Browse this slideshow for more information on less common melon varieties you need to know about from the nation’s leading seed breeders and distributors.
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Arangina (Seminis Vegetable Seeds)
‘Arangina’ is a delicious mid-early ESL Italian melon. The plant has a medium-strong vigor, with good, uniform fruit setting. A bicolor, high-quality SH2. An excellent internal and eating quality, with a dark- orange flesh color, small cavity, and thin rind. A high and continuous setting and protected plant, thanks to a strong disease package. The fruit has a blocky shape with 4.4 to 6.6 pounds, (2 to 3 kilograms weight), hard course netting and deep green sutures and great firmness. ‘Arangina’s’ eating quality is outstanding. It’s fitted for multi-harvest (continuous set). Matures in 55 days.
‘Buena Vista’ is an orange-flesh Honeydew melon. It’s for seasonal melon production territories in North America. The fruit size class and firmness is 5 and 6. The Brix is 14 to 16%. ‘Buena Vista’ has external bright white skin, salmon-orange flesh complemented with nice, tight cavity. Matures in 60 to 90 days in California, and 80 to 95 days in southwest U.S. desert.
Chiriaco RZ (Rijk Zwaan USA, Osborne Quality Seeds)
A dual-purpose honeydew. It’s suitable for fresh market sales, mechanical harvesting and processing. ‘Chiriaco RZ’ has an excellent flavor and high Brix levels of 17 to 18. The widely adaptable strong plants with larger leaves, for better fruit coverage and sun protection. The fruit averages to 4 to 6 pounds. Matures in 85 days, from transplant.
Durasol F1 (American Takii, Inc., Harris Seeds/Garden Trends Inc.)
‘Durasol F1’ melons’ vigorous vines produce good yields of very attractive canary type melons in a concentrated set. The fruit weigh 4 to 5 pounds. The yellow rinds have the classic wrinkled look, that canary melons are known for. The oval-shaped fruit offer high quality (15% Brix), firm and creamy white flesh. ‘Durasol F1’ have a very good shelf life after harvest. Matures in 75 days.
‘Jadeite’ delivers early maturity with excellent Brix and a smooth, uniform exterior. Its concentrated set ensures consistent quality, while its sweet flavor shines in cool to warm plantings. Perfectly adapted for dry, hot regions.
‘Lily’ ia creamy, sweet, and aromatic Crenshaw. It will perform much better than others (of this type) in regions with short seasons. The juicy, light orange flesh has a distinctive sweet and spicy flavor, reminiscent of cantaloupe, but with less muskiness. The 6 to 8 pound fruit can be harvested when skin is pale yellow, at full or forced slip. Matures in 78 days.
‘Melonade's’ unique, sweet and tart flavor is the perfect balance of sugary and sour, without being cloying or overly musky. ‘Melonade’ sets it apart from other specialty gourmet cantaloupes on the market. The plants are vigorous and bear their crop in a concentrated set, simplifying harvest. The 4 to 5 pound netted fruits (with pronounced sutures) are ready to cut from the vine when they are pale-green-to-yellow in color. Matures in 70 days.
Natal RZ (Rijk Zwaan Rijk Zwaan USA, Gowan Seed Company
‘Natal RZ’ is a canary hybrid melon with good vigor, easy fruit setting and great taste. The oval fruit matures to a beautiful shiny yellow rind. Matures in 80 to 95 days.
‘Niala’ is a canary melon offered for growers looking for consistently larger fruit. ‘1915’ averages fruit in the 5 to 8 pound range. ‘1915’ is an earlier maturing variety and shows the traditional “wrinkled” rind typical of canary melons. Matures in 84 to 86 days.
Sensation F1 (Hollar Seeds, Harris Seeds/Garden Trends Inc.)
‘Sensation’ is a one of a kind specialty melon that has excellent taste, texture, sweetness and aroma. If harvested when the rind is turning from green-to-yellow, the flesh is green and white. At this stage the flesh is crisp and sweet and the shelf life is best. When the melons are allowed to fully mature, the flesh is sweet, pure white and soft. The 5.5 to 6 pound fruit have sparse, but distinctive netting over green, yellow and orange skin. Matures in 85 days.
This honeydew variety is unique for its vigor, high yield potential, and versatility in adverse conditions. ‘Silverock’ is an early-to-mid-season melon.
‘Super Nectar’ is an excellent main season honeydew with smooth, dense flesh and savory flavor. The vine is vigorous and adds good cover and protection from sunburn. A good brix and firmness. Matures in 90 days.
‘Sweet Spot’ features a strong vine and wide adaptability, ensuring reliable performance across various growing conditions. It has concentrated yields of 5’s and 6’s. ‘Sweet Spot’s’ smooth exterior and excellent shape makes it a standout choice for quality and consistency. A mid-early melon.
