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Heirloom Plants & Gardens

Montreal melon seeds

gardenguerrilla

20 years ago

I bought these seeds at Canada Blooms show in Toronto this past we/end.

Have read about them sometime over the year but for the life of me, I can't remember where.

Does anyone have any familiarity with these melons? I do know they were grown years ago in Montreal but were not a commercial success. They also appear green and textured in the photo.

I would like to know what the flavour is like and how to best grow them. The salesperson told me to grow them like a pumpkin.

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Comments (10)

carolyn137
20 years ago
Do you mean the variety Montreal Market?

Was developed by a Trappist Monk, commercialized by Burpee in the 1880's.

Huge fruit, green flesh.

But why were you told to grow like a pumpkin when it's a melon? And you should grow them like any other melon.

As for taste, all I know is one person who says very sweet.

But taste is subjective so you're really the only one who can determine if you like them or not.

Seeds were distributed to certain SSE members, and others, by Raymond Tratt of Montreal, who has been a long time friend of mine re tomatoes.

Carolyn
motherduck
20 years ago
This melon was quite famous in its time. Some small Canadian heirloom seed companies sell the seeds now.

Sandy

Here is a link that might be useful: Montreal Melon
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I tried the "Montreal" melon about 10 years ago, received it mail order from a company in Canada. Melons as a rule do poorly here; too little heat in Summer, and too short a season. "Montreal", however, managed to ripen a few... and that was direct seeded, transplants would have done better. They are pretty large, and the vines produce a good set; but the green flesh is not as thick as we are used to. Good flavor, though. It was my intent to save seed, but I grew a mis-labeled cucumber that year which turned out to be Armenian cucumber... which is a melon, and will cross with "Montreal". They were directly adjacent, so the seed from both could not be saved. :-( When I tried to order more the next year, the supplier said they could no longer ship to the U.S. Good as I thought it was, that description by KGS is a little over the top, IMO. I wouldn't mind growing it again, so I may order some seed as well.
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I made cereal box cardboard pots for them, because I don't like using peat pots.Put them in a plastic pastry tray, with peaty soil. Then I put them on my light stand and tried to keep the temp up. Have only watered once since planting, so hopefully I will not overwater them. I have a bag of bunnie compost set aside for their garden bed.
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Lucky, you're in luck :), I went looking for these seeds myself and finally found a source, they should be arriving in the mail any day now, shoot me an email and we'll work something out. Annette
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gardenguerrilla
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks for the info, Carolyn and Sandy!
Now I have a good background on them. I'm anxious to grow them--they're very unique-looking. I'll give a few plants to my BIL in Quebec this June-he claims he's never heard of them or seen them at local markets.
jamie_e
20 years ago
Isn't this the same at the Nutmeg melon?

Jamie
motherduck
20 years ago
No, the Green Nutmeg melon is supposedly one of the parents of the Montreal Melon.
Beatrice6
19 years ago
I'm interested in buying Montreal melon seeds. Can you give specific seed companies that handle them?

Thanks
carolyn137
19 years ago
I'm interested in buying Montreal melon seeds. Can you give specific seed companies that handle them?

Beatrice,

Since I see no Canadians answering your question, as of yet, I did a Google search; Google is your friend. ( smile)

Greta's Organic is one Canadian Co that sells seeds and I think Solana is as well, but I'll be darned if I'm going to wait for 200 pictures to download. LOL

I don't know how good either Greta's or Solana really are since I 've seen varying opinions on both.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Montral Melon seeds; Greta's Organic
bill_southerncal
19 years ago
I bought some Montreal Melon seeds from Gretas, and they took about a week or so to get my seeds after sending my credit card number. I was quite satisfied with the transaction. I will order from them again next year. I do badly want to taste what the fuss was about this melon.

However, I did a lousy job in taking care of them. I planted them right before a 6 week cool spell, and they never got too big or sweet before the plant died. I should've used some black plastic mulch but just didn't.
Oh well.
carolyn137
19 years ago
I do badly want to taste what the fuss was about this melon.

The major fuss about this melon as I see it, at least these days, is that it's a rediscovered variety.

Same thing happened with the variety Jenny Lind. Same thing happeneed with Moon and Stars Watermelon.

There are lots of great green fleshed melons out there in melon land.

But when one sees the hype I think it's natural to see what it's all about. (smile)

Carolyn
Ron Lewis
13 years ago
I just tasted my first Montreal Melon, from my zone 3 garden, yesterday, September 17, 2010. Now I understand what all the hype was about; exquisite!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ron's Garden

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