Growing melons in cool, coastal California: Inadvisable. It's not hot enough. Requires micromanagement.
In her book, SF vegetable gardening guru Pam Peirce has this to say:
Every few years I come across a listing for a 'very early' [melon] that is supposed to bear fruit even in cool weather. So far, my success has been limited to the two-and-a-half-inch cantaloupe [described elsewhere]. And cantaloupe is probably the melon most likely to succeed here!
Well, I'm going with Territorial Seed's Earlidew ("An early hybrid honeydew that is as well suited to cool summer growing conditions as any melon we've evaluated." 80 days), and Cook's Garden's Charentais ("The original French melon known for its...ability to ripen even in cool areas." 75 days).
Maybe I'll get a boost from global warming.
Look how beautiful Charentais is. Right out of some old still-life by Cezanne or something.
I knew someone in grad school who thought melon flesh smelled like rotten meat. Or something like that. I'll bet he would hate that picture.
1 comment:
Good luck with your melons! I think the roof is a great idea, and I've seen people trellis them up for increased air circulation as well.
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