Mellons

[mella l]

It is mellon season here in CA now! Yum

Have searched the garden forum for mellons and finding no subjects.

Do mellons grow in the Puna and if so which types?

mella l

[emorata]

i don't recall seeing melons at the makuu markets anytime...maybe there are vendors that in the waimea area that grow but do not sell at the market....i would think these would be attacked from similar pests getting the tomatoes.

the crane mellons we have growing here is pretty darn good....hopefully - i can try growing those when we get a garden growing in orchidland....wish i could also grow our peaches there they are starting to come out big time.

noel

[jade]

I am in HPP and I have grown cantelope, honeydew and I have a watermelon growing right now. I do have to spray around the area to make sure the bugs don't get it.

[Hotzcatz]

Our peach season is real early springtime. Around March, I think it was. There is only about three varieties of peaches which will set fruit at lower elevations, but "Florida Prince" and "Eva's Pride" are two of the varieties which will work. They are clingstone type and not as big as grocery store peaches, but the flavor is better.

[canhle]

Jade,
Where are you in HPP? Where do you get the seed from?
thanks
canh

[I am in HPP and I have grown cantelope, honeydew and I have a watermelon growing right now. I do have to spray around the area to make sure the bugs don't get it.
]Originally posted by jade


[/quote]

canhle

[jdirgo]

Some people I know have had good results with wrapping the young melons in paper bags and then elevating them slightly above the ground to avoid both bugs and rot from contact with wet ground (like with a tin can or two). Don't cover any of the leaves though, so the melon is still getting fed with sunlight, etc. You do have to check that they don't outgrow the bag, though.

Since this is third-party, I would try it with just one or two melons on your vine -- in case its not accurate, I'd hate for someone to try this with all their melons and have it fail (and they lose their melon crop).

John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com

[gtill]

We did a whole acre like that in N. Kohala, start off with tissue, etc on up as they grow, it keeps the fruit fly off. You have to hand pollinate with an artist paint brush before wrapping the first time. The mellons were hitting 20 lbs a week before Thanksgiving, perfect timing, except the night before harvest it poured rain, and by 10am the next day they had all exploded like land mines, the entire field was blood red with mellons! My last farming exploit!

[mella l]

Subject: Square Watermelons

A round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerater and the usually round fruit often sits awkwardly on refrigerator shelves.?

Smart Japanese Farmers have forced their watermelons to grow into a square shape by inserting the melons into square, tempered glass cases while the fruit is still growing on the vine.

This sounds like fun, an interesting project and may keep fruit less wet! I've posted a picture you know where!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PunaWebFri...748f?i=359

mella l

[jade]

They were burbee brand I got them at Walmart. Home Depot sells seeds too. I have also used seeds from the melons I bought at the grocery store. The wateremelon wasn't huge but it sure tasted good. Cantelope grows even better. I put weed cloth underneath the melon to prevent bugs from eating it and I never had a problem.

I wonder what it is that causes them not to grow large. Like the tomatoes. People say its because of the fruit fly but that's not the problem I've seen. I have also planted giant sunflowers. (in the mainland we used to grow them to about 10ft tall) Here they only got about four feet tall. The hawaiian corn only got to be about 3ft tall.

I just started my new plants. They are doing well. I am glad I don't have them in the ground yet. They would probably wash away.

Jade

[canhle]

My understanding is that mellons usually doen't like toõ much water. May be planting them in the month with less rain might help them get bigger/

canhle