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Vegetable Gardening

Cantaloupe experts...need your help please

12 years ago

I have a total of 14 cantaloupes in my garden, none of which are ready. They range from yellowish-green with partial netting developing, to green and no netting yet. They are all full size.

Our nights are now in the 40s and days in the 60s and 70s but I have multiple layers of row cover on them. We usually get a hard freeze in late September or early October which the covers probably won't be enough for. So that gives me another 4 weeks of cool-ish weather. Is this enough for all the melons to mature?

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Comments (6)

edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
12 years ago
I'm not an expert. I've grown them several times. Just keep them on the vine as long as possible and hope for the best. I know that once they start to ripen, they ripen quickly. The plants might also sense the impending autumn, and speed up the ripening process.
beeman_gardener
12 years ago
I think you should be fine. It doesn't appear to be the temp, more the amount of sun.
I am growing over black plastic for the first time, making a great deal of difference. Where there is a melon on the plastic they ripen faster than those which are off to the side and on grass.
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
Patience.

Dan
bernadette_gourder
12 years ago
Yep, you need to keep them alive and warm for as long as you can. But do keep in mind that melons ripen after they've been picked.

Good luck!
beeman_gardener
12 years ago
If they slip off the vine, then they're ready to eat, left on a counter for a few days they get even better.
carolync1
12 years ago
Whether or not melons taste better if left on the counter depends on the variety. If you have some without netting, learn their characteristics. I've used immature Piel de Sapo types and also immature honeydews as cucumber substitutes. If you have any little fruits still on the vine.

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