thoughts from a clay-based residential suburban yard in Fairfax,
VA, zone 6b:

1. Melons are horribly prone to all fungal, rot, mildew and mold
2. We use a lot of landscape fabric/black plastic under other plants
susceptible to #1.
3. Don't put them out too early as they stunt faster than tomatoes if weather
chills.
4. If melons are sitting in moist conditions, all sorts of bugs will dig into
the softened skin--elevate them or at least keep them dry (esp. on blk.
plastic)
5. I wonder at their ability to trellis--even the small ones--I don't know if
they can hold their own weight. BUT, if you hung them in pantyhose footees
or something that would cradle them on the trellis, taking the strain off the
stem and still providing air.......that might be a way to do it. Or even the
garage wall hangers--I bet there are some of those that would help hold
melons on a trellis.

Picking loads of strawberries and sour cherries, Barbara


Message: 1
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 15:02:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sheridan Shumway <rattler_mt@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] melons
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <887881.9327.qm@web34508.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii


ive got about 1 seasons experience personally with melons and a few years of
watching my dad try and grow them....im in zone 3 or 4 up in northeast
Montana and my major problems is my growing season is usually of unknown
length and what kind of weather im going to have....normally our summers are
hot and dry with minimal humidity and if i get 120 days of continuous good
weather for growing im a very happy camper though it usually doesnt happen as
it turns cool and starts to do light frosts at between 90 and 110 days...

last year for the first time i put in some melons, Ambrosia from Territorial
Seed Company.....i think the 3 hills took up about 4 x8 foot worth of vines
but there werent a ton of vines and i wound up with about a dozen
small-medium melons that were absolutely outstanding....slicing one open in
the kitchen would make the entire main floor smell like melons....granted the
sucked up alot of water but i was happy with it...especially after watching
my dad fail at growing them every year...i didnt get much of any seeds bought
this year which may have been a good thing cause it appears we may have a
short growing season.....around here melons are something yah plant every
year and every once in awhile yah have a good crop.....i happened to have
thrown some in the ground on a good year for melons..

Sheridan S.








  • [NAFEX] Melons in zone 6b, Harrick, Barbara, 06/10/2009

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