Not surprisingly, we have had early frosts to complement the late spring. My
melon plants are dead, and I have some yellow canary melons that are small -
six inches long, four inch diameter, and more green then yellow. Question -
will these ripen on the shelf, or are they as ripe as they are likely to
get?

"Zoot" wrote:
Not surprisingly, we have had early frosts to complement the late spring. My
melon plants are dead, and I have some yellow canary melons that are small -
six inches long, four inch diameter, and more green then yellow. Question -
will these ripen on the shelf, or are they as ripe as they are likely to
get?

Once picked melons don't ripen... people think they become sweeter but
actually they begin to ferment/rot. I don't know how many melons
you're talking about but if it's just a home garden with like a dozen
or so I'd suggest cutting them open and checking the flesh, if they're
tasty in the center then salvage what you can, cut into chunks and
freeze... they will be good for smoothies. Of course if you're
talking acres of melons then you have a problem, probably best to plow
them under

I am sorry to hear about your melons. I'm afraid I don't know the
answer to your question. I am completing a post for the most recent
newsgroup posting for gardening...as was specified in my Lansing
Community College class. I hope you have better luck next year with
your melons and that you find that the ones you have this year can be
saved by ripening on the shelf.

"Zoot" wrote in message
...
Not surprisingly, we have had early frosts to complement the late spring.
My melon plants are dead, and I have some yellow canary melons that are
small - six inches long, four inch diameter, and more green then yellow.
Question - will these ripen on the shelf, or are they as ripe as they are
likely to get?
You now have ammo *ripe* for a trevache.....or possibly a spud gun.

Val

wbit wrote:

I hope you have better luck next year with
your melons and that you find that the ones
you have this year can be saved by ripening
on the shelf.

Melons do not ripen on the shelf.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/c...935010165.html

"Sheldon" wrote in message
...
wbit wrote:

I hope you have better luck next year with
your melons and that you find that the ones
you have this year can be saved by ripening
on the shelf.

Melons do not ripen on the shelf.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/c...935010165.html


Interesting web site, nice and informational!

Since I only had a few, I had little to loose. I cut one open, and it was
more-or-less as I expected. Sweet, quite tasty, but not really as sweet as
it could have been. We had a late and wet spring, a late snow, late frosts.
Summer was not hot, and fall came all too soon. We have already had a few
frosts, and I have a bazillion green tomatoes! These melons suffered from
severe cucumber beetle infestations until I discovered Neem. By then summer
was half over so I guess I'm lucky I got what I did

Next year I plant earlier...and watch closely for bugs, and keep the Neem
handy.