Best Melons

Stopping the watering near harvest will allow for a sweeter fruit. Watering them too much toward harvest will water down the flavor.You'll know your melons are ripe enough when you pick one up and sniff the skin.

Surround the transplant with mulch to retard weed growth and retain water.Once the honeydew fruit has attained a smooth evenly colored skin after three months, harvesting honeydew melons may commence.

Varying moisture levels causes uneven uptake ofBlossom end rot in melons can happen even when there is adequate calcium in the soil, all that is needed to cause this unsightly disease is one day of inadequate watering when the fruit is beginning to form...

What is bitter melon? Fruit from the bitter melon vine can be harvested anytime during the growth period but generally when full sized, still green and about two weeks after anthesis, or the period of time between the opening of blooms and formation of...

In India and part of Africa, the melon is eaten when young and tender, sliced thinly or chopped atop rice and vegetable curry.The Chinese have been eating winter melon for centuries and their most lauded dish is a soup called “dong gwa jong” or winter...

(15 C.).Water the area immediately after planting, then keep the soil slightly moist, but never soggy. Jelly melon growing is that easy. Prepare the soil ahead of time by digging in a few inches of, as well as an application of balanced garden fertilizer.Plant...

However, it can be used in a. The seeds contain about 57 percent oil and 31 percent protein. All parts of the plant are photosynthetic and green, including the flowers.Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants.

If you don't have a sprayer, the solution can be poured on the soil, but from my reading it works more efficiently as a foliar (leaf) spray.This is probably also a good time to begin spraying for diseases, maybe even earlier.

(double yay!)Talk about a WOW factor – these multi-colored cayennes are almost too pretty to eat. Then we had a wet July - a truly freakish event for Dallas. I'm really looking forward to growing this Russian heirloom.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto/Thinkstock Melons are other crops that are sometimes deliberately stressed with saltwater at the end of the fruit-production cycle in order to encourage the plant to produce sweeter fruit.

Spoon dressing over salad. Mix together dressing ingredients, and adjust seasoning to taste. I'd avoid canned crab meat, but the refrigerator-case-style is tasty and available if fresh is impossible.

Its buttery blossoms are similar to those of cantaloupe and watermelon, yet have petals possessing a wrinkled appearance. A mass of pale, oval seeds reside at the center of each ripe cantaloupe.

About the Author: Horticulturist Jessica Walliser dreams of growing Eastern Prince, a fruit-bearing magnolia vine, in her zone-6 garden. Read more about growing edible vines. The variety Serenade produces baseball-sized melons with smooth, pale-green...

You cannot place the seeds or seedlings in the garden until all chance of frost is passed, including the occasional night frost. To raise the soil temperature, you can spread biodegradable plastic “mulch” around the young seedlings.You'll have to...

Since most melon plants do not like to have their roots disturbed during the planting process, these pots allow transplants to be placed directly into the garden after all chance of frost has passed.freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1");...

Spread 2 inches of organic mulch in a 2-foot circle around each plant to keep soil moist and free of weeds.Fertilizer the melons with 33-0-0 fertilizer a week after they bloom, at a rate of 1 tbsp.

Throw in a handful of fall raspberries or sugar and smash some berries into a raspberry sauce to spoon on top. I had top-dressed potted flowers with compost and planted annuals and herbs in compost-enriched soil so cherry tomatoes and others volunteered...

The majority of Piel de Sapo melons are quite large, reaching 1 foot long with an oval shape, but Lambkin is a miniature-sized selection. Each fruit weighs only 2 to 4 pounds. After tasting Lambkin, I now know I will grow them every year without fail.

It seems there were lots more of them those days, and I know today they are suffering from a deadly disease called white-nose syndrome . I remember as a kid we would go to a family bungalow on the weekends and all the kids would gather on the volleyball...

Wipe clean and store indoors. Harvesting Harvest when sound holow if tapped hard. Companions Nasturtium, Marigold, Oregano, Corn, Pumpkin, Radish, Squash, Beans and Morning Glory. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect...

Most of them make long vines, but some do not. The flowers open in the morning, and there are male and female flowers. A cucumber plant will attempt to grow vertically, putting out strong tendrils that will grab onto anything and pull the plant upwards.

They'll also require weekly watering of around 1 to 2 inches worth, preferably through drip irrigation.Mulch is another factor to consider when growing cantaloupe. Therefore, if you're unsure about when to harvest, you can simply check the stem where...

If they fit in your crisper, put them there, as the higher humidity in that part of the fridge helps to stop them from drying out. Watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon types all work great! Cut your melon into large wedges about 2 inches thick, leaving...

They are tender annual crops that require a lengthy growing season to prosper and bear fruit. Decrease water by half as the melons form to concentrate their sugars, providing water only when the soil dries out and the leaves show a slight wilt.

If a dull sound is heard, it is ripe.Store the ripened melon at room temperature until ready to chill and eat. If a ringing sound resonates, it needs more time in the bag. Brown paper bags are porous, allowing carbon dioxide to exit and oxygen to enter.

Melons are a challenge to grow around here. Add some plain yogurt for a smoothie version. Then, when we cut open two samples that seemed to be ready, we saw that the recent rains had swollen small varieties without ripening them.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2013 issue of Urban Farm. Honey Bun This bush variety is not only compact in stature, but it also bears the cutest little fruits. “What makes these types of miniature melons a good fit for urban gardeners...