This year I grew Crimson Sweet and Sugar Baby watermelons. I wasn't to confident when I started back in February as my tomato crop was a wipe out because of a virus but my melons really surprised me. If I would have known this I would have set-up a few more EBs instead of only two! Next season I will go all out..
Forgot to describe. On the left is a big 15 plus pounder of a Crimson Sweet. The small ones are Sugar Babys.
Now tell me this picture doesn't make you drool?
Whoe , Plant looking good. The larger melon is not a Crimson Sweet tho. Might be a Micky Lee. Crimson Sweets are dark green striped melons.
I swear it even tastes better than it looks. The temperature outside today is pure summer weather. Low 90's and high humidity and I just could not wait any longer to taste this baby and it is delicious. Mark Twain once stated that watermelon was the fruit of the Gods and I can not think of any sweeter tasting fruit. I planted two in one EB.
Farmer -- My seed packet said Crimson Sweet? They were by Ferris and I bought them as a lark from Lowes? I still have the packet. Guess this was a bo-bo by the packer but by gosh, it sure is a sweet melon and I must save the seeds though the melon is mostly seedless. By the way, thanks to you and your advice on raising melons, I finally suceeded in doing so and I am delighted with my melons. I waited and let nature do her thing and she sure is a far better farmer than I am. LOL
Just looked at the package and the picture does not look anything like my melon? How about that? However this is the sweetest, juicest, reddest, bestes melon I ever tasted. (Have to brag some) Notice the dry vine stems???
Waited for the stems to dry up just like you said Farmer. Hate to tell you how many times I wanted to dig in to those babies but patience really paid off!
Nice looking melons, T! I've planted Sugar Baby also but mine have just started to blossom. I raised them a couple of years ago and had very good luck, more melons than we need. My wife loves melons but I'm not all that crazy about them.
Red
Wow Tplant, that's some mighty good looking melons you have there. Sure wish you knew what kind you actually have so I could buy some of that seed. I don't have room right now but after we fence in my fruit orchard (gotta save some money first) I plan to put a long triple row of strawberries between one row of trees and lots of melons of various types between the other row. We've got separate fences around each fruit tree right now--anything dealing with fruit has to be fenced to keep the deer from making dessert out of it!
1950 --- I don't have much room either. I grow all my plants, tomato, peppers, beans, eggplants, all types of melons in EBs to make the most of my alloted garden. It amazes me what can be grown in a small area with them. I'm going to try flowers in a few and place them in my garden. I love to experiment with them and so far I've not found out what I can not grow. Even papaya does well in an EB! Hhmmm! I've never tried pineapples???
Actually I have a good bit of room but when we built our house we had a long sloping ridge that had to be taken down in order to have a flat place for the house site. My garden is behind the house where it was brought down the most--about 20 feet. So, I have NO topsoil. I'm slowly trying to work my garden up by putting as much organic matter I can get my hands on plus planting clover or rye grass during the winter and having hubby disk it in along about January. This year is only my third garden on the site and it's a slow process getting this "soil" built up to something worthwhile. The fruit orchard is all located in an area that was a big hollow which they used to push all the topsoil into so it's growing beautiful fruit trees. Thats why I plan to put all my other fruits over there. Right now I have to settle for using part of my garden space for thornless blackberries and cantaloupes. Hubby loves cantaloupes but I'm the Lone Ranger on those watermellons (unless the grandkids show up, LOL). I've never tried EB. Do you make your own?
I love watermelons...to eat and to grow. I believe I have a couple babies setting on now.
I am raising Sangria, Raspa, AU Sweet Scarlet, Orangeglo, Gold Strike, Royal Sweet, Athens, SF 420, Million bucks, Legacy, and more. Now do you belive me? I like watermelons.
ps, I like really good cantaloupe too. I've got Sugar Queen, Rocky Sweet, Starheadliner, Burpee Early Crenshaw, and Lillie Crenshaw.
