Melon colic thoughts

[ErnieCopp]

I have been eating melon three times a day, and have not had colic from it yet, so will keep on trying to keep up.

I raised too many squash last year, and eventually found them hard to give away. This year i have a lot of melons, but they are much easier to give away than the squash was.

I will try to post a picture of some of them, but i have large watermelons, and Sugar Babies, Hale's Best and Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe, Heirloom Green Nutmeg melons, Persian melons, and a Japanese melon that just now has small green melons the size of eggs.

The picture shows a large watermelon, Persian melon, Hale's Best, and Green Nutmeg.

The Green Nutmeg is very prolific, and there were 28 melons within a two foot square area near the plant, plus many more growing farther out on the vines. I have only seen the one plant i bought, so if anyone needs seeds i am saving some.

I have to do some more work on the pictures i just loaded so will send pix later.

Ernie

 

[ErnieCopp]

Here is the picture of the melons described in the previous post.///

I am giving up on posting the picture. I reduced it to 600, but get an ERROR message that the file is too big. Will learn more about this system.

Ernie

 

[ErnieCopp]

Trying again to post a picture of the melons. I reduced it using 'Paint' per suggestion, to 640x480, which is the same size i formerly reduced it to. But this one appears to be ready to upload, so Thanks,

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

That is a nice watermelon, Ernie!!! Looks like a 'Georgia Rattlesnake'. Did you by any chance weigh it???

I grow Au Producers.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam,

Thanks for the kind words. It had a name but i forgot what they called it. I did not want that big a melon, but my ground warmed up fast this Spring, and i wanted to get some planted as soon as it got to 58 degrees, and those were the only plants i could find.
It felt to me like about fifty pounds, but probably around 25.

They are nice and ripe, but without the shriveled stems that i was looking for. I am just learning, so will know more next year. I am most pleased with the little green meated ones, as i never heard of them before.

Ernie

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam, I weighed the watermelon, and i made a lucky guess. It weighed 24.1 lbs. The other one i picked at the same time was bigger and i gave it to my helper. Just too big for two people, so i will only plant small ones next year.
Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

I know what your saying... Last year we had some that we had to cut in half just to get them in the refrigerator. Good thing our dogs like watermelon too, LOL! Got a few this year already pushing 35+ pounds & they're not ready yet...

Hope they as sweet as the ones last year.

 

[ErnieCopp]

I am still unsure of when to pick them. I always believed you had to wait until the stem shriveled, but with these, they are fully ripe with no sign of the stem drying up and none, or very little, yellow on the bottom.
I lost some last year that were way over ripe before i picked them,

What visual signs do you and fellows use?

Ernie

 

[whistech]

Earnie, those are beautiful melons! It has been many years since I picked watermelons, but I remember I had to look at the little tendril that is close to the stem to see if it is brown and dry and if it was, then turn the watermelon over to see if the underside of the melon had a big yellow spot on it. If the underside was white, but not yellow, the melon was not ready to pick. I'm sure there are more experienced gardeners here that can give you better pointers.

 

[w_r_ranch]

I concur with whistech's recommendation.

In addition, after the fruit begins to get larger (about a month before harvest), stop watering altogether (& pray that it doesn't rain as any excess water at this stage will result in an increased risk of them splitting). This will allow the sugars in the fruit to concentrate and the flesh to stay crisp. This makes for better tasting watermelon.

 

[finkikin]

There is nothing like home grown watermelon! I had a good crop last year but did not plant them this year because I wanted to try okra instead. But I have to admit I miss the melons! As far as knowing when to harvest them, I agree with Whistech! I took a lot of trial and error before I got it down. But when the tendril closest to the first knuckle before the fruit is dry and dead looking then check the underside for a yellowish tint.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Those are the guidelines i am trying to follow but the melons are not cooperating. 10 days ago, Linda wanted to take one to her family, as she does not go very often, so we picked one that i was ashamed to send, as no stem shrinkage or tendril wilting. I told her to apologize for me, but damned if it was not perfect, so i have picked a couple more, without the shrinkage, and they have been nice and ripe. The only sign i have seen on the rattlesnake melons is the light stripes turn a very slight greenish/yellow.

Last year i let them go to long and lost several.

Sam, I may split my water system next year and follow your suggestion about taking them off the water, but this year i have blossoms and small melons on the same drip system the bigger older melons are on. And it just happens they are in the middle of the tube runs.

I am really liking the Persians, good even when overripe. Stems are staying hard, but am going to pick when dark green starts to turn yellow. Cantaloupe are easiest to pick as i just wait until they separate real easy. I will not pull or twist them, just pick them up.

Thanks,
Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

We've heard & read about the Persian melons, but have never had one or seen them for sale here. What are they comparable to in taste/texture???

 

[ErnieCopp]

Boy, that is a hard question to answer, as they are just a little bit different. Color inside is similar to cantaloupe, but sweeter and more tender, softer. When a cantaloupe gets too ripe it has an unpleasant texture, but I just had some Persian for lunch and the blossom end was overripe and it had a pleasant texture, and flavor was good. They are larger than a large cantaloupe, so i thought i would take just one bite from the soft end, but wound up eating all the soft, and left the firmer, stem end for later. I like cantaloupe, but believe if i had the choice between the two, i would prefer the Persian both for texture and taste.

But, for a second opinion, my wife is not much of a melon eater, and likes her cantaloupe to be too green and hard to suit my taste. She does not care for the Persian.

One other comment, for what it is worth. Persian does not have the aroma the Cants have, but has a better aftertaste.

I am saving some seeds of both the Green Nutmeg and the Persian, as the plants are seldom available in the local Nurseries. I will save enough to share with people that want to try them.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

If you have enough, Ernie, I wouldn't mind try them (12-15 seeds of each should be plenty). Let me know & I'll reserve a space for them next spring...

That's what I like about gardening - trying different things & meeting good people!!! Thanks!!!

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam,

Sure, i am going to eat a lot more of them so i will have plenty of seed. When i get ready to send them i will get an address to send them to. I will send you some of the Green Nutmeg cantaloupe too. I find them delightful.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Thanks Ernie, I appreciate it!!!

 

[ErnieCopp]

Watermelons getting ripe without stems shriveling, and i believe the reason may be the daily watering by the drip lines. I am getting a yellow spot on the bottom of the solid green Sugar Babies, and i picked one today that was perfectly ripe, but stem showed no aging.
On the Rattlesnakes, stems have not shriveled, and just white on the bottom but the white stripes on top change color. So the ones i have picked have been ripe so far.

Persian stems are not shriveling, but best stage to pick seems to be when half yellow. I like the ones that are fully yellow, but might be too ripe for some people. Cantaloupes are easiest to harvest, as you cannot feel the stem separate when you pick them up ripe.

Sam, I am drying some Persian seeds now, so let me know how many you want, and where to send them. Do you or anyone else want some of the small green meated Green Nutmeg melons?

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Info sent. Please send me yours as time allows. Thanks so much!