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| AMERICAN MELONS
(Cucumis melo) We have heirloom melons that can mature in almost any climate. Try some of these sweet & juicy varieties this year and enjoy a taste trip into your past... enjoy the flavor! Melons need a fertile soil and abundant heat to reach perfection. Sow in place about two weeks after last frost of spring. Plant seed about one inch deep, 12 inches apart, in rows 5 feet apart. Or plant in hills, 4-5 seeds per hill, with hills about 5 feet apart. In short-season climates, grow transplants indoors, starting about 1 week before last frost date and set out about 2-3 weeks after sowing; never let transplants become root-bound in their container. Melons may be trellised, but larger-fruited varieties would need a cloth sling to support each fruit. Dry conditions the last week or two before ripening make melons sweeter; too much moisture makes them bland-tasting and prone to rotting in the field. Judging ripeness varies from one variety to another, and may take a bit of trial and error when harvesting an unfamiliar variety. With some, the fruits "slip," or come free from the stem with little effort. Often a color change takes place; fruits will soften noticeably, or become fragrant. 25-50 seeds per packet.
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Old-Time Tennessee
An old favorite of mine. Produces huge, oblong melons that weigh 12-14 lbs. and have a deeply creased rind. Their orange flesh is superior, being loaded with unique fruity undertones and a sweetness not often found in modern melons: High sugar content. Fragile melons are not good keepers but are winners with gourmet foodies. This old Tennessee heirloom was almost lost to modern gardens.
Item Code: AML142
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Ginger's Pride
The largest melon we carry. Huge, oblong fruit averages 14-22 lbs. each! The skin is green, turning yellowish when ripe. The flesh is very sweet, melting, and of excellant quality. The vines set heavy yields. This variety was sent to us by a retired minister from Indiana. It has been in his family for many years, originating in Kentucky. This is a melon to give any grower pride.
Item Code: AML141
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Minnesota Midget
This very small, very early heirloom was introduced in Minnesota in 1948. Measuring just 4" across, they have sweet, orange flesh and are perfect miniature versions of the "Classic Muskmelon". Compact, 3'-4' vines, produce good yields. I fondly remember these as the only melons our family could get to ripen in Charlo, Montana, about 20 years ago.
Item Code: AML140
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Thayer
95 days. Very vigorous plants produce good yields of large melons up to 10 lbs. each. They are slightly ribbed with some netting. The orange flesh has exceptional, very sweet flavor. This Kansas heirloom is ideal as a market melon, having the perfect size, shape, and flavor to make them popular.
Item Code: AML111
Bulk Quantities
1 oz. - $10.00
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Pear
Football saped fruit have wonderfully fragrant, sweet orange flesh that has a delicate flavor. This heirloom from the Northwest predates 1900.
Item Code: AML145
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Gaucho
A beautiful melon with a golden rind with deep ribs; creamy-yellow flesh is very aromatic and juicy. Fruit is about 14" long and 8" wide, and it is one of the most popular home garden varieties in Brazil.
Item Code: AML143
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Hale's Best 45
(Cucumis melo) 85 days A popular heirloom, developed around 1920, by a Japanese market grower in California. Sweet, smooth orange flesh. A good flavored muskmelon.
Item Code: AML101
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Ananas
100 days. Sweet and juicy white flesh. A rare white muskmelon, fruit are around 5 lbs. An old 1800’s heirloom.
Item Code: AML102
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $7.00
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Honeydew - Tam Dew
100 days. Beautiful, ivory green fruit, deep green - very sweet flesh, with classic Honeydew flavor! A superb variety.
Item Code: AML103
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $7.50
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Honeydew - Orange Flesh
98 days. Light green smooth skin, orange flesh. An orange-fleshed version of the regular Honeydew, tasty.
Item Code: AML104
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $9.00
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Honey Rock
80 days. An early heirloom melon, 3-4 lbs., thick sweet firm deep-salmon flesh, good yields of quality fruit. An AAS winner for 1933. Good size for an early melon.
Item Code: AML105
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $6.50
1 lb. - $15.00
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Edisto 47
90 days. Deep salmon flesh, fine flavor and hard rind, 4.5 lbs. Excellent for hot, humid conditions, great for home gardens or market.
Item Code: AML106
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Crenshaw
105 days. Large melons with wonderful sweet flavor! A family favorite, grows best in warm, dry climates. Fruit are oval-shaped and green-yellow, salmon pink flesh. Good yields of delicious melons.
Item Code: AML107
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $6.00
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Delicious 51
4-5 lbs., round-oval muskmelon, salmon-orange sweet flesh. A popular home garden variety, early.
Item Code: AML108
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Edens Gem (Rocky Ford Green Fleshed)
90 days. An old heirloom variety, from 1881. This old-timer is still a popular green flesh muskmelon, with a heavily netted rind, and smooth, sweet-flavored flesh. Fruits weigh 2-3 lbs. A good keeper, has firm flesh. From Colorado.
Item Code: AML109
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $7.00
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Tip Top
Introduced by A.W. Livingston Seed Co. in 1892. This variety was discovered in a field of market melons by a gentleman in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and he sent it to Livingstons. Salmon-orange flesh is sweet and spicy.
Item Code: AML112
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Banana
90 days. Banana-shaped fruit, smooth yellow skin and sweet, spicy salmon flesh. 16”-24" long, 5-8 lbs. It was listed in 1885 by J. H. Gregory’s Catalogue, which said “When ripe it reminds one of a large, overgrown banana... It smells like one, having a remarkably powerful and delicious fragrance.” This is one of my all- time favorites, being very sweet and great for specialty markets.
Item Code: AML113
Bulk Quantities
1/4 lb. - $12.00
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Green Nutmeg
83 days. Fearing Burr said in 1863, “The Nutmeg Melon has long been in cultivation, and is almost everywhere to be found in the vegetable garden... It is of most delicious excellence... one of the best.” It is a medium size green fleshed melon, that has a heavy netted skin, rich, sweet, delicious flesh, heavy aroma.
Item Code: AML114
Bulk Quantities
1 oz. - $7.50
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Hearts of Gold (Hoodoo)
85 days. An orange fleshed muskmelon dating back to around 1890. Quality 2-3 lb. netted fruit, with firm, sweet, tasty flesh, one of the first “modern type” melons. It was once very popular.
Item Code: AML115
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Sierra Gold
85 days. Well-netted 3 lb. fruit with thick salmon-colored flesh, sweet and of superb flavor. A good home and market variety. Resistant to powdery mildew.
Item Code: AML116
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Jenny Lind
80 days. This fine melon dates back to the 1840’s and was sold by many of the seed companies of the day. It was named after the famous singer, Jenny Lind, “The Swedish Nightingale”. This wonderful 1-2 lb turban shaped melon is very sweet and has light green, delicious flesh. It is becoming popular again with those who try it!
Item Code: AML117
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Golden Honeymoon
92 days. A Honeydew melon with a brilliant gold rind and delicious green flesh, unique flavor. Two weeks earlier than regular Honeydew, excellent yields. Will rarely sunburn, a great keeper, unique and rare.
Item Code: AML119
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Emerald Gem
An heirloom introduced by Burpee's in 1886, and was very popular for years but now it has become rare. The fruit have green rinds and luscious, sweet orange flesh, 2 1/2 lbs each.
Item Code: AML120
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Hollybrook Luscious
Oblong, 8-10 lbs. melons have a dark green, deeply ribbed rind and sweet orange flesh that melts in your mouth. This great heirloom was introduced by T.W. Woods & Sons of Richmond, Virginia. Rare!
Item Code: AML121
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Kansas
A very rare heirloom from Kansas; the vines are vigorous and the yield is great, oval-shaped ridged and netted fruit, the flesh is orange and has exceptional flavor, very delicious! A very dependable variety, fruit weigh around 4 lbs. One of our most endangered varieties and also one of the best. Perfect for farmers’ markets.
Item Code: AML123
Out of Stock
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Iroquois
85 days. Large 5-7 lb. fruit, thick deep-orange flesh, of good quality. This melon is very good for the mid-west and northeast. Developed by Dr. Munger/Cornell, 1944.
Item Code: AML125
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Planter's Jumbo
85 days. Thick, sweet, orange flesh, fruit are over 4 lbs. A good variety for drought or heavy rainfall. Popular market melon, makes a good shipper.
Item Code: AML126
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Burrell's Jumbo
80 days. Very delicious old variety from the D.V. Burrell Seed Co. An improved selection of Hale's Best, these melons have salmon orange flesh that is very sweet; perfect for home or market.
Item Code: AML127
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Crenshaw Blanco
110 days. An improved Crenshaw variety. Oval fruit are about 5 lbs. each and have a creamy white rind when ripe, flesh is salmon-pink, extra sweet and of a very fine flavor. Great for specialty markets and shipping.
Item Code: AML128
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Schoon's Hardshell
90 days. Very large fruit, have a hard heavy and deeply ribbed rind; a very good shipper or home garden variety, salmon flesh is very flavorful, spicy and unique. A New York heirloom that is a favorite of melon expert Dr. Amy Goldman.
Item Code: AML129
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Crane
The famous California heirloom, introduced in 1920 by Oliver Crane whose family has been farming near Santa Rosa for six generations. Delicious Crenshaw type melons have pale orange flesh that is very sweet and fine flavored, green skinned rind with orange spots when ripe; fruit are 4 lbs. each.
