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Post by scarfguy on Apr 9, 2023 6:06:46 GMT -5
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 12, 2023 10:48:42 GMT -5
Yes! No matter how many reservoirs you have hooked up to the garden, the water will stay in equilibrium until they’re drained. Once drained you’ll eventually lose the siphons after the water level falls too low for them to circulate between the bases and the AG itself. Having two may get you to watering once a day or less instead of three times, which I’m sure would be a relief! That vine is enormous and beautiful, I applaud you for it!! Unfortunate that the AeroVoir is out of stock, although having it out of stock for a while makes me wonder if they’re planning to roll out a new version. Maybe one with a larger capacity.
Last month, we were discussing using multiple aerovoirs with one AG. Here's a follow up:
SO... when the aerovoirs came back in stock, I bought 2 of them and hooked them up to my melon.
Once I got them going, I noticed that one of them drained faster than the other one. In fact, one of them appears to not be working. This morning, I disconnected the one that was working and discovered the other one was working fine and began to feed water to the bowl. 
I just thought that they would feed alternately and use water at the same rate.
In the interest of my hydrology education, why would one of them feed water first? All I can think of is the roots may be interfering with the water pressure in the lines .... any ideas??? |
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Post by lynnee on Apr 12, 2023 14:27:37 GMT -5
Fascinating, scarfguy! My guess is that your Aerovoir feeds are at slightly different levels, although roots could be interfering, too. It doesn't matter, does it, if both Aerovoirs are working? Won't the second one take over when the first is empty? Are the Aerovoirs making it easier to keep your cantaloupes supplied? |
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 12, 2023 16:02:20 GMT -5
Fascinating, scarfguy ! My guess is that your Aerovoir feeds are at slightly different levels, although roots could be interfering, too. It doesn't matter, does it, if both Aerovoirs are working? Won't the second one take over when the first is empty? Are the Aerovoirs making it easier to keep your cantaloupes supplied?
Yes, the second one will take over when the first one is empty. So it's not an issue, just a curiosity.
Yes, the aerovoirs are making my day a lot easier. I just top them off once a day. I think the plant is happier too as the water level and, thus, the pH isn't fluctuating.
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Post by lynnee on Apr 12, 2023 17:07:48 GMT -5
scarfguy, I forgot to ask. Where did you end up putting the Aerovoirs? Did you move something to make space on the same shelf?
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 12, 2023 17:34:40 GMT -5
Yes, the aerovoirs are on the metal shelf on each side of the bounty. Should be the same level but the shelf may not be level. I adjusted the feet when I installed it on the tile floor so that it wouldn't wobble.
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 12, 2023 17:39:49 GMT -5
UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! - Day 82
I looked over at my melon this afternoon and the first melon has fallen from the vine!
Glad I had a melon hammock around it. I don't know if its ripe but it ain't gonna get any riper!
It just started turning yellow a couple of days ago.
I'll know if its ripe tomorrow morning. It's either gonna be melon or cereal for breakfast!
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Post by swimmom500 on Apr 12, 2023 19:26:17 GMT -5
That melon looks awesome. Let us know if it tastes as good as it looks!
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Post by lynnee on Apr 12, 2023 22:53:19 GMT -5
Wow! The melon looks fabulous, scarfguy! It looks exactly like what you should look for when you buy a cantaloupe, with the allover netting. Where did you get your hammocks?  |
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 13, 2023 6:19:04 GMT -5
I bought a couple of different designs before I decided on this particular hammock. It was more open than the other net bags. I wanted to watch my melon mature. This one is:
All of the hammocks I looked at are way too big for these little melons. As you can see in the picture I tied the hammock in the middle (with the ever-versatile Texsolv cord again!). That fits the melon better and resulted in a rather aesthetic "ponytail".
As my son said, the phrase "melon hammock" conjures up a comforting, calming, and happy thought.  |
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 13, 2023 8:20:16 GMT -5
TADA! It's a real cantaloupe! I grew a cantaloupe in a bounty (with a little auxiliary lighting)
It's sweet and juicy! It's almost perfect.
