![]() One of my favorites is about the 17th century noblewoman who wrapped her growing melons with her fur coat to protect them on a frosty night. In it she provides pictures and descriptions of 100 varieties, complete with interesting anecdotes. To whet your appetite for melons even further, check out Amy Goldman's book Melons for the Passionate Grower. I use the tendril test when the two tendrils nearest the fruit turn brown the watermelons are ready to pick. Many people swear by thumping but that has never worked for me. Ripe muskmelons will slip off the vine when ready but the ripeness of a watermelon is harder to gauge. What a long process but it is so worth it when the smell of ripe melon greets you when you walk into the garden. Then comes the watering and watching for pests and diseases. When the vines are 2 1/2 feet long, remove the end buds to encourage branching.Once the plants start to blossom the row covers have to come off so bees can pollinate the plants. The plants get covered with floating row covers to keep them warm and protected from the cucumber beetles.To get your Free Feel Good Field Guide, just scroll past the cover and click the download button below. ![]() It’s our way of saying thank you for being a loyal reader and to let you know we understand the struggles you’re facing. I make mounds of soil three feet apart that are enriched with compost and plant three per hill, pots and all. They are tap rooted and don't like to have their roots disturbed when they are transplanted. I pre-warmed the soil with black plastic and lay it down between the hills to keep the soil warm and weedfree. We have put together an 8-page full-color guide of a few of our best tips, tricks, and advice to help you get by.Long-range weather forecasts, gardening tips, and full Moon datesas well as bits of folklore that spark conversation. It isn't advisable to plant them outside until night temperatures are above 45 degrees. Get money-saving tips, weather updates and more Sign up today. I plant 2 to 3 seeds per pot and once they are up and growing well, I clip off the weaker ones leaving just one strong plant per pot.They need a soil temperature of about 70 degrees to germinate, so bottom heat is necessary. Want to know when to plant your vegetable garden The Almanacs got that How about the best days to fish or quit smoking Its in there. To give my melons a fighting chance I start them indoors in peat pots.Southern gardeners are probably laughing at me right now but growing any heat-loving plant here in the frozen north is a challenge. It seems like those plants always get attacked first by the cucumber beetles and eventually die. I have tried unsuccessfully for years to grow a true French charentais melon-the holy grail of melons. 'Blacktail Mountain' has been recommended to me by friends and 'Moon and Stars', which has both yellow and red-fleshed types, is all the rage among heirloom watermelon lovers. 'Sugar Baby' remains my favorite watermelon, probably because I actually get watermelons from them.
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