Melon failure

greatgranny 8/6/2014, 9:24 am

Nice sized Sugar Baby watermelon on trellis. Not ready yet. Panty hose in place.

Found the melon on the ground - stretched the panty hose all the way to the ground.

From the looks of vine where it was attached , there was some damage and on the melon itself there appeared to be an area around the stem where it is attached to the melon that looks like it was leaking some of the juice. I've had this happen before. That's why last year I didn't grow them on a trellis and they turned out very nicely. So, any idea why this happens? Sugar Baby melons don't get that big and no, this one was not ready, believe me.

**sanderson** 8/6/2014, 4:31 pm

Is this the year of "Falling Melons?" I haven't lost a cantaloupe melon until today. I found the whole one on the ground this morning. Weighed all of 1 lb 2 oz so it wasn't the weight. The other 1 lb 14 oz one split while on the vine.

yolos 8/6/2014, 5:36 pm

Mine (cantaloupes) are getting invaded by pickle worms and then falling off the trellis. Not a single one for us hard working gardeners. The worms do not seem to bother the Sugar Baby watermelons and we have picked one of those.

greatgranny 8/6/2014, 7:28 pm

Okay so I took a picture of the melon and also a closeup of the stem. I'm going to cut it open tonight and if I can, I'm going to salvage some of it for watermelon pickles. My Mom used to make them and believe me, they are delish. "Never throw away any food" was her motto.

The melon:

Melon failure DamagedBabyMelon2014cropped_zps30527967

Melon failure DamagedBabyMelon2014cropped_zps30527967

The stem:

Melon failure DamagedBabyMelon2014croppedcloseupofstem_zps934f5a44

I know the picture of the stem it kind of blurry but it was the best I could do with my camera.

We should have a "wake" for all the dead melons that happened today.

**sanderson** 8/6/2014, 11:00 pm

I forgot to post the photo for the memorial: The split is on the bottom of the one still on the vine.
Melon failure Harves13

The cream colored healthy fruit is a lemon cucumber with a spaghetti squash behind it (2 lb 5.1 oz).

greatgranny 8/6/2014, 11:11 pm

sanderson wrote:I forgot to post the photo for the memorial: The split is on the bottom of the one still on the vine.

The cream colored healthy fruit is a lemon cucumber with a spaghetti squash behind it (2 lb 5.1 oz).

So, do you think these are the result of the pickle worm? When I look at the stem of the one I lost, it looks like it was chewed on. HMMMMM

Off to cut up my poor little Sugar Baby.

**sanderson** 8/7/2014, 12:32 am

I Binged pickle worm and it doesn't seem to be in my area. I prepared the cantaloupe and there was no sign of any infestation. I think it was the top dressing and deep soak I gave the plants that caused the one to split. I thought the drippers were set to water every day instead of 3X week. My misunderstanding. I think the uptake of water with the hard skin caused it to split.

greatgranny 8/7/2014, 1:18 am

What is so strange is that I can plant cucumbers, tomatoes (the brandywines which are heavy) and I never have a failure. Snow peas thrive longer than expected, lima beans are like a forest. Guess the trellis isn't the problem. But 3 out of 4 years the melons have been a zero due to falling off. Last year I planted them on the edge of a box and let it spread out into the grass. Got some nice ones. Same variety too. My melons don't like hanging and then I see this and wonder how they get this to succeed. Sigh

Melon failure Gourds_zps2be841b0

**AtlantaMarie** 8/7/2014, 7:29 am

Oh, I LOVE that photo! I've got it incorporated into my gardening class powerpoint. I'd also like to end up with something like it, sigh...

My spaghetti squash and some of my watermelons are doing okay trellised.

Do you have them supported (i.e. the watermelon bra)?

greatgranny 8/7/2014, 8:57 am

AtlantaMarie wrote:Oh, I LOVE that photo! I've got it incorporated into my gardening class powerpoint. I'd also like to end up with something like it, sigh...

My spaghetti squash and some of my watermelons are doing okay trellised.

Do you have them supported (i.e. the watermelon bra)?

Yes, I did. It looks like it was chewed off.

svanahgirl 8/7/2014, 8:19 pm

Hi everyone!
That was the question I was going to ask. Seems I have a rogue melon of some kind and lost the last cantaloupe(the only one) to pickle worms. I was wondering about panty hose or foot socks. Have you all used them to keep the worms out? I would love to harvest at least one and he is trying so hard!
Thanks
Linda(svanahgirl)

svanahgirl 8/7/2014, 8:20 pm

Oh my gosh, that trellis is awesome! What a great idea.
Going to the hydroponics store this weekend to get all my ingredients for Mel's Mix. So excited. Husband said he would build bed but there is a kit you can get if that does not happen. Time to plant some fall stuff here pretty soon. Still hot as the dickens though. Almost too hot to breathe outside, yuk!

Windmere 8/7/2014, 9:50 pm

svanahgirl wrote:Oh my gosh, that trellis is awesome! What a great idea.
Going to the hydroponics store this weekend to get all my ingredients for Mel's Mix. So excited. Husband said he would build bed but there is a kit you can get if that does not happen. Time to plant some fall stuff here pretty soon. Still hot as the dickens though. Almost too hot to breathe outside, yuk!

Exciting stuff. I went with prefab beds because... well... I am not good at getting around to building stuff (mental block really). It is indeed, as you say, "hot as the dickens." We went to visit my 90 yr old aunt today and her air had gone out. Fortunately, AC repair person came and fixed it as soon as we noticed the rise in temp. Today it was 96. Presently it is raining cats and dogs. At times like this... I miss California.

has55 8/8/2014, 9:28 pm

Greatgranny do you have any pictures of your trellis without anything growing? That picture is impressive and breathtaking!! What types of plants are you growing on the trellis?

**sanderson** 8/8/2014, 9:39 pm

Has, Are you referring to that stunning photo of the squash? That was taken from another site so we don't have a photo of the bare trellis.

Now and then, someone will resurrect that photo so we can all drool.

greatgranny 8/8/2014, 9:47 pm

sanderson wrote:Has, Are you referring to that stunning photo of the squash? That was taken from another site so we don't have a photo of the bare trellis.

Now and then, someone will resurrect that photo so we can all drool.

Yes, if that was my trellis, etc. I would not be here asking for help. Wink

Wish we could see a bare trellis so we would tell if there are special ties that help the squash stay.

has55 8/8/2014, 9:59 pm

Yes I drooled and drooled and drooled.

CapeCoddess 8/10/2014, 8:08 pm

In previous years my trellised Sugar Babies would not grow fruit larger than the size of a marble. So this year I have one trellised plant and one growing on the ground. The ground plant has a softball sized fruit now. But it appears that a critter is trying to eat it so I covered it with a knee high. Hopefully that will protect it. The trillesed flowers don't get seem to get pollinated and so far all the fruits have aborted even tho the plants are side by side with all the same bees visiting them. It's a mystery that I'm also noticing is occurring with my cantaloupe.

CC

greatgranny 8/10/2014, 8:31 pm

Last year I grew them off of a trellis and they developed, ripened and were delicious. So, what is the reason that they are falling off the trellis if they do get to the normal size and if they are in a sling?

My cantaloupe are doing okay on the trellis but most of the fruit is near the bottom and are not in danger of falling off. Why aren't the bees taking care of the blooms higher up? Strange.

has55 8/11/2014, 8:32 pm

I'm having the same problem with my watermelon, but getting plenty of cantaloupes. The watermelon are not getting pollinated. I growing sugar baby too.

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