Indy -- You will have enough melons to open a melon stand.LOL
1950 -- WATERMELONS prefer sandy soil as they are desert plants. I can't remember who told us this or maybe it was Farmerdill? Anyway I would plant them on the ground and space you have? You can fertilize lightly afterwards. Maybe Farmerdill can help you on this subject? As far as the EBs are concerned I do not make my own. I tried and failed so I purchased the originals. I have nineteen and am very pleased with the results. I grow several varieties of melons. They really require very little care, however, I must keep a close watch for mold. To offset the threat I spray with Ortho Garden Disease Control. It works. Just leave them on the vine till the vine dries up...
I used to grow them for my kids when I lived in Arkansas but that's been many moons ago, lol. I had a neighbor who grew up in the mountains and seemed to be a virtual well of knowledge on gardening. We made the best of neighbors because I was still quite green back then and she loved to share her knowledge. But I will practically be starting from scratch on the watermellons. Hey Indy, disregard T's comment about the mellon stand--I'm in favor of a mellon party at your house, ROFL!
TPlant-- You wait until the whole vine is dry? Or just the near tendril? We start checking them when that near tendril dries.
Either or! The longer on the vine the better. A tip about sugar babys if you are short of space is to let them climb a fence or a sturdy trellis. I did and the vines were more than strong enough to hold them without any support from me. I like that as it allowed me more room in my limited garden for more melons. Try it!
Here is a spanish melon well off the ground. This one grew to a little over eight pounds and stayed on the vine all the time. Had to cut it off. It is amazing how strong the vine is? If they should fall off that just means they are ripe and the skin is so strong that it does not damage the melons. You can support them if you desire just by placing a small clay pot under them.
Good idea Tplant. Don't know why I didn't think about that--I've let my cukes grow up my garden fence for many moons with great success. I'll have to try those sugar babys. Since hubby isn't a fan of watermelons, they would probably be a good size for me. Thanks.
Thanks Tplant.. I don't think I could convince my family to leave them alone until the whole vine dries. lol We have a fair sized patch but those first few ones are *special*.
Hi all, I was just wondering...
What the is an EB?
Thanks,
Dave
Check out www.earthbox.com
Thank you Tplant,
Now I'm even more impressed with your melons!
I might have to give one of those things a try!
Dave
Just planted six Crimson Sweet in two EBs and I know they are true Crimsoms as the seeds were smaller than my other mystery melon and the package confirms it. This time they are Burpee seeds and not Ferris. I figure it will take about 120 days or more before I have some of my melons. A good three or even four months that will put me in late October. October is still hot enough down here for melons so I should be okay! I'll have a full garden by that time with my tomatos and vegetables. Of course they are in EBs and I'll keep you abreast of my progress or should I say "their progress?" (Man this is fun!) LOL
Tplant,
I grow a variety of things, but melons are the most interesting easily for me. I have several melons set on now.
It is surprising how simple and carefree they are as long as I sprayed them occasionally. Leaf mold seems to be something for me to be on alert for an infestation. Cucumbers are highly susceptible to mold down here as it does get very humid. Wonder how the farmers do it?
The commercial growers have a schedule of preventive sprayings. What I have to prevent here on watermelons is fusarium wilt and mature vine decline. I have had melons almost ripe and then not able to finish with that last two week flourish where most of the flavor, texture, and sweetness are formed.
I've been growing Crimson Sweets this time and they made up their mind to produce melons outside my fence? They have an 8x10 area for development and they go and set fruit outside my chain link? Go figure? There are three melons in the picture but the one in between the two is hidden by foilage. I set up a portable fence to protect them from the lawn mower.
Here they are inside my fence with plenty of room. You know the old saying "The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence?" Well this proves it!
Here is another oddity! A Gazinnia, I think, growing in the middle of my melon patch! Don't know where it came from but it seems to be right at home.
