Dismal failure

My melon plant [yes, singular!] is now quite large and some time ago had lots of male flowers but no females . About a week ago it started producing lovely big female flowers.....and no males. I think it would have been too late for a melon to ripen but I would have liked to see one develop. :(
Any hints for next year apart from starting earlier?

 

As I remember the female flowers form after the stems have been pinched out a couple of times, I think the technical term is 'sub laterals'.
Could be wrong though, as I never had much luck either. :D

 

Thanks pete, I haven't done any pinching out! I also found this thread about cultivation from Rossco after reading this:
http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000208#000000
And this, after googling for sub-laterals:
http://www.mini-greenhouse.co.uk/customer/help.php?section=notes_crops
Perhaps I should have done this searching before!

:rolleyes:

 

Hi Liz!
Despite following Rossco's advice, like you I've had plenty male flowers, but few females.I have however managed to get one melon - currently about the size of a tennis ball. One other started to form but looked a bit iffy so I cut it off.

[ 20. August 2006, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

:D Congratulations, I hope it does well! :D
I shall try again next year. There are more buds on mine so I might get one started...

 

I have six melon plants. On a previous thread I asked if I was ever going to get any females flowers. My plants then started getting a bit over grown with side stems. So I decided to do a prune. Since then I have had 6 female flowers all of which I pollinated and it looks like a few more are coming. My first melon is now slightly larger than a tennis ball. (mine are cantaloupe melons). They are growing so quick that I imagine I will be picking my first melon by the end of the month.
Good Luck to all who try melons.. I can't wait for my first bite.