IN THIS GUIDE
There ’s perhaps nothing as refreshing as sting into a slice of juicy Citrullus vulgaris on a hot day .
The poise , hydrating insolence game by a sweet but not overwhelm smell quite unlike anything else .
Then , moving onto the cantaloup and honeydew melon , we find clearly delicious variations on the flavour theme .
Of the many melons Mother Nature has chosen to grace us with , these three are maybe the most famous , but they are far from the only ones .
Now , you may consider melon have more alien origins than UK growing circumstance can satisfy ? Think again .
The main melons
With the correct precautions and care , it ’s potential to get a melon harvest develop here in Britain . And in this guide , we ’re go to tell you how to do it .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun
ExposureSheltered , with protection
Height0.5 – 1 meter
Spread1 M ( or more , depending on variety )
Bloom TimeJuly – October
PreferredMost Fertile Soil
MoistureMoisture retentive yet free - draining
pHAny
The name ‘ melon ’ refers to various plant life and fruit in the family Cucurbitaceae.1Chomicki , G. , Schaefer , H. , & Renner , S. ( 2019 ) . Origin and tameness of Cucurbitaceae harvest : insight from phylogenies , genomics and archeology . New Phytologist,226(5 ) , 1240–1255.https://doi.org/10.1111 / nph.16015
conversationally we say melon to bring up to the fruit – usually a fairly powerful , oval affair – although scientifically it refer to the flora as well .
There ’s competitor between ancient civilisation for the accolade of who introduced melon to Europe , with Ancient Egyptians being favorite contenders until the late discovery of seed suggest that the Nuragic refinement – Ancient Sardinians – may have beat them to it.2Strauss , M. ( 2015 , August 21).The 5,000 - yr unavowed History of the Watermelon . National Geographic . Retrieved March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/150821-watermelon-fruit-history-agriculture
Whoever first bring them here , however , it ’s safe to say that they ’ve become pet .
And as one of the first crops to become domesticated by humanity , and introduce to areas colonised by Westerners in previous century , melon have now succeeded in conquering the globe.3Cucurbit Biodiversity I : cucumber , Melons , and Gourds . ( n.d . ) . Kitchen of Diversity . Retrieved March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.sci.muni.cz/botany/nekola/kitchen/bakercreekatoz/cucumber/biodiversity.html
How To Grow Melons
When growing melon in the UK , there are a few thing to keep in mind .
First up : only certain mixture are suitable ( and , deplorably , watermelon are not amongst them ! ) .
2d : you’ll see far better results if you ’re able to raise them in a greenhouse or , failing that , under a cloche in a very sunny area of your garden .
As we touch to just now , UK melons are quite fussy in footing of where they will maturate .
A nursery is your estimable bet , as this most tight simulates the warm conditions they ’ve evolved to be used to .
A polytunnel or similar structure will work , too . Just make certain it ’s somewhere that traps the oestrus and humidity .
If you ’ve not got the space for one of these structures ( or the time to build one ) , melons will also produce well in a coldframe , or under a cloche .
If using a inhuman frame or cloche , check that it ’s in a dapple that gets full sun , is protected against the ingredient , and isat zero risk of frost .
Melons will not do well at all with frost !
Melon seeds will do best if burgeon forth in a propagator .
Sow two seed for each melon vine you want to farm ( you ’ll select the strongest one later ) , and pop them about 2 atomic number 96 into the soil .
Place the disseminator somewhere strong and well - illuminate , where temperatures will be between 18 - 22 ° light speed – a gay windowsill is a good bet .
Do this in April .
When your melon vine seeds have germinated , discard the weakest of each pair .
Then harden off the strongest : keep it outdoors in a pot during the day , and then wreak it in at nighttime .
Do this for a two weeks to get the plant used to outside conditions without being full exposed to them .
