Melon Garden for 08

Posting over here as Farmerdill informed me that watermelon is professionally listed in the vegetable catagory so here I am! My melons are doing just great. Soon I'll be eating some. I like growing them in EBs because I can plant three in each one but they sure like water as their name implies. I have ten different varieties including honeydews. Not to found of cantaloupe but then again I've never grown my own? Will try come March.
I like Sugar Bush Baby because of their three foot vines. They are doing great and take up so little space that I just may expand next year and grow them in three or more EBs. I'll keep you up to date...

Mine are doing well in their EB as well. We have had such cool nights, they have had a slow start.
I hope they continue to look like yours. Im curious to see what you do once the melon gets on it. Do you just leave them lay on the ground?

Did you pre-soak seeds? Did you nick the seed coat?

I sowed seeds indoors with a little presoak and the seeds did nothing.

Gardenglory ----- First off my melons are on a large weed mat and not on the ground. Farmerdill put me straight on this subject. The melons are left alone to develop but I do spray with insecticide, Messenger and Spray n Grow. The latter being a new experience and to soon to pass judgement. All are doing very well except for "Tigger" a most unusual small ice box melon and very productive. The plant is highly susceptible to powdery mildew although we have not had rain and are still in a drought stage. Inspite of the mildew the rest of the plants are uneffected.

feldon30 --- I direct seed into my EBs. I do not cut or pre-soak my seeds as they sprout within the week. Why would you nick the seed as they sprout so quickly as long as they have adequate moisture. I plant three melon to each EB and water daily but now with the melons getting larger I water twice a day and they drink it up. Soon i will reduce the watering back to once per day to sweeten the melons as they ripen.

Hope I answered all questions satisfactorily?

Yes indeed, a weed mat it is tomorrow

Don't forget the u-shaped anchor pins to hold the mat down!

alrighty, will do. I need some netting to put on the fence anyway. Im shocked and happy that my EB beans need some more support. Im watching your melons and being a copy cat. Make sure to post if you have to spray them or something...if you would.

Hi all. I'm usually lurking in the Rose forum, but lately my horizons have been expanded and I'm trying my hand at some veggies. I have four Earthboxes - right now they have tomatoes, corn, beans, and eggplants. The eggplant and beans are doing phenomenally well, the corn is so-so and the tomatoes (Better Boy) are producing fruit, but are being attacked by some type of fungus (?). Anyway, I had considered growing some melons but was a little befuddles as to how to do with respect to staking, etc.

Do I need to stake or not? And what is this with the weed mat? Do you just put a weed mat aound the EB and let the melons do their own thing? And if you're like me and purchase melon seedlings (cantaloupe in this instance) the pot looked like it contained three plants. Are these three separate plants or do you treat it as one? Clearly confused and in need of help!

Your near me, Im having trouble with the tomatoes and fungus or something as well. My melons are doing the best in my EB's, my beans are struggling. The ones I direct sowed in the ground are way ahead. Next planting go around, its going to be direct sowing of everything for me. Okra going in one next. It likes hot weather tho, so im not in any hurry.

I got some weed mat today, I was just going to lay it out for the vines to creep along. Its my first time with melons and im very suprised at all there tenicles. Seems an odd thing to want to climb, with such heavy fruit. The cantalope are blooming, watermelons growing well but no flowers yet.

RoseFiend -- We are even. I just started roses for the first time this season so at best I am a newbie to them but I can answer your questions pertaining to most all EB and melon questions. As far as the weed mat is concerned I use it per Farmerdill's advice. It keeps everything weed free and a heck of a lot neater. No way would I be able to mow the grass amongst the melon vines?

Must be something new as far as cantaloupe seedlings are concerned? Never seen them for sale as seedlings? Anyway, treat them as three individual plants and plant three to one EB being certain to put the fertilizer strip on the other side as the EB instructions show. We'll be here to help!

Gardenglory -- I grew my Sugar Bush and some honeydews on a trellis tied to my fence! It is amazing the strength of the vines? The Spanish melons had to be supported as they were getting very heavy. I tied them up with panty hose and old bird netting for extra support. What type of melons are you growing?

