Ascending to melon heaven is easy
By Carol O'Meara, Special to the Rocky
Friday, May 9, 2008
Ellen Jaskol / The Rocky
Blacktail Mountain watermelon
Close your eyes and imagine the end of an August day: golden, slanting rays of the sun, heat washing over the patio as you dine. Bite into cool, succulent fruit. Ecstasy.
Plant melons, and you'll take your first steps into a world of sugar, spice and everything nice.
Growing melons is easy, and with the right variety, you won't have to devote half the yard to housing them. They're ramblers at heart, but tidy vines and smaller leaves fit in nicely with the rest of the vegetable patch.
Sow melon seeds directly into fertile, loose soil in a hot, sunny spot. Give them room for expansion: 3 to 4 feet between hills of muskmelons, 5 to 6 feet for watermelons. Keep water consistent until the fruit starts to ripen, then decrease it to prevent fruit cracking.
Gauging ripeness takes all your senses. A month after the plant flowers, melons begin ripening. They should be neither firm nor soft on the blossom end (opposite the stem) when pressed lightly.
Muskmelons develop a heavenly fragrance and slip from stems easily when ripe, but honeydews and watermelons have subtler signals and must be cut from the vine. Look for a slight shift to a yellower color with honeydews. Watermelons are ripe when the belly turns cream or yellow and the two tendrils closest to the fruit have withered.
* Charentais Cantaloupe, size: 1.5-2.5 pounds.
Charentais is considered melon perfection. Perfectly sized for two, this petite sweet is too delicate to travel, so you won't find it at most grocers.
* Eden's Gem, size: 2-3 pounds
Developed in 1905 in Rocky Ford as a "crate melon," the savory green flesh has a complex, spicy flavor. Softball-size fruits are great for picnics and travel well.
* Ha'Ogen Dessert Melon, size: 1.5-3 pounds
Look for the skin to turn yellow when ready to pick and enjoy the light-green, sweet yet tangy flesh.
* Blacktail Mountain Watermelon, size: 6-12 pounds
Blacktail Mountain, a full-flavored but smaller, perfectly round melon, is ideal for one to two meals and fits nicely next to the milk in the fridge.
* Moon and Stars Watermelon, size: 3-5 pounds
This well-known, beautiful melon is spangled with bright yellow dots and blotches, reminiscent of a starry night. Available in pink, red or yellow flesh, the flavor is very sweet. This social watermelon likes to be planted in hills of three or four plants.
Carol O'Meara, a local gardening expert, may be reached at omearac@yahoo.com
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