ROCK MELON FRUITS DO NOT GROW BIGGER (forum)

Tran starts with ...
Please give me some advice on this problem please:
my rock melon plant does have female flowers but either turn yellow before the flowers opening or set fruit but will not get bigger ( just the size of a peanut then drop).
I gave it some potassium and water regularly and there is no improvement
Any advice would be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

Tran

Time: 11th February 2009 8:16pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Vic
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Jantina says...
Hi Tran,sounds like a pollination problem to me. I would try hand pollinating when the flowers open in the morning. Good luck.

Time: 12th February 2009 9:36am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Jantina
Mt. Gambier S.A.
#UserID: 1351
Posts: 1272
View All Jantina's Edible Fruit Trees

Alexa says...
Definitely a pollination issue. Unfortunately from what I understand melons can be some of hardest to get the pollination right. Try hand-pollinating but next year try to attract more bees to your garden - plant lots of pretty flowers near your veggie patch - marigolds, nasturnum, lavendar, lemon balm. And try to provide a source of water for the bees, like a shallow dish or bird bath with very shallow rim (hard under water restrictions I know).

Time: 12th February 2009 11:08am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Alexa
Melbourne
#UserID: 1851
Posts: 10
View All Alexa's Edible Fruit Trees

Tran says...
To Jantina and Alexa,
Many thanks for the advice.
I did try to polinate by hand 2 weeks ago and had some fruits set but they won't get bigger.

Time: 12th February 2009 5:23pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Vic
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Jantina says...
Tran I still think it has something to do with pollination, I have occasionally had the problems you describe and it was either early in the season when there were only female flowers and the plants settled down and produced later or it was a flower the bees missed. The only other thing I can think of is the temperature but melons like heat, the bees don't, not the sort of temperatures we were having.

Time: 12th February 2009 6:40pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Jantina
Mt. Gambier S.A.
#UserID: 1351
Posts: 1272
View All Jantina's Edible Fruit Trees

Tran says...
To Jantina and Aleaxa, Once again Thank you very much for the hints . I will try to attract bees into my garden and also hand polinate from now on and see if things improve. I will remember doing the same thing next year.

Time: 12th February 2009 9:15pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Vic
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees