Banana Melon Seeds – vine vegetable CARIBBEAN GARDEN. SEED

Banana’ Salmon pink flesh with a sweet spicy flavor and pineapple aroma !
Cucumis melo) According to The Vegetables of New York (1937), this variety has been listed as a novelty almost as long as American seed catalogs have been popular. Long banana-shaped fruits are tapered at both ends and grow up to 24″ long. Smooth yellow skin occasionally develops sparse netting. Salmon pink flesh with a sweet spicy flavor and pineapple aroma. 80-100 days.

• Latin Name: Cucumis melo
• Type: Open Pollinated, Heirloom, Warm Season
• USDA Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• Seeds per Ounce: 900
• Planting Method: Direct Sow
• Sunlight: Full Sun
• Height: 16 Inches
• Color: Orange, Yellow
• A vining warm season vegetable, the banana melon yields sweet, elongated fruit with an aroma that hints at the tropics. The melons average 5 to 8 pounds and are typically 16 to 24 inches long. Harvest banana melons after about 90 days, when the fruit pulls off the vine easily. Enjoy the salmon-colored flesh of this melon as a dessert or snack, but also use it to perk up salads, salsas, entrees and drinks.

1 Select a location in full sun, with well-drained soil. Spread a 2-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure over the planting area. Work it in as you till the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
2Sow seeds when the soil has warmed to 75 degrees F and the danger of frost has passed. Mound the soil into a low, broad hill about 8 inches high, mixing in 1 to 2 tablespoons of complete fertilizer per hill. Plant three to four seeds in each hill, forming a circle with seeds about 5 inches apart. Plant the seeds an inch deep. Space the hills about 4 feet
3 Water the melons weekly with a soaker hose. Allow the water to seep into the soil until the top 6 to 8 inches of soil are wet. Water in the morning so the foliage is wet for a limited period of time. This helps prevent leaf diseases.
4 Thin seedlings once they have two sets of true leaves on them. Leave two large, healthy plants in each hill and pull out the others.
5 Mulch around the banana melon plants to help keep weeds down and retain soil moisture.
6 Apply 1 tablespoon of ammonium nitrate to each hill a week after blossoms appear on the plants. Apply 1 additional tablespoon of ammonium nitrate three weeks later.
7 Place shards of ceramic pots or flat porous stones under the melons as they mature. Elevating them off the ground reduces the risk of rotting fruit.
8 Water the melons less frequently in late summer. This encourages the fruit to mature and eliminates cracking melons.
All seeds are packaged and for the current growing season.
Harvesting Banana Melon:
As the melon ripens, it will turn yellow and become very fragrant; the stem should fall off easily, and the blossom end should be slightly soft. The melon will keep for several weeks in a cool place.
Saving Banana Melon Seeds:
When saving seed from melons, keep in mind that they will cross pollinate with other varieties of melon but not with watermelon, cucumbers, or squash. Melon seeds mature when the fruit is ripe; cut open the fruit and put the pulp that contains the seeds into a bowl. Work it with your fingers to separate the seeds from the pulpy fibers. Add enough water so that the pulp and the hollow seeds will float; remove the floating material, and the good seeds will remain at the bottom of the bowl. Rinse them well, then spread them out to dry completely. Store them in a cool, dry place for up to five years.