Neither my neighbor or myself have any cantaloupes that have set
fruit. Not a problem with watermelon or honey dew melons.

The vines look healthy. Highs have been in the 90's for some time.

Jeff

Jeff Thies wrote:
Neither my neighbor or myself have any cantaloupes that have set
fruit. Not a problem with watermelon or honey dew melons.

The vines look healthy. Highs have been in the 90's for some time.

Jeff


Too hot? Cold nights? Too much nitrogen fertilizer?

If you are in the U.S. I'd call a county agriculture office and ask.
That's why they exist.

gloria p

I'm in Pennsylvania zone 5-6. I planted Hale's Best cantaloupes this
year and averaged 5 melons per plant. The problem I'm having is the
fact that the fruit isn't very sweet. I don't know if it's something I
done wrong or if it's the melon I decided to grow. Next year I'll try
Honey Rock and Super Star which is a hybrid. My soil is clay amended
with cow manure and compost. In the fall, I mulch leaves and cover my
bed. Come spring I fork them into the soil along with a slow release
granular fertilizer about two weeks before setting out my plants.

Rich

On Aug 11, 11:14*am, (EVP MAN) wrote:
I'm in Pennsylvania zone 5-6. *I planted Hale's Best cantaloupes this
year and averaged 5 melons per plant. *The problem I'm having is the
fact that the fruit isn't very sweet. *I don't know if it's something I
done wrong or if it's the melon I decided to grow. *Next year I'll try
Honey Rock and Super Star which is a hybrid. *My soil is clay amended
with cow manure and compost. *In the fall, *I mulch leaves and cover my
bed. *Come spring I fork them into the soil along with a slow release
granular fertilizer about two weeks before setting out my plants.

Rich

This is to all. Lucky you have hot weather. Here, in So. Calif
coastal, we have had the weirdest of all summers -- cool and overcast.
So my cantaloupes and watermelons flower -- and then nothing. Yes,
they have adequate water and compost/worm castings. Last year, I
had GORGEOUS cantaloupes. What else could be factor, if not lack of
summer heat? Note: My beans are doing great -- both green and
yellow. It's just the damn melons. Also cucumbers were not stellar.
And the only tomatoes that are doing well are volunteers. The tomatoe
plants from Home Despot got tossed. A few new ones from a local
nursery are doing pretty well.

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:14:08 -0400
(EVP MAN) wrote:

I'm in Pennsylvania zone 5-6. I planted Hale's Best cantaloupes this
year and averaged 5 melons per plant. The problem I'm having is the
fact that the fruit isn't very sweet. I don't know if it's something I
done wrong or if it's the melon I decided to grow.
snip

How ripe did you let them get? I'm just picking our muskmelon now. They
seem to be best (sweetest) when some cracks develop around where the
stem attaches. A nice tan/brownish color and the stem will detach with
little effort on your part. Another clue is that you can easily smell
them. A few cracks may show in the fruit itself. When you cut them open
the rind will only be 1/8 to 1/4 inch max for the most part. At this
point you need to use them right away. They go from really good to
rotten in just a day or two. The stuff you find/buy at the store was
picked way, way too soon and will never be so sweet and tasty.

Been freezing some of what we can't eat and giving others to the
neighbor. It would be nice if like one a week got ripe, but sadly it
doesn't seem to work out that way...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

I started my melons from seed under grow lights. They were 6 weeks old
when I planted them in the garden May 15. Picked my first mellon about
two weeks ago. They were a great color on the outside but a bit pale on
the inside. They just about fell off the vine into your hand when I
picked them up. Just not as sweet tasting as I expected them to be.
The vines were running wild and I did prune them back. Perhaps this was
my mistake. I read on the net that the more leaves on a mellon plant the
better as the leaves produce sugar for the fruit. Any ideas on this?

Rich

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:14:35 -0400
(EVP MAN) wrote:

I started my melons from seed under grow lights. They were 6 weeks old
when I planted them in the garden May 15. Picked my first mellon about
two weeks ago. They were a great color on the outside but a bit pale on
the inside. They just about fell off the vine into your hand when I
picked them up. Just not as sweet tasting as I expected them to be.
The vines were running wild and I did prune them back. Perhaps this was
my mistake. I read on the net that the more leaves on a mellon plant the
better as the leaves produce sugar for the fruit. Any ideas on this?

I only have one plant, bought it from a local market/nursery. They
called it "muskmelon". Haven't a clue to the variety. It was maybe 6-8
inches tall. Planted it a few days before Memorial Day weekend. I let
it run wild and tossed a five gallon bucket or two of water on if there
wasn't any rain for a week or so. The first melon I picked was waaay
too early, really really pale inside, not even a hint of sweetness.
Took about another 2 1/2 weeks to start getting yummy ones. Picked
eight now since last Saturday, they have all been really sweet and
juicy. Will probably get at least one more this coming week, maybe
another two, but I have my doubts that those will get mature enough to
be yummy.

My neighbor started his from seed in trays early and planted them out
maybe a week or two later. His are still really green and only about
half the size mine were. Those aren't getting full sun though and he
has a lot more weeds and grass mixed in with the plants. Didn't have
any straw/mulch around mine and kept them well weeded. The plant spread
out probably 8-10 feet in all directions (16-20 foot diameter).

Nothing all that special, but a couple images I took a few days ago.
The picked melons were scrubbed/washed. The file names pretty much
describe them:

http://www.iserv.net/~lfisk/unripe_melon_stem.jpg
http://www.iserv.net/~lfisk/ripe_melon_stem.jpg
http://www.iserv.net/~lfisk/ripe_picked_melons.jpg

I should have taken a picture after one was cut open, but I didn't
remember till my hands were all gooey. It was/is really hot &
humid, just wasn't up to messing around with pictures anymore...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Nice looking melons indeed I will try again next year but this is
what I will do differently. I'll space each plant at least five feet
apart. I won't prune any of the vines and I will cut way back on the
amount of water I give them two weeks before they ripen. I read that
this also makes the melons sweeter.

Rich