Your comments and tips

26 Jan 10, lesley (Australia - tropical climate)

i have planted tomato seedlings and when i transplanted them, they died a few days later. what did i do wrong? I live in Darwin?

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04 Sep 10, Robyn (Australia - tropical climate)

I'm in darwin as well and was told never to plant tomoto plants in the ground. Pots apparently work well.

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21 Jan 10, Helen (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I have RMs growing both climbing as well as crawling on the ground. They are all growing very well sized. How do I know when to harvest? I dont want to lose any of them. I live in Perth

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11 Jan 16, Loren (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, We're in Perth and have 5 vines. The two oldest vines sprouted together in situ and we already have 5 melons. We're novices so it's quite exciting getting the kids involved. So far no issues but thought I'd share!

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20 Feb 15, Pam (Australia - temperate climate)

I have grown 2 huge rockmelons and one have picked 1 which doesn't have much flavour. I have always dug the vege scraps into the garden fertilised regularly and soil looks good. Anyone got any clue why Pam

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10 Jan 10, Helen O'Toole (Australia - temperate climate)

We planted afew seeds and now we have have about 12 rockmelons that will be ready at the same time is there any way I can preserve them?

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22 Nov 09, Betty Menzies (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

My rock melons like to attach themselves to a vertical wire-netting fence. Should I encourage them to grow upwards as a vine, then support the fruit somehow, or are they better to remain growing along the ground?

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18 Nov 09, adam synnott (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Liv, yes rockmelons are from the curcurbit family, and need to be pollinated like a pumpkin of zucchini. They have male and female flowers, and I find it easier to pollinate by hand. The females have a small ball thingy on the base of the flower,(obviously, this is a small rockie, waiting to happen), and i take a male flower and press it into the flower of the female. The pollen is more potent when damp, so the early morning is a good time to do this. Often rockies have a small flower hidden under something, and I hand pollinate to make sure I get some rockies, otherwise, it's hit and miss. I'm in Armidale in NSW, and often the weather just isn't warm enough to ripen rockies and watermelon, but with a shadehouse or hothouse, I should get some this year. Good Luck.

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31 Oct 10, Ivan (Australia - temperate climate)

Sir I am from South Africa and thinking of planting watermelon in a shadehouse. Is there any spesific type you will recomment and do you take them off the ground like tomatoes with strings or leave them on the ground? Thanks Ivan van Zyl

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17 Nov 09, LIV (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

do rockmelons come from flower buds??

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