One of our absolute favorite crops are muskmelons! We grow them throughout our food forest! Here’s a few of the ways we are growing them. In the greenhouse they vine all around the ground as a living mulch layer. They also vine up the east side of the greenhouse helping create good shade and transpiration. In other areas of the forest, we grow them under fruit trees and let them take over as living mulch and they even vine up the trees. In other areas we let vine up other trellises and join vines like kiwi. In our front yard, they are planted in deep hugelkultur mounds and will take over certain quadrants again....assisting create mulch layers for the surrounding fruit trees which at this time of year in our climate are super stressed from the near 110 degree heat.
Cheers to growing our own mineral dense melons steepshot and steemit! Freedom!!!!
Here's a couple of books I HIGHLY recommend on muskmelons:
and
https://www.amazon.com/Greenhouse-Gardeners-Companion-Revised-Sunspace/dp/1555914500/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530806295&sr=1-1&keywords=greenhouse+gardening+companion ....this book..I learned about growing muskmelons vertically. Both books a jam packed full of helpful insights...on many levels!
Our favorite spot...to scoop peculiar varieties of muskmelon: https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/melon/melons/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskmelon
Steepshot
Never heard of a muskmelon. I will be checking them out since I live in north FL and it sounds like the temps are similar along with it would help retain moisture on the ground.
AHH I did not know honeydews where muskmelons.
armenian cucumbers too. ;) fascinating ones....those cucumis ones! i wish someone would make a documentary on muskmelons! the whole family! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskmelon
Muskmelon
Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a species of melon that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth-skinned varieties such as honeydew, Crenshaw, and casaba, and different netted cultivars (cantaloupe, Persian melon, and Santa Claus or Christmas melon). The Armenian cucumber is also a variety of muskmelon, but its shape, taste, and culinary uses more closely resemble those of a cucumber. The large number of cultivars in this species approaches that found in wild cabbage, though morphological variation is not as extensive.
nice!!! thanks robot!!!!
the name...cantaloupe....gets thrown into the muskmelon family language and is the most famous member...but for sure check out all the other varieties. we grow them for the smaller size(vertical growing)...and extremely delicious varieties.!! check out this variety: https://www.rareseeds.com/charentais-melon/
They don't break off the vine when grown vertical?
great question!!!! if they look like they're gonna break....i learned in the book i shared above: "greenhouse gardening companion"....to use nylon stockings lol. pantyhose...to put them inside...and then tie up the pantyhose to the vertical structure. it works well! it's novel...and fun! extremely functional too....if you have a hot east or west... facing greenhouse wall like we do. the sun can cook our greenhouse plants around here...without proper shade and transpiration.
That is a great solution. I even get cucumbers so large they will break I bet I could do this with. You just changed my whole gardening to vertical. I have to run shade cloths in my whole greenhouse or it will cook everything.
yessssss!!!!! make a post on it...when your cucumbers ripen! it will look sooooo cool!!! thanks for all you kind comments here. i appreciate you @liberyworms ! steemit is so cool! i keep spreading the word to all my youtube food foresting friends. hoping more will migrate here SOON! such an amazing community here!
this GUY....arron thather! planting freedom on youtube. he just made a post today on cucumis. trying to get him over here. sooooon! come on aaron!
mmmmmm! http://www.learn2grow.com/gardeningguides/edibles/fruitsnuts/CharentaisMelon.aspx
Love this! I grow a lot of muskmelons in my food forest as well. Love how you explain they can be grown to create a living mulch and create shade. My melon vines and sweet potato vines have gone crazy. They have connected and cut off my path in the garden. I have to dance around the vines carefully in the garden now. I am not complaining. I can hardly wait til they are ripe. Oh so delicious, sweet and juicy.
I purchase my seeds from Baker Creek as well. They are a great company. Thanks for the recommendations on the books. Will definitely check them out.
Cheers to food freedom. You guys are awesome!
cheers to our food freedom @thelaundrylady !!!!! :) i sure appreciate your comments!!!! they lift me UP!!!!! they make these posts much RICHER....in information and inspiration!!!! lol....totally feel you on the vines taking over the pathways!!! dancing around them carefully lol!!!!!! the melon dance! sweet potato makes so much sense too! ps----- the samurai arrived and WOW!!!!!!!! i need to take some steepshot photos later today of this elegant tool!!!! thank you again!!!! i'll tag your post/put a link in my post when i do. thanks for all you share!!!!!!!!!
It would be awesome to read your post on the samurai! Can't wait :-)
just a steepshot post.......but i'm out cutting this morning! yeeeehawwww! https://steemit.com/gardening/@rawutah/samurai-sword-for-food-foresters-the-sam-2018-07-09-14-09-25
Thank you very much for the information, as well as the nontraditional alternatives that you show for the muskmelon crop. Congratulations
thanks @popurri
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a kind comment! you're so welcome!!!
Seeing the food you grow is an outstanding experience. Very few people are fortunate to experience it. Congratulations.
thanks @rksagar !!!!! that really means a LOT to us!!!!! you said it well. few get to experience it these days....and so many are quite far removed from where their food even comes from. i hope many others get to experience the joy...of growing and eating their own food. sharing it with others......how to do it too. cheers my friend!
It's fun to enjoy, brother. Enjoy & have fun!☺
Aloha! 👌
thanks sister seha!!!! your comments mean A LOT to me! please keep your posts coming!
Hehe, thanks my brother.