HOW TO GROW MELON PLANTS FROM SEED OUTDOORS

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Melons have been grown for their deliciously sweet flesh for over 4000 years. In fact, melons have been under human cultivation for so long that they no longer bear any resemblance to species plants growing in the wild.

Originating in the hot valleys of North Africa, southwest Asia and India, the popularity of this fruit has seen it spread across the globe. History tells us that the early American settlers grew cultivars of honeydew and casaba melons back in the 1600s, and even now there are still a number of old varieties available today such as the 400 year old ‘Petit Gris de Rene’.

Of course, with modern breeding programs there are many more varieties available that will suit a wide range of tastes and while you can generally buy ‘out of season’ produce whenever you want, growing your own melons from seed will not only give you the best choice, it can also get you the very best flavour.

Direct sowing into the ground is the best way to grow melons from seed but for those of us how live in cooler, northern European climate you will need to start your melon seed off indoors. This gives the resulting seedlings a fighting chance to produce and ripen their fruit in a much shorter growing period.

.Direct Sowing Melon Seed Outdoors

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Unless you are prone to particularly cold winters, the best way to grow melon plants from seed is to sow them into prepared seed beds where they will remain for the entire production of the crop.

Mound up a small area of rich, well-drained soil about a 12 – 18 inches diameter and plant three to five seeds in the middle of it, two inches apart and about one inch deep. Water in well and after a couple of weeks the seed should be showing signs of germination. Once the seedlings are showing two sets of true leaves, thin out the weaker ones, leaving the two strongest seedlings to continue growing.

This is a perfect method for areas where the winters are mild but in cooler climates consider planting melon seed through a black plastic mulch. The dark plastic will absorb heat from the sun, warming the soil early. It will also help to conserve moisture during the growing season, controls weeds and makes harvesting a whole lot easier and cleaner.

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Saturday, March 13, 2010

HOW TO GROW MELON PLANTS FROM SEED OUTDOORS

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