Charentais Melon Diego F1

'Diego F1' Cantaloupe melon is a productive Charentais type hybrid variety. It bears round to slightly egg-shaped fruits with pale greyish-green netted skin and distinct green ribbing. The intensely coloured orange flesh is very sweet and fragrant. Easy to grow, no pruning required. Sow from April to May and harvest from July to late September.

The melon is a popular fruit belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family alongside gourds and squashes. It grows on annual herbaceous trailing vines and is native to central Asia, although evidence discovered in Ancient Egyptian tombs suggests that it has been cultivated in Africa for over 4000 years. Nearly all melons belong to the Cucumis melo species. This includes sweet-flavoured summer varieties such as Cantaloupes, muskmelons and netted melons, and mild-flavoured “winter” varieties (honeydew, casabas, Persian melons etc.). Melon fruits come in many shapes, sizes and colours. They can be round or oblong and have smooth, ribbed or reticulated skin. The juicy green, white, yellow or orange flesh surrounds a central seed cavity.

Melon can be eaten raw as a starter or dessert, in sorbets, jams, soups or canned in syrup. Small immature melons that are removed from the plant during thinning or pruning can be pickled in vinegar with fresh herbs. Melon is a refreshing fruit that has diuretic properties, it is known to be an excellent source of vitamins B and C as well as trace elements. Varieties with orange flesh contain vitamin A, also known as carotene.

Harvesting: Cantaloupes and muskmelons are typically ready to harvest about 4 weeks after pollination. Ripe fruit gives off a delicious sweet and musky aroma, with small cracks in the rind surrounding the stem. The stem itself is shrivelled and dry, making it easy to detach the fruit from the vine. Larger types of melon take a bit longer to ripen.

Storage: whole, uncut melons will easily keep for several days (up to 5 days) in a dry and well-ventilated place. Damaged or leftover fruit can be frozen for later use. Remove the peel and discard the seeds, cut into small pieces and spread out on a tray. Place in the freezer until firm then transfer into freezer bags.

Good to know: Placing the melons on top of a slate or roof tile will keep them from being in direct contact with the ground. This prevents them from rotting due to excessive humidity. Melon plants prefer moist soil and benefit from mulching, especially during the hotter summer months. They are very prone to powdery mildew (a fungal disease that causes a white down to form on the surface of the leaves). When watering, try to avoid getting water on the leaves or flowers. Melons are heavy feeders. Make sure to rotate your crops to prevent the soil from wearing out. Melon plants associate well with members of the Fabaceae family (formerly legumes) such as beans or peas. Avoid growing them next to cucumber or squash plants.

NB: This variety is marked F1 for "F1 hybrid" meaning that its qualities are derived from carefully selected parent plants. This results in a variety that is both full of flavour and resistant to diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly assimilated to GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds have the advantage of producing reliable, uniform, disease resistant plants. Unfortunately, these qualities will not be passed on to following generations.