When you mailed Ledmon to me earlier this year, you said seed was from 2019. Do you think that will be Ledmon, or that might be Wibb too?
Mine haven’t set fruit yet, so I can’t judge by appearance at this time.
The seed that were incorrect are from 2017. You can tell when they set fruit as the watermelons will be very light colored. The light color prevents sun scald. It is an important trait of Ledmon that I really appreciate. Please wait until they set fruit and get about 6 inches diameter. Dark fruit is most likely Wibb where very light colored white/green fruit are Ledmon.
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Thanks for the tips so I will know what to look for. I’ll enjoy the melons either way, but these should be Ledmon then, since you had labeled them 2019.
I didn’t plant them as early as I intended, but should still have enough time to ripen melons by late summer.
These are the kind of thoughts people have when they are staring at their only sized but not ripe melon of a certain variety before a few days of (supposed) rain.
Had anyone ever tied a string around the stem of a melon that has sized but not ripened to try to limit the impact of heavy rains as far as splitting? Constrict it a bit?
Is it just me?
Beuller? Beuller? Anyone? Anyone?
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That’s an interesting idea. Not sure it would work but hey there’s a chance…!!
Waiting for my Petit Gris de Rennes to ripen. I hope it’s as good as the French Charentais.
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Today’s project is to enclose a portion of my watermelon patch with Hardware Cloth as I am losing the battle with rats and whatever else out there. I have been baiting and have an electronic shock trap. Bait gets eaten but the trap hasn’t killed one yet. Today it was flipped over as whatever was zapped went nuts and got away. I have been seeing multiple rats fleeing the patch when I walked out in early mornings.
Never had this problem before as its always when they get ripe before anything goes after them. I think my problem is that I have my row of watermelons and cantaloupes next to a row of 16 peach trees that I been picking off of for a couple of weeks. So all sorts of animals are visiting to eat peaches and apparently melons as a side.
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@jerryrva Like a lot of posts here, that is a tough one to hit the like button for. We really need some type of weeping or sad button.
Animals are tough and I almost feel like they are like casino owners with slot machines. They let you win a little now and again so you don’t just quit (and they lose all those tasty treats we grow), but know how to push it right to edge to wring everything they can out of us. I had two peaches and was getting nothing. I took one out and was planning to pull the second one this fall and suddenly the squirrels actually let me get almost a dozen peaches this year. Coincidence?
I hope you get find a way to protect some of those melons.
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We definitely need more buttons… Like a commiseration one.
I’ve only had one season and melon with such a problem…pretty sure it was squirrels.
I was told (by my local Coop horticulturalist) to provide a water source for them that’s easy to get to as typically rodents are only looking for water/moisture, not the fruit itself.
It was a dry spell last summer when it happened.
Does this jive with anyone here.
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I saw an apple that was half eaten, so my husband put out a trap last night and we got one. I’m very nervous about my peaches.
I have heard this before but it is not consistent with my experience. People say it about birds as well. But neither live on water alone, so why would they not eat whatever they can get? I have a bunch of container water gardens around my place which birds and squirrels drink from … and then head over to the the tomatoes and other delicacies.
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This is too weird for my early morning inspection. I was horrified to see this live rat hanging around, maybe it’s sick from poison or got injured. But I hope it moves away because we’re not touching it while it’s alive. It’s very unusual to see a live rat hanging around like this.
We have 1 good watermelon last year. Now, my girl is planting more this year. To me, it’s not worth growing it that many. It’s too hot here and they need to be water everyday. Even when watered, they still suffer from the heat and that is with wood chip in the pot. Then, they died after the season is over. It’s just cheaper to buy it in the store, than wasted resource on it. Buy the USA quality instead of Mexico. The one from Mexico have no taste, except for the Sugar Daddy brand. Tasted that brand for the 1st time and it surprised me.
Melons aren’t meant to be grown in pots. They use too much water. In a pot one melon is probably the norm.
i dont blame you. rabies is a real concern with a solitary animal out and about in broad daylight.
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Most of what you are saying are true. We limit them 2 in a container for the big watermelon and limit to 3 for the smaller one like the sugar baby. Even if they are labeled big watermelon, it will be medium size because I don’t pump it with full of fertilizer. When done right, you barely put a knife in them and they start splitting. Then, you can eat them all the way to the grind or eat the grind too.
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I have some 2.5’ x 5’ x 2’ H raised beds I was thinning of growing some smaller watermelons in. I was thinking the raised bed let’s me avoid over watering near ripening. I’d think that would be enough soil to get a normal yield for 3-4 vines.
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I posted a photo before of this melon. I think it’s a Golden Midget?
Anyway, see the photos. The nearest tendril is dry on its end but I can’t tell of that is natural or it broke and dried.
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The dry tendril is typical of a nearly ripe watermelon. Look at the ground spot to see if it shows large and white. If so, it is ready to harvest. My guess is that it is not quite there yet.
This one I thought was near dying, then too many flies bothered him, he climbed up a tree now, no fruit on these trees, but I think the neighbor has a water feature, and they must put out poison for him, I know we didn’t.
But I want it to fall dead or get off my lawn, having this animal in my yard makes me very uneasy.
People grow melons in container because they don’t have space, otherwise why would they, melons like to roam.