There are many advantages to adding melons to your garden this summer. For one thing, they are hardy plants that grow well in fertile, well-drained soil. Probably sandy soil is best, but melons will still thrive, regardless, if the soil, as stated, is well-maintained and provides good drainage. In addition, should you so desire, the plants can be started indoors and be easily transplanted, provided the roots are left undisturbed. They normally are added to the garden bed approximately two weeks after the last frost.
Advantages to Growing Melons
The only drawback, perhaps, to growing melons is the amount of space they consume. You must take this factor into consideration if you decide to grow and harvest them.
Planting MelonsIf you so choose to grow melons, you will find it will be an interesting undertaking. Initially, when planting the seeds, if you decide to start outside, you'll want to plant approximately six melon seeds about one inch deep in hills, with each hill spaced about eight feet apart. When the seeds finally sprout, thin the growth to about three plants. As the runners or vines start to develop, you'll need to cull the plants down to one hardy plant. This method helps the plants flourish and encourages the fruit to grow to a larger size.
Cultivation and Harvesting of MelonsCultivation of melons usually begins as soon as germination starts and continues until a crop covers the ground to a degree that sufficiently minimizes or shades the growth of any weeds.
For melon crops to produce large heads of fruit, then, thinning of the plant is a primary undertaking. When melon heads are three or four inches round, remove all but 4 or 5 fruits on each plant making sure, as well, to discard any diseased and malformed fruits in the process.
Next, comes the harvesting. A melon's ripeness can sometimes be a daunting task to determine. Color change is not always easy to detect, and "thumping" can be unreliable. Probably, the best, most credible way to determine a melons's ripeness is by "plugging" it. This method involves removing a small cube from the fruit to test the taste and color. Checking the aroma of a melon is also another helpful way to determine whether or not the melon is ready to be picked.
Melon VarietiesThe familiar icebox melon or watermelon and musk melon (cantaloupe) are two of the most popular varieties of melons. A watermelon can be hard to detect with regards to its ripeness. Only experienced gardeners can readily determine whether or not this type of melon is ready to harvest.
The muskmelon, on the other hand, can usually be harvested when the stem starts to crack away from the melon. The "pockmarks" in the netting on the outside of the fruit are usually colored light green to yellow when the melon is ready to pick.
The honeydew melon is considered ready to pick when the rind becomes a pale yellow and is firm to the touch. This is a variety whose ripeness can also be ascertained by scent.
The Persian melon is a large muskmelon with a finer netting than the regular muskmelon and has "pockmarks" that have darker hues of green. This type of melon can weigh as much as eight pounds.
Casaba melons can be harvested when the rinds turn yellow and become deeply furrowed. This melon thrives best where summers are long and hot. The soft, delicious meat of the fruit has an equally appealing creamy-white color.
The Christmas melon, also known as a Santa Claus melon, can weigh as much as nine pounds when fully mature. The golden rinds of this melon are speckled with flecks of dark green when it's ready to be picked. The meat is a pale green.
The Crenshaw melon is a cross between the Casaba and the Persian melons. When ready to harvest, the fruit is yellow with green blotches. It also has a strong, musky scent. Like Casabas, Crenshaws require a long growing season.
Care of Picked MelonsAs far as the space you'll require, as mentioned above, melons are a gardener's challenge. Yet, when it comes to eating, melons are also a gardener's joy. In fact, a few drops of lemon juice can enhance the flavor of such melons as cantaloupes and honeydews. Melons are also a core ingredient of many fruit salads. Once picked, though, make sure they are kept at room temperature for a few days. Just be careful not to let them overripen. If you hold a melon up to your ear and hear the juice and/or seeds sloshing around inside it as you shake it, it's a tell-tale sign that the melon's overripe.
Hopefully, this information will galvanize you into action so you can have a garden of melons this summer, or at least plan one for next summer.
Happy planting!
References:
"How to Cultivate and Harvest Melons" http://www.ehow.com/how_5086408_cultivate-harvest-melons-html
"Growing Melons" http://gardening.tips.net/Pages/T005068_Growing_Melons.html
