[corynsboy]

One of our plot holders grew a small melon on the ground outside last year. 
As I won't see the plot holder until at least March, and I can't rely on her remembering the name of the fruit, I am calling upon the wide knowledge of the forum to help me out.

Does any one know the name of the trailing melon plant with small, sweet fruit that can be grown in the UK outside on the ground?

Many thanks

[Trillium]

Couldn't tell you exactly, but it;s likely the person grew a Siberian sourced melon like (Colllective) Farm Woman which matures quickly in cooler climates. I know this is available in the UK as Shaun, one of our regulars, grew it a few years ago and I asked him about it as I'd gotten the same seeds.

[crh75]

There are main varieties that will grow in a green house or sheltered bed, just look at the seed catalogues

I thought I would try a few seeds saved from a supermarket honeydue.  I expect it wont work very well but I want to give it a go. 

I did have great success saving the seeds from a supermarket pumpkin.  I think I got 19 nice sized pumpkins from just three plants.

[corynsboy]

Thanks CRH75. Melons seem like a lot of fuss and I don't want to take up a whole section of my green house with a plant, the fruit of which  I can get for £1 each in the supermarket all summer long.  May be when I get a second GH!

Thanks Trillium that sound like the sort of thing I'm after. 

[Clover]

I grew the Collective Farm Woman one Trillium mentions last year, outside.

It started off really well and set small fruit nice and early, but then I messed up by letting it get totally shaded by my beans - so they ended up tiny and only ripened once the beans died off.

They didn't taste special, but I might try again and in the sun this time.

I got mine from www.realseeds.co.uk

[SG6]

Used to be one called Minnisotta Midget that was small and good. Just no idea how suitable it is for outdoors in the UK. Have a search and see whay comes up, also finding the seeds may be a problem as I haven't seen any for some time now.

[Kristen]

"Melons seem like a lot of fuss and I don't want to take up a whole section of my green house with a plant, the fruit of which  I can get for £1 each in the supermarket all summer long"

Heathen!

Melon fresh from the plant (like much of what you grow yourself) is oodles better than grown, harvested unripe, transported, left lying around on the shelf ...

Not to mention the fantastic smell you get when you walk into the greenhouse ...

Maybe I'm not much good at it, but it takes me most of the season to get my melons ripe using a greenhouse, so I'm not sure how successful they would be outside.

I run a row along the side of the greenhouse supported on wires right next to the glass (they don't need much "width") and then a couple of rows of Toms to the middle-path (my greenhouse is 10' wide) [and then other crops on the other side].