Help on zucchini, squash, cantelope, watermelon...

I have all these springing from my compost. I had tons of cantelopes last year and every one of them got "soggy". I've heard all sorts of things like you have to plant on a hill or pull them in the air or put down sand or grass or straw. Any suggestions and do I have to do the same to the others?

Thanks in advance

If you live in a wet area (lots of rain), you might want to mulch the area with straw or something similar so the fruit does not sit on the wet ground... If they are a small variety you can most certainly trellis them. You may need to use something to support the fruit, especially if it is a type that "slips" from the vine when ripe. I have heard of people using pantyhose and (don't laugh) old bras for support.

I sat mine on tuna cans, with both ends removed. Don't know if it actuallyhelped, but I felt better :)

This year I'm sitting my melons on large leaves - one leaf per melon. I also have some old carpet where the melons can run - I don't put leaves under those. The leaf under each melon dries quickly even after a heavy rain. The cucumbers will be growing on a trellis this year.

I thought of using pieces of cardboard, and although it would dry in the sun, the area under the melon stays wet. Same with newspaper.

I've used other methods, but when the area under the melon stays wet, it encourages bugs/slugs to have a free feast!

I don't wear hose, and the thought of buying some just to hang melons in doesn't jibe with my thrifty nature LOL

What kind of leaves are you using, Honeybee? I've got some huge rhubarb leaves!

smb12321,

Hello how are you ? not to far from me are you ?

greenhouse_gal - you've seen photos of my garden, it's absolutely covered with leaves collected from all over the neighborhood. I dunno what kind of leaves I'm using - they look like maple tree leaves, although one tree-leaf looks pretty much like any other tree-leaf to me.

To answer your question: "BIG ONES" LOL

Maples leaves would do it. I was thinking oak leaves, because that's what we have most of, but they're a bit on the acidic side. Yours could also be sweetgum; they have round prickly balls that litter the ground in the fall.

greenhouse_gal - yes I run into a sweetgum ball every once in awhile. Little trees try to grow all over the garden. Evidentally there are lots of "seeds" amongst the leaves. I get my exercise every day bending over and pulling them out! I've asked hubby to do the same, but somehow he never notices them LOL

There are lots of maple tree seeds - which to my chagrin has caught the attention of box elder bugs. I didn't know they liked them so much until my daughter told me about the invasion she has at her house this year. She has a maple tree in her front yard, as do we, but I've not known the seeds to attract these bugs in such numbers before.

If it's not one thing it's another.

Slective sight ,

my kids have that .

Mine suffered from that, too. As did I as a child - probably you too, Sarge ^_^

yep even got whiped for it lol did no good though he he he

Honeybee, I do the same thing with little hickorylets. The squirrels bury the nuts and they come up in the oddest places, even in my planters! But we have a veritable carpet of sweetgum balls. Some people do clever things with them for decorations, but I don't have the energy for that!!

greenhouse_gal - When I was "young" I did all kinds of crafting. I was a stay-at-home-mom to my children. Now, like you, I don't have the energy!

Our vegetable garden is roughly 60' x 60' plus the fruit trees, blueberries, a small grassy area for the dogs, two large flower beds, and a bamboo forest!

And that's just the back yard!

HB that Bamoo makes for a good fishen pole lol

Sgt - we use some of the bamboo as stakes to hold-up the sides of our raised beds, and others to hold up our pole beans.

It's usefulness wanes when it pokes up through my flower bed though! Over the weekend I dug up a root that was longer than I am tall.

they make good bean runners too

Ret Sgt Yates - I'm in Williamson County off Hillsboro Rd. We have 1.5 acres and though it is in a cul de sac it is still in a neighborhood. You have a "real" garden. I simply have a few tomato plants, zucchini, okra, peppers, melons, and a separate herb garden. My acorn squash will produce at least 250 lbs and it grows from compost every years. But this is secondary to the flowers and shrubs (sometimes mistakenly called "landscaping" lol).

I saw your journal and wish you the best of luck. There is a small market near us that has peaches from Alabama (just incredible), tomatoes, eggplants, etc. I am still waiting for the organic stuff from the Mennonite group near here. Their cantaloupes are like watermelons! I try to eat only eat fresh veggies. Tonight we had mashed potatoes, squash casserole, grilled corn on the cob, tomatoes, avocados with grilled chicken. I bought a vacuum sealer so that I could have the herbs at all times but now I am thinking about veggies and fruit.

Smb,

I know A Gal that works a lil plot about 1 acre and she too does good with her veggies and flowers most folks dont know she has a garden in the back yard until she has it tilled under twice a year with our big tractor other wise she uses the lil mantis one andhandles all of he beds with them it is like a refuge in one lil acre. kind of neat really

sarge

smb - I grow mostly Charantais melons, they are quite small. I did plant some Athena melons this year, and they will need something larger to sit on. This morning, I asked hubby if he would cut up some squares of cardboard for the larger melons to sit on.

Except for where the actual melon plant is set, the vines are growing over a piece of old carpet. I only need something to put under the melons that have set close to where the plant is growing from where they were planted. (Hope that makes sense.)

I don't grow watermelons.

Uh, ya'll, some pics would be really helpful to us imagination-ally challenged lurkers! (SMILE!)

Gymgirl - Photos are on my home computer, will have to post some from there.

In the meantime, here's link to my garden photos on the web:

http://home.rr.com/ncgarden

Honeybee - what a great web site!! You have a "real" garden & the mix of flowers and veggies is just what I like. Mine is not as organized, expanding when I till new areas in the yard or rising from the large compost area where all my clippings and food scraps go. I cook a lot so there's a constant bucket of peppers, peels, seeds, husks, coffee grinds, etc. I rely on worms and not the new-fangled methods of roasting, turning, measuring, mixing, adding, testing, blah blah.

I will use cardboard as you suggest.