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or has drainage problems, plant your muskmelons on raised beds with organic matter mixed in to allow water to quickly move through the soil.
Harvest the muskmeloms at or near full slip. The flavor, aroma, and texture of muskmelons are closely correlated with sugar content. Since there are no starch reserves in muskmelon flesh at harvest, there are no post-harvest increased in sugars. Muskmelons are of highest quality if harvested when they have reached their maximum sugar content.
Nature has provided a unique way of identifying the ripening process in most varieties of muskmelons, especially the cantaloupe type. As the fruit approches maturity, a light growth crack (abscission layer) develops at the joint whye tjie fruit is attached to the stem.
Melon Comes Loose
Easily At “Full Slip”
When this crack completely encircles the joint, the fruit is at the “full slip” stage and contains the highest amount of sugar it will attain under the conditions the plant was grown. The melon drops or slips easily from the vine when lifted and requires no tugging to loosen it from the stem.
Frequent harvest (even daily) and cooking the fruit as soon after harvest as possible will allow you to pick at or just before the fruit reach “full slip.”
Healthy green vines right up^tb harvest are essential for maximum fruit quality. Careful selection of disease resistant varieties and attention to proper fertilization, timing, irrigation, and regular and effective pest control programs are key factors to success.
Frequent harvest at or near “full slip” maturity will help obtain high quality fruit from your garden.
(Dr. Diane Relf is a horticulture specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension and is a member of the faculty of Virginia Tech.)
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