# Muskmelon! **URL:** \ **Category:** 2023 Grow Reports\ **Tags:** muskmelons\ **Created:** [May 6, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071 "2023-05-06T17:38:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gentle\_dispositions](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/gentle_dispositions/32/196_2.png) [@gentle\_dispositions](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/gentle_dispositions)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/1 "2023-05-06T17:38:22Z")
Started the Muskmelon grex today! Lots of GTS seed, along with some tried-and-true and new varieties. Direct seeded. Planted tight. Hoping for ~60+ plants. ![IMG_0572](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/landracegardening/original/2X/4/47e612fe71945347f9f615900af444da8691a3d5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![hollyhock](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/hollyhock/32/455_2.png) [@hollyhock](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/hollyhock)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/2 "2023-05-06T17:48:52Z")
Nice! I’m interested to see how they do! Good job! ---
**Author:** ![gentle\_dispositions](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/gentle_dispositions/32/196_2.png) [@gentle\_dispositions](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/gentle_dispositions)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/3 "2023-05-06T20:18:09Z")
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 ---
**Author:** ![Bee.hill](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/bee.hill/32/14396_2.png) [@Bee.hill](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Bee.hill)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/4 "2023-05-06T21:25:08Z")
Is the Raqqa melon a non sweet melon like Armenian cucumber? ---
**Author:** ![gentle\_dispositions](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/gentle_dispositions/32/196_2.png) [@gentle\_dispositions](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/gentle_dispositions)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/5 "2023-05-06T21:43:32Z")
Good question! I don’t know. I planted some of this seed kinda late last year, and nothing really came of it. I did not dedicate much space to it this round because of that, but wanted to give it one more shot. Do you have any insight? ---
**Author:** ![Bee.hill](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/bee.hill/32/14396_2.png) [@Bee.hill](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Bee.hill)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/6 "2023-05-06T22:11:53Z")
I just looked I think I confused it with this one: ['Palestine Fakous' Melon – Experimental Farm Network Seed Store](https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/products/palestine-fakous-melon?_pos=16&_sid=d92539da2&_ss=r) ---
**Author:** ![gentle\_dispositions](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/gentle_dispositions/32/196_2.png) [@gentle\_dispositions](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/gentle_dispositions)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/7 "2023-05-07T02:41:35Z")
That’d be an interesting cross! ---
**Author:** ![gentle\_dispositions](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/gentle_dispositions/32/196_2.png) [@gentle\_dispositions](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/gentle_dispositions)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/8 "2023-05-09T23:49:59Z")
What do ya know…the first one to pop up was from the GTS lot. 3 days. ![IMG_0643](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/landracegardening/original/2X/f/fc3945aca72bf613c8935bbb44ab52eab90765ae.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![nodinesplants](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/nodinesplants/32/2247_2.png) [@nodinesplants](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/nodinesplants)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 1:22am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/9 "2023-05-12T01:22:58Z")
I’m growing the lofthouse-oliverson landrace melon from last years saved seed. I only got seeds from one melon because the pickle worms were so bad they killed all the plants before any other melons could ripen. Following Joseph’s mantra I decided not to intervene. The seeds I did collect have poor germination and many of the seedlings looked sickly so I culled them. I’ve got 15 from my seed and 3 from last years original seed (I had some left from several years ago I’ve kept in the freezer) and I’m really hoping to get a decent harvest this year. Today I see this. Has anyone ever seen a muskmelon bloom so young? I figured it must be some kind of stress reaction, but I’ve grown lots of melons and don’t recall flowers at seedling stage. Anyway, I’m rambling 😁 ![20230511_110738](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/landracegardening/original/2X/2/29d1eeefe534ac621ed32fda8d8ee4dedcd90be9.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_Lofthouse](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/joseph_lofthouse/32/96_2.png) [@Joseph\_Lofthouse](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Joseph_Lofthouse)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:25am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/10 "2023-05-12T03:25:53Z")
That looks normal to me. In my short season, only precocious plants can make seeds. ---
