HI GTG , we share a namesake ! I loved your report. You didn't mention what your soil mix was in the grow bags. I would think it would need a heavy hand of compost to produce well..
My former growing partner insisted on growing Sugar Baby and only Sugar Baby, all plants grown inground in clay soil amended with a handful of compost at planting and leaves at the end of each year.
Year after year we had a plethora of melons but never one ripe enough to eat. Some started in fiber pots indoors, some planted direct seed.
Blacktail Mountain was spectacular this year in MY garden. Not really amended for this year clay soil. Started in 4 inch plastic pots and transplanted. The first few were huge (larger than a bowling ball which is huge for me) and so sweet. Of course we broke heat records for the summer and severe drought in the midwest. (remember last year the flood cut off the roads ) Relentless beautiful sunshine.
I also grew an heirloom from my library garden called Petite Yellow. It was the size of a junior bowling ball. Very sweet, but I only got to eat two. The rest rotted on the vine at various times (overripe or fungus have no idea). One smaller melon split in half when it slipped out of my hand and it was fantastic too. I ate it with the dirt on and scoped it with a used spoon from my car. I am still here!
I had one purchased plant of Crimson Sweet. I honestly don't remember eating it.
At some point the 20* age kids made a day of it and were allowed to pick a melon. They picked EVERY melon. I found a few 6 inch or so discards strewn about. No idea if they actualy ate any.
They did leave the all the honeydew! I snagged a few before the free for all. The last smaller melons are still in my garage trying to ripen. If I picked to allow for ripening on my counter, they never got a sweet smell and eventually rotted.
I did get tons of cantaloupe, mostly Burpee hybrid seeds started in pots. My one trip to the garden center this covid year also yielded a purchased Athena or Hales best. I was happy with either . Actually the melon area was so tangles I would barely be able to tell.
All the butternut on the other side of the bed gave up the ghost. Last year was my first year for butternut and they did spectacularly and I had them thru the winter. I replanted in the same spot and the plants took off and then gave up. Produced a few pale undersized squash and fini!
- Lisa
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