Success with Cantaloupes, Watermelons?

[Nimrod777]

Just curious to see if anyone had either of those two melons dialed in. Several years ago, based on a Mother Earth News poll, I bought some Blacktail Mountain watermelon seeds, them being championed as one of the best tasting watermelons. Had soil lousy with clay in Chattanooga, but a couple small ones eked out an existence, and they sure were sweet and crisp. But they really didn't flourish.

I notice the soil here in Spring Hill, Middle TN, is much more porous and fine. Should I dedicate some space? My wife would love some cantaloupes growing here at the house.

 

[wg24]

I'm trying to grow Dixie queen and Georgia rattlesnake watermelons this year. It is my first attempt so I can't help you out with a success story. As far as dedicating space, melon plants do best when they can run freely so it is best to leave at least 6 feet between planting sites. What I'm trying is digging a small hole and filling it with planting soil to make a little hill every 6 feet along a fence on my property. Then I'll plant 3 plants in each hill and give them plenty of space. I figure with this method it wont take up my prime garden spots and I can still try them.

Remember if you want big melons, once you get a melon or two on a vine then clip off any future flowers so the whole plants nutrients go to the melon. The way I understand it is melon plants only can suck up so many nutrients so you either have 1 or 2 large melons or 10 ones the size of your fist.

 

[WMAn]

Nimrod,

It sounds like you are lucky and have native soil at your house in Spring Hill. I'm in a subdivision, and all I have is clay fill dirt. I've got a lot of soil improvement work to do over the next year as I start gardening.

 

[Nimrod777]

I'm cutting through sod to make my patch, so it's unadulterated native soil from what I can tell. Not sure how fertile, but it sure is a joy to work compared to the clay and rock I had for the past 13 years. Looking forward to seeing good results.

WMAn, you are here in town as well? Lets get us some lunch sometime soon.

 

[catman529]

yeah go ahead and grow em. I haven't grown watermelon but another avid gardener in the community garden has grown plenty of nice watermelons.

cantaloupe is now a staple in my garden. Have to grow it every year. Sometimes when I pick one I just have to get out the pocket knife and eat it right there. I eat too much cantaloupe for a few weeks while they ripen each year.

 

[catman529]

yeah go ahead and grow em. I haven't grown watermelon but another avid gardener in the community garden has grown plenty of nice watermelons.

cantaloupe is now a staple in my garden. Have to grow it every year. Sometimes when I pick one I just have to get out the pocket knife and eat it right there. I eat too much cantaloupe for a few weeks while they ripen each year.

 

[catman529]

Nimrod,

It sounds like you are lucky and have native soil at your house in Spring Hill. I'm in a subdivision, and all I have is clay fill dirt. I've got a lot of soil improvement work to do over the next year as I start gardening.

till in a bunch of organic matter - compost of different sorts, store bought or make your own, just break up the soil so it's not so compact. Clay is generally fertile, it just compacts too much.

 

[Nimrod777]

Well, I can tell you now that I'm not pumping dollar one into this rental yard or garden, outside of the cost of the seeds. I just don't plan to be here long enough to justify it. The soil is anything but clay, breaks up nicely in your hand. I think it should do well for melons because the drainage has to be terrific.

Used a borrowed front-tine tiller, certainly not my pick of weapons, and last night trebled my existing garden space from what I had done by hand. By the week's end, I hope to have doubled that. Will put some corn in, and arrange a couple hills of melons to where they can meander in a bit.

 

[eightpointer]

Nimrod...youjust had to rub it in our faces down here about our sorry dirt...Just keep on Brother. As if it aint hard enough already you gotta pour gas on the fire.

 

[Nimrod777]

^^^ LOL ^^^
That clay has its upside.

When we first moved into Chattanooga I tried to establish our initial garden. We had moved down from a house in Missouri that had me struggling for years to eke out more than a bite-sized "Big Boy" tomato. The last year I was there, my neighbor across the road came over and said, "Surprised you can grow anything here. I watched em build this house. They pushed all the topsoil off this rise to make a nice level spot for the house. All your soil is back in them woods." GRRRRR!

So in Chattanooga I planted about 20 tomatoes that first year, hoping a few would survive. Man did they love that clay! We had tomatoes all over the place. Night before first frost I picked over 60 semi-ripe Romas to try and color up in the garage.

My challenge this year will be to keep the chickens and local rabbit from hitting my plot!

 

[richmanbarbeque]

Nimrod777, you keep taLking about a get together. I ain't seen no invitation.

 

[Nimrod777]

Nimrod777, you keep taLking about a get together. I ain't seen no invitation.

Well I don't need ya now; the tillin's done!

 

[richmanbarbeque]

Nimrod777, you keep taLking about a get together. I ain't seen no invitation.

Well I don't need ya now; the tillin's done!

Ha!

 

[eightpointer]

Nimrod777, you keep taLking about a get together. I ain't seen no invitation.

Well I don't need ya now; the tillin's done!

Thats funny right there.