Growing New and Unique Watermelons and Muskmelons in the Arkansas Valley

	Project Leader: Michael Hirakata, Hirakata Farms, Rocky Ford, CO Technical Advisor: Mike Bartolo, Vegetable Crops Specialist, Rocky Ford, CO Project Year: 2005

Project Summary

The goal of this experiment is to test the economic feasibility of growing personal-sized watermelons and specialty muskmelons in the Rocky Ford area. These specialty melons have been in great demand, but due to the high price of the seeds and since it is necessary to use some transplants to optimize production, the Rocky Ford area growers have not been able to capitalize on this demand.

The areas that data will be collected in will be: labeling and packaging, and costs associated with production and production techniques. All of these areas will be compared to the other types of melons they grow.

Starting in mid-April, they will have transplants grown in a commercial greenhouse. They will be transplanting the specialty melons into plastic mulch in early to mid-May. They will be doing this trial on a commercial scale, which will be approximately 20 acres.