[Maxine Groobey]

I have 3 lovely little melon plants ( I know what some of youmight be thinking! Unusual lol) the packet says topinch out leader, then to 5 leaves then 1 leaf after fruit. Is this necessary ? I want to grow then upwards not sprawling on the ground. Any advice please

[DD.]

I'd do as it says, melons are not the easiest things to grow and one plant cannot support masses of fruit, hence the pinching out.

[Kristen]

I think it is also to encourage the fruit to form on side shoots rather than main shoot. Dunno why, maybe it spreads the load so that the main stem can get water up to each lateral - better than it could if all the fruit that formed on the main stem?

[Oliveview]

We have grown galia melons this year-  we had 2 plants-  1 was being overtaken by a pumpkin as I had planted it too close so I transplanted the melon.  I thought it was going to die-  it hasnīt and now it has a melon growing nicely   The other melon plant has had 7 fruit on it   Last year we got just 1 melon so I am really happy.  Here in Spain we just leave them as they are and let them grow where ever they want.  Our growing conditions are different to the Uk I guess, so Iīm not much help am I!
Pamela

[Kristen]

The other melon plant has had 7 fruit on it

I have no idea about growing in Spain, but I think that many fruits on a plant may mean you get small fruits.

However, Melons (and Cucumbers) have a habit of shedding fruit if its too much for the plant, so I'd not worry about it until they have got past golf-ball size but then, certainly in the UK, I would "thin" to a max of 4-per-plant.

It may have nothing to do with how many the plant can support though, it may be all to do with "getting them ripe before the end of the season" - in which case you would be fine, of course, compared to our shorter season here in Blighty.

[Maxine Groobey]

Thanks everybody I think in the last 6 weeks or so we have had some Spanish weather Pamela, raining at tho moment though but no reason why we shoulnt have more sun soon though
So, I have pinched out 2 and have left one to see what happens

[mashauk]

I've got one growing in the greenhouse, sprawling everywhere.  The girl who gave me it from a saved seed said just to leave it be to do its own thing so that's what I'm doing, although it does mean I've had to evict my tomatoes to make room for it.