Container Planting

**Scorpio Rising** 5/24/2016, 7:01 pm

Question for the group; I am out of SFG at the moment. I have 4 melons that still need a home, they are small right now but could go in. I also have 2 donation tomatoes from one of my kids' dads. I eventually will have the turnip, (2)carrot, (2) beet squares available.

Any advice? Should I put the melons in the turnover squares? Or use stand alone round containers? The tomatoes are small, in those jiffy pots.

Pictures would help, huh? Thoughts?

countrynaturals 5/24/2016, 8:32 pm

I'd put the maters and melons in large containers. Cage the maters. Let the melons climb out and roam. I'll be very interested in what others have to say because I'm in the same situation. Rolling Eyes

**Scorpio Rising** 5/24/2016, 9:40 pm

About the biggest container diameter I can get is 14" maybe 18" guessing; about 18" deep again a guess, tapering down at bottom.

I might have some leeway on the maters. Let me get the pics....

**Scorpio Rising** 5/24/2016, 9:44 pm

These are the babies

**Scorpio Rising** 5/24/2016, 9:48 pm

This is where carrots, beets, turnips, beets, and carrots are. But I love all of them! And they aren't ready!

And sugar snap peas...also, just getting started! Again, they won't be done.

How big should this container be for melons? I love them. Maybe I should build a 1x8.......for the melons?

**Scorpio Rising** 5/24/2016, 9:50 pm

Yes, I know I need to get the maples away from there. And weed whack. Jeesh! So. Little time. affraid

reynajrainwater 5/25/2016, 12:19 am

Since I've has such good luck with growing vegetables this spring(thanks to SFG), I've decided to try my hand with growing fruit in pots of course. I've planted a meyer lemon, bearss lime, valencia oranges, pomegranate and brown turkey fig. Wish me luck!!!

**sanderson** 5/25/2016, 4:40 am

Pots, yes! 2013-2015 I used lots of pots to supplement the beds. I have more beds now but still have 3 eggplants in pots and 10 tomatoes (a little over half of total tomatoes) in 5-gallon buckets. I went outside to measure the large pots, they are 12" across, 11" high, with a slight taper down to the bottom.

2014 - lots of peppers in pots.

May 2015 - still lots of pots plus buckets.

**Scorpio Rising** 5/25/2016, 6:54 pm

Do you think watermelon and muskmelon can go in pots? I figured the tomatoes could.

countrynaturals 5/25/2016, 7:43 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Do you think watermelon and muskmelon can go in pots? I figured the tomatoes could.

5 gallon pots should be fine I think, since they really don't spend much time there. Wandering the neighborhood is more their thing. Wink

**Scorpio Rising** 5/25/2016, 8:43 pm

reynajrainwater wrote:Since I've has such good luck with growing vegetables this spring(thanks to SFG), I've decided to try my hand with growing fruit in pots of course. I've planted a meyer lemon, bearss lime, valencia oranges, pomegranate and brown turkey fig. Wish me luck!!!

Good luck! Sounds awesome, Reyna!

**Scorpio Rising** 5/25/2016, 8:46 pm

countrynaturals wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:Do you think watermelon and muskmelon can go in pots? I figured the tomatoes could.
5 gallon pots should be fine I think, since they really don't spend much time there. Wandering the neighborhood is more their thing.

Ok, that is my plan! I am getting some 5gal buckets, drilling drainage holes and filling with close to MM....and sticking them on the south side of my brick house with cages for maters...let the melons travel! No trellis....good! Thanks everybody! Wink

**Scorpio Rising** 5/25/2016, 8:48 pm

sanderson wrote:Pots, yes! 2013-2015 I used lots of pots to supplement the beds. I have more beds now but still have 3 eggplants in pots and 10 tomatoes (a little over half of total tomatoes) in 5-gallon buckets. I went outside to measure the large pots, they are 12" across, 11" high, with a slight taper down to the bottom

Would you put melons in those? Or go for the 5 gallon buckets? I think like CN said, let the melons sprawl, I have the space....

**sanderson** 5/26/2016, 2:00 am

I've never grown water melons, but I did grow 2 cantaloupe in a cubic foot container. Get as close to MM as possible. It's a proven winner as long as there is good compost.

