Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?

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Ma Lowe

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2011, 07:59 »
 I am growing these too but I read somewhere that they can cross pollinate with cucumbers so i moved them out of the greenhouse just in case. I put them against our south facing wall but to be honest they haven't done much at all. Growth is slow and a few flowers but no fruit whatsoever.

I am going to try them again next year but keep them in the greenhouse  ::)

JayG your melons look fantastic . I am quite envious :tongue2:

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Lady Rosemary

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #16 on: August 04, 2011, 19:28 »
Thought I'd post a pic for those (very few) who seem to be growing these melons because I AM GETTING VERY EXCITED!

If you are wondering how many fruits are visible in the photo the answer is 6 (9 altogether on this plant.)

(If you are also wondering whether 9 is a somewhat reckless number to try and grow to maturity the answer is "very probably!)  :wub:

Wow! Very impressive. I'll have to upload a photo of my melons (that's the fruit people!) I'm pretty sure they are watermelons and not galia (which is what they are supposed to be)!
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japagow

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #17 on: August 05, 2011, 19:11 »
I am growing cantaloupes in the greenhouse. I have three in a raised bed which have suddenly shot across the floor in every direction so much so that I have just trained them up sticks.
So far I have male flowers only. I shall follow the advise in this post as I am new to melon growing.
The business of counting up main stems and shoots etc then cutting back to produce growth looks confusing but I can read a road map I reckon I'll me alright.

The picture of Jay G melons is the 'pattern' I'm working to.

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MichelleC

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #18 on: August 06, 2011, 10:30 »
I have one Orange Sherbet and three Sweetheart melon plants in the GH. I trained them to climb but didn't pinch out the tops until they reached the top of the frame. Think I did this too late. However I have hand pollinated, which most didn't set but one has and it's light bulb size. I'm so excited. Reading earlier I will now pinch out one leaf after. Nothing much is happening with the Orange Sherbet. Has anyone grown these?

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LilacSandy

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #19 on: August 06, 2011, 11:00 »
I am growing Ogen, the plant is very healthy and is heading out over the summer room, I feed and water it and the male flowers all seem to apreciate this but I do not have one femail flower, I know it is very late in the season to get any fruit now but if I do happen to get a femail to polinate I will have to just nurse one fruit.   :(

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MichelleC

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #20 on: August 06, 2011, 11:07 »
Well one fruit is better than none. I'm determined to have this melon. A friend of mine told me there's no point growing anything in the North except the staples. I will prove him wrong. x
« Last Edit: August 06, 2011, 11:31 by MichelleC »

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JayG

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #21 on: August 06, 2011, 11:15 »
Unlike courgettes the male Sweetheart flowers seem to produce very little pollen, and I then have to beat the hoverflies to it (there are thousands of them this year!)

If you can catch a newly opened male flower and really dig in with an artist's paintbrush (it seems to fall off into the bottom of the flower) you should get a fine yellow dusting of pollen on it which of course you carefully transfer to the middle of a female flower.

Quite painstaking work, and it doesn't always work, but it's worth it to see such exotic and inviting-looking fruits dangling from the plant (especially when you managed to kill off your cucumbers!  :)
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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mumofstig

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #22 on: August 06, 2011, 11:20 »
well done with the melons so far Jay. I may have to try them next year now :tongue2:

I just don't know how you've crammed these in, what with the sweet potatoes, some cukes and tomatoes  :unsure:
Your greenhouse must be like Tardis  :lol:

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JayG

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #23 on: August 06, 2011, 11:43 »
well done with the melons so far Jay. I may have to try them next year now :tongue2:

I just don't know how you've crammed these in, what with the sweet potatoes, some cukes and tomatoes  :unsure:
Your greenhouse must be like Tardis  :lol:

Pay attention Mum; MY CUCUMBERS HAVE GONE TO CUCURBIT HEAVEN!



........but I do have the others you mention (plus sweet peppers and basil!)  :)

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mumofstig

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #24 on: August 06, 2011, 11:48 »
well done with the melons so far Jay. I may have to try them next year now :tongue2:

I just don't know how you've crammed these in, what with the sweet potatoes, some cukes and tomatoes  :unsure:
Your greenhouse must be like Tardis  :lol:

Pay attention Mum; MY CUCUMBERS HAVE GONE TO CUCURBIT HEAVEN!




........but I do have the others you mention (plus sweet peppers and basil!)  :)

oops! sorry  :blush:


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1st time veg grower

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #25 on: August 06, 2011, 13:18 »
Mine have got even more foliage on them now plus both male and female flowers - I tried hand pollinating but have no idea if the fruit has set or not... time will tell...  ::)

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sunshineband

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #26 on: August 06, 2011, 20:17 »
I found a little sweeheart fruit today YAYYYYY!

It's the size of a duck egg  :D :D :D
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JayG

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #27 on: August 06, 2011, 20:28 »
I found a little sweeheart fruit today YAYYYYY!

It's the size of a duck egg  :D :D :D

Duck egg is good, and it will soon be an ostrich egg (no idea what happens after that!)  :lol:

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sunshineband

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #28 on: August 06, 2011, 20:42 »
I found a little sweeheart fruit today YAYYYYY!

It's the size of a duck egg  :D :D :D

Duck egg is good, and it will soon be an ostrich egg (no idea what happens after that!)  :lol:

Eat it, I hope  :nowink:

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LilacSandy

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Re: Anyone else growing Sweetheart melon?
« Reply #29 on: August 07, 2011, 10:20 »
Four more flowers today, all male  :( :(



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