Blacktail Mountain Watermelon

[materlvr]

Hi, guys. I have a very small garden and need to know the MINIMUM amount of room I need to grow a couple of Blacktail Mountain seeds.

Does anyone know???????

Thanks!

Materlvr

[Worth1]

I haven’t ever grown a black tailed watermelon before but if vine type I would say at least 100sqr feet that’s 10’X10’.
Melons need room to grow~~O~~O~~~O~~~~O~~~~O
I don't care what they say about it being suitable for the small garden.
Worth

[Worth1]

here it is




Within four years, growing no more than a dozen plants per year, Glenn Drowns produced a new stable variety—a variety that reliably produces similar plants from seed to seed and year to year. 'Blacktail Mountain' is a round, deep green melon with very faint stripes. The vines grow out to form a plant about 10 feet in diameter. The average melon is 8 inches across, weighs 8 to 10 pounds, and has a rind about half an inch thick. The flesh is orangish red, crisp, and very sweet. What is essential about 'Blacktail Mountain' is that it's early—quite possibly the earliest watermelon ever grown. It's about five days earlier than 'New Hampshire Midget', for example, one of the earliest watermelons.

[materlvr]

Thanks, Worth1! I knew someone on this forum would know! Doesn't it sound yummy????

Guess I'll have to eliminate a few mater plants.....................

[Worth1]

I forgot to tell you that you could grow the things along a fence or trellis and suspend the fruit or melons in a net.
That way you can have the best of both worlds in other words grow them vertically.
Just give the melons in the net room to grow.
Worth

[Althea]

We grew Blacktail Mountains this summer and they are as good as they sound. Sorry I can't give you and exact amount of space needed. 10 feet sounds about right. Some climbed the 18 inch fence surrounding the garden and matured suspended with no extra support. Enjoy!

[carolyn137]

I think Blacktail Mountain is outstanding and have grown it for many years.

I also like Cream of Saskatchewan and especially Orangeglo.

Glenn Drowns is curator of Cucurbits for SSE and lists some great melons of ALL kinds at his website/catalog and he tries to rotate them so folks have access to more varieties that would otherwise be unavailable unless one were an SSE member and could request seeds thru the Yearbook.

Jere Gettle at Baker Creek got many of his starts from Glenn, as well as his heirloom poultry for personla use when Jere was younger.

That's Sandhillpreservation. com and no I don't get a kickback, I just like to refer folks to Sandhill b'c of who Glenn and Linda are, what they are and the dedication they have re preservation of heirlooms, both veggies and poultry.

But I get feeling depraved on account of being deprived even doing this post b'c it's clear I won't be growing watermelons or much else, as far as that goes, in the future.

[LoreD]

In smaller space gardens the Marais method of pruning melons might work.

1. Before transplanting, prune back the young melon plant to two shoots;

2. Once the plant is well established in the garden, prune back the two stems so that each one has four leaves;

3. Prune off any lateral shoots as they grow.

This radical pruning not only discourages melon vines from wandering all over the garden, but encourages plants to ripen a few perfect fruits close to the main stem.

From Intensive Culture of Vegetables on the French System by P. Aquitas

[PaulF]

I grew Blacktail Mountain this year in an area of about 10'x10' and got about ten of the nicest, sweetest melons I have ever grown. Several of them did not make it to the house to share. I snarfed them down quickly and messily. I would say grow Blacktail even if the vines spread into the lawn or wherever they go.

[Worth1]

All of this talk about melons has brought up a sore spot with me.
Plain and simple I cant get a good melon from the store, or on the side of the road they all stink they taste like water and none of them come from Pecos TX where some of the best melons are grown.
And the price is outrageous due to the cost of shipping they sold for $7.00 apiece last summer.

With all of this said I think I will find a place to grow some melons as I can’t stand the thought of paying THAT much for a melon that tastes like one of those wild pie melons that grow wild around here.
I think Blacktail Mountain will be high on the list along with a good orange meated one.

Thanks for the info on what sounds like a good water melon.
Worth

[MikeInCypress]

I am a person who prefers the taste of Orange or Yellow Watermelons. I always go to the Farmer's Market in Houston starting in late May to look for them. This year I went about every two weeks and never found any. Was there a plague or something. Usually you can get the yellow meat early and the orange a bit later, but this year no luck. Anyone know what happened to them here in Texas?


Michael

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by MikeInCypress

Usually you can get the yellow meat early and the orange a bit later, but this year no luck. Anyone know what happened to them here in Texas?

Michael

I’ve seen a decline in the orange and yellow melons in recent years.
I think it has something to do with folks thinking a watermelon is supposed to be red kinda like something else we all love.
I saw them once and they were $7.00 apiece.
If I have any luck growing the things next year you can come by Bastrop and get some.

Darn shame

Worth

[MawkHawk]

Is it possible or advisable to grow melons on the ground amongst you tomato plants? I saw at a farm this past summer that they were letting sqaush vines sprall amongst their corn stalks.

[materlvr]

Thanks, all! I can't wait till next summer!!!!!!!!!! :-))))))

[feldon30]

MikeInCypress,

If you mean the "Farmer's Market" near 610 North and Airline, that's really, in my experience, a dumping ground for the same produce at the grocery store.

For over a month, there was a hispanic gentleman with a pickup truck parked on Veteran's Memorial/Stuebner Airline just south of Louetta selling watermelons including ones with seeds. Most of them were from Hempstead, TX.

At one point, he had yellow ones. I bought one but the flavor was not great. He didn't not have any orange (Orangeglo for instance).

He did have a half-dozen Black Diamonds (judging from the customary dark green skin and rounder shape) which is what I SHOULD have bought.

Next year, possibly consider the Hempstead Watermelon Festival.

I am thinking about trying to grow Orangeglo watermelons next year. I can call them my "Canopy-grown Watermelons."