Sure looks like a cantaloupe to me. Looks pretty nice, too.
Flip
Let's talk melons!
i guess cuz its greenand has those stripes, can you tell this is the first time?
Well, I finally have some fruit on my last two watermelon vines - Orangeglo - very pretty melon.
And finally, the Scaleybark, courtesy of Farmerdill. Here's one of the several baby melons.
FD - how long do these take to mature?
They are pretty normal for watermelons (80-90) days depending on conditions. About 4-5 weeks to ripen from the size you are showing. They do slow down as the daylight hours decrease, but it should not make that much difference yet.
I was going to clean up my EBs from the melons I planted in May but noticed the Rattlesnake watermelon has three more melons growing in the remains of my former honeydew and spanish melon plants and it looks quite healthy so I decided to let it grow. Must admire a strong and determined watermelon such as this! The last one I ate was only about 10 lbs or less but when I touched it with the knife to open it, it just split wide open with the slightest penetration of the knife. It was sweet and juicy but a pinkish red and not a solid red as I expected. So juicy that when I scooped out a piece with my spoon the space immediately filled up with juice.
People? If you can and have the space as this baby loves to take-over -- do grow it!
those are some gorgeous melon pics you guys have there, for my late watermelons i'll hope soon to get some of those melons on my vines. I've just check my watermelons and saw that one plant is droopy and swiveled and some of the others are some what droopy. Could that be from too much rain we have been getting lately, but last rain was three days ago, so i havent watered since so could it be that its time for watering or past time?
Three years ago I had 13½ inches of rain in July. The vines did not seem to mind all that rain on well drained beds...in fact they quit setting fruit for a few days and grew humongous vines!
Most melon wilts and such happen after fruit set and usually when melons are of some size.
Hi veggie growers
I have been given a patch of ground to cultivate (lucky me) which has lain fallow for many years (at least 25). I thought I would try melons and have bought seeds of Prescott Fond Blanc a french heirloom type. Has anyone tried this one and if so what did you think of it? What kind of soil did you grow it in?
I was thinking of digging in horse manure now in readiness for next years growing. Is this what they need?
Thanks for any pointers.
Lizzy
That is an old antique, that I have no experience with. One of our members is growing it this year, so you might want to look at the comment in plantfiles and d-mail that member. In general I have not found the antiques to be competitive. Probably the reason they are very rare. All canteloupe require loose fertile soil, otherwise they are not too picky and space ( at minimum a meter between plants). Horse manure incorporated early would be good.
I am growing Prescott Fond Blanc this year. it is doing well, lots of melons on the vines. I uploaded some pictures two days ago, but they are waiting to be cleared.
Here is a picture of one, not ripe yet, but getting there... I haven't eaten one yet but, i'll let you know...
Wow! That's gorgeous... I can almost smell it from here!!!!
You sound like you get pretty cold winters up there in your high desert. What is your summer climate like and the soil? Do you irrigate?
Winters are very cold, we get lots of freezing weather and snow. Summers are hot, we have had about a dozen days over 100 F (37.7 C) and are usually in the mid 90's (35+- C). We have soil that is very low in organic matter, so i add a lot of sheep manure and yes we irrigate. We have no summer rain here. I use drip irrigation.
Well then you deserve a medal in those conditions to have produced that stunner!!!!
There's hope for me yet...