MASTER GARDENERS

ter MG 282 Mas Master JournalJournal March 1, 2003 Gardeners Gardeners

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C. melo var. i C. melo var.

C. melo var. cantaloupensis C. melo var. ll frosts. There are a variety pollination. - any further sublaterals that form. .

w. Remove any protective covering , include casaba, Crenshaw, hone , include casaba, Crenshaw, if the temperatures are too high. eties; poor soil fertility (especially low soil moisture levels. The plastic can be soil moisture levels. is in good planting installed when the soil a few days to 2- condition, any time from weeks before planting. This will speed weeks before planting. the harvest since the soil will be very warm when the seeds and transplants are planted ri potassium) and picking the before they are ripe. Muskmelons will become bitter Muskmelons may crack during periods of high humidity, which is common during summer rainy periods. Poor flavor, and/or smooth rind is due to cool temperatures; wet, cloudy weather; poorly adapted v After five leaves have developed, pinch out each growing point to encourage fu when the plants begin to flower to encou age insect Thin to one fruit per shoot when the fruits are 1 inch in diameter, and pinch all sublaterals at two to three leaves beyond the developing fruits. Pinch out the main shoots when they are 3 to 4 foot long and remove ther shoots. When these are well devel- oped, reduce them to about four of the most vigorous shoots. Train two shoots in on either side, between adjacent plants the ro You can lengthen the growing season by protecting plants from late spring frosts and early fa of ways to prolong the growing season, including planting on a southern slope, creating a warmer microclimate using floating row covers, dark plastic mulch to warm the soil, clear plastic tunnels, cold frames, or using windb plants. dew, Christmas and Persian melon. dew, Christmas and fruit that is eaten Muskmelon is a popular fresh or can be frozen. quently called . However, the cantaloupe. However, quently called true cantaloupe and has a in the United States is not grown The late- warty, or scaly rind. hard, rough, melons, ripening winter odorus t- i- i- g-

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inch deep ½ rlier. Black plastic F. Direct sowing is o

F. Melons can be d o 85 80 - cloches or plastic tunnels. F. Space transplants 3 feet etain moisture; vermiculite or o , C. melo var. reticulous

45 - temperatures and sunlight. Vine

inch peat pots using a sterile seedling - elon leaves are oval to kidney shaped with are oval to kidney elon leaves elons require a long growing season of elons require a long

Culture melo Cucumis cucumbers, but flowers may be male, f but flowers may be cucumbers, botanical There are three male, or perfect. and cross- varieties within the species among these. pollination can occur Muskmelon rind and is fr ange flesh and a netted five to seven shallow lobes. Plants produce shallow lobes. Plants five to seven simila and yellow flowers trailing vines M ing season. Like most vine crops, melons ing season. Like most vine crops, melons require even moisture levels to keep from rotting. The soil should be barely moist to the touch. Seedlings should be hardened off before planting, by reducing water slightly and gradually exposing them to outside crops cannot tolerate cool temperatures, so be sure to bring them inside the green- house if the temperature threatens to dip below 40 apart in rows 5 foot apart. Space 3 foot apart in both directions for wide row plan ing. Plant each seedling on a slight mound and protect young plants until they are established from wind and cold weather with Planting in raised beds covered with green or black plastic mulch can produce ripe melons 2 weeks ea not recommended due to our short gro mulch is very effective because it absorb heat, warms the soil, and maintains good rect sown, but will yield a much better rect sown, but will yield crop if started indoors in late April or early May and transplanted into the garden in early June after the soil has warmed. Vine crops cannot tolerate root distu bances and do not normally transplant well. Sow the seed indoors in 3 mix. You can buy or mix your own sterile potting mix for starting transplants. The mix should include peat, sphagnum or compost to r perlite for aeration; and mineral and nutr ent sources to encourage growth after the first roots form. Germination is in 7- days when soil temperature is in the opt mum range of 70- ing between70 M temperatures avera 90 to 125 days with Cultivar Selection Melons were initially bred to resist powdery mildew fungus, but today melons are bred for multiple disease resistance. A wide range of flavors and sizes is available. Melons mature in 90 to 125 days depending upon the variety. Days to maturity are calculated from date of direct seeding. Seed Specification: Minimum germination standard: 80%. Usual seed life: 3 years. Approximately 25-40 seeds per gram; 28 grams per ounce.

