cantalopes

[Tdog]

My wife planted some cantalopes & watermelon this year & we've brought in 3-4 that looked ripe - - they tasted like cantalope should, except they were not sweet at all. You can't imagine a more bland taste. Guess I didn't realize how much a good cantalope is its sweetness. Now I know.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is that something that can be corrected this year? next year?

Hope the watermelons are better, but so far none look ready.

 

[Bird]

Tdog, I'm afraid I can't help you, but I do know there are lots of different varieties of both cantaloupe and watermelon, so it may have something to do with the variety you planted. On the other hand, it may also have something to do with the amount of water they got. I read an article in the newspaper about the commercial watermelon crop and it said, of course, that they need the rain to make them grow, but if they get too much rain, the melons won't be as sweet.

Bird

 

[RegWaters]

Speaking of cantalopes, just cut one up today. The wife always gives me one of those "Mr.Spock" eyebrow things when I sprinkle it with pepper. Anybody else Like pepper on their cantalopes. Any other strange vegetable /condiment combo I should try.

ReginSC

 

[Bird]

ReginSC, you're not the only one to do that; I've seen some others do it; tried it; don't care for pepper on mine, but do like a little salt./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Of course, if you're going to eat half a cantaloupe, just scoop out the seeds, fill the cavity with vanilla ice cream, get your spoon and eat everything down to the rind./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[looch]

It is a common Italian practice to serve cantalope with paper-thin slices of cured ham called proscuito as an hors d'oeuvre. Unless you know someone who makes their own, it can be hard to find and expensive when you do (15$ a lb).

 

[RJohnson]

TDog
I see you are in Louisiana and didn't you guys have a lot of rain this spring and it get real wet? I have found that while cantalope like a constant source of moisture they do not do well if the ground in very wet. I would also check them for ripeness by grabbing the stem right nest to the cantalope and trying to lift the fruit off the ground. If the stem pulls off the fruit is ripe if it is firmly attached then it is not ready yet.

And yes I love my cantalope with pepper, great way to eat em/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Randy

 

[treeboone]

Take a little salt myself, and tried pepper, but... One thing I've discovered about good taste from the garden is the seeds you choose. "early ripening", "huge fruit", "vigourous" and descriptive words like that on a seed pack tell you what to expect (Sorry, that didn't get my taste bud going). Generally I look for things like "heirloom variety" or "extra sweet" on the description. Alot of plants are developed for anything but good eating. The stuff I see in the store is picture perfect, but no flavor or hard as a rock. Obviously it was developed to withstand shipment. Tomatoes are a good example, For market they are picked green, about half ripe, as soon as the seeds get jelly. Ethylene gas turns them a nice red. If you live next to a truck farm you will fare better, but up here, no dice. Compared to that ANY home grown tomato taste great. My choice would be to grow a good heirloom variety, determinate growing vine, mid to late season tomato (I like cherrys myself). Grow for flavor and avoid miracle claims. As for cantalope, close your eyes and select with your nose!

 

[IndianaPaul]

Tdog: Had the same problem last year. South Indiana got a lot of rain all last summer. Melons & cantalope had hardly any taste at all. Summer before that was exceptionally dry, so I had to water them, but the that year they were sweet as sweet can be.

ReginSC: You're not the only one that goes for the pepper when eating cantalope. Most folks around here look at me & you can almost here them wondering whether I came from questionable genetic stock or whether my well was too close to the coal mine.

Paul

 

[Tdog]

RJohnson, about the rain. Yeah,I'm the one that complained on this board, way back a couple of months ago, that this was shaping up to be another dry year. We'd had three very dry years here in the gulf south. Last year, for example, my area got over 2 feet less rain than normal. OK, I complained - - then we got a glancing blow from ts Allison, & we've had periodic rains ever since. I recorded over 18 inches of rain in June alone [Allison early June], and so far, something over 6 inches in July. Enough that I haven't had to water all the flowers & veggies like I have the last few years.

Maybe not good for melons, but my pasture looks better than any time since I carved it out of the woods 8 years ago. We are so thankful to see rains again.

 

[Bird]

OK, so who knows something about "****** melons"? I'd only heard of them, but yesterday was given one (but unfortunately not by the grower). It looked like a giant cantaloupe, ripe right to the peel, sweet and juicy. The meat's a slightly lighter color than the cantaloupes I've raised, but very good./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Needless to say, I've saved the seed to plant next Spring, but don't know whether I should do anything different from what I've done with cantaloupes in the past.

Bird

 

[StanInCalif]

Bird-
Sounds like what we call "Persian" melon. Many of us consider it the best melon. If it is, you can save the seeds, as it is not a hybrid. We save the seeds because they are hard to find. Not very prolific. Seems like they are especially sensitive to overwatering. - Stan

 

[Bird]

Thanks, Stan, I have enough seeds to plant a big patch, so I'll find out how they do next Spring.

Bird

 

[Tdog]

Thanks to all who replied - - after about 3 duds [no taste] we finally opened a sweet cantalope. Must be the over abundance of rain, because they were all from the same vine, I think. Those runners are so intertwined, its hard to tell which plant is producing what.

Bird, never heard of an ****** melon. Sounds interesting. Never seen one at the grocery or farmers market though. Hope your seeds work for you next year.

 

[skent]

Too much rain after blossum. Has happened to me before. I can say for sure it is happening this year!!!

Steve

 

[WVBill]

Anyone have ideas on how to keep the "critters" off the cantalopes?

I have rabbit fence around my garden so I don't think its them - probably mice or voles who get to the 'lopes when they get to about baseball size and just nibble a bit on each one.

I've just tried putting the vines up on a trellis but I don't know if the vines will support the weight of ripe 'lopes.

 

[Knight9]

Can't grow cantalopes around here, but I've heard of people making a "hammock" out of used nylons tied to a trellis. This apparently supports the weight and keeps the melon (or whatever) off the ground.

Kevin

 

[Tdog]

Re: cantalopes - varmits

The 1st year we tried to raise cantalopes, I don't think we got one before some critter did. Not sure, but coons &/or rats were my chief suspects. I don't have a great solution, but I have something that works for us, so far - - mainly because we don't have very many vines to worry about.

I made cantalope boxes out of quarter inch hardware cloth. I made them rectangular, about 12 inches long, 8 inches across, & 12 inches high. It was a little labor intensive, but with a little work I turned out 5 or so. That's all we have worth protecting at any one time. And I made spikes out of wire from clothes hangers to anchor them to the ground. So far, no more problems.