Description
(Cucumis melo)
The amazing kajari melon came into our lives from fellow growers at the Agua Dulce Farm. After trialing them we are so pleased with their color, beauty, performance, and resistance to powdery mildew. The fruits are just as ornamental as they are tasty. The flavor is sweet and mild like that of honeydew. The texture is very creamy. Vines produce heavily and should be cut back to encourage ripening. Fruits are about 2 lbs and change color when ready to harvest! They are a perfect CSA melon.
The fruit is a brilliant copper-red and is striped in green and cream, making this an extremely unusual and beautiful melon. The pale green flesh is sweet, aromatic and slightly musky in taste. Joe believes that this melon originated in the Punjab, and he spent more than 8 years trying to find seeds of this extremely interesting variety. Vine produces lots of 2 lb fruit.
Minimum 35 Seeds
Suggested Planting Requirements: Full sun is needed and high heat can produce very sweet fruit. The ph level for melons should be 6.0-7.0 with soil that is fertile and well drained. Melons tend to be shallow-rooted, so watering often and consistent is important. Plants can be potted and/or trellised and/or left to sprawl on the ground.
Growing Recommendations: Kajari melons must be sheltered from cool winds and placed in the warmest area of the garden. Melons do well in hot, arid areas. The heat of ideally 90 degrees will condense the sugars. These can be grown in similar ways you grow cucumbers to save space.
Harvesting & Storage: Kajari melons should be harvested at peak ripeness. For these melons, you can tell they are ripe when they turn from green to orange. Peak flavor is when the melons slightly split.
Soil Temperature: 75-95°F
Planting Depth: 1/2″
Days to Germination: 7-14
Days to Maturity: 65-75
Length at Maturity: 5’-7’
Lighting Requirements: Full Sun
Spacing: 1′-2′
Package Weight: 1 grams
Approximate seed count per pack: 27 seeds
Sows about a 25′ bed (this takes in account thinning)
Kajari is a small heirloom melon grown in the Punjab region of India. The fruit weigh 2 to 3 pounds and are delightfully fragrant. They taste like a ripe honeydew, and they look like beach balls! A sure hit at farmer’s markets.
Each vine produces 6 – 9 melons in a short season, only 60-70 days seeds to fruit. They can be planted only a few feet apart, seem to appreciate a trellis, and do better in partial shade than full sun. Any unripe melons can be picked after first frost and will continue to ripen in storage. A good keeper.
