Is it possible to grow melons in Seattle?

Most people would say that trying to grow melons in Seattle is an act of futility. To grow melons successfully, the soil must be warm, and there needs to be a lot of hot, sunny days. Seattle is more known for cool, cloudy days. Still, I make the attempt every year, and not just stick the plants in the ground. I start them from seed in the City of Renton's public greenhouse, which is a commercial greenhouse with heat and ventilation. Then, when I put them in the ground, it's in plastic covered soil with drip irrigation, lots of compost, organic fertilizer, water, and energy devoted to their success. Still, it's Seattle. And even though the backyard gets all kinds of southern and western exposure, my batting average isn't that high. Last year was phenomenal. 17 melons. This year, it looks more like 4. Many years, I get nothing, or melons the size of marbles. Every year we get a bumper crop of tomatoes, Diane's making salsa, I made pizza sauce, we've given a bunch away. We got a great pepper crop. And lots of garlic. But the melons.... I don't know. I could be like everyone else in Seattle and just grow more kale.

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