[markygreenfingers]

Hi Everyone

I was thinking about growing some melons in my polyhouse can anyone tell me if I can use the seeds that are inside the melon or do I have to buy the seeds on there own.

I read you have til the end of may to get them going or am I to late.

any help with this would be much appreciated :thumright:

Thanks and take care.

markygreenfingers  

[Trillium]

Any melon seeds should be started now or by now as they're a tad slow to germinate at times, then need some top growth going so that when they're finally planted out they're off to a running start.
As for seeds from store fruit, it's hard to know if that variety was a hybrid (which won't come true as is from seed) or a non-hybrid. You can always try but don't hold your hopes on getting the exact melon again. As a back up, you could always purchase something you like and plant a few of those seeds as well so that at harvest time you'll definitely have something edible.

[dangolding]

we've planted both - some from a packet and lots more from a melon we had the other day that was actually gorgeous.

Germination is less with the "natural" seeds (bizarre), but we've definitely got plenty of plants.

Just got to wait for the fruit to hopefully form

[gobs]

I'd say, going by the average British summer, you'd be better of with something suited to the climate at any rate, let alone sowing now.

[love-my-plot]

I've got some "minnesota midget" melon seed if you want to try that. It's from realseeds and they reckon it's bred for short summers, so may do ok in UK climate.

Here's a bit from their site about it:

Minnesota Midget
First seen in 1948, this fantastic variety was bred for short summers - it swaps size for earliness - but without any sacrifice of sweetness or flavour. Compact vines grow about 4' and quickly set several small (cricketball-sized) melons with sweet orange flesh, edible right to the rind.

The scent and flavour are incredible. Ripe melons can be located in the garden by smell alone! Fusarium-resistant, and the female flowers are formed even while it is young, thus outperforming many other varieties.

Very, very early melon. It's going to be hard to improve on this one.

[Wildeone]

I've got some "minnesota midget" melon seed if you want to try that. It's from realseeds and they reckon it's bred for short summers, so may do ok in UK climate.

Here's a bit from their site about it:

Minnesota Midget
First seen in 1948, this fantastic variety was bred for short summers - it swaps size for earliness - but without any sacrifice of sweetness or flavour. Compact vines grow about 4' and quickly set several small (cricketball-sized) melons with sweet orange flesh, edible right to the rind.

The scent and flavour are incredible. Ripe melons can be located in the garden by smell alone! Fusarium-resistant, and the female flowers are formed even while it is young, thus outperforming many other varieties.

Very, very early melon. It's going to be hard to improve on this one.

sounds perfect! I've got 6 cantaloupe melon plants going at the moment but only 4-5 leaves on each :?

[robbodaveuk]

I bought a honeydew melon slice from Morrisons and planted five seeds from it. They all germinated in about three days and are now about fifteen inches long in five inch pots staked up. I have never grown them before,(or much else for that matter) and am not sure how to care for them. Do I keep them climbing up the stake or are they a ground hugging plant and I just let them roam around the ground. I also have twelve sweet pepper plants growing and need to ask the same question about those.

  Dave xx.

[Trillium]

Very likely the melons are a rambling type, and once a few melons have started growing, pinch off the rest of the growth as none of those will ripen before your season ends. The remaining melons will then have all the nutrients to fill out nicely. Give them some extra old muck, mulch and water often.
The peppers may or may not come true to the parent plant, but they'll be interesting. Basically the same treatment - some muck, mulch and water (unless its another wet summer), but don't pinch off any growth.

[robbodaveuk]

Thanks Trillium, but do I stake them up to grow tall or to grow along the ground.

 Dave xx

[gobs]

The melons are best left rambling as Tril says, you can train them up on something if space is an issue, but fruit can be heavy,so problem with support, also would get more cold damage unless indoors.

A few, larger pepper varieties need staking, most grow to a few feet only.

[robbodaveuk]

Trillium wrote

Very likely the melons are a rambling type,

Doh!!! Just got in from work, a bit tired and missed that bit. Anyhow thanks Trillium and Gobs, I know what I need to do now.

 Dave xx

[markygreenfingers]

Thanks everybody    for your help and advice, by the sound of it I think I would be a bit late to start them now especially with our weather at the moment and I would need to make room for them but I will definetly have a go next march/april time in the polyhouse. :thumright:

Thanks

markygreenfingers <cool>