Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - I can't seem to grow a sweet melon. Help?

JRinPA · August 24, 2022

I tried cantaloupe in my rain gutter buckets a few years back. I'm not sure how far on an earthbox that is. They did not do well. Some melons formed but were practically tasteless. They were swarmed by striped cucumber beetles early on and the leaves wilted back.

That is interesting about the sweetness coming from the leaves. Honestly I thought more about proper nutrition from the ground making it sweet and water and leaves making it big.

So far I have picked three cantaloupe. These are about an F3 off Sarah's Choice. Two looked like normal cantaloupe and were sweet. I saved seed from those two. I'll call them F4 next year. The last one was from a different plant, and looks different - it never developed a waffle pattern and was longer. It was both sweet and very sour with a cantaloupe aftertaste!

I have 4 normal looking bigs ones at another spot, but they haven't slipped yet.

August 24, 2022	#27
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 963	I tried cantaloupe in my rain gutter buckets a few years back. I'm not sure how far on an earthbox that is. They did not do well. Some melons formed but were practically tasteless. They were swarmed by striped cucumber beetles early on and the leaves wilted back. That is interesting about the sweetness coming from the leaves. Honestly I thought more about proper nutrition from the ground making it sweet and water and leaves making it big. So far I have picked three cantaloupe. These are about an F3 off Sarah's Choice. Two looked like normal cantaloupe and were sweet. I saved seed from those two. I'll call them F4 next year. The last one was from a different plant, and looks different - it never developed a waffle pattern and was longer. It was both sweet and very sour with a cantaloupe aftertaste! I have 4 normal looking bigs ones at another spot, but they haven't slipped yet.