Minnesota Midgets

[Mid-Lake Rock]

It looked good, smelled good, but tasted like #$%&.  I have more growing, so we'll see what happens.  On the plus side, my cherry and grape tomatoes are going bonkers and are delicious.

[Dotch]

I know the feeling.  Thought I had a pretty nice looking muskmelon crop coming-and I did. However after looking at it about a week ago and seeing all the melons were still grass green, then checking again about Thursday I was appalled. Powdery mildew set in, the vines croaked and with the heat and humidity, the melons went from green to overripe in a matter of 5 days. Picnic beetles were already having a feast and I only managed to salvage a couple. Remembered I still had them in fridge this morning so your post prompted me to cut them up. I had to do some minor surgery on one but otherwise it's about like cleaning sunfish. Just gotta get at it and do it. Not sure which variety(ies) I managed to save as the tags were so bleached out it was hard to tell. Guessing one was a Solstice and the other perhaps an Athena just based on location. Whatever they are they are bland, not the nice full flavor I'm accustomed to. The frequent and excessive rainfall probably didn't help their cause. The dry July and August last year and in 2012 seemed to agree more with them. Oh well, the sheep don't have my discerning tastebuds. They gobble the stuff up, overripe or just the rinds, they don't care.  

[roony]

Yes, not great weather for melons. I probably shouldn't be so hard on the midgets. I have had four that have been worth eating. 

It seems like I had two distinctly different looking melons on the midget plants. Some had a smooth exterior more like the smooth one a honeydew melon would have. The ones with the smooth rind went to a friends hogs. Others had the rougher exterior that I associate with muskmelons and they have been edible but they have not been as good as I dreamt.

[Dotch]

I did manage to find a few that were hidden pretty well this afternoon before it rained (again) and weren't over the dam. The 2 that were ripe I gave to some friends who were making spaghetti sauce from the sudden tomato overload. Will have to see if they like them any better than the ones I cut up this a.m.

It is time to move some of the garden area I'm afraid or at least limit what I plant to the present area. Getting too much shade especially for a wetter season in the windbreak plot and it's a hike back there. Not helping on those days my ambition runs out after an already long day. Still does corn and string beans pretty well, tomatoes in places but its days of vine crop production are limited. 

Edited September 6, 2015 by Dotch
It keeps inserting the word "page" for whatever it was I typed

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I tossed one tonight that was mushie.  I have some more that look great.  Tomatos still look great and getting a lot every day.

[pushbutton]

If you have space think there are way better melons to grow. I personally don't and love the fact that you can grow them verically on a 5 foot fence. Think if you saved seed from a couple of your best fruit every year, you could nail down a more consistent crop.