Item Code: AML130
Bulk Quantities
1 oz. - $10.00
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Amish
A flavorful old Amish heirloom that was collected by the members of Seed Savers Exchange. It has a rich, sweet muskmelon flavor that reminds you of the way melons tasted long ago. Fruit are oval and weigh 4-7 lbs. each; the flesh color is orange. A good producer.
Item Code: AML131
Out of Stock
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Early Hanover
Lusicous, small 2-3 lb., green fleshed melons are bursting with sweetness. This was a famous melon at the turn of the 20th century and was introduced by T.W. Woods & Sons of Richmond, Virginia, in 1895. Pick just before the melons freely slip from the vines for best flavor. This is a great variety to add to your home garden or market stand, heavy yields.
Item Code: AML132
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Golden Jenny
An outstanding golden meated version of "Jenny Lind", developed by long time friend and master seed saver, Merl Neidens. Short vines just go wild producing these succulent, sweet 2 lb. beauties. Give this one a try at upscale markets. Early and productive.
Item Code: AML133
Out of Stock
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Green Machine
Vigorous, compact vines, produce green-fleshed 2 lb. melons at an incredible rate! This delicious sweet variety really was amazing last year. A true improvement in melons bred by Merl Neidens, a master of heritage gardening and plant selection. His varieties always receive rave reviews from our customers. Superb taste.
Item Code: AML134
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Pride of Wisconsin
An old-fashioned Wisconsin heirloom that was grown for the Milwaukee markets in the 1920's. Large fruit are oblong and have soft, sweet, juicy orange flesh, real muskmelon taste. Very Rare.
Item Code: AML135
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Oran's Melon
A local heirloom from the Missouri Ozarks, that has been grown by the Oran Ball family for over 50 years. Large 6-8 lb. fruit are netted and ribbed, the flesh is a rich orange color and the flavor is very good. Excellent for the mid-west region.
Item Code: AML136
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Jake's
A unique looking old heirloom that has flavorful, yellow-orange flesh and the rind is tan with orange and gray spots; rather large in size. Pueblo tribe members stay that this melon closely resembles the extinct, Native American variety called "Snake in the Shed".
Item Code: AML137
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Pike
This heirloom was introduced in 1935 by Aaron Pike of Monmouth, Oregon. It is oblong and has sweet salmon, orange flesh and was bred for production on clay soils. This heirloom has become very rare.
Item Code: AML139
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Ananas D' Amerique A Chair Verte (Green Fleshed Pineapple)
This historic heirloom was grown by Thomas Jefferson in 1794. It was offered commercially in the USA in 1824, and it was illustrated in color in France in 1854 in the Vilmorin Album. This wonderful variety has become very rare. The fruit have netted skin and light green flesh that is firm, sweet and highly perfumed. Productive plants can be trained up a trellis.
Item Code: AML110
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Bidwell Casaba
This melon was grown by General John Bidwell, who received his seed stock from the USDA in 1869. He was a soldier in the Civil War and also became a US senator. He grew this melon in Chico, California. It produces massive fruits that weigh about 16 lbs each and are football shaped. The orange flesh is sweet and creamy. Dr. Amy Goldman says it "...tastes like heavenly orange sherbet," in her book Melons for the Passionate Grower.
Item Code: AML147
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Anne Arundel
New!
This pre-1800 Maryland heirloom has flavorful green flesh, with a tinge of orange in the middle. It was grown by farmers in Anne Arundel County, but nearly vanished in the last 100 years. This melon is seen in many of the paintings of the famous Peale family. William W. Weaver rediscovered this wonderful variety in 1992.
Item Code: AML124
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Cochiti Pueblo
New!
A rare Native American melon that was collected at the Cochiti Pueblo,
located near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Very sweet orange flesh, it was the
sweetest melon tested by Dr. Amy Goldman. Fruits are somewhat variable
in shape, but are ribbed, netted and weigh about 6 lbs.
Item Code: AML148
Out of Stock
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Sweet Passion
New!
An Ohio heirloom that has been grown since the 1920s. According to
legend, the sweet orange flesh is said to cause a state of passion if eaten
straight from the garden on a moonlit summer night. It has succulent
flesh that is very sweet, aromatic and very finely flavored. Fruit weigh 3-4
lbs, and are produced on vines that have some drought and wilt resistance.
Item Code: AML149
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Missouri Gold
New!
A very old heirloom from Southern Missouri, which has been in one Missouri
family since Civil War times. This variety was given to an Illinois seed
corn grower in the 1970s, who has preserved it ever since. This is a very
rare variety, with 2-3 lb fruit, sweet, orange fl esh and good yields. A real
old-time hillbilly variety that we are very pleased to offer.
Item Code: AML150
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