Im growing some sangria watermelons and some generic cantalope. I will admit, I have had a bit of a learning curve with these EB's. But the melons are doing so well...so far. I am even already picking peppers. I will use that box for more tomatoes and melons next year I think. My peppers in the regular pot are not near as big, but making peppers.

Never grew Sangria! Will try next season. I have Black Mountain, Orangelo, Picnic, Bush Sugar Baby, Tigger, Golden Midget and can't remember the rest but ten varieties, each planted three to the EB @ ten EBs = 30 melon plants total.
The Golden Midgets are going to be ready in two weeks. I'll "Show n Tell."

I never really thought about growing melons in a EB ? hmmm. might have to whip me up a couple and do a few. :)
i have Orangelo and some asian varietys i might trry.
thanks
sue

This is great to get all this good advice. Tplant, I'm so excited to find an EB expert - I hope you're not sorry when I pester you (or anyone on this forum, for that matter) with questions. I'm assuming it's a bit late to start cantaloupes this year(?), but armed with all this info, I'll definitely try next season. I've grown tomatoes before, but like GardenGlory am having issues this season with my Better Boys with fungus... or something. I planted corn (Silver Queen) for the first time in my EB, but they are not growing like I think they should. Anyone here grown corn in their EB?

And Tplant - I have about 100+ hybrid teas, so it's possible I could answer some rose questions. Maybe. LOL

Pam

Was just out trying to get one last look for today. Mosquitos would have none of that. Next time I wont put the cantalope and watermeon in the same EB. The C'lope is really taking over. The w'mellon is looking beautiful in the leaf department, nice and green. Its just not such a show off I guess.

So Gardenglory, how many of each melon did you put in yout EB for the watermelon and cantaloupe? One of each?

I actually hae two watermelon and a cantalope. Thank goodness I didnt do the reverse

Pam -- I have grown excellent corn in my EBs and they were delicious. I direct seed sixteen stalks per EB. Eight on each side with the fertilizer down the middle.Have always had great success? Do you have the real EBs or HEBs? (homemade) I have yet to find any flower or vegetable that can not be grown in EBs!

My corn prior to picking. As you can see they love the EBS!!

One of last seasons melons. Mickeylee. Even more delicious than it looks..

Another with my assistant posing..

Tplant, that watermelon is making my mouth water--and my plant only has about 4 leaves on it, so I've got a long time to wait! :)

Your melons look great--as always!

My boxes are all filled with tomatoes until the heat hits. Seems like they went from "small and innocent" to "big burly monster" stage overnight, but I've got good fruit set on all of them, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

That is what is happening in my EB's, they kinda went along at an unimpressive rate. Like you say, almost overnight, they kick into overdrive and you know that could have never happened in a pot. I actually planted almost one of everything in a pot that i planted in the EB, just to test.

Tplants has mentioned this before, I have the same results. Direct sowing if you can, yeilds a much better plant and things get going much faster. I got antsy in the winter, started a bunch a seedlings. Wont do that again, at least not those veggie seedlings.

Tplant - the pictures of your corn and watermelon look fabulous Knowing the corn will do that well is encouraging - especially since everybody who sees my corn in the EB (a real one, not home-made!) just shakes their head and thinks I'm nuts. I didn't direct seed - I used seedlings which I will not do next time. They definitely suffered for a few weeks before deciding to behave. And your watermelon - well , words can't describe how good that looks! Actually, I had been considering trying the Square Foot Gardening method, but after seeing your pictures, I have renewed hope. Maybe I'll just keep on with the EBs. . .

With all the melons forming on the vine I must water twice a day! Next season instead of three per EB I think I'll cut back to two per EB? Ya know, I say that every season and have yet to do so!! LOL LOL I must be mentally ill.... or a true gardener?? HELP ME ??

Rose -- I find working(if you can call it work?)with EBs to be most rewarding and very productive. I discovered them a few years ago from a fellow gardener and bought three as a lark but when they outproduced anything that I have ever tried including the container methods and in-ground planting, I was hooked by the fantastic results. The no weeding and once per season fertilizing plus no fear of overwatering was a god send to me as I am partially disabled with Post Polio Syndrome but it does not prevent me from gardening as you have seen. The 10-10-10 fertilizer and the Dolomite lime really does the job. There is no secret to success in gardening -- just follow directions as I still do and you can grow anything in them including roses and small trees if you wish.

