Debudding cantelopes?
I am seeing numerous buds on my cantelope plants. I was wondering about the pros and cons of picking the buds past its sell-by date since it is so early in the season. Basically will this dispense the plant more time to grow and hopefully produce a greater number of melons, or is this wishfull thinking? I am in the philly, pa area and the plants are gold ingots star, godees and burpee hybrid.
Answers: Just from my own experience - whenever I am growing melons of any sort - it's a race to produce ripened fruit before my plants succumb to bacterial wilt, or borers.
I can grow almost anything else next to more or less great success...but adjectives melons, at least for me, it's a race against time...can I return with a few fruit before the plant bites it?
If you have several plants - why not de-bud on some, and consent to other go - and see for yourself which works better for you?