This year I thought I'd try my hand at growing some more obscure varieties of melons and one that I ended up trying is "Rich Sweetness 132 Melon" from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.RareSeeds.com).
Talk about some seriously cute, little melons!
I planted a total of 10-15 seeds in 4 different hills in the garden back in April and now have an absolute TON of these tiny melons everywhere. They start out green with dark stripes and, as they mature they turn an orangy-red with bright yellow stripes. They have been incredibly easy to grow and practically pick themselves by falling off the vine when they ripen. The flesh is white and a bit sweet, though not incredibly so (I ended up sprinkling a little bit of sugar on and it was very good!)
I'll admit that I was drawn to the pictures of this little gem of a melon on RareSeeds.com (that's why I bought the seeds), but also really love the idea of growing things that I would almost never be able to find in a local grocery store. The Rich Sweetness 132 Melon certainly fits that bill ... I've never seen any melons like this in the store here.
According to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Rich Sweetness 132 Melons are:
"Incredible little melons from the former Soviet Union. The fruit are a beautiful red, striped with golden yellow and weigh only about ¼ lb! The flesh is pure white and quite sweet. These have a very refreshing taste and are very fragrant. They are perfect for single servings. These little melons are so much fun and great for children's gardens. The vines are very productive all season long. One of the best new varieties we've discovered in the last few years."
How to Grow Rich Sweetness 132 Melons
Seeds can be sown outside a few weeks after the last spring frost and should be planted about an inch deep, 12 inches apart and in rows 5 feet apart. Alternatively, you can plant 4 or 5 seeds in a hill and space your hills apart by 5 feet.
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Horticultural Zone: 6
December 11, 2014
Thank you Caryl! Wow, 4 ft. wide! Ok, I think I'll try it. I don't have an 8 ft. trellis, but I guess it'll just fall back over the other side, or maybe I'll just have to trim the top if it isn't happy with my 6 ft. trellis. I read that applying epson salt to the soil and also not watering as much just before it fully ripens helps increase the sweetness.
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December 11, 2014
I bet trimming it back won't hurt it a bit and I think this would be really great on a trellis. Be sure to let me know how it goes for you next summer!!
Horticultural Zone: 6
December 11, 2014
How tall do the vines get? How wide for one vine? Are the skins edible too or do they need to be scooped out of the skins? This looks like such an interesting little treat to try for a tiny food garden.
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December 11, 2014
Hi C! Although you can grow these up a trellis, I let mine grow along the ground this year. The vines got pretty long -- about 8 feet, maybe longer. I didn't eat the skins (not sure if they are edible or not) -- just scooped out the insides like a teeny tiny cantaloupe. Honestly, it's kind of a lot of work to scoop out each fruit (since they are so small), but I found them to be a perfect size for a one-person snack and the melons are great conversation pieces too.... everyone who saw them seemed to ask what they were!
December 11, 2014
Oh, and the vines were about 4 feet wide.