This message was edited May 3, 2008 11:09 AM

I am in a dolomite lime panic. Cant find it anywhere all of the sudden. Since it has magnesium and not calcium, do you think putting some magnesium ( epsom salts) in would make it the same.

Your success in EB's makes me want to build a few and give corn and other things a try. Really impressed!!

Also glad to know that Mickeylee is a good melon. I have started seeds for it and Sugar Baby in a very-well amended 4' x 8' bed. We'll see how that goes...

Hey Paw!

You still 'nukin' your corn? Makes my mouth water. Now, Paw, plug your ears up for a few while I tell Feldon30 about the eBuckets I've got goin this season, along with my EBs. I have made 8 eBuckets, and the tomatoes in them are growing like they're on steroids! Never had this kinda success last two growing seasons (and, you know this is only my 3rd season growing anything!). I know it was all your wonderful advice, and the fact that the monsoons have bypassed Houston this Spring. Last year this time, we were weathering yet another flood/storm/downpour! People think all that "free" water is wonderful, but we can always turn the faucet on -- we can't quite turn up the sunshine, and I'm learning how much of a difference the sun makes in a garden! I have two small raised boxes on the fringe of the DH's St. Aug grass, under some overhanging tree branches. I'm trying carrots in them, but I think they're not getting enough full sun down on that RICH compost that I filled the boxes with. DH doesn't know it, but those beds are gonna slowly start moving "toward the light" and by next summer will be sitting right smack in a nice patch of sunshine!

I am still having trellis nightmares, though! We had a really windy day this Wednesday and I came home to find every one of my 36" plants keeled over! I was scrambling like a crazy woman to get stakes into those EBs and all those tomato plants (approximately 12) on the vertical again. They have silver dollar size fruits on em' and are full of blooms. The wind gave 'em just the push they needed. I only lost one branch. But, I'm still trying to get the DH to design me a "better" tomato cage or trellis system.

I'm really drawn toward some sort of horizontal stacking "table" type of trellis that the branches can actually lay the fruit down on. There was a post last summer where someone placed square horizontal (copper?) panels. As the fruit grew vertical she fed the branches through the squares of the panels and the fruits sorta laid on the top of the panels. Still trying to figure out a workable design. In the meanwhile, I'll be single-handedly driving up the stock with my gardener's tape purchases at HD and Lowes...

Glad to hear, also, that I still have time to plant my okra seeds in the remaining EBs. The plant from last Spring is still green, but it seems to be petrified. Not dying, but not growing, either. I think it's just not warm enough yet for it to take off. It's in an eBucket.

Finally, my Kentucky Wonder green beans have some sorta spotted copper colored fungus? on the leaves. Not all of them, but enough for me to take some action. And the sugar snap peas have a powdery mildew? going on. Ortho Garden Disease Control to the rescue? But, both bean plants are starting to push white blooms. Go figure...

Paw, go nuke me an ear of corn! Yum!

Gymgirl -- That corn was superbly delicious. What a difference when picked and eaten fresh off the plant. Glad your HEBs are working for you. Have you tried the EB staking system? I bought three last season for my newer EBs and they held up very well. Peas and beans won't do well in heat and humidity. Don't know what your temps are but keep that in mind with your powdery mildew battle. I have found thru experience that once it starts it is a losing battle. Best form of prevention is to spray beforehand on a 10-day schedule and even at that there is no guarantee!

gardenglory --- I am in the same situation. Lowes now carries a 50-50 mix of hydrated and dolomite but I still prefer the 100% dolomite. Some epsom salts (agriculturaL type?) certainly couldn't hurt but how much to use with each EB as I would like to know because I will be setting four or more EBs for my peppers?

feldon30 -- Mickeylee is a delicious melon so red and sweet. When I went to cut ours all I did was to cut it slightly with my carving knife and it just "popped" in half because it was so full with juice. Just wait for the vine to dry up before picking as with all melons and that was the toughest part for me. I was so tempted to pick sooner but I'm sure glad that I waited for the right time. Best of luck with your HEB venture but I still prefer to buy the real McCoy!

We have been extremely lucky this year in Houston. Near-perfect tomato growing weather. Cool nights, warm (but not 90 degree) days, just a little rain. I probably shouldn't count my chickens, but I've got 320 non-cherries set on 34 plants so far. If we get any more cool evenings (not for the next week at least) then that will provide a window for even more fruitset, but already I'm going to probably have enough for the farmer's market!

So far, raised beds with well-amended soil have worked well for me for the tomatoes and beans. I'm using a combination of tomato cages I made out of 60" galvanized fencing and some Texas tomato cages. So far the tomatoes have been largely maintenance-free.

But I'm thinking of making homemade Earthboxes for Cucumbers, Corn, Melons, etc. I'd love to buy real Earthboxes, but $50 is steep. I've seen Earthboxes for sale at local nurseries too. I'm pretty handy with tools so I don't mind making a few myself. Looking at JoshO's method http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm It's probably too late for corn here, but might have time for melons or more cucumbers.

I buy the EB's in their clearance section. It says the holes are drilled crooked. I have never noticed that. I dont use the castors anyway. You have to buy five at a time, but they are 25$ a piece. Of course, you add your own mix and fertilizer. I am saving to add five more . Im highly motivated now that there are veggies forming in them there boxes! Once you add the mix and lime, you do have another 8 or nine bucks into it. That is money I would have to spend, reguardless. That said, Im looking to make some of those homemade EB buckets .

Gardenglory,
By all means, go for the buckets! They are super simple to make (I put together 3 in 1/2 hour one evening), and work just as well as the EBs, especially for single plant growth. Not really enough room to grow two of anything in the bucket, but using them to grow a single, huge, indeterminant tomato plant really works. I'm gonna put my okra in several buckets. I also fitted a 3-1/2 gallon top bucket over a 5 gallon reservoir.

Do you have the directions? If not, here's the link to the instructions I used.

http://www.dougs.org/doug/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4

And here's a link to leetomkatebob's wire cage system around an eBucket.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4772502

This message was edited May 4, 2008 10:11 PM

Gardenglory, I got the clearance EBs as well (Thanks, Santa! ☺ ) then decided I needed to add on the staking system. Worked just fine with the odd caster holes, and now I'm planning on adding the casters to the feet of the staking system--gotta move my 'maters, and they've gotten too heavy to slide around any more!

Thatnks so much Ggirl. I did not have that info. Been wondering were boca bob, as I call him for short, has been.

Tplant. Next time you put an EB together, would you take a picture of your fertilizer mound. I think my fertilizer is burning some of my plants. I feel I just did not do that correctly.

I just had to comment on the weather, didn't I?

It's torrential rain right now. :(

gardenglory -- 2 cups in a two inch wide line down the center or on opposite side of EB. Should not burn plants! What did you use in the way of fertilizer and how did you place it?

Ok, you say you have 3 Mickeylee or 3 Sugar Baby plants in one Earthbox. Looking at the picture you posted at the top of the thread, do you have the earthbox located on black plastic tarp and the melon vines sprawl?

Not black tarp but brown weed cloth. The tarp would be to hot and would probably burn the vines. I'm not growing Mickeylee this season because I simply forgot to plant the seeds but I have ten different varieties of melons and they are planted according to variety three to the EB and all vines are allowed to sprawl. However, last season when we were in a different location I had them up (different varieties again) against a chain link fence and trellised the smaller versions because of lack of space. They were the Sugar Baby melons and spanish melons but they did have extra support by tying with strips of bird netting to the fence. I did not have Bush Sugar Baby last season which I now have and do like the way they grow. They are very compact and take up no more than three feet or so. As far as quality is concerned I'll tell you when they are ripe.

I liked the advice you gave, Tplant. Just follow the directions! I can do that at least.

Oh, and is it too late to plant some watermelon (or any type of melon) in Central Florida?

According to the Central Fl Planting Guide April was the final date for planting melons in your area but I would still try it!