Best Early Melons
(Page 2 of 3)
April/May 2003
By Doreen G. Howard
CREATING THE BEST ENVIRONMENT
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Melons are native to Africa, and the trick to getting the best-quality fruit in cooler climates is to duplicate the continent's hot sun and sandy soil as best you can. Situate the melon garden in a southfacing, full-sun area. Because seeds and transplants do nothing until the soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees, use clear or black plastic to heat up the ground. Jeremiath Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Seed Co. in Mansfield, Missouri, which offers nearly 90 heirloom and rare melon varieties, goes even further with plastic. He uses a clear plastic film over seeds or young plants to generate more heat. "Late melons can be ripened under plastic, too," Gettle says.
At Heritage Farm, Whaley says they use black landscape cloth instead of black plastic. "The cloth allows the soil to breathe and water to pass through, something plastic does not do," he says. In her Hudson River Valley garden in New York, Goldman uses black plastic on the ground and spun polyester row covers over transplants to give them a fast start. The covers also are excellent for controlling cucumber beetles and vine borers, which are the worst melon pests. Row covers must be removed when plants start to bloom so that pollinating insects can reach the flowers.
Light, fluffy soils warm faster than do clay ones. Plus, melons love loose, well-drained dirt, Goldman says. She suggests amending the ground with compost or leaf mold, or sowing a cover crop such as winter rye or hairy vetch the previous fall. Turn it over in the spring a month before you plant.
DIRECT SEEDING VS. TRANSPLANTS
"Here in New York, I couldn't get the magnificent melon harvest that I do without a jump start," Goldman says. She starts all melon seeds four to six weeks ahead in her potting shed so she can control germination with the right amount of warmth and moisture. After seeds germinate, they get 16 hours of light daily to build sturdy transplants. At Heritage Farm in Iowa, they start seeds indoors, too, and set out 2- to 3-week-old transplants. Gettle, on the other hand, says he thinks direct seeding is better. "Melons don't do the best when transplanted for us. They don't harden off well, and the vines tend to get sunburned and stunted," he explains. "Any transplant loses 10 days in growth, at least, if the roots are disturbed." Gettle suggests if seeds are started indoors to use large, deep pots so that the roots will remain undamaged when setting them into the ground. "Dig a deep hole, too," he adds.
Picking a Vine-Ripe Melon
Gauging when melons are at the peak of flavor can be tricky, especially with watermelons. Watch for the following signs:
Watermelons. Watch the tendril closest to the melon stem. When it turns brown and dries up, the melon usually is ripe. With some watermelon varieties, however, the tendril dries and drops off more than a week before the melon is fully ripe, so use other methods, too. Monitor the melon's weight. Lift it daily. As it approaches maturity, weight increases. The surest sign of ripeness for most watermelons is the color of the bottom spot where the melon sits on the ground. As the watermelon matures, the spot turns from almost white to a rich yellow. Also, all watermelons lose the powdery or slick appearance on their top and take on a dull look when fully ripe.
