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Melons Old world origin Melons originated in hot ______________ of southwest Asia Watermelons originated in ____________ Characteristics Warm season Separate.

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Presentation on theme: "Melons Old world origin Melons originated in hot ______________ of southwest Asia Watermelons originated in ____________ Characteristics Warm season Separate."— Presentation transcript:

1 Melons Old world origin Melons originated in hot ______________ of southwest Asia Watermelons originated in ____________ Characteristics Warm season Separate male and female flowers Need bees for _______________; wind not effective Vining growth habit Can be divided into muskmelons, winter melons, and _______________

2 Key points Muskmelon and cantaloupe Fruit characteristics Growing melons Selecting quality melons Problems Winter melons Characteristics Differences from muskmelon/ cantaloupe Watermelon Characteristics Growing and harvesting watermelons

3 Muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) Dates back to at least 1600’s Name comes from the musk _________ of the mature fruit Outer appearance Generally has netted rind with deep ____________ Immature muskmelon

4 Muskmelon Interior flesh _________ to orange- colored flesh

5 Cantaloupe Fruits are round to oval shaped Outer appearance Non-sutured, heavily netted Yellow colored when mature Inner flesh has strong flavor

6 Melon Culture Planting Melons are usually started as __________________ Do not transplant well if the roots are disturbed Start the transplants in individual containers Black plastic mulch Timing of planting After danger of ____________ has passed and the soil has warmed to 60 F

7 Selecting a good melon Melons are mature when: __________ changes from green to tan-yellow between ___________ Stem should easily separate (slip) where the ________ attaches to the fruit ______________ layer forms between stem and fruit Blossom end of fruit fairly easy to depress

8 Melon Problems Poor flavor due to: Cloudy weather during ripening Like hot, dry weather during ripening Too much or too little water Don’t like “wet feet” Temperatures too high Like mean temps of _______ Over or under ripe Often hard to tell; changes are subtle Melons might soften but do not get sweeter after harvest

9 Melon Problems Cucumber beetles Most serious insect pest Have stripped cucumber beetle and spotted cucumber beetle Adult stage of corn rootworm beetle Controls – Sevin, black plastic mulch, row covers Bacterial wilt Worst on younger plants Must control beetles

10 Winter Melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) Smooth rind surface When ripe: Do not _______ from the vine Are cut from the vine Blossom-end of fruit _____ to touch Lack a distinctive odor Require long growing season ______ months

11 Winter Melons Honeydew Inner flesh Sweet, mild, and firm flesh Flesh has a light green color Outer appearance Smooth, white rind

12 Winter Melons Casaba Outer appearance Deep _______ at maturity Inner flesh Creamy white flesh Pear-like texture

13 Muskmelons vs. Winter Melons Muskmelon/ cantaloupe Winter Melon ________ grownGrown in southwest (and other warm climates) Musky flavorDo not have a musky flavor Detach from stem when pulled Must be ______ from plant Turn yellow when ripeMay or may not turn yellow when ripe

14 Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) History Originated in __________ Brought to Europe in 16 th century Appearance _________ leaves

15 Watermelons Fruit appearance Flesh color Most watermelons are red color Some cultivars have a _________ flesh

16 Watermelons Fruit appearance Shape Standard shape is oblong ____________ types Small round watermelons with a dark skin Easier to grow Mature rapidly Smaller plants

17 Watermelons Seedless watermelon For seedless watermelon to set fruit you must also plant a normal ________ (“seedy”) cultivar in with the _______________ seedless watermelons Produces self-sterile triploid __________ which develop normal looking fruits but no fully developed seeds

18 Watermelon Culture Adaptation Watermelon are more adapted to the south than to central or northern Illinois Under ___________ seasons, watermelons do not produce enough sugar and are not sweet Ways to overcome Select __________ cultivars Grow icebox types Use transplants Use plastic mulch

19 Watermelon Culture Watering Watermelon have moderately ________ root systems Watering is seldom necessary unless weather turns dry for a prolonged period Spacing Watermelon vines require considerable space Space hills 6 ft. apart, with 7 to 10 ft. between rows

20 Watermelon Culture Can overcome space constraints Train vines onto a __________ Fruits must be supported by nets or bags

21 Harvesting Watermelons How to tell when watermelon fruit is ripe Curly tendrils on stem near the point of attachment dry down Surface color turns _______ Skin becomes resistant to penetration by a thumbnail and is _________ to the touch Bottom of melon (where it touches the ground) turns from light green to a yellowish color

22 Watermelon Problems Cucumber beetles and bacteria wilt generally not a problem Birds will makes holes in tops of watermelons Netting can be used to prevent


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