“ If the plants are to be acquire in a greenhouse or cold physical body , this indurate off can be done inside these so they line up slowly to animation outside the disseminator , ” shares Horticultural Consultant Roy Nicol .
you could tell when melon seedling are ready to be institute up , as they ’ll have three or four decided parting .
Prepare a spot for each of your melon plants about a month before implant out .
Get rid of all Mary Jane , and work a couple of bucket worth of compost or well - rotted manure through the grunge .
Then garb with fertilizer to assure plenteousness of nutrient are useable to the fledgeling plants .
melon vine like plenteous and prolific soil that can drain well while retaining wet .
Plant your melons into the territory , grow bag or heavy pots of prolific compost in a greenhouse or cold frame or in the prepared flat coat if maturate under cloches in late May or Juneafterthe last hoar has definitely pass .
When your melon are embed , pinch above the fifth folio .
This will further side shoots and , when you see these , hit all but the four strongest .
This outgrowth help give your melon the best chance to grow strong and healthy .
Train your shoot to give each one space to grow .
In particularly hot and sunny spells , consider shading the inside of your greenhouse , polytunnel , or coldframe with gauze or similar .
This will shade the melons against the most intense light , and protect them from scorching .
secure the place where your melons are grow is well ventilate , to allow pollenation to take place .
Unlike some other crop it ’s not recommended to pollenate by hand as the flowers are delicate and prone to damage .
When the fruits are about the size of a button mushroom , pick out the four strongest ones on each stem and remove the rest .
check that to remove further leave , flowers , and yield which formulate on the plant .
While this may seem a little extreme point , it encourages the plant to direct its resources toward make the stay fruits as expectant as possible .
cabbage out side shoot that appear beyond these fruits .
You ’re essentially seek to stop your plant from spreading its vigour too thin , which will result in a clump of little , lustreless melon .
Rest single melons on a 2-dimensional , smooth surface rather than allowing them to rest on the soil surface .
This prevents equipment casualty to the skin rest on the ground , and pass to a more attractive and healthier fruit at harvest time .
“ If the fruits do n’t reach the territory and are hanging down , special net can be bought to support the develop fruit – or else an old pair of tights process well , ” apportion Roy .
Melons postulate to be keep well watered all the time .
Water the grunge and root rather than the area of the industrial plant above the soil control surface .
Your melons are hungry works , and will demand to be fed every week or so with melted plant food .
You ’ll cognise when it ’s meter to commence feeding them as the fruits will be just below the size of it of an testicle .
Harvesting
Here we are , at perhaps the most exciting part of this usher !
Your melons are quick to harvest when they get down to put forth that luscious melon vine aroma .
The yield may originate to crack up , too .
plainly remove the melon vine from the theme and bring them indoors . They ’re ready to use directly off !
Common Problems
melon are , sadly , not exempt from visitations from pests in your garden .
Greenhouses and other hot growing environments wreak their own challenges , so here ’s what to expect for .
If you mark a slight film of webbing over parts of your melon plant and a sick mottling on the upper side of the leaves , you could have Red Spider Mites .
You may be able to see the tiny mites on the under side of leaves wild feasting on brown and droop leaves .
With this plague , prevention is the best cure .
Spritz your melon plants regularly with mist to keep thing moist , water the floor of the glasshouse in the mornings and avoid the dry conditions that these visitor like to work .
If you see spot of ashen powder , almost mould - alike in appearing , on the leaves of your melon plant life , it ’s potential you ’ve let the soil get too dry , or the air travel too hot .
“ Again , bar is the best therapeutic and assert lacrimation at the roots of the flora is the most effective style to prevent powdery mildew forming , ” adds Roy .
Brush it off and rectify these two issues to see if the problem is resolved .
If not , you may need to remove and ruin affected sections .
There you have it : everything you want to get a tasty clustering of melons growing in your garden .
While they need a little more TLC than some other plants you could farm , there ’s a extra magical spell to tending a crop that is n’t quite at household here .
