On a hot summers day, escaping to a shady part of the back yard with a plate of cool juicy watermelon or rock melon will hit the spot every time.
I'm sure we all have childhood memories of scrambling out of the pool and running across the lawn to tuck into a plate of watermelon wedges. Some of us eating all the way through the thick white flesh down to the bitter green skin, not me of course.
There are countless varieties being cultivated throughout the world, they can be difficult to classify and name. They can however, be roughly divided into two categories, Sweet Melons and Watermelons. Watermelons have pink or red flesh and are larger than Sweet Melons. Sweet Melons include Rock Melons and Honeydew Melons, they are smaller and often have rough skin. Melons grow on a long trailing vine, not unlike a pumpkin. They are an annual, so you will have to renew your plants each year.
Sowing Seedlings are readily available to buy and plant throughout Spring and Summer, but you can sow your own seeds in September if you wish. Plant seeds in seedling punnets or small pots containing a damp mix, the hole should be around 1cm deep. Keep them inside, preferably in a sunny position until they germinate. After a few days take them outside to harden off, when they are around 10cm in height, they are ready to plant.
Planting Melons like a well prepared garden bed, fairly deep, rich in nutrients and full of organic matter. You can also try planting some melons into large pots. Due to their wide sprawl, there is no reason to plant seedlings any closer than 2 feet apart.
Flowering Melons have male and female flowers, they are easy to tell apart because the female flowers are swollen and round at the base. Bees and other insects should be sufficient to pollinate most flowers, to be %100 sure, you can do it yourself. Simply pick a male flower and pick off the petal, rub the male flower's pollen inside the female flower. Continue to do this until the vine is developing plenty of fruit.
Care When the vine starts to scramble, you can provide some support by lifting them up onto upturned pots. Help any vines that get tangled up with each other by gently separating them and guiding them in the right direction. Make sure the soil is always moist, watering will be required almost daily, this is one of the most important things to remember when growing melons. When fruit starts to form, begin to apply a liquid fertiliser regularly. Harvest or Thrive are perfect, fertilisers for tomatoes are also recommended.
Harvest Melons become sweeter the longer they are left on the vine, so be patient and wait for them to become ripe. The melons should have a sweet aroma when they are ready, this is when they should be picked. Be careful that they are not left on the vine too long, when the stems start to die or crack action must be taken. Leave them on the vine any longer and they may begin to rot.
Pest and Disease Melons can fall victim to pests such as two spotted mites and white fly, regular applications of Eco-Oil should prevent this. Powdery mildew may also pose a threat, especially because the soil is always damp. In cases of infection apply a spray of Eco-Fungicide.
Varieties Rock Melon: *'Hearts of Gold' *'Southern Sweet'
Powered By WEBHEAD