Description
1/16 oz
Days to Maturity: 76 DAYS
Our best melon for short, cool seasons with crisp, sweet flesh that rivals hybrids.
Solid dark green rind and crimson flesh. Fruit averages 8" across. Vines reach 10'. Excellent keeping quality and yields. Harvest just before ripe and melons will finish off in storage. Developed by Glenn Drowns of Sand Hill Preservation Center in Calamus, Iowa.
Stores up to 2 months
6-10 lbs
Soil Nutrients and Requirements: Sandy or light textured soils that warm easily in the spring are desirable. Melons are heavy feeders. Give 80-120 lbs of N per acre. Calcium deficiency can lead to blossom end rot, especially when adequate moisture is not available.  Use dolomitic limestone.
Seeding Depth: ½”
Plant spacing: 12-18"
Row Spacing: 6’ row centers.
When to Sow: Days to maturity are from transplanting, add 10-14 days if direct seeding.
Other Considerations: Plastic mulch and floating row cover are used to increase soil and air temperatures as well as ward off insects, especially cucumber beetles.
Harvest: Ripeness is determined by four methods: when the tendril nearest the fruit is dried and brown; when the ground spot has turned from white to yellow; when the blossom end of fruit becomes soft; and the ubiquitous “thump test”— fruit should sound hollow. Cut fruit cleanly from the vine to avoid stem-end rot.
