Canataloupe Kingdom

[longtimegrower]

Im also a long time beekeper and plants like cantaloupe and squash and cukes have to have bees to pollinate them. a single cuke bloom needs to be pollinated at least 8 times by bees if it doesnt get pollinated 8 or more times you end up with a subpar cuke thats round on one end and pointy on the other and real short. Only good for relish. I hope that helped. Slim

 

[frankpeterson]

Im also a long time beekeper and plants like cantaloupe and squash and cukes have to have bees to pollinate them. a single cuke bloom needs to be pollinated at least 8 times by bees if it doesnt get pollinated 8 or more times you end up with a subpar cuke thats round on one end and pointy on the other and real short. Only good for relish. I hope that helped. Slim

Thanks for the info. Looks like were gonna have to pollinate 8 times a day by hand . Do you know how long after the flowering phase has begun before flowers appear?

 

[frankpeterson]

Looks like the yellowing has subsided. It's quite possible that these cantaloupes are not liking the nutrients. We have cut them off completely and now the cantaloupe has recieved water for the past few days. The leaves becoming green again, but still no flowers? If it doesn't show signs of flowers by the nearing of harvest time. It will be destroyed. Pics soon.

 

[frankpeterson]

Still no flowers. Here is a few updated pics. After cutting nutes completey off, more green has started to return to the plant. These plants respond quite differently to nutes a little bit could be disasterous. Although the vedge nutes did work fine, the flowering nutes are now to be ceased completely with this plant. Perhaps to many nutes slowed the flowering process? We should be seing flowers we would think by now. The last shot in the pic is the idea you get of it growing around the base of the other plants as opposed to having something there to support it. You can still see some of the yellowing down by the base of the plant.

 

[frankpeterson]

After having the nutes completely cut off. Notice a new faster growth taking effect and will remain with just water. Still no flowers as of yet, but we hope to see them soon now that the new growth has taken place.

 

[frankpeterson]

The cantaloupes trellises have stretched out like crazy after a recent flush and have wrapped around the other plants. It is now trying to climb up the other plants. It's wrapped around so much, don't want to risk damage to the other plants removing, but will if have to.

 

[frankpeterson]

Apologies for the distorted picture of the flower. Indeed the cantaloupe has produced a cantaloupe flower which is a bright yellowish type real nice. We will try to aquire better pics of the flowers to better show the flowering phase. The stretching is starting to show. The cantaloupe attaches itself to the other plants grabbing onto them trying to go up. The cantaloupe seems to know it's surroundings and "grab" for it. But it still aims directly for the light. This is a crappy pic of a male flower. Here is what the cantaloupe flower looks like for lack of a better pic. This guy grew them outside. The big fan leaves look huge in some of his pics. Hopefully we won't have to experience this gigantic growth.



http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/80765/

 

[frankpeterson]

Im also a long time beekeper and plants like cantaloupe and squash and cukes have to have bees to pollinate them. a single cuke bloom needs to be pollinated at least 8 times by bees if it doesnt get pollinated 8 or more times you end up with a subpar cuke thats round on one end and pointy on the other and real short. Only good for relish. I hope that helped. Slim

Thanks for the info, don't know how we missed your post. Our only option is handpollinating or no pollinating. Must prove that an insect isn't needed to produce good fruit.

Anyone think it's to late to bother transplanting?

 

[frankpeterson]

Here you can see how much it spreads across the other plants. That's it's pot on the far left.

 

[THE BROTHER'S GRUNT]

Looking good FP. She sure is working her way around the room isn't she. How old is she now and how many flowers does she have? :aok:

 

[frankpeterson]

Still only the one flower. The cantaloupe is at day 92 and flowering day 48.

 

[bombbudpuffa]

Good luck FP...i'm going to start growing strawberries inside, hope it all goes as well as your cantaloupes!

 

[frankpeterson]

Still no fruit sets. We can see the flowers forming and then dying. It is like it wants to fruit, but can't. It gets flowers out after it climbs on other plants for a bit. Almost like it won't flower on the ground. We will continue this grow for now, but might for this plant back into vegetative state for re potting.

 

[TURKEYNECK]

Nice.:farm:

 

[frankpeterson]

The cantaloupe grow has been cancelled to make room. Thank you for watching and participating in this grow.

 

[THE BROTHER'S GRUNT]

The cantaloupe grow has been cancelled to make room. Thank you for watching and participating in this grow.

Well that's a real bummer FP. Do you have any idea as to why she wouldn't produce any fruit? Who knows maybe you'll have better luck next time if ya decide to give it a shot again.

 

[frankpeterson]

Well tbg,

we really think it would have went on to produce fruit but was jut taking to long. It was good fun and probably will give it a shot again in the future. If we didn't have to dry in the grow room then we would have let it continue.