A Guide to Early Melon Varieties

By Doreen G. Howard
Published on April 1, 2003
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A guide to early melon varieties. 'Minnesota Midget' boasts sugary flesh that's edible right to the rind.
A guide to early melon varieties. 'Minnesota Midget' boasts sugary flesh that's edible right to the rind.
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Yummmmmm!
Yummmmmm!
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Introduced in 1846, 'Jenny Lind' has sweet, juicy, lime-green flesh.
Introduced in 1846, 'Jenny Lind' has sweet, juicy, lime-green flesh.
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'Honey Girl,' a Charentais type, is super sweet and very fragrant.
'Honey Girl,' a Charentais type, is super sweet and very fragrant.
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'Black Tail Mountain' sets the flavor standard for watermelons.
'Black Tail Mountain' sets the flavor standard for watermelons.
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'Collective Farm Woman' has sweet, crisp flesh. From the Ukraine, it is said to grow well even in Moscow.
'Collective Farm Woman' has sweet, crisp flesh. From the Ukraine, it is said to grow well even in Moscow.
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Chart: Maturity rates for transplanted cantaloupes, watermelons and other melons.
Chart: Maturity rates for transplanted cantaloupes, watermelons and other melons.
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Colorful heirloom watermelons make a beautiful and delicious treat.
Colorful heirloom watermelons make a beautiful and delicious treat.
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'Sweet Siberian' watermelon is aptly named for the taste of its gorgeous orange-yellow flesh.
'Sweet Siberian' watermelon is aptly named for the taste of its gorgeous orange-yellow flesh.
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'Queen Anne's' pocket melon gives off an exotic perfume, but it's barely edible.
'Queen Anne's' pocket melon gives off an exotic perfume, but it's barely edible.

These delectable early melon varieties of watermelons and cantaloupes are guaranteed to give you great eating.

Picking a Vine-Ripe Melon

When to Harvest Melons

A Guide to Early Melon Varieties

Yes, melons need heat to develop their sugars. And yes, they need sun-drenched days to produce the rampant vines that manufacture carbohydrates that sweeten the fruits. But they don’t need endless days of such weather. Plenty of delicious melons can he grown in summer-starved places from Montana to Maine and into Canada by using varieties that mature in 85 days or less, heating up the soil fast and starting seeds indoors. Even in areas with longer growing seasons, these early birds provide a sweet prelude to the later-season favorites.

Numerous heirloom melons — some brought from Russia, and other varieties developed by cold-climate breeders — mature within the 85-day window and are available early. Consider the spicy sweetness of ‘Green Nutmeg,’ which has been around more than 150 years. It’s ripe in 80 days. Or think about planting ‘Golden Midget,’ a pink watermelon with a rind that turns golden yellow when fully mature at 75 days. Dr. Elwyn Mender of the University of New Hampshire created this open-pollinated, 6-inch melon in 1959. Another extra-early (70 days) watermelon, ‘Blacktail Mountain,’ sets the flavor standard for all watermelons, according to Amy Goldman, author of Melons for the Passionate Gardener. “The flesh color is scarlet, and the taste is juicy, crunchy and sweet. It’s everything you ever want from a watermelon,” says Goldman, who has grown more than 200 melon varieties.

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