**Scorpio Rising** 5/26/2016, 9:25 pm

Sanderson, I think I can even treat them with my compost from the bottom of the pile. Looking pretty deflated out there!

I am interested to see how this goes. I have 2 melons in the new 4x4, Sakatas Sweet muskmelon. And I have 2 watermelon Blacktail mountain and Minnesota midget muskmelon that need a home! I have one container readyish. Need to get a few more! They are all supposed to be Northern varieties that are quick to produce and mature.

**sanderson** 5/26/2016, 10:10 pm

I grow one melon per square. Maybe I am pushing it.

BeetlesPerSqFt 5/26/2016, 10:43 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:I am interested to see how this goes. I have 2 melons in the new 4x4, Sakatas Sweet muskmelon. And I have 2 watermelon Blacktail mountain and Minnesota midget muskmelon that need a home! I have one container readyish. Need to get a few more! They are all supposed to be Northern varieties that are quick to produce and mature.

I am interested to see how this goes, too! My Charentais melons (mildew) and watermelons (failure to thrive) did very poorly last year so I'm bumping melons to the front porch for increased sunlight. That means container melons for me, too. 2 sugar baby watermelons in an earthbox, and in a large self-irrigating planter, a pair of Golden Crispy melons, and a pair of Sierra Gold cantaloupe. Your varieties sound more suited to my climate than my random free-seeds-so-I-may-as-well-try-em assortment. I've noted your choices on my 'shopping list' for next year.

**Scorpio Rising** 5/28/2016, 10:38 am

Beetles, I did a lot of research on this before purchasing seeds for the melons. I got my seeds from Pinetree and Baker's. What I don't want is to run out of summer! So I am making a container run today. I have the 4 melons and 2 gifty maters to put somewhere. Also, I think I am going to put a rhubarb in on my south side too. I will keep you posted probably on the N&C thread! Fingers crossed!

**Scorpio Rising** 5/28/2016, 10:40 am

sanderson wrote:I grow one melon per square. Maybe I am pushing it.

That is how I planted them. Taking notes.....

**Scorpio Rising** 5/29/2016, 9:55 pm

OK, so Walmart had a big sale this weekend in the garden department, and I got 4 24" diameter plastic containers half price! They are BIG and deep. I am thinking 2 melons/container, and 1 tomato with cage each. Also, I don't want to go broke filling them with MM, so thoughts on what to put in the bottom? I was thinking pine bark nuggets. Just to fill up the empty volume.

Curiously, also no drainage holes, so plant to get the drill/driver out tomorrow and fix that. Then I will put broken terra cotta pot shards over the holes, and put in a spacer before the MM goes in.

Thoughts? bounce

**sanderson** 5/30/2016, 4:37 am

Drill just 1/4" holes and line with weed fabric. Fill the bottom with stuff that can slowly compost during the summer - kill 2 birds with 1 stones. Leaves, food scraps, manure?? Weed fabric on top of that mix, then fill rest with MM. ??

**Scorpio Rising** 5/30/2016, 11:13 am

Good thoughts...and some of it is free! Lol. Maybe I will put the immature compost in there!

CapeCoddess 5/30/2016, 11:58 am

Scorpio Rising wrote:Good thoughts...and some of it is free! Lol. Maybe I will put the immature compost in there!

I use straight compost in my pots. Sometimes put leaf mold in the bottom, sometimes clam shells, sometimes rough compost.

I grew cantaloupe and squashes last year or the year before in containers that trees come in. Squashes got taken down by the SVB. The melon fruits had to be covered with pantyhose after the vines crawled out onto the ground, as the critters started to taking bites out of them..

**Scorpio Rising** 5/31/2016, 6:34 pm

I HATE SVBs. Interesting about the pantyhose thing....and straight compost. Wish I had a big pile.....I will see how far it goes. I have some leftover potting soil from my flowers too, so may as well use that up. Already bought and paid for, no sense storing it?

**Scorpio Rising** 6/1/2016, 8:39 pm

OK, so I have 4 melons, 2 Blacktail Mountain watermelon and 2 Minnesota Midget (muskmelon). SHould I plant the watermelons together etc., or mix the containers with one of each plant variety?

New to melons and containers. jocolor

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