Good question, Dray. Maybe someone can give us a good honest answer. Will check with FARMERDILLA as he is well knowledged in such.

Shot

I would be curious to know if there's a good answer to this question too! I'm trying my first melons this year, so the more I know going in, the better!

Sunni

I don't quit watering when it is dry!

Also you should have immature smaller one/s coming on and they would appreciate a drink. Do I get sweet melons? Yep.

I think the issue here is not routine watering--the issue is hoping you do not get heavy rains right before harvest. Someone please correct me if wrong.

After a little more research I have noticed several online sources say to stop watering "once the melons begin to ripen".
Still vary vague but at least that has nothing to do with date planted.
What are the signs that a muskmelon or watermelon are BEGINNING to ripen?

Musk Melons usually start to change color. The green between the netting starts to turn tan or yellowish. The melons also start to smell good.

Jon

Don't know if this is true or not, but someone in Garden Web posted something like the following in the last few years about melons: Melons are desert plants that have very long and deep and wide root systems. They don't need a lot of supplemental water. He went on to say that he ONLY waters when the leaves start to droop. (I've seen that advice metioned by others in here too).

I grow my melons on top of huge sheets of black plastic which heat the soil and also conserve water. Last year I only watered my melons once the entire season and that was in the first week after planting just to ensure they were properly established. To be fair, we got some nice rain fall all summer last year so I didn't need to do any extra to the melons. I did have to water all the other veggies however.

Don't know if any of that helps, but my (limited) advice would be to not water at all unless the leaves start drooping.

Bart

Melon roots are mostly horizonal and not all that deep with anything other than small roots. The roots pretty much reflect the pattern of the vines. The commercial growers have drip irrigation under plastic mostly anymore. So... I like to water them long before they would wilt.

I am told to quit water when melon get in full net, if you keep watering it deluites the sugar and melon will not be as sweet.

I raise extra sweet melons. I think what results in sweet melons is the variety and that the vines stay good and healthy. I raise Goddess, Willhite Sugar Queen, and Burpee Early Hyb. Crenshaw cantaloupes. I raise Raspa watermelons with a yellow or gold for a variety.

I am growing Sarah's Choice cantaloupes from Johnny's that I started in early June in a raised bed. They are growing and producing very fast with the late planting even though they got dibbled on by a deer when just a couple weeks old. I have well over a dozen developing fruit anywhere from golf ball size to larger than a softball. I expect to have a 3-4 week harvest period starting in late August.

We are normally very dry for the next several weeks so I will be watering 2x weekly until the middle of August and then hold back the water when the first fruit fully develop netting. By then most of the fruit should be full size already.

Note: If you want to try this variety, don't believe Johnny's description saying that the fruit are 3 lb. Last time I grew it, the smallest fruit were 4 lb. and the largest was a bit over 6 lb., but they are very sweet as well as productive.

I water cantaloupes when the leaves start to wilt. Not before. That is, water as little as possible without stressing the plant. Just look at your plants. They'll tell you when they need water.