Thanks for the interesting report, fruitnut. Last year I tried using wallo-waters in the "tent" configuration (closed at the top) and things worked OK except the plants got mildew after a couple of weeks. This was because there was no air circulation. It sounds like your poly cover is all over the plants so I wonder if you ever have problems with mildew?

What happened last year is I popped off the WOWs and then the rabbits had a feast on the plants. This year I am ready with rabbit fencing, with killer cat and pellet gun as backups.

Scott

Scott

No mildew problems. We are much drier here than MD. While it is humid under the poly, I allow some ventillation to keep it from getting too hot. If we start getting 80F temps then open bottom and top of poly to get air flowing thru there pretty good.

Good luck with your crop this yr! Steve

I used calcium 25 on melons for several years they say it make 7 per vine and it works everytime, but the direction need to be followed closely. the melon plant is about size baseball cap and temperature above 77 degrees at plant it feed itself on leaf wax to set more fruiting buds and more root for suport you will not have melons that are small because of more fruit set. I make a circle around plant with corner of hoe blade about two foot circle add one pint 10-10-10 complete fertlizer in small ditch and cover with soil. The nitrgen be gone at fruiting your melons be sweet 4 lbs calcium 25 last lifetime in gallon srayer shelflife for every.

Here is a link that might be useful: more fruiting

I did better then past years last summer using black plastic and floating row covers. When the vines outgrew the covers and I removed them, squirrels and leaf minors destroyed the plants. Couldnt believe they liked the melons so much, I had no problems with any other crop. Fruitnut, what thickness is your polypropalen?

Just an update but first I should point out that this is just a way to get melons started early, not a season long growing system. My plan is to remove the clear poly in 2-3 weeks when our ave high temp nears 80F and there is little danger of further frost. At that time I may put down woven black weed barrier but usually just let them run on bare ground.

Weather has been unusually cold the last few days, 22F night before last, but that hasn't slowed down the melon growth by much. Protected the three melon hills with a 40W bulb inside each mini greenhouse and tarp.

Here's the good part. Melons are growing so fast I had to raise the upper layer of clear 6mil poly. The first set of true leaves has individual leaflets three inches in diameter. The second set of true leaves is expanding. Plant quality is equal to what I would expect from a May planting and vastly superior to anything I've ever started in pots. And these plants have established roots right where I want them.

If you want or need extra season for your melons this is the way to go.

The Fruitnut

Just another update because this might be about the time some would be thinking of starting melons in short season areas.

The hills of melons have been uncovered about two weeks. The vines are six ft across and there is two inch fruit on the Sugar Baby watermelons and Ambrosia cantaloupes. The melons are not growing real fast but the vines and fruit look perfect. For reference purposes mean ave temp at planting on March 1 at this location is 69/38F. Current ave temp is 80/50F. These are the mean daily max and min temp. Right now would be considered an early date for direct seeding with a mean temp of 80+50/2=65F. So having two inch fruit is a huge increase in growing season. You cann't do nearly as early a start with seeding in pots indoors.

The Fruitnut

Do you suppose direct seeding under plastic 1 gallon milk jugs with the bottoms cut out could accomplish the same thing with the same results?

Perry: It would help some by allowing you to plant a wk or two earlier or increase the rate of growth on your normal planting date. The plants could remain under something the size of a milk jug until they start running. I would estimate 3-4 wks. If the weather turns warm, you will need to cut part of the top off to allow better ventilation. Putting a thermometer inside one jug would help a lot on estimating ventillation requirement. Melons are very heat tolerant but I would get concerned if temp exceeded 100.

Good luck with your planting this yr. I called about seed today and will probably start a hill or two later this month.

The Fruitnut

Perry: I thought a little more about my comments on temperature. Have to admit I don't know what air temp is too hot for melons. And it is going to be very hard to measure air temp inside a jug. I'm sure it cann't get too hot under there while you are trying to germinate. You would like the soil temp at planting depth to reach 90 or maybe even more during the afternoon and hope it doesn't fall below 60 at night. Those temp will get your melons up in less than a wk which is what you need for good germination. It will be much easier to get an accurate measure of soil temp than air. As we all know, if you lay a thermometer on bare ground on a 60F day with little wind, the temp may reach 100. That is not too hot for melons by any stretch. So you will have to play it by ear after the plants are up. But I feel confident in saying you cann't get it too warm under a milk jug during germination unless you tried it in July...maybe not even then.

The Fruitnut

Thanks for the reply. I plant bedding plants like tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, etc. under milk jugs. I cut the bottom off and hill soil around the jug to keep the jug from blowing away. I can keep the top cap on or take it off depending on air temp. Sure helps for wind and rabbits along with the warming effect. I water through the top hole. When those plants grow out the top hole I remove the jug. The jugs are clear and the sun penetrates them, kinda like an incubator.
Perry