melons !!

hi,

i have recently aquired a second 6x8 greenhouse which i plan to join to my first and would love to grow melons as my little boy is fruit mad! i had no joy last season on a fresh pile of manure with 12" of soil/compost covered with glass but i think this was due to mice attacks and positioning, i would love any suggestions on variety/methods of growing them including wether to steak them up or letting them run on the ground also any manure/ferterlizer advice, any help would be much appreciated.

 

Train them religiously. Number of leaves on the primary before pinch-out, ditto secondary branches and thereafter. Only allow the recommended number of fruit to set (but wait until they are decent size before deciding that they have "set" - they often fail when they get to golf ball size, or even a bit bigger.

 

I agree with Kristen here totally. You need to control the plant to produce the fruit you want.:thumb:

 

thanks for that i spoke to a guy dwn the allotment today who suggested hanging my melons in old stockings, im sure the wife will love that, sorry i should of mentioned the manure was fresh but was a store in a compost bin rotting down a fellow allotmenteer suggested adding a layer if soil and use it like a hotbed, well i did fantastic with cucumbers last season so lets hope the melons are the same!

 

We've grown 'ogen' melons for the last three years. I don't stake them, but let them trail around the bases of the tomato plants. When the fruits have formed I rest them on upturned seed trays.

 

Even though i should have plenty of space trailing them around tomatoes seems like a great idea, the more i can get in the better!