In the past I have always just planted my melons here and there among my raised beds. I have had reasonable success considering I live in Western Washington and growing melons is a little bit of a stretch for our climate. This year I wanted a dedicated melon patch to free up some more room in the main garden. When I designed the garden enclosure I fenced in a larger section than I needed at the time for future expansion and future green house. Well now it is time to use some of the extra land...
This bit of ground is just south of the chicken house. It also slopes gently south which should help a little with much needed heat.
Since I didn't have enough partially composted manure to cover the whole area I'm just doing the rows themselves. I started by a good thick layer of newspaper (no glossy pages) and then layed the manure on top.
Now I could get out the rototiller and do a bed that way but the ground is so wet right now that it is not a good time to till. Besided over the years I have just about given up tilling altogether for this method with wonderful results. Any culitvating I do is usually by hand with broadfork or hoe. The soil is so soft and pliable when done this way very little cultivating is required.
The next row was doubled in width for staggered plantings. I put a 'felt' between the rows to give me somewhere to walk and so the weeds won't come up between the rows. A felt is what newsprint paper is made on...hubby gets them for me from his work....its a big giant piece of very heavy felt fabric. Thanks sweetie!
After spreading the manure I covered the whole thing with straw. By the time we plant out melons around here (not until June) this all should be quite mellow.
When doing a bed this way you can also add shredded leaves, grass clippings, and partially finished compost (similiar to the cucumber bed I did). I will be adding any of those over the next month as I get them...but straw and manure over open land works alone too.
I will do one more double row. A couple weeks before planting I will cover each row with clear plastic to warm the soil. I will also cover the surrounding soil with black plastic (ugly I know) to give the melons somewhere warm to ramble and so I don't have to weed...since you all know how much I don't like to do that!
I'm hoping all this will give me a chance for a great crop of cantaloupe and watermelon!
I'll let you know how it goes... I can't wait!