Irrigation MASTER GARDENERS

Melons are shallow-rooted crops and re- stressed. Plants that wilt intermittently may quire frequent watering. All vine crops re- produce smaller yields, while plants that quire supplemental irrigation of 1 inch of wilt frequently or that wilt too long die due water every week in order to assure a con- to irreversible cell damage. stant supply of moisture, particularly during bloom and fruit development. Soil mois- Drip irrigation works particularly well with ture should not drop below 65%. A handful black plastic mulch. When irrigating vine of soil at 65% can be formed into a firm crops, it is important to keep water away ball. The ball will feel moist, but the soil will from the crown of the plant as even a few not stick to your hand, and the ball will be hours of crown wetness can damage the pliable. When broken, the ball will crumble root system. Water in the morning or early Providing university research- into medium-sized fragments. Moisture afternoon so the foliage dries by evening. based horticulture information stress can reduce crop yields. If leaves This helps prevent the spread of leaf dis- begin to wilt midday, plants are moisture eases. and educational opportunities

Fertility Milwaukee County UW-Extension Melons prefer a soil pH between 6.0 and analysis. One week after blossoming be- 932 South 60th Street 6.8; adding lime in SE Wisconsin should gins, side-dress with a 1 tablespoon of 21- West Allis, WI 53214-3346 not be necessary. Vine crops require low 0-0 (ammonium sulfate) or 20-10-10 per Phone: (414) 290-2400 nitrogen and high potassium and phospho- hill, or alternately feed every ten to 14 days Fax: (414) 290-2424 rous for good fruit development. At planting with a liquid feed such as ‘Miracle Grow’ as http://milwaukee.uwex.edu time, apply 2 tablespoons per hill of a com- the fruits begin to develop. Reduce water- plete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or similar ing and feeding as fruits ripen. Ozaukee County UW-Extension Harvest Box 994 121 West Main Street Harvest muskmelon early in the day, after ture for a few days. When they are com- Port Washington, WI 53074 the plants are dry. Be careful not to dam- pletely ripe, the blossom end yields to pres- Phone: (262) 284-8288 age the vines. Check for maturity by gently sure. http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us lifting the melon. If it is ripe it should fully Persian melons are ripe when they have a /MasterGardener slip from the stem with slight finger pres- sweet, fruity aroma at the blossom end. If sure. When ripe, the muskmelon rind melons are not yet ripe in September and a changes from green to tan or yellow be- hard frost is predicted, cover the foliage Compiled By tween the netting. and immature fruit with newspaper. John T. Kovatch. To harvest Casaba and , cut Melons should be picked in the cool of the them off the vine after they turn completely day and chilled as rapidly as possible to yellow. They will continue to ripen (become 35oF. Store at 35 oF. and 95% relative hu- soft and mellow) if kept at room tempera- midity. Pests Key pests include two species of cucumber beetles; striped and spotted. The striped cucumber beetles are more serious in Wiscon- sin. Cucumber beetles are a problem on vine crops because they transmit the bacterial wilt organism. The striped cucumber beetle is 1/5 inch long and yellow-green in color with three black stripes running the length of its body. Spotted cucumber beetles are yellow- green with 12 black spots on their backs. Non-chemical control can be achieved in small plantings by covering the plants with floating row covers to keep the beetles out. Make sure you uncover flowering plants to allow the bees to enter and pollinate the plants. If bac- terial wilt infections have already occurred, remove the diseased plants immediately to prevent the spread of the disease while insects are present. Diseases Melons are susceptible to many of the common vine diseases, such as Bacterial wilt, Alternaria blight, angular leaf spot, mosaic, Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, scab, and stem anthracnose. Common control measures include crop rotation, field sanitation, and fungicide applications. Many diseases can be eliminated or reduced by avoiding overhead watering. Where disease is a known prob- lem, choose resistant varieties. Remove plant refuse and control insect pests. Consult University of Wisconsin - Extension for dis- ease specifics.