From

Location

Message

Date Posted

sevierville, Tn

Any help/advice would be great. This is my 1st real growing year so I don't really know what to do. Last year I grew a 40-LB but didn’t do anything but plant the seed & find the melon in the weeds. Your posts have been a great help. As of 9-5-08 I’m at 190 ott inches = 194 lbs. by the chart. It’s growing 2.4 lbs per day over the last week & now 62 days old. The length by a tape on the ground is 36 inches. It’s very fat & flat on top. I could put a plate & glass & fork & spoon on top & they wouldn’t fall off! Doesn’t look the same as most that I see on websites like the Brights. If your suppose to turn them to prevent that I didn’t know!
The tendril at the stem was cut off so I can’t use that as a guide but the others on either side are dry. The stem looks nice & green & healthy as is the vine. It’s growing on the main vine about 8 feet from the root.
Its growing on sand & been covered/shaded since 60lbs. I wanted to pick it up & do melon mans block thing but the stem is real short & was afraid of breaking it then.
So, when do I pick ?? There are weighoffs around my area in 2,3,& 4 weeks. I would like to make the 4 week one. Will it grow that long ?? Is it ok as long as its growing ?? Should I pick it early & store it in cold storage? What are the danger signs? Please help, my wife would appreciate it!

9/6/2008 10:12:48 AM

sevierville, Tn

Also, do i keep watering & feeding as i have been??

9/6/2008 10:24:23 AM

sevierville, Tn

here's a link to the pict in my diarey http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=94513
Its about 40 lb heaver now but looks about the same. I'll try to get a new one posted today.

9/6/2008 10:28:14 AM

sevierville, Tn

ok here's todays picture...with size scale http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=95492

without http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=95493

thanks

9/6/2008 11:54:40 AM

formerly RGG

That's a beautiful melon. As long as the stem is green and nothing attakks the melon you should have nothing to worry about. Minnesota wrote in this forum that it takes about 90 days for a Carolina Cross to go from polination to full maturity.They are a bit overripe at that point and may not be the best eating but it sounds like you will have a very good chance of winning whatever contest you enter.

9/6/2008 3:39:00 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

Hi,
I have been measuring the circumference on mine to tell when it has quit growing. I don't have any weigh offs to go to, so I will pick it when i am sure it has quit growing. I have all so been measuring the girth.
Doug
Jn 3:16

9/7/2008 6:28:43 PM

Bowdon, GA

Most of mine quit growing around 70-75 days. Doug is right if you can, weight till your sure its quit growing. The tendrils die long before CCs quit growing. You could leave it on the vine a while as long as it is high and dry. The longer they sit after their ripe, the more the chance for rot. If it is still growing it is likely OK. I've noticed on some of them when the stem starts to turn colors or get soft I pickem to avoid rotting. But, it sounds like I might need to ask you for some advice Smoky Mtn. 194lbs Wow!

9/7/2008 11:13:32 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

The melon looks very healthy, but it doesn't look ripe. A ripe melon will start to slightly yellow, or at least it does for me. The shape of the melon is incredible. I have some that are just plain strange that you couldn't roll over if you had to.

You are doing everything correct as far as I am concerned, so just keep doing it. With a melon like that, I would be shooting for 240 or so.

Yes, keep feeding and watering. It has gotten cold up here in Minnesota, so I switch from 5-50-17 to standard miracle grow to increase the nitrogen. That wakes the plant up in the good temps and gives some more weight. I have also been pouring on the manure tea.

Remember that you have

9/8/2008 10:24:24 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

I hit the send too quickly on that. I meant to say that remember that you have to keep feeding because you have even more plant and melon at the end of the season.

9/8/2008 10:44:10 AM

sevierville, Tn

Thanks so much guys for the help. I feel so much better.
Weather looks good for the next week. highes in the 80's, lows in the 60's so i hope that helps !
P.S. I read about a guy who camped out & tied his dog near his fruit to protect it....boy is that tempting !

9/8/2008 1:12:25 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

I used to have a sign on my fence that basically said if you are stealing my watermelons because you think they are ripe, they probably are not. Just come back at the end of the season and I will just give you one.

There was a story about a guy who put a sign in his patch because people were stealing his melons. The sign said, "One of these melons has been poisoned." The next day when he came back there was a new sigh that read "And now there are two".

9/8/2008 1:51:42 PM

Bowdon, GA

Smoky Mtn. Most importantly after you pick it don't forget to save us some seeds. I'm just kiddin. Let us know when you pick it, I'd like to know how much it weighs. Oh, what seed did you grow it from? Good luck

9/8/2008 9:35:45 PM

sevierville, Tn

Holloway, I'll give you all the seed you want. The big one is the 211 LEONARD 07. I self polinated it. I also have a small one at 100 lbs on the 207 HUNT 05. Its alot younger but growing good, espically after i found and removed a 20 lb one on the plant hiding under a pumpkin leaf.

9/8/2008 11:31:21 PM