My watermelons are almost ready AS THE VINES ARE STARTING TO BROWN SO I'LL CUT OFF THE WATER SUPPLY AND LET THEM SWEETEN UP. Got impatient and picked one a little to soon as it was ripe but not at the top of the sweetness chart but loaded with juice. Because of my space problem, next season I'm going to grow the bush variety watermelon that I saw at "Johnny's Seed" website. Might be just what I need. Hope they taste as well? A few more days and my "Crimson Sweets" should be ready....
Tplant,
I see that your second season melons are coming in in good time. I don't have a second melon season, but I do have second set watermelons coming on the old plants. It looks like 3 fruits ought to make it as they have quit growing. Two fruits are on an AU Sweet Scarlet and the other is a volunteer allsweet type that came up in the fence row where I ditched some sub-quality melons last year.
Maybe bush can make good melons, but don't hold your breath.
Indy -- They seem to be the same Sugar Baby that I've grown before with the exception that they have now been bred to a bush growth? Burpee Seeds also has them listed. If true to advertising --- and that is a big "IF" -- it would be excellent for my small space problem. I'll have to wait until March to plant the seed as that is about the time my tomatos and other veggies start to slow down.
Time to pick the melon on the right as the vine has completely dried up and the underside of the melon has a lite yellowish "belly" which is a sign of true ripeness. They are not as large as the first batch but I am late in the season so I guess it's normal. I'll be cleaning up the EBs soon and planting my tomatos. Must say it is fun growing melons and will expand in April or May when my tomatos "peter out."
I harvested a nice 21½ pound AU Sweet Scarlet [Willhite Seed] and opened it today..."sweet as sugar". The tendril turned brown nearly a week ago. This is a second set melon. I had to pull off many others and left 2 as that is all I could expect for it to handle nicely. Late setting melons seem to want to set on 6 - 8 fruits. It is so much better to have 2 nice fruits rather than 6 no gooders.
Indy --- I looked up Wilhite Seed and they have a very nice selection of melons. They also provide good info on growing culture. I keep my melons to two per plant, not for your reason but the fact that I don't need that many. Guess that is why my melons have been so good! Will also grow honeydew this spring along with Canary and Spanish. One melon, "Israeli" sounds interesting. May try that one also. I usually plan two vines per EB but set a third vine as a safety but they all do so well that I keep it. I think next time I'll just do two per EB.
One of my three melons that are still maturing. This is a Crimson Sweet. My grandson and assistant gardener poses with this 10 lb melon. Just the right size for the refrigerator.
Had to show you this one that I took as a back-up. Here he is telling me to hurry up as it is getting to heavy for him. A fifty pounder would weigh more than he does! Next season I'll try for some giants. We'll see what the EBs can do?
Nice going Tplant. I don't go much for the mini melons nor for so called giants. I just want the very best in flavor, texture, and sweetness, and I find that best in the 21 to 40 pound range. Yes, Willhite has some of the very best selections in seeded melons.
Ordered my melon seeds last night even though I won't plant them until March. The reason for the early order is the lesson that I learned last year when I ordered in February and some of the rare seeds were out of stock so this time I ordered early and my order was confirmed. Between Wilhite, Johnny's and Parks I will have a terrific selection. I did order "Israel" an heirloom cantaloupe melon very popular in Israel as the name implies. Never grew it before so I'll see what happens?
Judgeing by the picture I would say the melon was really delicious! This is the last watermelon of the year for me. My melon patch is finished and I'll be cleaning it up tomorrow if the weather will permit? We are supposed to have a tropical depression over the week-end. Just a nice way of saying a "Squall." As for the melon thread, see ya'll come March 08. ( Fini for now )
I'll be back in March too, just to see more on how you melon farmers do it. Ihave grown gourds but never watermelons. I grew up in Augusta, GA and my Dad wouldn't buy us a melon til July 4th (for $0.50) Boy were they good back then. I don't know if the deer will eat the melons or vines - does anybody know?
