A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 melons

OK, this year is my first year for a garden so I am still learning. I have planted 2 watermelons plants and 1 canteloupe plant. they are growing like crazy and I don't think i made enough room for them.
my question is-is there something i can do to keep the vines from going everywhere?
and how long until i will see some fruit? (the plants are showing blooms and they have been planted for almost 2 months(i got started a little late)
any kind of help would be great!
thanks
sarah

hey sarah,

I too started mine about the same time yours were in ground it seems. I have my FIRST melon growing now, we had some colder weather here for the longest time but now its plenty warm! Bees are out doing their thing, so i dont have to try and keep up hand pollinating everything. I dont have watermelons, but i do have cantaloupes. As i said, first one is growing with several behind it! Give it a lil time, and i DO deadhead all my vines! It doesnt have seem to hurt the plant at all, in fact after doing so i noticed i had a gumball size melon turn into a monster 1 lb. (prolly the size of a nerf football) in 2 days time! So i suggest pruning the ends of your vines and keep them where you want them. . it doesnt seem to do any harm!

GL! And just wait for them melons. . you'll have more than u can eat soon

Hi

I have a cantaloupe plant as well, it took roughly 2 months before it put out flowers and perhaps 2-3 weeks before the first fruits appeared, that was around 45-50 days or so now,from what the tag says it should take 85 days till maturity for the variety I got (hales best jumbo)

Ok todays looksee is somewhat disapointing. Found one of the smaller mellons(about golfball size is dying and so is another around softball size. The smaller one is nellow and shriveled but the larger is soft and developing dark patches.

Still have more than a dozen of various sizes though so im not to worried.