Progressing Nicely
By webeishere
@webeishere (36313)
United States
April 9, 2008 12:32pm CST
Attatched is is a shot of one of my 6 cantelopes started from a store bought seed. It has it's second set of leaves finally and looking very healthy. 4 of them have their second leaves and progressing along greatly with the tender love and I care I bestow upon them. I am just hoping that they survive in Minnesota Spring and summer weather. It does get rainy and very humid here at times from August till October as well. I don't see a problem as long as their gestation period isn't too long. Does anyone know at all how long it takes for fruits to grow and be ready to pick on a cantelope? I have no idea at all. I do know that when you scratch the surface of the melons and a strong scent wafts around then it is riope. But how long before they ripen is the question. Thanks in advance all.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
4 people like this
8 responses
@atramesil (685)
• United States
9 Apr 08
My garden is much more extensive than yours, we have tomatoes, potatoes, squash, okra, corn, watermelons, peppers, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries. But oddly enough no cantaloupes. I know very little about them, but I wish you much success with yours.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
9 Apr 08
Let's curb this right now. This is just the seedlings I have. Now when it comes time to plant I will or already have the follwoing, 2 apple trees, grapes, strawberries, rasberries, corn, green beans, onions, zuchinni, cucumbers, tomatoes, a few different type of tomatoes, bell peppers, banana peppers, cantelope, and a few toeher things that have yet to be plotted out in the garden. So my garden is QUITE exstensive I'd say. Good luck yto you as well.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
10 Apr 08
Blackbriar, I actually wanted to move up north to the farm when my dad fell ill. He has 240 acres and 160 is farmable. I know a lot of the locals as well and there is a huge barter system up there so I could make it with a huge garden etc bartering for other needed items etc.Can you imagine me up there? I'd never be on myLot then. Right now there are about 50 apple trees and 20 plum trees and 100's of other trees like pines of all types that dad planted about 10 years ago. It is beautiful up there. next trip I'll have some photos.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
10 Apr 08
lol When my dad was alive, he could easily out-compete you. My parents own 2 acres, house on the front acre, back acre was the orchard/vineyard/garden. My bro and I hated cutting the grass back there cause of all the trees and grapevines we had to cut around. Told my dad to just get rid of what little grass that was left and plant groundcover. He never did so we had to suffer with the mower. The only good thing I liked about cutting the grass in the orchard was when the peaches and yellow plums were ripe. Then I would have my breakfast/lunch/dinner rolled into one while mowing. lol I would have the diahrrea for the next several days after that but it was worth the taste of homegrown fruit.
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
9 Apr 08
Ooooh, I love cantaloupe!
I didn't start any because I just don't have the room. I'm only doing the one small section alongside the house and then a few in containers that I can set along the chain link fence, so no room for cantaloupe or squash.
I can't say for certain, but I believe it's about 90 days or so to harvest.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
9 Apr 08
So do you also have an idea on how many melons
per plant are considered normal? Thanks also.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
9 Apr 08
I have enough flowers planted to attract bees and butterflies for pollinating so I won't be doing that by hand. If they fruit fine and if not that's okay too I guess. Thanks bunches. 
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
9 Apr 08
Oh gosh, I can't remember. I've only done them once or twice and that was a few years ago.
We only had a couple of cantaloupe plants, but we had squash and cucumber out the wazoo!
I don't know if there's any way to predict how many 'babies'. I believe they have both male and female flowers on each individual plant, but I don't know enough about that sort of thing to know whether they're usually a fairly even number of each or what.
I do know you can hand pollinate if you need to.
1 person likes this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
9 Apr 08
This is annoying your picture is still the brunette in my emails. I just cant get over it youre now a hot chick lol.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
9 Apr 08
Hey I guess I am just a versatile human being huh?
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM DADDY!!~
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
10 Apr 08
I have never eaten a cantelope? Do you eat them fresh, or make them into some kind of recipe?
I had a look at your photo & commented.
I did heaps of garden pruning out the front of the past two days, getting ready for all my autumn changes.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
10 Apr 08
It is a member of the melon family. The flesh is orange and it is eaten fresh and used in various fruit salads etc. very sweet tasting as well.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
9 Apr 08
All I know is here in Ohio we put in plants mid-May and fruits like the melon take the longest to ripen, like towards the end of harvesting in late summer early fall depending on the weather. So I guess about 5 months..
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
9 Apr 08
That's what I though as well a few months at the least. Thanks.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
10 Apr 08
I am not sure how long it takes nor how to really tell when they are ready to pick and eat.. When growing watermelons last summer, I checked on the internet and I believe that I read that when the stems on the watermelons started to shrivel, (the ones attached to the watermelon itself), then it was ready.. It worked for me.. Good gardening!!! Made me hungry for muffins in your last post and now making me want cantaloupes..
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
10 Apr 08
I do know that when you scratch the skin and it smells strongly then they are ripe. I just want to know how long on the plant does this take. HAHAHA!! 
Thanks and go have a muffin. 
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
Thanks and go have a muffin.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I'm not really sure. I have never planted any cantaloupe before. My family members have though. I know this discussion is a few months old now so maybe you can tell me now, how long it took for them to ripen up. are they ripe yet and have you eaten any yet? I like cantaloupe sometimes but I love watermelon.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
10 Apr 08
Since all my melons come up as volunteers in late spring, I have never tried to figure out how long it takes for them to ripen. Just know that store-bought melons can never compete with mine.
1 person likes this
