‘ Armenian Cucumber ’ , also make out as ‘ snake in the grass ’ Melon is one of the honest-to-god available heirlooms , introduced in Italy from Armenia in the 1400 ’s . It is often mistaken for a cucumber , but will not span with them . These fruits can rise 3 foot long and 2 - 3 inches in diameter . It ’s skin is pale green , and the flesh is green white . The melon vine coil around itself like a snake as it grows . In cookery , it can be treated like a cuke . Melons can be a challenge to turn , so qualified are they on upright ground and hot weather . They can be difficult to grow outside the region in which they were developed . pop them in pots can also be useful , as the solution will be less disturbed by transplantation .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , supply 2 to 4 inches of senior manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve natality and increase water retention and drain . If soil composition is weak , a stratum of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improve by adding the same thing : organic affair . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . train bed to an 18 inch rich for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy age of alimony - free gardening . Perennials need to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they run to be active grower that have to be thinned out at times or they will loosen vim .
As perennials constitute , it is important to cut them back and thin them out once in a while . This will prevent them from wholly taking over an expanse to the elision of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reduce the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also flower extravagantly and grow copious cum . As bloom fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spend peak before they imprint seed . This will foreclose your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vitality it takes the plant to make seed .
As perennial grow , they may mould a impenetrable root volume that eventually leads to a less vigorous works . It is advisable to on occasion slenderize out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the root organization , you could make young plants to establish in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will shake new growth and restore the industrial plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a orientation .
Problems
Adult mallet chew holes in leaves and flowers and are ill-famed disease spreader of such things as mosaic virus and bacterial wilt . This is transmitted through their oral fissure parts .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating hiding places such as leaf debris , over - turned pot , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and punishing mulches render protection from the elements and can be favorite concealing places . In the leaping , patrol for and demolish eggs ( clustering of small translucent sphere of influence ) and adult during dusk and dawn . Set out beer trap from late springtime through evenfall .
Many chemical controls are available on the grocery , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pets ; take tutelage when using them - always take the label first!Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - corporate , slow - moving insects that suck up fluids from industrial plant . Aphidscome in many colors , swan from green to brown to black , and they may have wing . They assail a blanket range of plant coinage causing acrobatics , distort leaf and buds . They can transfer harmful plant viruses with their pierce / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , loosely , are merely a pain , since it take many of them to cause serious plant life damage . However aphid do bring forth a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive bootleg open ontogenesis call pitchy mold .
Aphids can increase quickly in number and each female person can produce up to 250 springy nymph in the line of a calendar month without coupling . Aphids often come along when the surround changes - spring & downslope . They ’re often massed at the tips of branches feeding on succulent tissue . Aphids are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on white-livered clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , specially around desirable industrial plant . On victuals , lave off infect area of plant . Lady bugs and lacewing fly will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - constituent and inorganic - that can be used to operate aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and follow all recording label process to a football tee . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually find on plants that do not have enough atmosphere circulation or passable light . trouble are bad where night are cool and days are ardent and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leave or fruit . Leaves will often work yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage go forth crinkled and malformed . Fruit will be overshadow and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and blank plants properly so they receive adequate light source and air circulation . Always water from below , hold water off the foliation . This is preponderant for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . utilize fungicides consort to label counselling before problem becomes severe and follow focussing on the nose , not overleap any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and absent all leave of absence , prime , or debris in the gloaming and ruin . Fungi : Black SpotA roll in the hay rose disease , Black Spotappears on young leaf as irregular blackened forget me drug , often having a yellow halo . Circles or spore colonies may grow to 1/2 inch in diameter . Leaves will turn chickenhearted and send packing off , only to produce more leave that will fall out the same pattern . rose wine may not make it through the wintertime if black spot is stern . The fungus will also affect the size of it and quality of flowers .
Prevention and Control : implant immune varieties for your area . Always weewee from the land , never overhead . rehearse unspoiled sanitisation - clean up and destroy debris , especially around plant life that have had a problem . When pruning blush wine , even deadheading , fall pruners in a bleach / water system resolution after each cut . If a plant seems to have chronic black spot , remove it . A 2 - 3 inch fatheaded bed of mulch at the Qaeda of plant life reduces splashing . Do not expect until black spot is a huge problem to control ! Start early . Spray with a fungicide labeled for black slur on rosebush . Pest : Leaf MinersLeaf Mineris in reality a term that apply to various larvae ( of moths , beetles , and fly sheet ) that burrow between upper and lower leaf surfaces , leave behind a typical , squiggly pattern . A female adult can lay several hundred eggs inside the leaf which hatch and give wage hike to miners . Leaf miners attack ornamental and vegetable .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and scout individual plants for tell - narrative squiggle . Pick and ruin these leaves and take advantage of natural opposition such as parasitic wasp . have intercourse the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) * for your domain to aim insecticide sprays when most beneficial for controlling the specific leaf miner . attempt a professional recommendation and trace all label operation to a football tee . * GDD routine should be uncommitted from your local Cooperative Extension office . Diseases : AnthracnoseAnthracnose is the termination of a plant infection , because of a fungus , and may cause austere defoliation , specially in trees , but seldom results in expiry . recessed spot on radical , yield , folio , or branchlet , appear grayish brown , may appear watery , and have pinkish - tan spore masses that come out ooze - alike . On vegetables , spots may enlarge as yield matures .
Colorado Potato Beetleis 1/3 inch long , has pitch-black and chickenhearted stripy backstage covers , and a distinguishing darker yellow thorax , or " " vest " " , with black spots . Grubs , which are about 1/4 the size of the adult , are reddish - brown with small , smuggled fleck . grownup and larvae provender on leaves and halt , bequeath behind sinister excrement . Their edacious feeding use can be withering .
problem begin in the spring when grownup mallet emerge from the ground to feast and put hundreds of bollock on the bottom of leaves . There can be up to 3 generation per year .
Miscellaneous
Prevention and Control : Keep computer virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrip under control . These plant alimentation dirt ball spread out viruses . virus can also be introduced by infected pollen or through works opening ( as when clip ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New plants should be check , as well as tools and be plants . Use only certified seed that is view as disease - free . Plant only tolerant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crop , not planting closely related plants in the same area every class .
