Crop: Melon (Cucumis melo)

Breeder: Carol Deppe caroldeppe3@gmail.com

OSSI Pledge Date: 10/23/2025

Release Date: 1/1/2023

Bred for Organic Systems: Yes

Commercial Availability: Contact Breeder

Description

About 65 days in Corvallis Oregon. ‘Early Nirvana’, a dehybridization of Alvaro F1, is a very early organic-adapted Charentais-type melon with incredible flavor and texture. I named it for the powerful seductive aroma you can smell from 30’ away when the melon is ripe. Melons are up to about 5 inches in diameter. They ripen one at a time for an extended harvest over a period of about three weeks, with most plants having five or six melons. To harvest, cut melons and bring them indoors when the background between stripes just barely starts to turn yellow. Each melon announces its readiness to merge with a human, that is, be eaten, a few days later when the wonderful aroma develops and melons soften slightly to the touch. With a later planting, any melons unripe at the end of the season may be brought indoors, where most will ripen happily and produce prime melons indistinguishable in quality from those ripened on the vine, thus extending the harvest for two or three weeks beyond the first hard frost. Tolerates cool springs and summers and cold nights. Compared with Alvaro F1,‘Early Nirvana’ has a more intense flavor and aroma, a smoother firmer texture, and ripens its fruits one at a time for an extended harvest instead of all at once. OSSI-Pledged variety bred by Carol Deppe.
Source: http://caroldeppe3@gmail.com

Availability from OSSI Seed Company Partners