My melons are doing well

@JudyEv (340154)
Rockingham, Australia
January 12, 2016 8:24am CST
When we returned from our trip overseas, I planted some pumpkin and watermelon seedlings in one of our raised beds. We call it butternut pumpkin but I think it is known as butternut squash in the USA. Maybe someone can tell me what it is called in the UK? Anyway I put some sections of Weldmesh and netting over the young plants to deter rabbits and kangaroos from feasting on the seedlings. I've removed all bar one since. One will have to stay there as the runners have grown through the holes, fruits have started to form and now I can't get the netting off without wasting the little melons. I wonder how many watermelons and butternut squash I'll get?
17 people like this
17 responses
Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Jan 16
Do you have to write titles that make me think about young models in well filled bikinis? This is not good for me at my age.
2 people like this
Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv Of course I did, I have been thinking of them for over 60 years.
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Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
13 Jan 16
@Auntylou It would take a lot more than a cataract operation to stop me from being silly.
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Janet Anderson
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
13 Jan 16
@Asylum, glad your wit is still with you, despite being convalescent
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fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
12 Jan 16
My husband is a pretty good gardener but for some reason we always have trouble with any kind of melon. He may have to try squash again this year.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
These look okay so far. They get watered automatically.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
@fishtiger58 It's useful if we're away for a day too.
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fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv Nice I would like the automatic watering
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Anna
@LadyDuck (471421)
• Switzerland
12 Jan 16
I believe that in the UK it's called butternut squash. You are getting a lot of them, they will develop long vines and run on the ground.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
I was hoping we might be able to keep them in the container but maybe not.
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Anna
@LadyDuck (471421)
• Switzerland
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv No, it is impossible to keep squash and pumpkins in a container, some of my pumpkins climbed on the tree of my neighbor. He was kind enough to bring back my pumpkins when they were ready to pick up.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I've seen them going up fences but not up a tree! Did you give your neighbour a pumpkin for being so kind?
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AbbyGreenhill
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
12 Jan 16
Wait until those vines take off, you will get a lot of them.
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AbbyGreenhill
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv They need to trail and they will go anyplace.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill We're hoping they'll go round and round!
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
I was hoping we might be able to keep them contained but maybe not.
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Catherine
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
12 Jan 16
@JudyEv . Nothing grows or survives when I plant it, no green thumb at all, so it is great you are seeing results. We also call it butternut squash in South Africa. Enjoy the watermelon and butternut squash!
2 people like this
Catherine
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv , that is great that you did not have to fuss with it, and will still be getting watermelon and butternut squash. :-)
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
@bluesa I'll keep you informed :)
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
Nothing much grows for us either. We're not gardeners at all. These mostly look after themselves.
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Gamic01
@Gamic01 (88)
• Laguna, Philippines
13 Jan 16
Wow! your watermelon and squash grew well! you will have a lot of them soon for sure! Yummy!
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
I love watermelon and pumpkin soup. Roast pumpkin is good too so hopefully we'll have lots of each.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
@Gamic01 In the USA pumpkin pie seems to be a favourite but it isn't something you see too often in Australia.
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Gamic01
@Gamic01 (88)
• Laguna, Philippines
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv I always cook pumpkin along with other vegetables. I never tried roast pumpkin yet.
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Lee Ka
@kaka135 (14931)
• Malaysia
12 Jan 16
They look great! How long it took to grow until this big? If I am not mistaken, you just went for your holiday trip, right? Hope you will get lots of watermelons and butternut squash!
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
I must have planted them late November/early December. They should have gone in earlier really.
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Always smiling
@allknowing (136525)
• India
13 Jan 16
I worry about snakes and therefore do not have plants that run on the ground.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 16
I won't be fossicking around among the plants so I think I'll be safe although summer is when the snakes are out and about.
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Judy Story
@jstory07 (139742)
• Roseburg, Oregon
12 Jan 16
Th4e plants look really nice.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
Thanks, they have taken off over the last few weeks.
1 person likes this
Anna M. Wilkes
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
13 Jan 16
Good looking crop you got there Judy. I never grew melons before and don't like pumpkins, though I love squash.
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Anna M. Wilkes
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
14 Jan 16
@JudyEv I'm sure you'll have a good crop
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 16
I hope we get some fruit from them. No reason why we shouldn't.
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julito
@antonbunot (11093)
• Calgary, Alberta
12 Jan 16
O, how I wish watermelons grow here in Calgary! I would be planting them in our backyard.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
I love watermelon. I hope we get a lot. :)
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Joanie
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
12 Jan 16
Not sure about the watermelon but I reaped some butternut squash from the garden at the end of summer and I have enough to last until summer.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
The butternuts keep well which is why we chose them - and they're not quite so hard to cut and peel.
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DianneN
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
12 Jan 16
Best of luck to you. I never had any luck with either.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
We grown butternuts before with good success rates so we'll see what happens.
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DianneN
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv Ah, so you have two green thumbs!
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Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Jan 16
It looks like you're going to have a good crop by what I'm seeing in the picture.
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Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
14 Jan 16
@JudyEv With pictures
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 16
I hope so. There are some small fruit already and lots of flowers. I'll keep you posted!
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Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (13034)
• Ireland
12 Jan 16
@judyev In Ireland we call them butternut squash and the make delicious soup.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
I often had pumpkin soup for lunch while I was away. They keep well too.
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Alice Henry
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
12 Jan 16
I'm glad you included the picture of your raised beds. What a good idea. One of my brothers does a container garden every year. He has it down to a science. He sent me pictures and instructions on how to make the containers and what to do, but I was in the middle of having some eye surgery at the time and I never did get back to putting anything together. Now its winter here in the USA and I will have to wait until Spring, if I decide to try it. I realize that it's summer in Australia. You will have to send more pictures and keep us up to date on your harvest. I find it VERY interesting.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
This is an old water-tank cut into three. We also have some oval ones with the ends made of old bull-nose corrugated iron that got damaged when the previous house burnt down. That was before we bought the place. The only thing against raised beds is that they take a lot of soil to fill - depending on how high they are of course. I have a bad back so wanted ours quite high.
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Janet Anderson
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
12 Jan 16
Hope the butternut squashes have enough room in that bed, they are quite hungry feeders
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 16
Yes, that might be a problem. I haven't fertilised them but that might be an idea.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340154)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 16
@Auntylou The first ones I grew were just in an old tyre filled with soil. That was all they had to feed on and I don't remember fertilising them.
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Janet Anderson
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
13 Jan 16
@JudyEv I wrote that because of a comment on a radio gardening programme!
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