Hubby was in the hospital for a couple of weeks and during that time my white cantalope finally ripened. It weighed 4 lbs 12 oz. When ripe it was a pale peachy color, fairly smooth skin with very little netting. Much firmer than cantalope and tasted like a cross between a honeydew and a cantalope. These have twice as much meat than a cantalope, very thin skin, small seed cavity and are as round as a basketball. I have found nothing on the web exactly like it. Now to see if they will reproduce the same melon next year. I am curious about this one.
I would have liked to let it ripen a bit more before cutting it but I had to get back to the hospital and didn`t have time. Once cut it does keep well in the fridge. I am still eating it. It doesn`t get strong tasting as cantalopes do on occassion. Can`t wait for next year.
So sorry to hear that your husband is in hospital Mart. I hope he'll soon be on the road to recovery and back at home with you again. Do let us know if the seeds you save from your mystery cantalope/melon produce the same fruits for you next year won't you? Maybe you've discovered a new species.
Thanks Eileen, he is home and doing well. I will sure let everyone know about this one. Not sure about new species but perhaps a throwback to an old one. The vine only had two melons on it. Both got huge as melons go. Its just strange that I cannot find one like it anywhere on the web. I have found similar melons but none are as white as this one, it looked like a softball. It didn`t start getting that peachy color till right before it got ripe.
Maybe some cross-pollination happened Sounds like something my husband would love!! I can't tell you how much money he's spent trying to find the "perfect" honeydew
That would be a likely scenario but all of the seeds I planted were from a single cantalope I grew last year. There are no other gardens close to me so I don`t think thats what happened. I planted honeydew in the small garden but they died before blooming when a wash out occurred after a rainstorm. And other than taste, they did not show any resemblance to a honeydew. So I have no idea how a cross pollination would have occurred. This one has me stumped.
It sounds like it crossed somewhere.I have not seen anything anywhere like you have discribed. I'm glad your hubby is better mart.
Is it a pale green to white colour? I have seen these in stores before its a cross between honey dew and cantaloupe. very smoothe shiny skin but very thin, green tinted flesh. I think its an earlidew melon
Could be a cross but with what and how ?? Thats the question. Seems there would have to be similarities to something grown currently, but I have found none. Thanks Glendann, he is much better.
No, it is pure white skin when young and a pale peachy color when ripe, fine netting right before getting ripe, much lighter and smoother than cantalope, lighter color flesh than cantalope, no green at all, and as round as a basketball.
I hope you'll continue to keep us posted about your "mystery melon." I've had white melons come up when I planted cantaloupe. I think Honey dew seeds got mixed up with the cantaloupes when I ordered them from an all OP seed catalog. Unlike your situation, this was an obvious mistake. I remember thinking how a few of the seeds in the packet looked different somehow when I planted them. I just love those little garden miracles. I had the most wonderful butternut squash come up as volunteers last year. They were huge and delicious.
I sure will keep everyone posted. They are blooming now but if we don`t get rain soon,, they may not make at all. Only thing about these was that the seed I used was from what I had saved. Had no honeydew. Mine died before they bloomed. And they did not look anything like a cantaloupe, honeydew cross. It may have been a fluke and never happen again. Who knows ? Just have to wait till they set fruit and see. Then I will take pics!
Possible perhaps ! But with what to produce a white melon ? No other gardens for miles, seeds came from ordinary cantaloupes. I have looked at all types of crosses on the net and found nothing that is white skinned. Pale,, yes, but not baseball white. I am just waiting to see if we have any more. Hubby is fine and doing well. Thanks !
