Squash and Melon Questions

 
Do most people plant squash and melons separate from their other garden
veggies of tomatoes, peppers, etc. because of the space they consume? I
have a TON of plans for melons and squash and am a bit of a gardening
novice, as well. Also - I ate a nice melon from the farmer's market the
other day. It was the size of a softball with a yellow/green/brown
mottled outer, and white, sweeter than honeydew or canalope inner. It
was called an "Italian gata" melon by the man who sold it to us. I'd
never heard of it before, but I saved the seeds to plant. Anyone heard
of this before? Is it one of those hybrids I need to be careful of?
Should I even waste my time?

All info appreciated.

 

It depends on the size and shape of your garden.  I usually dedicate one
large portion to melons, and then plant them 6 feet apart and 6 feet from
the rest of the garden..  If the runners start to go into the wrong section,
I either turn them back (The instructions say dont do this) or I cut them
off (There will be a lot more going the right direction).

I  have a TON of plans for melons and squash and am a bit of a gardening

Try it.  I always do.  Some times I kgo to the grocery store and find a
squash that I have never seen before and buy it just for the seeds.   Be
prepared to get otdher than what uyou planted, because most of the
commercially gorwn stuff you buy has been allowed to cross-pollinate with
neighboring plants. If so the seeds amy not be pure or as least some of them
wont be pure.  It doesnt cost anything to try, but keep that information in
your computer and look for it in catalogs like "Seeds of Change" or "Seed
Savers" that try to offer the original stuff.

Dwayne

 Anyone have any advice on how to get a watermelon going?
I got one vine to about 10 feet last year over the summer but
it never fruited.

The rest just never took off like the first one. The same has
happened for the squash I've planted. I've come to believe
that the problem is the soil it's planted in (mostly sand here,
but the one water melon plant that grew to 10 or 12 feet
was planted a big hill of Home Depot / Walmart dirt.

By the way, I've seen some beetles and earthworms in
some of the soil I've been messing with. Last year I saw
some 6 inch centipedes and "I think" I want to see another
soon.

--
Jim Carlock
Please post replies to newsgroup.

"Dwayne" wrote:

"Doll is Mine" wrote:

It depends on the size and shape of your garden.  I usually dedicate one
large portion to melons, and then plant them 6 feet apart and 6 feet from
the rest of the garden..  If the runners start to go into the wrong section,
I either turn them back (The instructions say dont do this) or I cut them
off (There will be a lot more going the right direction).

I  have a TON of plans for melons and squash and am a bit of a gardening

Try it.  I always do.  Some times I kgo to the grocery store and find a
squash that I have never seen before and buy it just for the seeds.   Be
prepared to get otdher than what uyou planted, because most of the
commercially gorwn stuff you buy has been allowed to cross-pollinate with
neighboring plants. If so the seeds amy not be pure or as least some of them
wont be pure.  It doesnt cost anything to try, but keep that information in
your computer and look for it in catalogs like "Seeds of Change" or "Seed
Savers" that try to offer the original stuff.

Dwayne

 On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 14:22:10 GMT, "Jim Carlock"



Is it possible that the commercial dirt had fertilizer additives in
it? Or that it was composted manure and not some sort of top
soil? Too much nitrogen would cause lots of leafy/green growth
with no fruit. I have noticed that it is getting harder to find
potting soil and garden soil that does not contain chemical or
pesticide additives, and it's frustrating. It's so nice to be able to
jump start a new flower or vegetable bed with the store bought
stuff, but I'm a little leery of what it might have in it, now.



My sister lives in what used to be one of the guest cottages of
an old plantation. Her house is back by the paddock and stable.
The stable has been in nearly continuous use since the early 1800's.
Talk about your great compost! There are almost more earthworms
than soil. I always swap a couple of pepper and tomato plants that
I've grown from seed to the property owner for a few bushels of
horsey compost every spring.


Penelope

 

It could be the weather, among other things.  Have you tried before and had
the same results?

I have planted melons/squash in the same garden for 2 years in a row.  The
first year I had record numbers of both, the second year, they came on, but
none of the melons ever matured.  Melons that were supposed to grow big,
stayed small, split open, and were still green inside.

Both have male and female blossoms.  I dont remember which comes on first,
but in a good year the otdher will appear later, and as long as you have
pollinators flying or crawling around, you should get something.  You can
also try using a Q-tip and do it yourself.

You might replace some of the ssand with top soil and mix it up.  I have
planted both in good dirt, dirt that had a lot of clay, dirt that was
acidic, and dirt that wasnt.  I have always produced plants, but the one
year I mentioned above, that was as far as it went.



As long as you dont see squash bugs.  They are a real pain to try to get rid
of.

Dwayne