BP
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Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

Sugar baby and sweet baby watermelons. Difference?

Hello all. I'm new here and hope I can get some info. This is my first time growing melons. I bought plants at the store and the tag says "sweet baby" watermelon and I also started some from seed called "sugar baby" watermelon. Is there a difference between the two? I've been having trouble finding an answer on the internet.

Also if there is any tips or knowledge anyone would like to share with a rookie, I'd really appreciate it. What I have learned so far is.............
I shouldn't have planted watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew as close together as I have. I'm limited on space and wanted a variety of melons. I read up on and watched videos of "hand pollenating". Yesterday my 2 sweet baby watermelon plant had a few female blossoms open so I pollenated 2 ways. I did the Q-tip method on a couple and then snapped a male flower off, peeled the petals and rubbed together with a few other female blossoms. What is your preference or opinion on this?
My 2 honeydew plants are next to the watermelons about 5 feet from them. They are just starting their first blossoms, not quite opened yet.
Next to them I have 2 cantaloupe plants same distance from honeydew as honeydew to watermelon. Will honeydew crosspollenate with either plants as I've heard cantaloupes and watermelons can?
Also today I pollenated cantaloupe with a Q-tip (differnt one than used on watermelons of course). I'm having trouble telling male from female on the cantaloupe so I just moved pollen from one flower to another except for a couple I'm going to let see if nature takes it's course. I saw youtube videos where folks have had problems telling male from female blossoms on cantaloupe like I am experiencing. Any help here on this?
I have now switched my fertilizer to a more phosphorus than nitrogen mixture as I've been reading now that blossoms are everywhere.
I'm more of a fisherman than gardener, but have become obsessed with these melon plants, so any answers to these questions and or additional tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Bret

BP
Senior Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

One more question. I'm looking for opinions on whether to put something under the melons as they form and grow or to leave on the dirt? If placing melons on something, what should I use?

BP
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Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

Wow, no melon growers here? I have a new problem. Some critter smaller than a rabbit got 3 of my just starting watermelons lastnight. Guess I'll have to get very small hole or mesh fencing.

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applestar
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I've been waiting WITH you to hear what folks had to say! 8)
My 2nd year growing watermelon and melons. Last year, aside from two great honeydews, the melon performances were less than spectacular. One location got TOO much water -- I picked it thinking melons need a lot of water, but it turned out you want to cut back on the water towards ripening. The two different melons grown in that location turned out watery and were only good for smoothies and sherberts with added sugar or honey. In another location, watermelons didn't get as big as they were supposed to.

One of the watermelons I'm trying to grow is 'Moon and Stars'. Everytime I check on them, I have to remind myself that THESE spots on the leaves are nothing to worry about, they're SUPPOSED to look that way! :lol:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7235.jpg[/img]

crobi13
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Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: Boston Zone 6

I'm not sure on your pollinating question but I have heard that with melons you should put a few layers of newspaper under the melon as it grows to avoid rot.

BP
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Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

I have now lost all but a couple melons to what I believe to be the culprit, chipmunk. Saw the little bugger in there this morning. I have a mouse trap with a half eaten baby melon on it for bait.
Tomorrow is my last day off before leaving town for a camping trip. I plan on visiting Home Depot tomorrow and buying pvc to build a trellis. My design is a 3 foot square 4 foot tall with cross bars at 2 foot and 4 foot. I'm going to get the vines to go up and then wrap down and keep doing this until I decide to clip the vines when I don't want them any longer (vines are about 3-4 foot ong now). Most of what I have learned has come from reading various websites articles, but mostly youtube. I have seen pantyhose and onion sacks used to hold the melons, which is better and why?
Also, what should I use to tie the vines to the pvc? I really would appreciate any and all opinions.
Once I am done with building the trellis/cage I am going to put down rat traps for the chipmunk. Talked to a guy at my work today that works at a hardware store and he said people are buying these for the same problem I'm having.
I also have a lot of ants. can they hurt my fruit/plants? I saw a mixture on this site for an organic pesticide, will it work on ants? I will post this question on that board also.
Thanks for the replies, Bret

Here are a few pics of my melon plants

This is a watermelon plant (farthest back next to the house)
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/005.jpg[/img]

Honeydew
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/006.jpg[/img]

Cantaloupe
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/007-1.jpg[/img]

I'm using the arrows for now to keep the different plants from tangling vines in hopes to deter cross pollination before I can pollinate them. Cross pollination is also why I'm building the trellis/cages one for each plant (each plant is actually 2 plants)

The critter is eating my baby melons starting at this size all the way up to walnut size.
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/003.jpg[/img]

BP
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Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

Thought I'd update everyone on my melons. I decided to build a trellis of sorts out of pvc piping to get the melons off the ground. It is 15'6" long 50" high and the two main parts are connected with almost 3' inbetween.

Cutting the 16 2' bars to have my uprights
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/001.jpg[/img]

The 2 footers now connected. 4 4way connectors and 4 T connectors
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/002.jpg[/img]

5' sections connected to uprights
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/003-1.jpg[/img]

snapping the top 5 footers into the top connectors after setting the outside uprights over 4'rebar pounded 2'deep in the ground
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/004-1.jpg[/img]

After connecting the sidebars I pounded in the next 2 rebars to set the other main part over
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/005-1.jpg[/img]


Job complete after tying the vines to the rebar.
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/012.jpg[/img]

I'm amazed how fast the melon plants are growing here in Michigan. I built the trellis 7 days ago and here are pics from today.

Backview
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/007-3.jpg[/img]
2 watermelon plants with vines already a couple feet longer than the trellis is high (50")
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/002-1.jpg[/img]
Small watermelon supported by an onion sack tied to the pvc so the vine won't break as it grows heavier.
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/001-1.jpg[/img]
Honeydew and Cantaloupe
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/003-2.jpg[/img]
4 watermelon plants I started from seed
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/004-2.jpg[/img]
2 cantaloupe I started from seed
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/005-2.jpg[/img]
Even my Minnesota Midgets are growing vines over the first 2' high bar
[img]https://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/BP991/Melon%20patch/006-2.jpg[/img]

Sorry the latest pics are a little dark, it was getting late in the evening and I guess I used the wrong setting. :oops:

BP
Senior Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: Swartz Creek Michigan

applestar wrote:I've been waiting WITH you to hear what folks had to say! 8)
My 2nd year growing watermelon and melons. Last year, aside from two great honeydews, the melon performances were less than spectacular. One location got TOO much water -- I picked it thinking melons need a lot of water, but it turned out you want to cut back on the water towards ripening. The two different melons grown in that location turned out watery and were only good for smoothies and sherberts with added sugar or honey. In another location, watermelons didn't get as big as they were supposed to.

One of the watermelons I'm trying to grow is 'Moon and Stars'. Everytime I check on them, I have to remind myself that THESE spots on the leaves are nothing to worry about, they're SUPPOSED to look that way! :lol:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7235.jpg[/img]
Do you have any fruit on the moon and stars yet? I'd love to see a pic.

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Nope! they're just starting to vine and open male blossoms. couldn't see any females in the making along the vines yet. I just harvested most of the garlic in the direction the vines are supposed to go, so they should have enough room.... 8)



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