ROCKMELON Piel de Sapo seeds

Cucumis melo
Pack: 10 seeds, 10g

The Piel de Sapo melon, although not widely known in Australia, is the melon of choice in Spain. Piel de Sapo means "frog skin" in Spanish, and while the rough mottled rind of these melons closely resembles the amphibian they are named after, it has led some Australian growers to call them "Croc-melons".

The melon is shaped like an oval, similar to a football. The thick rind means that Piel de Sapos possess excellent shelf life and transportability and its tough exterior hides a dense, juicy and refreshing sweet flesh that has to be tried to be believed.

Care & Growing Info

Rockmelons are warm-season annual vines and require a long, hot growing season. Start them early, if you can. In temperate areas sow October - November, after all danger of frost; subtropical areas sow September - November; in tropical areas sow April - July, during the dry season. Sow directly where it is to grow 10 - 20mm deep, or start early in individual seedling pots, in cool areas bottom heat will be required. Seed germinates best at a soil temperature of 23 - 35o C. Seed will germinate in 4 - 10 days. Soil should be fertile, well-drained, with a pH of 6 - 6.5.

Space rows 1.5 m apart with 1m between plants on raised mounds. Pinch out the growing tip to encourage branching; when the fruit forms pinch back the vine to 2 leaves beyond the fruit.

Melons can be grown vertically where space is limited but support the fruit with onion bags. Growing vertically also reduces the risk of fungal problems. Slide a flat piece of wood underneath ripening fruit on the ground to avoid rotting from contact with wet soil. Harvest when the melon slips easily from the stem.

Harvest in 10-16 weeks. Compatible with (can grow beside) Sweetcorn, Sunflowers. And avoid growing close to Potatoes