**Author:** ![UnicornEmily](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/unicornemily/32/530_2.png) [@UnicornEmily](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/UnicornEmily)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:51am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/11 "2023-05-12T05:51:28Z")
Wow! I’ve never seen a melon that precocious before! If that’s the norm for you, I’m excited to see what your landrace does here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![H.B](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/h.b/32/2076_2.png) [@H.B](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/H.B)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/12 "2023-05-12T20:45:59Z")
3 posts were split to a new topic: [What would you like to see in a melon grex?](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/what-would-you-like-to-see-in-a-melon-grex/1094) ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_Lofthouse](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/joseph_lofthouse/32/96_2.png) [@Joseph\_Lofthouse](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Joseph_Lofthouse)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/13 "2023-05-12T15:29:12Z")
My tomatoes also tend towards precociousness, often flowering on the 4th leaf node. ![tomato-precocios](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/landracegardening/original/2X/c/c4811b87526b0f2a0bf733aed08c045253c86769.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![nodinesplants](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/nodinesplants/32/2247_2.png) [@nodinesplants](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/nodinesplants)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/14 "2023-05-12T22:21:45Z")
Ok, good to know! ---
**Author:** ![nodinesplants](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/nodinesplants/32/2247_2.png) [@nodinesplants](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/nodinesplants)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/15 "2023-05-12T23:01:34Z")
Wow, I’ve always considered that a negative trait. I take it you don’t see any reduction in production from early flowering? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_Lofthouse](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/joseph_lofthouse/32/96_2.png) [@Joseph\_Lofthouse](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Joseph_Lofthouse)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/16 "2023-05-13T14:06:12Z")
For me, plants have to flower early, or they don’t make any fruit at all, and thus get eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![MarkReed](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/markreed/32/328_2.png) [@MarkReed](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/MarkReed)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/17 "2023-05-13T18:41:54Z")
I’ve also always considered that a bit of a negative trait. I think it does generally indicate, stress or something of the sort and if it happens the plant tends to not grow anymore and probably not mature a fruit either before it croaks. Although I’m not 100% sure I’ve ever seen a melon do that, but I have seen cucumbers. Tomatoes can do it and recover normally but seems best it they get a bit of size to them before flowering. That’s common tomatoes though, not your Frankin-maters as the woman here calls them but she still eats them. Sweet potatoes can flower with their first set of true leaves with no ill effects associated. ---
**Author:** ![UnicornEmily](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/unicornemily/32/530_2.png) [@UnicornEmily](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/UnicornEmily)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/18 "2023-05-14T04:21:13Z")
Wow, that rocks. Do they tend to be flowering by the time you transplant them? If so, do you find that to be a good thing? I have to assume that they can both flower early _and_ still keep growing for you, otherwise they would have self-eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![MarkReed](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/markreed/32/328_2.png) [@MarkReed](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/MarkReed)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 10:21am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/19 "2023-05-14T10:21:48Z")
Mostly when I’ve seen something like that happen it’s because there was enough water in the soil for the seed to sprout but then it turned very hot and dry. Or because I planted it in terrible conditions and just left it to fend for itself. I see it too at markets and stores where a pant in a cell pack is horribly root bound. A couple years ago, Walmart thought me that if you plant corn in cell packs and let it dry out good a couple of times it can tassel at six inches tall. I found that very interesting but haven’t figured out the real lesson to it or how to take advantage of it. ---
**Author:** ![UnicornEmily](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/unicornemily/32/530_2.png) [@UnicornEmily](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/UnicornEmily)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 11:11am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071/20 "2023-05-14T11:11:21Z")
I suppose that may be handy if you want to cross a late season variety with an earlier season variety for some reason – get it to make pollen sooner. [Next page](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/muskmelon/1071.md?page=2)