Melons (Cucumis melo)

1
Melons (Cucumis melo)

• Old world origin
• Melons originated in hot ______________ of
  southwest Asia
• Watermelons originated in ____________
• Water source during droughts
• 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 _______________

2
Muskmelon

• Muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus)
• Name comes from the musk _________ of the mature
  fruit
• Outer appearance
• Generally has netted rind with deep ____________

Immature muskmelon
3
Melon Culture

• Planting
• Muskmelons are usually started as
  __________________
• Do not transplant well if the roots are disturbed
• Start the transplants in individual containers
• Timing of planting
• After danger of ____________ has passed and the
  soil has warmed and dried

4
Melon Culture

• Black plastic mulch
• _____________ early season growth
• Controls weeds
• Install the _________________ mulch 2 to 3 days
  before planting
• Make sure the ground is ____________
• Weigh the edges of the mulch down
• Makes holes every 2 to 3 feet and transplant
  melons into holes

5
Muskmelon

• Muskmelon, cont.
• Interior flesh
• _________ to orange-colored flesh

6
Harvesting Melons

• Muskmelons 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

7
Melon Problems

• Subject to damage by
• Cucumber beetles
• Bacterial wilt
• Root knot ___________
• Commercial growersmay control byfumigation
  with__________ bromide

8
Melon Problems

• Poor flavor due to
• Cloudy weather during ripening
• Like hot, dry weather during ripening
• Too much or too little water
• Dont like wet feet
• Temperatures too high
• Like mean temps of 65-75F
• Over or under ripe
• Often hard to tell changes are subtle

9
Cantaloupe

• Generally grown in the southwest or Europe
• Fruits are round to oval shaped
• Inner flesh has strong flavor
• Outer appearance
• Non-sutured, heavily netted
• Yellow colored when mature

10
Winter Melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus)

• Smooth rind surface
• Do not separate from the vine when ripe
• Lack a distinctive odor
• Require long growing season
• 3-5 months

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Harvesting Melons

• Honeydew and Crenshaw melons are mature when
• They turn completely yellow
• Blossom end is slightly soft to the touch
• They need to be cut off the vine because they do
  not slip

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Winter Melons

• Examples
• Honeydew
• Inner flesh
• Sweet, mild, and firm flesh
• Flesh has a light green color
• Outer appearance
• Smooth, white rind

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Winter Melons

• Orange Flesh Honeydew
• Is a cross between the cantaloupe and honeydew
• Crenshaw
• A popular melon
• Inner flesh
• Golden pink flesh
• Tastes like honeydew
• Outer appearance
• Smooth skin
• Creamy white with a little yellow when mature

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Winter Melons

• Casaba
• Outer appearance
• Deep yellow at maturity
• Inner flesh
• Creamy white flesh
• Pear-like texture

15
Winter Melons

• Juan Canary
• Latin American in origin
• Inner flesh
• Has a sweet white flesh with a pink blush around
  the seed cavity
• Tastes like a mild cantaloupe
• Outer appearance
• Rough surface with ridging
• No netting

16
Winter Melons

• Galia
• Mediterranean origin
• Inner flesh
• Green flesh
• Strong melon flavor
• Outer appearance
• Honeydew type
• Round shape
• Yellow color when mature

17
Muskmelons vs. Winter Melons
Muskmelon Winter Melon
Locally grown (Cantaloupe is version grown in southwest) Grown in southwest (and other warm climates)
Musky flavor Do not have a musky flavor
Detach from stem when pulled Must be cut from plant
Turn yellow when ripe May or may not turn yellow when ripe

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Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus)

• History
• Originated in Africa
• Brought to Europe in 16th century
• Appearance
• Serrated leaves

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Watermelons

• Fruit appearance
• Flesh color
• Most watermelons are red color
• Some cultivars have a yellow flesh

20
Watermelons

• Fruit appearance
• Shape
• Standard shape is oblong
• Icebox types
• Small round watermelons with a dark skin
• Easier to grow
• Mature rapidly
• Smaller plants

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Watermelons

• Seedless watermelon
• For seedless watermelon to set fruit you must
  also plant a normal diploid (seedy) cultivar in
  with the tetraploid seedless watermelons
• Produces self-sterile triploid hybrids which
  develop normal looking fruits but no fully
  developed seeds

22
Watermelon Culture

• Adaptation
• Watermelon are more adapted to the south than to
  central or northern Illinois
• Under short seasons, watermelons do not produce
  enough sugar and are not sweet
• Ways to overcome
• Select early cultivars
• Grow icebox types
• Use transplants
• Use plastic mulch

23
Watermelon Culture

• Watering
• Watermelon have moderately deep 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

24
Watermelon Culture

• Can overcome space constraints
• Train vines onto a trellis
• Fruits must be supported by nets or bags

25
Harvesting Watermelons

• How to tell when watermelon fruit is ripe
• Curly tendrils on stem near the point of
  attachment dry down
• Surface color turns dull
• Skin becomes resistant to penetration by a
  thumbnail and is tough to the touch
• Bottom of melon (where it touches the ground)
  turns from light green to a yellowish color

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Watermelon Problems

• Problems
• Birds will makes holes in tops of watermelons
• Netting can be used to prevent the problem