I got this huge musk melon from Giant last week -- 10 inches long, and absolutely delicious! I thought the odds were against it being a hybrid, so I saved some seeds to offer on my trade list.
I know I didn't grow it :-(, but I had to post a picture here anyway, 'cause it was just amazing! Even with all the chunks I ate while cutting it up, I had so much that it barely fit into a 1 gal. freezer bag. I keep reaching into the fridge for a snack... :-)
Critter, what's Giant? A store? That melon sure looks good.
Flip
is a musk melon any different from a canteloupe?
Nope
yep, Giant is a grocery store. They got a huge shipment of these in last week.... I think the sign said "local melons" but that could mean anywhere along the East Coast, LOL.
I guess I think of canteloupes as being the smaller, smooth skinned melons. I think of the bigger, more intensely flavored ones with the heavier rind & "netting" as being musk melons.
By whatever name, it is delicious!
Farmerdill, I saved seeds because I thought maybe it came from a plant with especially good genetics -- or is the huge size more likely due to growing conditions? I'd say about 1 in 5 melons in this shipment had this kind of size to them, although none were small.
It is probably a large melon (genetically) grown under excellent conditions. There are many in the 6 - 10 lb class, although they are not usually found in grocery stores. Most folks want a melon, that a half melon makes an individual serving., which mean 2-4 lb melons. There are several cantaloupe/muskmelons on the market that will exceed 30 lbs under ideal conditions. These are usually only grown for show.
Well, if anyone wants to try for a blue ribbon at the fair.... I'll have seeds! :-)
i'll take some :-) send some pieces of the melon too, so i can sample & be sure i like the flavor before i plant it :-)
Sorry, Tamara, the melon has mostly been eaten, and the remaining part has been claimed by my little garden buddy down the street (DH calls her my Patowan, my Jedi apprentice, LOL). You'll just have to take my word that it was DELICIOUS! :-)
I'm guessing I may have other seeds you'd like by the end of the season, so I'll wait to send them & try to make a note that you've got first dibs (remind me if I forget)!
I'll take some seeds!!! That melon looks like it needs to be growing in my garden next year. That's a BIG melon! Dang, it looks good.
Darrell, there are plenty of seeds to share around... I can SASBE some to you now, or you can remind me at trading time when I hope to have some other goodies.
thanks!
I can send you the envelope, but not the postage part. I don't know how to do that. I mean, I'm in Canada and I can't put Canada Stamps on US Mail. :(
Edited to add: Every time I look at that picture, my mouth starts to water. Man!
This message was edited Jul 27, 2005 7:59 AM
We grow "Superstar" melons. You can get them from Harris seeds.
They are huge, biggest we ever had was 18 lbs. Lots will be 10 to 14 lbs. And they have suburb taste.
A friend of mine bought a store melon once he thought was real good, saved the seeds. The fruit he got was entirely different than what the original was like. I wouldn't waste the time & space planting something I have no idea what it is. Anyone growing melons for commerical purposes would use hybrid seed, so I imagine that's what you got.
Bernie
Thanks for the input, Bernie! I really didn't know if these were likely to be hybrids or not, so I figured I'd save seeds and somebody would tell me. We did grow out some seeds from an oriental melon (from the Korean market) once, and that worked out fine. But since hybrid varieties like this melon do exist, that's probably what it is.
If anyone still wants them, I can put them on my trade list, but I'm thinking you'd be better off taking Bernie's recommendation. I'm sorry I got everyone's mouth to watering, but I'm glad Bernie told us where to go for seeds!
I'd still like some of your seeds.
I checked Harris Seeds and they don't ship to Canada. This happens once in a while. 1 out of 10 places won't ship to Canada. Darn the luck.
This message was edited Jul 27, 2005 12:44 PM
Darrell, I won't throw out those seeds if you want them! Why don't we wait until fall, as I hope to have more seeds then that might interest you. If you don't end up with seeds to trade, we'll figure something out, don't worry about it.
Sorry to hear about Harris Seeds not shipping to Canada. I'd offer to forward some to you, but I'm not likely to place an order with them any time soon.
Super Star is an older hybrid (1981). It is carried by Willhite as is the similar size Sugar Queen. http://www.willhiteseed.com/categories.php
Stokes carries the similar sized Primo and Eclipse.
http://www.stokeseeds.com/cgi-bin/StokesSeeds.storefront. There are quite a number of hybrid melons in this size class
Darrell - if there's anything you want from Harris Seeds, let me know. I'll be visiting Toronto in October and I can bring them up and mail them to you from there. I'll also probably be in Halifax at Christmas, so I could do the same then.
Let me know if you want anything!
Darrell, ditto what Cmoxon said. We will be passing you along the beginning of September so I can order/pick up whatever seeds you need and drop them by! Just email me a list and we can go from there. I will bring Jill's cantaloupe seeds also as she lives quite near me.
-Kim
bump!
LOL, Tamara! I'm finally getting my seeds sorted out, but I've only got tomato & pepper varieties on a list so far.... I'll get to work on my trade lists, but I may not post anything for another week yet.... it's just busy here this week! But I appreciate the nudge!
;-) couldn't resist...
i still have this as one of my watched threads. lol
i'm anxious to get my seeds planted that you sent up here with Kim. it won't be much longer. :)
lots of new things for me this year. well, i say that, but have to learn a lot more if i'm going to pull it all together. starting with a greenhouse. some of the things that are on the list of items that are optional, i don't fully understand.
