Melons - Heirloom vs Hybrid

Cole_Robbie · January 16, 2016

I've been looking at several OP varieties of melons to grow next year, many of them from the SSE catalog. I am interested in the Charantais and other French cantaloupes, as well as a few other OP melons.

But every time I get a catalog that caters to market growers, all of the melons are F1 hybrids. I'm a market grower, but I avoid hybrid tomatoes to target the customers interested in heirlooms. I would like to be able to do the same with melons.

Lower production is ok with me, but I am trying to avoid anything that is an abysmal waste of space. I do have a honey bee hive in the field.

Anyone's melon input is welcome. I have read some growers post that modern hybrid melons are not as sweet. But in the seed company's descriptions, they often brag about the high brix levels of the hybrids. I'm not sure whom to believe.

January 16, 2016	#1
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Melons - Heirloom vs Hybrid I've been looking at several OP varieties of melons to grow next year, many of them from the SSE catalog. I am interested in the Charantais and other French cantaloupes, as well as a few other OP melons. But every time I get a catalog that caters to market growers, all of the melons are F1 hybrids. I'm a market grower, but I avoid hybrid tomatoes to target the customers interested in heirlooms. I would like to be able to do the same with melons. Lower production is ok with me, but I am trying to avoid anything that is an abysmal waste of space. I do have a honey bee hive in the field. Anyone's melon input is welcome. I have read some growers post that modern hybrid melons are not as sweet. But in the seed company's descriptions, they often brag about the high brix levels of the hybrids. I'm not sure whom to believe.