Minnesota Midget (1948)

Developed by the University of Minnesota in 1948 and introduced by Farmer Seed Company. This fantastic variety is perfect for short season climates and small gardens. The short vines only reach 3′ long and are perfect for trellising and container growing. The 3-4″ fruit have extremely sweet golden flesh and are produced in abundance. An excellent, very early variety. A must for Northern gardeners! (60-65 days)

I was gifted just a few seeds, enough for one good melon mound, I did not want to put them in the big bed that the watermelon is going in.. so I needed a new hugelculture bed but one that would work for a few years and then I could work it back into the garden on the four year movement.

Bare ground, was worked in the last two years, was fallow last year

3 by 3 feet dig out of sod, then dug down 12 inches

two to three year composting wood chips with manure mixed

Each wheel barrel load was about 6 cubic feet added in

Six to eight inches deep one year composting walk way straw from garden

then the sod back but face down

Then one year old rough compost from a winter feeding hill

Then 2 or 3 year compost from no mans land

Then a load of dirt-compost -seven year pile

pit, water pipe, can water from top but also water roots in summer with the pipe

3 foot climber added in as well, the area around it will be straw bedded down and clean area for the plants and fruits to work on. the end product is 6 foot be foot plus at the base, four feet at the top, and 3 and half feet high, it should last for a full four year garden rotation