Is it ok to plant one melon?

[SuperChemicalGirl]

As part of the Bad Luck Brigade, I lost all my watermelon and cantaloupe transplants (among other transplants) to intemperate spring weather.

I persevered and replanted. Bad luck there, too. Now I'm left with a single cantaloupe seedling that finally decided to start growing again (it finally has a real leaf!). Is it worth it to attempt to plant it?

I've never planted that type of melon before and have had incredible rotten luck when it comes to melons anyway (never had a ripe one I could eat). Will it be able to self-fertilize and not self destruct?

 

[Warthog]

I planted just one a couple of years ago, never having done this before, I didn't know if you let them spread across the ground or trained them up a trellis/fence. So I did the latter, which meant because of the size and weight of the fruit, I had to restrict the number of fruits on the plant, I just let two develop, and they were the best Canteloupe i have ever tasted.

With regards to your, if the plant is looking sickly I wouldn't bother, but if you want to try to plant it, then why not.

Good luck.

 

[lesa]

I would certainly give it a chance!! But, I am a sucker like that! I had only one cantaloupe last year, and it produced several melons ( that were quite delicious!)
Melons are hard for us northern folks, SuperGirl. I have had decent luck with the sugar baby watermelons.

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

I would certainly give it a chance!! But, I am a sucker like that! I had only one cantaloupe last year, and it produced several melons ( that were quite delicious!)
Melons are hard for us northern folks, SuperGirl. I have had decent luck with the sugar baby watermelons.

Thanks, guys. I planted the lone guy yesterday. I also started the rest of the pack of watermelon a few weeks ago... no sprouts. One of these years I'll give up on watermelon.

 

[digitS']

Some folks like Minnesota Midget but I wasn't too happy with it. It wasn't even very productive and baseball size cantaloupe kind of hurt my feelings.

Just because the picture was so attractive, I got some Honey Girl Charentais seed from Burpee one year. For about 7 years, I grew Honey Girl with 2 season failures. I had thought that Burpee had taken it off the market since it wasn't in their catalog. Now, I've found that they have it on-line!



It was a real early ripening melon. I was very happy with it.

Last year, I grew Edonis Charentais. It failed to ripen . . . Maybe it just wasn't a good enuf melon year but starting off with a failure didn't encourage me to plant Edonis in 2011.

Instead, I've got Santon Charentais. Another little one with a 75 days-to-maturity rating, I believe. Charentais melons are very much like cantaloupe. Picked at the right moment (& that's important), they are wonderful.

One that I've grown that has matured even in bad melon years is Passport Galia melon. These are much like honeydew. I don't get all crazy over a galia melon like I might with a charentais but Passport has just done it for me thru good and bad.

I've grown Asian melons and they have ripened but, really, the craziness just didn't happen at all . . . There are quite a few Asian melons, tho'.

Taste is subjective but what has worked in other melon challenging climates might work for you. I know they take up quite a bit of room and with my failures, that is what kept me from growing them for a good number of years but, I think, you should continue to try melons and try different types. There just may be one out there that likes to grow and ripen in your garden.

Steve

 

[digitS']

Here is Honey Girl from a few years back:

This is what they look like on the inside:

Steve

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

Here is Honey Girl from a few years back:


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h22/Digit_007/lateseason001.jpg

This is what they look like on the inside:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h22/Digit_007/harvest017.jpg

Steve

Steve,
Those look divine!
I can almost taste them just by looking at them.

I planted Hale's Best Jumbo Organic which is an 80 day melon. Or supposed to be, anyway.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

last year was the first year i had luck with melons in my garden! i had about a dozen come from the vines. but being the first time i was able to get any to grow and produce i had to figure out when to pick them when they were ripe or before they got too sweet and attracted other critters and insects! the chickens mostly got them anyways and they loved them!

 

[hoodat]

Melons produce both male and female flowers on the same vine so one will get you some melons. You may have to hand pollinate the male and female flowers though. One vine will not be enough to attract many pollinating insects.

 

[digitS']

Ha!

I want you to take note of this, Super and Chickie'sMoma!

These are Passport melons from my garden and the variety is from . . . the University of New Hampshire. The Galia melon parent is from Israel but the development of this hybrid was in your home state.

Just so that you might give some thought to growing this nice little melon.

Steve