Fresh, vine-ripened melons are the highlight of the garden season in my opinion. Lazy summer afternoons aren't complete without generous crops of watermelons, cantaloupes,crenshaws and honeydews. Melon growing can be frustrating under our adverse conditions, but successful production is possible.
I've always been an avid gardener. When I was younger, I would buy my seed every year. I must admit that my selections were based on how pretty the pictures on the packets were and how large the melons promised to be. Exotic names like Charleston Gray, Congo, Striped Klondike and Jubilee caught my fancy. All of these varieties would be fine for Texas, Alabama or Mississippi, but they just don't make it in northern Utah. Each year at frost time I would slice the melons. On the best years they were slightly pink with no sugar and no flavor.Fortunately, I've learned a better way. There are eight steps to help you produce high-quality melons that will ripen early enough to enjoy a long harvest season. By following them, you will be able to harvest melons starting sometimes in August.
-RULE 1 is choose the right variety. As mentioned previously, many melons just do not make it in our area. Listed below are some of the best melon varieties available according to trials conducted by Dr. Alvin Hamson, Utah State University Extension vegetable specialist.
Cantaloupe: Summet Hybrid, Harper Hybrid, Classic Hybrid, Mangum 45 Hybrid, Mission Hybrid, Burpee's Ambrosia. Related melons: Early Dew, Jade Dew, Rocky Sweet.
Watermelon: Mickylee, Sugar Belle Hybrid, Long Crimson, Crimson Sweet, Mirage Hybrid, Triple Sweet Seedless, Tri-X-313 Seedless, Yellow Baby Hybrid (yellow flesh).
There is no substitute for the right variety. Even though hybrid seeds may be more expensive, they are well worth the price considering the quality and quantity of your harvest.
-RULE 2: Always plant seeds or transplants correctSB) Larry A. Sagers is a horticulturist with the Utah State University Extension Service.
ly. One of the latest ways of starting melons is growing them in trays. These trays, called protrays, are available from various greenhouse suppliers. If the trays are not available, small individual pots can be used. Avoid using peat pots or Jiffy Sevens as these may restrict root growth and establishment once the plant is placed in the field. Use a good, well-drained, artificial growing mix.
Melons need fairly warm temperatures to germinate. Eighty-five degrees is ideal. If you don't have a heat cable or propagation mat, use the top of the refrigerator to get the seeds to germinate. Cool temperatures will result in very poor germination. Don't start the plants too early. It takes only 21/2 to three weeks to grow melon transplants. Set them out when they have their first set of leaves. If you let the plants get larger than this they will not establish themselves well in the field.
-RULE 3: Keep them warm. Melons are a warm-season crop and need warm temperatures and full sunshine. Do not attempt to grow melons in areas where they are cool or shaded.
-RULE 4: Don't attempt melons too early. As mentioned, they are a warm-season crop and must have warm soils to grow. You can plant from seed if you don't want to bother with transplants. If seeds or transplants are placed out in the field too early they will not grow. You can warm the soil by using Wall 'o Waters or clear plastic mulch. Clear plastic will raise the soil temperatures as much as 10 degrees. This will enable you to plant your melons two to three weeks earlier than might otherwise be possible. The warmer soil temperatures also increase the yields. In addition to larger yields, the size of individual melons may increase by as much as 20 percent.
-RULE 5: All melons require adequate water. If the melons are stressed for water, they will not set fruit and the fruit will not increase in size. Water should be supplied as necessary. That does not mean that melons like to be overwatered. They must have good, well-drained soil to produce.
-RULE 6: Give your melons adequate room. Melons must develop large vines to develop large fruit. Space the plants with at least 2 feet between the rows and allow at least four feet between plants in the rows.
-RULE 7: Fertilizer is very important. Watermelons require most of their fertilizer early in the season, but they are very sensitive to salt. Apply a high phosphate fertilizer before planting. Hamson uses 11-52-0 fertilizer. You could make a similar fertilizer by mixing one part ammonium nitrate (33-0-0) with three parts treble super phosphate (0-45-0). Cantaloupes require the same fertilizer at planting time. Add nitrogen to watermelons after 30 and 60 days. Do not add fertilizer after that time as you may burn the plants. Cantaloupes should be side dressed with nitrogen every 30 days throughout the growing season. Do not allow fertilizer pellets to contact the leaves of the plant.
-RULE 8: All melons are very poor competitors. Grow them in a weed-free environment. Weeds stunt the plants and greatly reduce yields. Remove weeds early in the growing season as cultivation after the plants have started to vine is difficult and may damage the tender, young root systems.
If you are diligent, you will be able to produce wonderful melons in your own back yard. Select the right varieties, and the quality of these melons will be among the best you have ever tasted.
-If you have ash or birch trees, spray them this week. Ash trees must be sprayed for the ash or lilac borer. Apply dursban or lindane or thiodan to the infestations of the bronze birch borer. Use dursban or lindane to spray the trunks or branches - not the leaves. There is strong evidence that these pests attack stressed or weakened trees. A good fertility and irrigation program will help trees avoid problems.
-Larry A. Sagers is a horticulturist with the Utah State University Extension Service.