Page 30 - ALG Issue 1 2020

fruit...
melon Cucumis melo
Melons are in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) and are grown for their (often musky-scented) edible fruits that develop on trailing vines. They are believed to be native to central Asia, and many cultivated varieties are now widely grown in warm regions around the world. Melons were first cultivated in Europe on a large scale in the 16th Century on the estate of the Pope at Cantalupo outside Rome.
Owners of large estates with walled gardens in the UK also began to grow them in greenhouses and hotbeds. A seed catalogue printed in Houghton- le-Spring in 1779: “A Catalogue of ...Seeds...with their Season of Sowing, Planting and Culture: Chiefly Adapted to the Northern Climates” by seeds-man James Clarke provides thorough guides to growing melons and cucumbers in ‘hotbeds’.
Kings Seeds offers four varieties of melon that will grow well in the UK:
• MelonBlenheimOrangeisanold andtriedvarietyofwonderfulflavour. It hosts a slightly netted skin and scarlet flesh within. This variety
is a real favourite with Victorian gardeners.
• MelonEmirF1istoleranttolow temperatures with a round oval shape with a greyish-green peel colour. It turns orange when it is maturing. It is a very tasty, fragrant and sweet variety of melon. Delicious and juicy when eaten on its own.
They also like high humidity. In warmer regions you could try planting outside into your compost heap
• MelonMalagahasclearlyribbed fruit with flesh that is very thick and juicy with a sweet and aromatic taste. Deep orange inner flesh makes a good replacement for Sweetheart.
• MelonOgenAGMisanoldfavourite, with small 15cm diameter fruits and pale green flesh with a delightful aromatic, sweet flavour.
Sow from February to May. Sow seed on edge to prevent rotting 1.5cm (1⁄2") deep
inindividual9cmpotsunderglassata constant day and night temperature of 21°C. When the plants are about 10cm (4") tall, plant out into final positions in the greenhouse or cold frame in rich, well-drained soil. They also like high humidity. In warmer regions you could try planting outside into your compost heap – the heat from the composting material will benefit the plant and encourage the fruits to ripen. Provide some form of support and tie in stems as required. Hand pollination may well be required; remove male flowers after they have been used.
Melons require training. Once the main stem reaches 60cm (24"), pinch out the growing tip to encourage side laterals to grow. Select the four strongest laterals then pinch these out once they have produced three more leaves to encourage more side breaks. These side breaks should be pinched out after two leaves, then allow a further side break to grow and pinch out after one leaf.
Red spider mite can be a problem for greenhouse-cultivated melons. Keep the humidity high to discourage them. Downy mildew can also be problematic – shade the plants from strong sunlight.
Harvest from July to September.
30 Allotment and Leisure Gardener