Melons

Old world origin Melons originated in hot ______________ of southwest Asia Watermelons originated in ____________

Characteristics Warm season Separate male and female flowers

Need bees for _______________; wind not effective Vining growth habit

Can be divided into muskmelons, winter melons, and _______________

Key points Muskmelon and cantaloupe

Fruit characteristics Growing melons Selecting quality melons Problems

Winter melons Characteristics Differences from muskmelon/ cantaloupe

Watermelon Characteristics Growing and harvesting watermelons

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus)

Dates back to at least 1600’s

Name comes from the musk _________ of the mature fruit

Outer appearance Generally has

netted rind with deep ____________

Immature muskmelon

Muskmelon Interior flesh

_________ to orange-colored flesh

Cantaloupe Fruits are round

to oval shaped Outer appearance

Non-sutured, heavily netted

Yellow colored when mature

Inner flesh has strong flavor

Melon Culture Planting

Melons are usually started as __________________

Do not transplant well if the roots are disturbed

Start the transplants in individual containers

Black plastic mulch Timing of planting

After danger of ____________ has passed and the soil has warmed to 60 F

Selecting a good melon Melons are mature when:

__________ changes from green to tan-yellow between ___________

Stem should easily separate (slip) where the ________ attaches to the fruit

______________ layer forms between stem and fruit

Blossom end of fruit fairly easy to depress

Melon Problems

Poor flavor due to: Cloudy weather during ripening

Like hot, dry weather during ripening Too much or too little water

Don’t like “wet feet” Temperatures too high

Like mean temps of _______ Over or under ripe Often hard to tell; changes are subtle Melons might soften but do not get sweeter after

harvest

Melon Problems Cucumber beetles

Most serious insect pest Have stripped cucumber

beetle and spotted cucumber beetle

Adult stage of corn rootworm beetle

Controls – Sevin, black plastic mulch, row covers

Bacterial wilt Worst on younger plants Must control beetles

Winter Melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus)

Smooth rind surface When ripe:

Do not _______ from the vine Are cut from the vine

Blossom-end of fruit _____ to touch Lack a distinctive odor Require long growing season

______ months

Winter Melons

Honeydew Inner flesh

Sweet, mild, and firm flesh

Flesh has a light green color

Outer appearance Smooth, white rind

Winter Melons

Casaba Outer appearance

Deep _______ at maturity Inner flesh

Creamy white flesh Pear-like texture

Muskmelons vs. Winter Melons

Muskmelon/ cantaloupe

Winter Melon

________ grown Grown in southwest (and other warm climates)

Musky flavor Do not have a musky flavor

Detach from stem when pulled

Must be ______ from plant

Turn yellow when ripe May or may not turn yellow when ripe

Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus)

History Originated in __________ Brought to Europe in 16th century

Appearance _________

leaves

Watermelons Fruit appearance

Flesh color Most watermelons

are red color Some cultivars

have a _________ flesh

Watermelons Fruit appearance

Shape Standard shape is

oblong ____________ types

Small round watermelons with a dark skin

Easier to grow Mature rapidly Smaller plants

Watermelons Seedless watermelon

For seedless watermelon to set fruit you must also plant a normal ________ (“seedy”) cultivar in with the _______________ seedless watermelons

Produces self-sterile triploid __________ which develop normal looking fruits but no fully developed seeds

Watermelon Culture

Adaptation Watermelon are more adapted to the south

than to central or northern Illinois Under ___________ seasons, watermelons do not

produce enough sugar and are not sweet Ways to overcome

Select __________ cultivars Grow icebox types Use transplants Use plastic mulch

Watermelon Culture Watering

Watermelon have moderately ________ root systems

Watering is seldom necessary unless weather turns dry for a prolonged period

Spacing Watermelon vines

require considerable space

Space hills 6 ft. apart, with 7 to 10 ft. between rows

Watermelon Culture Can overcome

space constraints Train vines onto a

__________ Fruits must be

supported by nets or bags

Harvesting Watermelons How to tell when

watermelon fruit is ripe Curly tendrils on stem

near the point of attachment dry down

Surface color turns _______

Skin becomes resistant to penetration by a thumbnail and is _________ to the touch

Bottom of melon (where it touches the ground) turns from light green to a yellowish color

Watermelon Problems Cucumber beetles

and bacteria wilt generally not a problem

Birds will makes holes in tops of watermelons Netting can be

used to prevent