Harvesting Melons

Just as there are specific guidelines for growing melons, so are there valuable tips for harvesting and handling melons offered by the experts at the Miller Plant Farm here in York, PA.

• Pick cantaloupes in cool of morning, move to cool spot immediately. 
• Never!! Throw, drop or mishandle melons. The seed net loosens on hot cantaloupes, this causes the fruit to actually bleed internally resulting in watery and soft flesh.
• Pick only mature, full slip cantalopes for fresh use. Full slip is when stem separates completely from melon with very little effort.
• Pick every morning to eliminate overripes. Never wait until stem separates itself -- This is over ripe.

Best Plants For...

Many home gardeners here in the York, PA region ask our Miller Plant Farm experts which plants will thrive best in their gardens or how to achieve the gardening results they are seeking.  So we have put together our best plant picks for sun, heat tolerance, shade, butterflies, hummingbirds and cut flowers.

Best Plants for Sun and Heat Tolerance
If your garden will have direct sun exposure for at least six hours of the day, then the plants you choose should be of the types that can tolerate that exposure and the heat that comes with it.
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Best Plants for Shade
If your garden will have limited sun exposure or even full shade (less than four hours of daily sunlight), then you will want to include shade-loving plants for the best success.
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Butterfly Plants
If you're planning a butterfly garden, you'll need to remember that some plants are better suited than others for attracting butterflies based upon their color, shape, the nectar they produce, etc.
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Hummingbird Plants 
Hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar and color of flowers, and some flowers perform better than others in a hummingbird habitat.
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Plants for Cut Flowers
Whether you plant a special cutting garden or incorporate flowers for cutting into your flower beds, it is hlepful to know which flowers lend themselves best to cutting for your arrangements.
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Perennials for Dry Locations
Growing plants in dry locations can be challenging. We've assembled a list of perennials that thrive in dry conditions.
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Growing Melons

The experts at the Miller Plant Farm here in York, PA, know that there are some specific guidelines that gardeners should follow to achieve a maximum melon crop.  Whether your garden is located in York, PA or elsewhere, the following tips will be useful.

• Select well drained, fertile field.
• Plow and disc early to conserve moisture.
• A few days before transplanting, disc weeds down and lay plastic mulch. (We feel plastic mulch is essential for all vine crops.)
• Transplant young healty plants (about four leaf stage) usually about May 15th.
• Ground temperature under plastic should be at least 60°F or higher for transplant.
• Space plants 72 inches between rows and every 36 inches on the row. One or two plants per hill. 
• Water well before and after planting.
• Starter fertilizer in the water is helpful.

Generally spraying once every 7 - 10 days is sufficient. Apply recommended fungicides to control disease. Also, apply recommended insecticides to control insects, especially striped cucumber beetles. Check with your local extension office for specific recommendations or materials and rates.

• Spray only late in the evening to avoid killing bees. Bees are needed for pollination in vine crops.
• Never over irrigate. Keep check on moisture under mulch during dry spells. The goal is to avoid extremes in levels of moisture.
• Control weeds between mulch. This can be done by hand hoeing, cultivation or use of organic mulches such as straw or grass clippings. A word of caution on grass clippings -- be careful of herbicide residue on grass clippings from lawn treatments for weeds.