Loads of canteloupes, which we are sharing with possums and squirrels. I trap and release those guys, but many escape me. Of course, they ONLY eat the melons when they are close to ripe - they smell ripe, of course. That's how they know. So once I see a bite taken out of a melon, I know it's a few days from slipping, and I grab it before they can destroy it completely. So the melons we eat are often not absolutely completely ripe, but pretty close to it. I get brix 8-9, which is sorta OK.

Honeydews are regularly a disappointment in fruiting (see earlier thread), but I think I'm just trying to grow the wrong variety.

Last year was my worst for watermelons, this year is looking better although the watermelons are setting later than usual. The cantaloupes are doing good so far but next year I'm planning on switching both of their growing plots to rotate them. I've stretched my luck on those 2 separate plots over several years. When my cantaloupes are ripening up I'll use saved urine and spread it around the perimeter of the plot. It's repulsive smell over takes the sweet smell of the ripening loupes and seems to work in keeping critters at bay, just "refresh" it after 3 days or each rain.

vgkg Z-7 Va, that's being true to the spirit of recycling!

I tried some last year and they were small, but tasty. Unfortunately, they all ripened at the same time and we didn't know what to do with them! Had to give them away!