Whenever you fertilize, don't fertilize with nitrogen near the end of your harvest (it seems to be able to take taste out of the fruit). Using monopotassium phosphate near the end doesn't seem to hurt the flavor, however, and the phosphorus may even encourage faster ripening. It seems to me that nitrogen should primarily be used earlier on, if at all (before the fruit gets very big). Phosphorus and potassium can probably be used any time without significant repercussions to the plants (although maybe to the water supply), so long as you don't use too much. You might try forgoing the fertilizer (or using it very sparingly) and saving your seeds every year to replant the next. According to what I've read, they should become better-adapted to your climate and soil, and get used to having less fertilizer. That's not to say they won't need nutrients, but they in theory should be better at utilizing what is available. You might also consider creating landraces. If you move around a lot, though, this might not be the best option.

The taste is ok, just the amount of seeds made it a pain to eat. We did Crimson Sweet ? last year in place of those and the vines didn't get too unruly. I placed a wire A-frame down the center. Those were better melons for us. Larger melons, more melons, and not a lot of seeds. I imagine with a little pruning you could grow a variety like that in a 3 foot deep terrace.

Almost in February so I am closer to the pruning time. I just want to make sure I am going to prune right, so I thought I would check in another time, offer some pictures and drop a possible bomb. Yes.. the neighbors adjacent to me would like to build a fence across their back yard, however the fence where my grape vines are hanging on the chicken wire would need to move out 3ft in the direction of the neighbors, so that they don't enclose my fruit trees in their yard (since I had planted my apple, cherry and peach trees on the outside of my fence). So now I really am worried I'm really going to screw up my grape production as the chicken wire has to come down and the grape 'trunks' and vine system needs to be swayed inward toward my back yard and trellised on wire. So here's what I have done so far. I freed the trunk vines out of the chicken wire (grew through it in places and would have had interrupted circulation in a couple years I suspect) and then tried to make sense out the tangled mess of vines with 1st, 2nd and 3rd year's growth (assuming I count the year I planted them as year 0.. like 7" tall sticks in 2007.. is that wrong?). The vines are more of less straightened and here's what I want to do.. The wood that is the lightest color at the tips of each arm is the summer 2010 wood, right? .. so I leave 30 buds on that for each arm I want to trellis, right? I bought 1/8" wire rope to thread through 2 sets of needle hooks I screwed in some 4"x8' posts I had already sunk in the ground. My idea is that I want to bend the vines from that back corner of the yard over to the right (as shown in these photos below). The arms of the vines will be attached to the two sets of wires that are 30" apart. Will this work? I realize I might be a bit unconventional, but my yard is truly cramped and if this works to get me good production, I'll be thrilled. My neighbor's house diagonally behind mine offers me no privacy, so I have thought of getting with my neighbor that has the welder in his garage, picking up some scrap metal and making a trellis to attach to the tops of the wooden posts, and then train some vines up there both for added production and screening of said neighbors. Nothing like them having a BBQ and looking uncomfortably in my back yard as the sweaty gardener has blackened hands and sweat pouring down his face. lol Here are the 'trunks' I have 2 plants, but all the compost and mulch I dumped over the last 4 years had caused the one plant on the left to split\root a few times looks like: From 01252011 This is just to the right of the trunks. Most of the vines are directed here, though I have a few really long ones on the right side out of the picture frame too. From 01252011 Here is where I am attaching the wire and directing those monstrous vines, so the wires will go from the trunks to the right and then make a right angle along the rear fence between those posts. From 01252011 Here is a shot of the whole setup: From 01252011 So please offer some recommendations of getting this thing in control without sacrificing much production. This will be the going into the 4th year of growth in the spring. Our lost frost date here is around May 5th I believe, so how long should I wait before I start pruning?

That's it! I'm glad, as that other thing was looking kind of odd. And according to this site, it (and other peperomias) appears to be cat-safe if they do decide to take a nibble. Thanks so much!!