Melon varieties - trying these this year
 

Of the three muskmelons I'm growing this year, I've grown Passport before (In PA), and though it was not the sweetest melon I've tried, it yielded well (I liked Burpee's Sweet Dreams hybrid better as a green flesh, but it appears to be no more).

I'm also growing Ananas and a new one from Johnny's, Touchdown. Any views on these from those who have tried them? Are they both slip melons?

I'm not particularly fond of Ananas because it tends to ripen in about 24 hours and then decay. Haven't grown the others.

Commercial growers are using Athena hybrid pretty heavily this year. It has a good combination of holding ability, sweetness, and size.

Fusion

We've had lots of Athena, purchased from the Farmers Market - with variable impressions (some taste like dishwater!). Actually, one of the best I've ever tasted is Burpee Hybrid cantaloupe - at least far as I can remember when I grew it years ago.

Melons
 

I'm trying Ali Baba watermelon this year. I'm not expecting anything from it because it's in a container and unless I have outdoor growing space after I move at the end of June, it'll have to be grown indoors. It sounds very good from the Baker Creek description. I had Collective Farm Woman, Orangeglo, Georgia Rattlesnake & Kansas started but they didn't survive during my 1-month illness. I just wasn't able to properly watch over them. At least I have the Ali Baba to try out.

After trying several roadside melons (muskmelon types)
last summer that were absolutely terrible tasting, I've decided to only buy watermelon this coming year. I love me some watermelon! :) Although, I may have to start some Kansas seed this weekend. It sounds good from the description, and I remember hearing about that one when I was a kid. An old man mentioned how much he liked that variety but couldn't find it. Don't ask how I remember that but I do.

Jeff

Some great ones I grew down in Georgia were two Islraeli types called Ogen and Galia and an heirloom called Jenny Lind. All with unsurpassed flavor.

I grew Ananas two summers ago and my experience was similar to what Fusion mentions. It was pretty hard to hit on the best time to harvest. I've grown several charentais varieties and Petit Gris de Rennes, but the variety I like best each and every year is Ambrosia.

Ali Baba watermelon is pretty good, but Orangeglo is just wonderful. This year, in addition to Orangeglo, I'm trying Blacktail mountain in the hopes of getting some early melons to spread out the harvest.

I wanted to try a bunch of different kinds, but I showed self-restraint. Next year perhaps I will try a few, but not until I build some kind of apparatus for them to climb and have a way of keeping rainfall off of the plants.