Melon Pride of Wisconsin
Why I chose it
I have a weakness for old varieties that have survived because they're genuinely worth growing, and Pride of Wisconsin certainly qualifies. It's a heritage rockmelon producing substantial, beautifully ribbed fruit with firm orange flesh.
This is my first season growing it, so we're finding out together whether a melon bred for Wisconsin can cope with life at A Garden Between.
At a glance
Type: Rockmelon
Heritage: Yes
Fruit: Oval, ribbed and netted, around 2–3 kg
Flesh: Firm, bright orange
Flavour: Sweet, juicy and aromatic
Growth: Sprawling vine
Position: Full sun, warm and sheltered
Maturity: Around 80–100 days from transplant Kings Seeds NZ
In the kitchen
This is very much a melon to let ripen properly and then eat fresh. Chill it and cut into great wedges, add it to summer fruit platters and salads, or pair that sweet orange flesh with salty cheeses, herbs or something sharp and acidic.
In the garden
Give this one space and warmth. Pride of Wisconsin produces vigorous vines carrying sizeable fruit, so let it roam through a sunny bed or across an area where it won't immediately engulf something you particularly wanted to keep.
Kings describes ripe fruit as loosening from the vine with a gentle tug. They also suggest watching the background skin colour beneath the netting — it lightens towards yellow as the melon matures — and the tendril opposite the fruit stem, which dries and browns as maturity approaches. Kings Seeds NZ
Jo's useful trick: once fruit begins developing on the ground, slip something dry underneath it to keep it away from damp soil.
Care
Plant in rich, fertile, well-drained soil in your warmest sunny position. Keep moisture consistent while vines establish, flower and develop fruit, and feed during the growing season.
Melons are tender plants and need warmth; Kings recommends warm conditions and gives an optimum germination soil temperature of 20–30°C. Kings Seeds NZ
What you'll receive
One healthy, established plant grown here at A Garden Between. Plants naturally vary in size and shape and may be supplied in reused nursery pots or growing bags — perfectly useful plastic doesn't need replacing simply because it doesn't match.