Of all of the produce grown in the garden, my personal favorites have to be the melons. Watermelons, cantaloupes and cren-shaws provide some of the greatest enjoyment in gardening. Nothing else is as universally suitable for eating at breakfast, lunch or dinner, parties, picnics or whatever the occasion.
The most common question I get about watermelons is how to know when the watermelon is ripe?Judging maturity on melons is more difficult than on most other crops. There is no difference in appearance of green and ripe fruits, so experience is necessary to pick the best melons. The following guidelines indicate when the melons are ripe. Just opposite the stem end of the fruit is a small tendril or pigtail. This pigtail withers and turns brown before the fruit is ripe. On many varieties, it dies prematurely, so this is not a reliable indicator of ripeness. The ground spot, the area where the melon touches the ground, changes from a pale white or green color to a creamy yellow color when melons are ripe. The rind on the ground spot become tough so it resists denting with a fingernail.
Probably the best way to gauge ripeness is by thumping the melon. It should not be resting on the ground or on other melons. Pick the melon up in one hand and slap it with the palm of your other hand. It should produce a dull sound rather than a hard or metallic sound. An old gardener's gauge of melon ripeness is as follows: If a melon sounds like thumping your head, it's not ripe enough. If it sounds like thumping your stomach, it's too ripe, and if it sounds like thumping your chest, it is just right. Melons that are over-mature have a very dull sound with little vibration transmitted as you slap the fruit. They should be cut, not pulled from the vine, to prevent rot from developing on the stem end. They do not continue to ripen after they are harvested, so don't pick them before they are ready.
Cantaloupes will pick themselves; that is, the fruit will slip off the stem when it is fully ripe. Again, they do not increase in sugar content, although some improvement in flavor and texture may occur after picking. The color between the netting on cantaloupe skin should change from a cucumber green to a mottled green or a light yellow color. Other musk melons such as honeydew, crenshaw, casaba and persian varieties do not separate from the stem. On these varieties, the skin is usually yellow and there is a slight softening of the blossom end when pressed. Smelling the blossom end of these melons indicates ripeness. Ripe melons have a pleasant, fruit perfume.
In addition to the challenge of selecting a ripe melon, there are other problems affecting good melon production. Melon wilt is due to fusarium and verticillium fungi. The plants wilt but may partially recover during the cool of the evening. The wilting progresses until the plant finally withers and dies. A pinkish, white fungal growth may occur on the disease stem near the ground. If you cut the stem of an affected plant lengthwise, you'll notice the interior of the stem has brown or yellow streaks.
Don't plant melons on soils afflicted with wilt. Unfortunately, fusarium and verticillium wilts are both long-lived, soil-inhabiting fungi, so rotation in the home garden is not a practical method of control. Select varieties known to be resistant. Family Fun, Sweet Favorite, All Sweet and Crimson Sweet are resistant watermelon varieties. Resistant cantaloupe varieties include: Harper Hybrid, Samson Hybrid Classic and Early Sweet. Resistance does not mean immunity, and these varieties still may be affected. There is no chemical control.
Other problems evident on melons include blossom end rot. Blossom end rot is caused by a water imbalance. Watermelons are aptly named because they required large amounts of water. However, they should not be kept overly wet. On affected plants, the blossom end of the fruit develops a dry, brown, leathery lesion that fails to enlarge as the rest of the fruit enlarge. Irrigate evenly and maintain uniform soil moisture.
Fruit rots also develop on melons. Spots develop on the fruit; as the fungal infection grows, the spots enlarge. The skin does not decay but internal discoloration extends into the center of the fruit. After the rots invade, secondary organisms cause further rot of the fruit and the skin of the plant. Control fruit rots by planting on well-drained soils. On soils that persistently remain moist, set developing fruits on a board or brick to keep them dry on the bottom. Always allow the soil to dry out between irrigations and keep fruit out of irrigation ditches. There are no sprays to control this disease.
Powdery mildew also affects some melons. It is more severe on cantaloupes than on watermelons. Powdery mildew resistant cantaloupes include Ambrosia, Classic and Early Sweet. Watermelon varieties resistant to this include Family Fun and Super Sweet.
Fortunately, most of our melons are not severely bothered by insects. If you can get them past the slugs and cutworms in the early spring, about the only problem you see will be aphids. They are easily controlled using any of the common garden insecticides.
If you have had a problem growing melons this year, make a note of varieties that avoid the problem affecting your melons. Don't be fooled into thinking that the best watermelons are imported, as Utah produces some of the best and highest quality melons grown anywhere.
COMING EVENTS
Flower arranging demonstration by Gertrude Glauser, sponsored by the Utah Rose Society, Sept. 13, 7-9 p.m. Admission $5 at the Utah Association of Garden Clubs, Sugarhouse Park Activity Center, 1602 E. 2100 South. For information, call Marguerite Allen, 355-3824, or Leola Bott, 295-5467. Annual Master Gardeners Class begins Sept. 18. For application, call 468-3170.