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Old March 20, 2015   #1
tam91
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Default Savor melon - tips for growing

I've never grown melons - decided to try the Savor melon this year.

I can't seem to find any information on how long the vines are? Trying to plan space. It doesn't look like they are too long, but I'm not sure

I read somewhere you could trellis them. Has anyone tried this?

Sounds like I should start them indoors around the end of April - I am guessing they wouldn't like to go outside here (Chicago area) until near the end of May...

Also, it says to germinate them at 90 degrees. I have heat mats, but not sure they would take it up to 90 degrees.... any ideas?
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Old March 20, 2015   #2
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Tracy they are an indeterminate hybrid Charentais type melon so the vines will keep growing till the cows come home.
I haven't crown them but you can trellis them if they are like the rest if this type melon as they wont terminate from the vine like some melons do unless they are over ripe.

The movie.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.cWc&cad=rja

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Old March 20, 2015   #3
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Hmmm ok. I read somewhere one person said the vines weren't too big. I think the packet said to make the rows 6 feet apart - but I'm guessing if that were done, they would overlap?

I've never grown melons, if you couldn't tell
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Old March 20, 2015   #4
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Hmmm ok. I read somewhere one person said the vines weren't too big. I think the packet said to make the rows 6 feet apart - but I'm guessing if that were done, they would overlap?

I've never grown melons, if you couldn't tell
6 feet apart just means you have to go out and train the vines and they will still get away from you.
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Old April 24, 2015   #5
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So how many melons would I expect a plant to produce? trying to decide how many seeds to start....
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Old April 24, 2015   #6
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So how many melons would I expect a plant to produce? trying to decide how many seeds to start....
No way to predict that in advance, b'c it varies with the season, the soil, melons prefer sandy soil, how you fertilize, how you keep the darn striped and spotted cuke beetles off it, and more.

Yes, I started growing Savor F1 quite a few years ago b'c the regular OP Charentais one didn't do all that well in my zone 5 garden.

What I always did with melon seeds is to use a 4 inch pot, sow 4 seeds around the periphery and one in the center. They germinate and grow fast and you need to plant them out before they start vining which means sow the seeds only about two weeks before setting out. I would keep the 3 best seedlings, knock all of them out of the pot and plant the whole clump of 3.

my melons of all kinds were planted in a 250 ft long row, 4 ft between clumps in the row and 5 ft from rows of other stuff on either side.

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Old April 24, 2015   #7
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Oh I completely understand it would vary. I was just looking for some sort of wild idea - 2 melons per plant? 20 melons? .....? haha

Interesting way to plant, I will see if I have appropriate pots - that sounds like an easy way to do it

Mine say to plant 30 days before planting out, I gather you disagree. Hmmm I'll have to look at just when they would like to go out. Last frost is around mother's day, but maybe they want it warmer?

Never grown melons, s/b interesting
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Old April 24, 2015   #8
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I was thinking I could try to train them up the trellis I had for sugar snap peas - which is pea netting. Figuring by the time they got very tall, the snap peas would be done.

Am I nuts?
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Old April 24, 2015   #9
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Originally Posted by tam91 View Post
I've never grown melons - decided to try the Savor melon this year.

I can't seem to find any information on how long the vines are? Trying to plan space. It doesn't look like they are too long, but I'm not sure

I read somewhere you could trellis them. Has anyone tried this?

Sounds like I should start them indoors around the end of April - I am guessing they wouldn't like to go outside here (Chicago area) until near the end of May...

Also, it says to germinate them at 90 degrees. I have heat mats, but not sure they would take it up to 90 degrees.... any ideas?
I am not familiar with this melon, but if you want to control the heat mat, get a thermometer, even a dollar store one, and experiment before you start your seeds. A light cover over the pots and heat mat, for insulation, will give you warmer temperatures. Try a large towel, or an inverted bin or box. Do this when you are at home to keep at eye on it. The temperature should stabilize in a couple of hours, and you'll know if it is warm enough, but not getting dangerous- either for the seeds or in terms of fire risk.

Jim
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Old April 24, 2015   #10
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Originally Posted by tam91 View Post
I was thinking I could try to train them up the trellis I had for sugar snap peas - which is pea netting. Figuring by the time they got very tall, the snap peas would be done.

Am I nuts?
Not any more than I am.
I have gourds pole beans and cucumbers fighting for space.
May the best vine win.

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Old April 24, 2015   #11
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I was thinking I could try to train them up the trellis I had for sugar snap peas - which is pea netting. Figuring by the time they got very tall, the snap peas would be done.

Am I nuts?
Not nuts, but they are too heavy to be trellised unless you want to build slings for them. There are other melons such as Silverline that I have trellised which are much smaller and do just fine,

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Silverline+melon

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Old April 25, 2015   #12
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Rats, I had read that they were small, and would not detach from the vine if trellised. Phooey. Guess maybe I will just let them run around the ground then.
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Old May 1, 2015   #13
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I trellised the Ambrosia melon and it gets quite big but the vine will support it until it gets near ripe then you must put it in a sling to support it. I missed a few and found some really nice large busted melons on the ground a couple of times. It is a lot of trouble to sling them but you do have less insect damage and more even ripening of the fruits if you want to go to the trouble. You do need a fairly strong trellis because once you get a good number of melons on, it can be quite a weight for the trellis to support. I used 1/2 inch steel conduit and also some concrete reinforcing wire.

Bill
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Old May 1, 2015   #14
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Hmmm my trellis isn't that strong. Some people wrote the Savor wouldn't detach from the vine, but some seem to be saying they will. Maybe I better leave these guys on the ground for this first try.
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