Cantaloupe growing: is it normal for a new growth to pop up and then wither away very near an existing fruit?
Question:I have quite the cantaloupe patch growing, with several fruits however, I have noticed a small fruit start and then die very close to each larger establishes fruit. I think the larger fruit is killing the smaller ones.
Answers:
Vining fruits contain both male and female blooms. Pollen must be transferred from the male to the female bloom; this is done by insects such as bees. Cantaloupes, unlike other vining fruits, usually has flowers which contain both male and female parts. However, high temperatures or high fertility (lots of other cantaloupes on the vine) will make the plant produce mostly male blooms. This will result in small stunted fruit which dies quickly on the vine. I have raised watermelons, cantaloupes, gourds, and pumpkins and see this happen frequently. If your plants are healthy and you have full-sized cantaloupes on your vines, there is no cause for alarm.
The plant is putting more energy into growing the fruit already forming. It is a good thing, otherwise you'd end up with dozens of ping-pong sized cantaloupes!
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