You are in good shape. I wouldn't remove any of them. The plant will cull itself of any fruits it can't handle. Don't worry about the shape when they are forming.

Good luck with your cantaloupe. I am growing them for the first time as well this year and the vines have already reached the top of my 7 1/2 foot trellis, I hope they dont get a whole lot bigger lol.

I've grown melons a few times, and my observation is that the oblong muskmelons gradually round out as they reach full size. Even those that don't, still taste the same as the rounder ones.

Let us know what you think of Hale's Best when you harvest them later. I am growing Minnesota Midget and Hearts of Gold this summer, and it looks like the Midgets might be ready to harvest in time for July 4th. I will post a cantaloupe/muskmelon thread for flavor comparisons then.

I just planted some Minnesota Midget seeds last night as replacements for the plants the rabbits ate. I haven't ever had these before so I am really looking forward to seeing what they taste like, assuming they come up and the rabbits leave them alone this time. It was actually a toss-up choice between MM and Hales Best. I chose the MM's because of their much shorter DTM. (Meanwhile, my poor DH is wearing himself out trying to "rabbitproof" the fence.) I will look forward to reading the "taste test" results later this summer!!

Edie

Thanks for the replies. Will leave as is for now. Not sure when to pick though -- anybody want to chime in?

Hidesert: exactly! Mine are about 7 right now, but it's only JUNE. I thought 10 feet would be plenty.

If flowers are any indicator to the amount of fruit on these things though, I have no idea what in the hell I'm going to do with so many cantaloupes. Maybe I can drive up off to the side of the farmer's market down the street each week and make a couple bucks. Pay for my beneficial insects. ;)

Kevin

Unlike most melons, cantaloupes are easy to tell when ripe.

1. The skin of the fruit showing between the "netting" will turn from green to yellow/tan.
2. The fruit will start to smell, like you'll be able to smell it standing several feet away from it.
3. The vine will crack away from the fruit, forcing you to harvest it.

Most melons you see in the grocery store have been harvested too early, and so still have green skin and don't have the strong smell of a truly ripe (and delicious) melon.

The young oblong melons will round out to a more spherical shape. The ones that are the most oblong will actually grow to be your biggest fruits. (And, if I recall correctly, Hale's Jumbo is kind of an oblong shaped melon, anyway).

Sadly, most of the flowers on a melon vine don't turn into fruit. The plant culls most of the flowers itself, and they just drop off.

Also, melons have male and female flowers. Only the female ones turn into fruit.

I'm not sure about Hale's Jumbo, but some Ambrosia cantaloupe (which I highly recommend) in my garden now have their longest vines at about 11 feet.

I mean the longest vines right now are at 11 feet, and they are sure to grow longer. You could probably just train the vines back down your trellis when they get to the top.

Thanks Greenize! Yeah. I notice that about the flowers, but still! It sure looks like I'm gonna have a ton.

I thought that about the vines also -- just wrap around the top and let them come back down.

That's what kind of ticks me off about pole beans -- I'll use 12' rebar as tepees and they'll get to the top, but the characteristic of the spiraling just leaves them in a bundled clump at the top.

Thanks again. If the water bill isn't too high this year, maybe I'll venture off with some Ambrosia next summer.

Kevin

I hear you about them being 7-8ft tall already, they've reached the top of my trellis already. I think the only two options are to cut it at the top to stop growth or try to train it back down the trellis

Edie, I liked your post of plant those MM so I just planted some seeds myself. Mine will be replacements for another melon I have tried three times to get started now and each time the seedlings came up and died. I grew MM last year so I know it will do well. Tastes good but not one of those really excellantly sweet types.

Mine are oblong to so far and growing like crazy.

You'll have to check them every day as they near ripeness or they'll fall off on their own and go splat. Or make slings for them, to hold them up on the trellis.

When they ripen, they do it very fast, so you must be very vigilant. They can go from ripe to mush in one day.

Ok i have what is probably a stupid question. When you have them growing on a trellis and you have to use a sling does the sling have to be translucent? Like nude nylons or can they be dark colored tights? I have plenty of them on hand and hate the thought of going and spending money on something if i can use something i already have.

I'd use whatever is on hand, but you have to be able to check the color of the fruits as they ripen.

That's funny! I just slung a few up today and they were darker knee highs that my deceased grandmother had in her garage in Oklahoma when I went back there to clean it up last summer.

LOL... I brought back a big bag of them just for gardening.

On another note, when their 3-4 inches, how long am I away from picking? Approximate of course.

Kevin

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way yesterday about how important the slings are when one of my small watermelons that was almost ripe fell of the vine and cracked. Lesson learned Lol. I've read that cantaloupes take about 4-5 weeks to ripen once it has been pollinated.

I use 40 days as rule of thumb

I have grown Ambrosia cantaloupes for many years. There is not a better tasting one anywhere. One year, I decided to keep count of how many I picked off one plant. The average was 11. Since I have plenty of room, they grow no the ground, not on a trellis. I arrange the vines so I have a little footpath to walk on. When you think they are getting ripe a small push on the stem will usually let them come off, if not try again tomorrow. My neighbors love me, not unlike when I have zucchini in abundance.

I know there's a contest as to which is the best and a lot has to do with the growers practices, environment, weather, etc.etc. But I've grown Ambrosia, amongst others, and the best I've ever grown and the only one that I still grow is Super 45. I have a "waiting" list for it every year. It's that good!!