GROWING NOTES

Amend soil well with aged manure or compost. If summers are short or cool, put down black plastic to retain heat, then plant into holes made in plastic. Where insects are a problem, cover seedlings with floating row covers to exclude them, removing when plants blossom. Keep young vines well watered and fed, tapering off as fruits ripen up for best sweet flavor.

HARVEST AND USE

Pick melons when the tendril closest to the fruit turns brown, and the light patch on the bottom of the melon changes from cream to tan. Watermelons keep well in the refrigerator, even after being cut open.