How to best grow Charentais melons?
Scott F Smith
19 years ago
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bill_southerncal
19 years agoScott F Smith
19 years agoRelated Discussions
Charentais melon
Comments (10)Depends on how much you call a single serving. I don't know about you, but I could down a whole large cantaloupe in one sitting ;) For a small cantaloupe, the only one that comes to my mind is Minnesota Midget. It's a very early muskmelon, and it's compact. I hear it will grow well in containers, and has good taste considering how early it is. I plan on planting it next year. The Ambrosia (hybrid) muskmelons I grew this year were small. I know they're supposed to be a larger, typical sized cantaloupe, but boy were they good! The best muskmelon I've had to date. I see many others recommend them as well, even though they're a hybrid. Other French melons such as Petit Gris de Rennes and Noir de Carmes are supposed to be relatively small cantaloupes too. I've only heard good things about those as well. Hope this helps!...See MoreDid anyone else grow 'charantais' melons this year?
Comments (8)Charentais melons have a propensity to crack and sunscakd for me. Even if I am very careful not to over-water, some will probably crack badly in hot weather. I have better luck growing them on a fence and making sure the fruits are shaded. I try to time them to ripen before or after the hottest weather. My Father-in-law had great luck with the Honey Girl hybrid, timed to ripen in fall. I grew two little melons which both (I think) have some Charentais parentage, but may be easier to grow in some conditions. One is Tasty Bites, reportedly a hybrid between a Charentais and an Ananas melon. It is netted, which helps prevent sunscald and cracking. The fruits slip when ripe, which makes them easier to harvest than Charentais. Color of the skin under the netting of the ripe fruit is darker than that of the typical muskmelon, like the Ananas parent. Texture is tender and melting A sweet, nicely flavored melon but not a Charentais. There is also a Tasty Bites melon mix with honeydew-type melons in different colors, so be sure you are getting the seeds you want. The other little melon is Extra Summer Sweet. It is more productive than the traditional Charentais types. It can be variable in appearance when ripe, sometimes having a yellow caste to the skin or showing a little netting. Pick when blossom end softens slightly. It can also be somewhat variable in texture depending on growing conditions, with a tendency to be firm to the point of crispness. It is always very sweet. It can crack in hot weather here, but it has much less tendency to crack than a Charentais. Here is a link that might be useful: Extra Summer Sweet melon...See MoreCharentais / Charentais-type / ??????
Comments (2)Savor is a hybrid. Nope on saving seeds and expecting them to come true to form. I haven't grown Savor. I grow Charentais. I have no idea how close it tastes to heirloom Charentais. Grow both and compare? :) You can get Charentais seeds at seedsaver.org Charentais-type just means it is breed to be the same type of melon. One of the parents is Charentais. IMO it is marketing talk to help people recognize the fact that it is a Charentais hybrid. I assume along with disease resistance, it gives people in unfriendly Charentais zones a chance to grow something close. Maybe it is crack resistant. :) Yes there are other Charentais type hybrids....See MoreLight green patches on Charentais Melon
Comments (12)hmmm I would go with the nutrient deficiency but my cucumbers, pumpkins and zucchini are growing in exactly the same conditions and on the same watering schedule etc and are all fine. and here is another Charentais growing beside it, same seed source, planted same time, same waterig and fertalizer etc Could it be some sort of virus?...See Moredavid52 Zone 6
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