Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Although melons need a fair bit of attention, most of the complicated and space-
hungry support arrangements so often mentioned for melons in gardening topics
look beautiful but are not truly necessary; the only thing that is more-or-less
mandatory is a reasonable summer. Don't let any of this put you off having a go
- grown vertically, melons don't take much more room than a tomato plant, so
what have you got to lose?
Seed merchants are often very generous in their descriptions of the conditions
needed for melon varieties, so beware. Chose an early (the earlier the better)
variety of cantaloupe melon such as 'Troubadour' for the best chances of success.
Some musk (or 'netted') melons are also suitable for polytunnels but usually
need heat, as do winter melons including honeydew.
Preparation
Melons need rich soil with plenty of nutrients, particularly near the surface
where they develop a substantial root mat. Apply a top dressing of 7cm of good
compost or manure to the bed around the same time that you sow the seeds, and
keep it moist but not waterlogged.
Sowing
Unlike with many other plants, it's a bad idea to start melons off too early, since
any check to their growth stunts them, damaging your chances of a worthwhile
harvest. You can, however, gain a few extra weeks by starting them off in pots
indoors, which can make all the difference to your harvest. Wait until the weather
settles down in April or May and sow one seed per pot, 1cm deep, placing the
seed on its edge to give it the best chance of slipping cleanly out of the compost.
We recommend using 8cm or 9cm biodegradable pots for sowing because melons
dislike being transplanted, especially when they are small. Place the pots in a
propagator at around 21°C or place them on a sunny windowsill covered with
plastic to stop them drying out, removing it once the seedlings emerge.
Growing
The seedlings should not be planted in the beds until the settled warm weather
arrives in May or early June, so they will probably need to be re-potted at least
once, and may already be quite large or even flowering. This is not a problem for
them and is far preferable to an uncertain start, particularly if there are slugs
about.
By far the simplest and most space-efficient means of growing melons is to
string-train them as described in Chapter 6 (page 51). The weight of fruit can be
quite substantial, so there mustn't be any doubt about the strength of your top
wire; unless you have used steel cable, attach the growing string directly to a
crop bar or a clamp instead. The growing string doesn't have to be absolutely
vertical, so long as it cannot slip at the top.