Perhaps just a little bit over ripe as its a little soft in spots. I would consider picking it before it falls off. I think once you see it start to turn yellow, it should be about ready. This melon doesn't get complelely yellow. It retains streaks of green even when ripe.
I love melons but I hate bad melons. The only time you can get fresh melons in NE Ohio is in late summer when you get them freshly picked at local farmer's markets. The ones you get at this time of year come from South America and are hard as a rock and tasteless.
I'm thrilled I can get a fresh melon at this time of year. I have a great feeling of accomplishment!
Ok, lynnee! Your up to bat next! Looking forward to progress reports on your "melon in a farm" project!
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Post by lynnee on Apr 13, 2023 12:52:56 GMT -5
Thanks, scarfguy, I ordered the hammocks--hopefully I'll have some use for them! Your midget looks absolutely scrumptious!  One thing I love about living in California, is that you get really fresh fruits and vegetables all the time in supermarkets. The dried-out garlic and avocados in Omaha, Lexington, and Cincinnati are now a distant memory.  |
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Post by lynnee on Apr 20, 2023 19:44:10 GMT -5
My two cantaloupes have experienced a growth surge since I transferred them to the Farm that produced those wonderful Fairy Tale eggplants. I think that the mirror next to the AG diffuses the light or something. Photos to come later.
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Post by lynnee on Apr 21, 2023 11:09:45 GMT -5
Cantaloupes on Day 33. scarfguy, do you think I should prune these to reduce the branches? Where did your flowers form?  |
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 21, 2023 12:18:46 GMT -5
I had male flowers form first on the main vine. It was quite a while later that the first female flowers showed up. If I remember, the female flowers were predominately on the secondary vines.
As for pruning, I didn't prune anything for quite awhile. I just kept twining the vines around the trellis. After awhile, when I was comfortable that I had a lot of flowers, I started pruning the smaller shoots that got "unruly" and tried to "get out of their lane" so to speak.
I don't see any need to prune your vines just yet.
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Post by lynnee on Apr 23, 2023 14:48:39 GMT -5
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Post by scarfguy on Apr 23, 2023 16:39:02 GMT -5
Lookin' good, lynnee. Looks very healthy. Nice close-up of the male flower.
You probably feel like I did at this stage...
Seems like a waste of male flowers when you can't use them without some female flowers to pollinate!
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,265 
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Post by Shawn on Apr 24, 2023 15:21:42 GMT -5
Looking good!
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Post by scarfguy on May 6, 2023 17:28:44 GMT -5
Today, I ate the last of my Minnesota Midget melons. I got 5 total melons from 1 plant. They ranged in weight from 1.5 lbs to 3.5 lbs. They were all wonderfully sweet and ripe. I'm really happy with this adventure!
I tore down the vines, sanitized the bounty and started my next crop. This time I am going to try and grow 2 different cantaloupes on the same trellis, dedicating a bounty for each one. The vines will certainly intertwine so I will have to trace each vine to ensure I pollinate with the correct flower so I maintain the heirloom and don't produce a hybrid. (A wayward bee could find his way into my house and reek havoc! ).
I planted a cantaloupe called "Hearts of Gold". It's a good size melon, 3-4 lbs. The Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe originated in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1890, where farmer Roland Parker Morill crossed the Osage and Netted Gem varieties of cantaloupe and created Hearts of Gold. Morill's new variety was granted a trademark in 1914. It is considered one of the first "modern" melons and was very popular in the first half of the 20th century.
The other melon is "Petit Gris de Rennes", a typical European melon from France. The petit gris de Rennes was first bred in the garden of the bishop of Rennes in the beginning of the 17th century. It is a sweet cantaloupe with typical orange flesh but the skin is smooth, dark teal green with lighter green stripes and no netting. It turns yellow when ripe. It's smaller at about 1-2 lbs.
How is your melon coming along, lynnee? Got any female flowers, yet? |
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Post by lynnee on May 7, 2023 11:12:03 GMT -5
scarfguy, it'll be fun watching your new melons grow! No, there are no female flowers on my midgets yet. 
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