Description
1/32 ounce
Days to Maturity: 75 days
Reliably early melon, ripening quickly for heavy yields of aromatic fruit.
Juicy, perfectly sweet flesh is dark orange with creamy texture and strong flavor. Thinner skin than hybrids but holds well for market and in storage. Excellent resistance to powdery mildew and well adapted for northern growers. Harvest at full slip. Bred by Dr. Henry Munger at Cornell University. A portion of sales are paid to the breeder.
Eastern-type
2-3 lbs
Disease Resistance Details: High Resistance: Fusarium Wilt (1), Powdery Mildew
Soil Nutrients and Requirements: Melons will thrive in warm, well drained soil high in organic matter with pH between 6.5-7.5. Sandy loam is best. 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. Manganese in excess can cause black spot. When Boron is deficient, fruit may crack.
Seeding Depth: ½”
Plant Spacing: 12-18”
Row Spacing: 6' centers
When to Sow: Days to maturity are from transplants; add 10-14 days if direct seeding. Direct seed 1-2 weeks following last frost date. Optimal soil temperature for germination is 75-85°F. Sow seed indoors 4 weeks before planting date. Air temperature for healthy seedling growth is 75°F. It is common to plant either single plant transplants or double plant transplants at larger plant spacing.  Harden off plants by reducing temperatures and water. Plant outdoors when all danger of frost has passed.
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.
Harvesting melons at perfect maturity can be tricky, each type is a little different.  In general: cantaloupes slip from vine when ripe; charantais types can be cut when they have a thick netted skin (they are a bit over-ripe if they slip); galia types slip from the vine and are ready when skin turns bright yellow; honeydews can be cut from the vine when skin turns color. Other indicators of ripeness are when the leaf closest to fruit becomes dried and shriveled and when the stem becomes corky.
