Planting Guide Open-pollinated. The Orange-Fleshed honeydew is oval to round in shape. When ripe its skin is white to pale yellow-green in color, similar to common honeydews. Its salmon hued flesh however is more like that of a cantaloupe and is firm yet juicy offering a honey sweet melon flavor. When ripe the Orange-Fleshed honeydew will have a slightly sweet aroma and its blossom end will have a slight give when pressed. Unlike many other melons the Orange-Fleshed honeydew will continue to ripen after being picked from the vine. Special Instructions: Melons will thrive in warm, well-draining soil high in organic matter with pH between 6.5-7.5. Sandy loam is best. Melons are heavy feeders. Give 80-120 lbs of N per acre. Calcium deficiency can lead to blossom end rot, especially when adequate moisture is not available. Use dolomitic limestone. Manganese in excess can cause black spot. When Boron is deficient, fruit may crack. When to harvest: Harvesting melons at perfect maturity can be tricky, each type is a little different. In general: cantaloupes slip from vine when ripe; charantais types can be cut when they have a thick netted skin (they are a bit over-ripe if they slip); galia types slip from the vine and are ready when skin turns bright yellow; honeydews can be cut from the vine when skin turns color. Other indicators of ripeness are when the leaf closest to fruit becomes dried and shriveled and when the stem becomes corky. *** The first flowers to appear on the vines are male, and drop naturally. The later flowers are female and form the fruit.
