Growing Melons.

YOUR TOMATO METHOD IS AMAZING

Q:  Hi Mel, my name is Jared and I live in Utah. I think your book, Square Foot Gardening is just wonderful. In your book you go into great detail on how to pinch the suckers of vine tomato plants. (I have done this with amazing results, my tomato plants are just towering!) The description on how to vertically grow muskmelons, however, is slightly vague. From my observation, it appears as though a similar pattern to the tomato plants exists. That is, there is a main branch (or two) with occasional suckers that become their own main branches. Is it best to pinch these muskmelon "suckers" out to let the plant grow up?

HOW ABOUT CUCUMBERS

Also, you mention trimming cucumbers to only a foot wide as they grow up. Should we do this for muskmelons as well (instead of pinching the "suckers" out completely)?

THE INQUISITIVE MIND OF A GARDENER

A:   Dear Jared, you are the first person to ask that question and it pleases me that you have gone to such detail and have really found your own answer. Yes, muskmelons are very similar to tomatoes as far as pruning and training vertically.

TOMATOES ARE KING

The reason I went into such detail in the book on the how to's of growing tomatoes, is that 98 % of home gardeners grow tomatoes, but only 6% of home gardeners grow muskmelon, so naturally not as much was written and you are part of that elite 6%. It is best to prune all of the side branches off of the muskmelon to enable the main stem fruit to develop fully and faster.

CUCUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT

The cucumber seem to be able to have blossoms and then fruit on the side branches very close to the main branch and, therefore, I devised the method of cutting out the side branches when they become 6" wide in order to keep the plant within physical bounds, yet produce more fruit. Best wishes, Mel B.