Rockmelon 'Butko'

Product Information

Kindly donated by John Butko, who was gifted the seed from a work colleague 50 years ago. John has grown this rockmelon every year and taken seed from his biggest and sweetest to replant the following year. He says, 'It has gotten bigger and sweeter over the years'.

Melons (both watermelons and rockmelons) need to be sown in warm soil. Like pumpkins, they are best sown on mounds, 1m apart. Sow 3 or 4 seeds where you want one plant to grow, and remove the weaker plants once seed germinates. A sandy, well drained soil of pH 6 is ideal. While the vines are growing, they need plenty of water and nutrients, so good soil preparation is essential; however, once the fruit has set, too much water can lead to watery tasteless fruit. For large, lush melons, allow a maximum of 3 fruits per vine before pinching out the ends of the vines and allowing these fruit to develop.