by Diane Sagers

CORRESPONDENT

Gardening this summer has been an early-morning or late-evening activity. Who wants to pull weeds and hoe the garden in 100-degree weather? Your garden plants are captive to the heat and many would, on the whole, rather be somewhere cooler. There are exceptions to this rule and many gardeners are growing some plants that love the heat, and it is nearly time to harvest the delightful fruits of these plants.

Melons are very happy in hot weather and they are happiest of all when they have hot days and cool nights. That is the advantage that Green River, Utah, has over so many other areas of the country. The days are very hot, but at night the weather cools down considerably. Melons thrive in the heat of the day and develop a rich supply of sugar.

Green River's advantage does not preclude us from growing tasty sweet melons in the Tooele Valley, as many avid gardeners will attest. We can savor the drippy, sweet fruit fresh from our own gardens. For best flavor they should be ripening now or very soon. If they were planted late, and given the right conditions, they may not ripen until September. After the weather begins to cool in September, the melons will still taste good, but do not develop as sweet a flavor.

That backyard call to harvest varies from garden to garden depending on when they were planted and the conditions in the garden. Melons basically have a wistful bent for the Deep South where the soil is always warm. Tooele Valley is most definitely not in the Deep South. However, some garden tricks may have convinced your melons they are growing there.

Although our soil is very warm during the summer months, it is relatively cool in the spring and into the early summer. The plants grow faster and produce earlier in warmer soil. You can make the soil warmer to hasten plant growth. Cover the beds with clear plastic and sow the seeds through it. Although black plastic has been touted as an effective soil warmer (black absorbs heat, right?), clear plastic creates a much warmer environment. Solid black plastic acts as a shade for the soil -- the heat does not transmit through very well. The rays of the sun focus through clear plastic and heat the soil beneath and the layer of plastic holds that heat in. In the spring, weeds grow under the plastic. If you lift it and remove the weeds in the early summer, later arrivals will burn off in the hot, July weather. Harvest usually comes two to three weeks sooner to plants surrounded by clear plastic.

The right time to harvest melons is not obvious to everyone. We can learn to choose the ripe ones for picking.

Cantaloupes begin to detach from the vine when they are ready. If you wait until the fruits completely sever themselves, they will be a little over-ripe. Look for a partly detached stem end. Test by picking up the cantaloupe and tugging the stem lightly. If it separates easily from the fruit, the fruit is ripe. In some varieties, the base color of the rind beneath the webbing may begin to lighten or turn slightly yellow. The melons will also begin to develop a sweet, melony smell.

Watermelons are a little more difficult. While plugging them is a sure way to find out which are ripe, it is also a sure way to start the spoiling process. Insects and bees quickly take advantage of the opportunity to get to the sweet, tasty center.

Provided they are not turned as they mature, watermelons develop a light or white "ground spot" on the rind -- where it rests against the ground -- when they are ripe. Also, attached to the vine, directly across from the watermelon is a curling tendril. As the melons ripen, the tendril dries up. Look for dried-up tendrils next to the ripe melons.

Thump the melon and listen for the sound. As melons ripen, the tone changes. Pick up the melon in one hand and slap it with the other. Listen to the tone. Slap your head, your chest and your stomach and listen to the tones. (Yes, I'm serious.) If the melon sounds like your head, put it back and give it more time to ripen. If it sounds like your chest, pick it, because it is ripe. If it sounds very hollow, like your stomach, it is probably getting too ripe.

Harvest honeydew melons when they turn yellowish to creamy white with a soft, velvety feel. The rind should be slightly soft at the blossom end and have a faint, pleasant odor.

Melons like casabas and others have their own characteristics. Check the different types for a fruity scent and watch for them to soften slightly. Some melons turn light under the skin and develop a fragrance. Harvest a few to determine when they are ripe.