On 12 Jun, 10:22, "Keith \(Dorset\)"
wrote:
Once again ths year I am getting quite a few of my tiny melons (Cantaloupe),
turning yellow and 'dying off at a very early stage - when they are about
the size of a de-podded French bean.
Any help please.

Alan Gould once wrote this:-

"In UK melons really need some protection to produce any worthwhile
crop.
They would be ok in a conservatory if you have no greenhouse, but try
to
keep the air as warm and draught free as possible - conservatory
doors
and windows tend to be opened when the sun is hot, then forgotten
until
the next morning. :-(

When the plants have their first true pair of leaves, i.e. the ones
which form up after the initial seed leaves, pot them up singly into
8
or 10 inch pots, using good growing compost - organic preferably.
Ensure
that the pots have good drainage. Train them up a stake as they grow
(not necessary outside) and restrict most side stems to one bud.
Allow
about 3 or 4 buds to pollinate, then select one or two of the best
looking young fruits to grow on. You may need to help the plants by
hand
pollination. Restrict each plant to two, or at very most three
fruits.

As the fruits begin to develop, they can become too heavy for their
stems and need some support under them. We use upturned flower pots,
or
a small netting bag will do. The fruits will ripen quite slowly, but
they should not be allowed to over-ripen. Watch for their skins
becoming
a little tacky, and the bottom of the melon becoming slightly soft to
(gentle) finger pressure. At the same time, the melons will give off
an
unmistakable sweet smell - then they are ripe and ready to pick.

During growing, keep the soil moist but not water-logged, melon stems
are prone to rotting if they are kept too wet. We don't feed ours
because they are grown in fresh home-made organic compost, but a
dilute
solution of general fertiliser is often given in ordinary soils.

If you have lots of melons, their flesh is excellent for freezing
enabling yo to offer your guests a dish of delicious home-grown
melons
in midwinter! "

Shazzbat also grew some and you've asked about 'bunny tails' for
pollination once and if you run a search for that article you'll get
the discussion. If you can't find it I'll have a look for you. Good
luck.

ps. my charentais melons have died a while ago but I'm going to have
lots of cucumbers instead )