Gardening Guides
Edible Gardens
Summer Crops: How to Grow Melons
Drink in the refreshing sweetness of melons from your own garden this summer — they can last well into fall too
Melons are designed for long, lazy summer days ... and not just because these sweet, juicy fruits are so refreshing in hot weather. They grow best when the days are warm (even hot), when they can get plenty to drink and where there's lots of room for them to spread out. Sounds like the perfect description of summer.
Melons are divided into two categories: muskmelons, a category primarily dominated by what most people call cantaloupes, and late melons. Cantaloupes are known for their orange flesh and ribbed, spotted or nettled skin. They ripen earlier than the aptly named late melons. Late melons include the familiar honeydews, casabas and crenshaws. Though they take longer to mature, they can also be stored for a longer period. As more and more hybrids are emerging and varieties from around the world are gaining popularity, the boundaries between the two types are blurring.
Because melons sprawl, think about growing them on a very sturdy trellis or support, ideally 8 feet tall and up to 20 feet wide. Another option is planting smaller varieties in a container.
Melons are divided into two categories: muskmelons, a category primarily dominated by what most people call cantaloupes, and late melons. Cantaloupes are known for their orange flesh and ribbed, spotted or nettled skin. They ripen earlier than the aptly named late melons. Late melons include the familiar honeydews, casabas and crenshaws. Though they take longer to mature, they can also be stored for a longer period. As more and more hybrids are emerging and varieties from around the world are gaining popularity, the boundaries between the two types are blurring.
Because melons sprawl, think about growing them on a very sturdy trellis or support, ideally 8 feet tall and up to 20 feet wide. Another option is planting smaller varieties in a container.
Favorites:
Cantaloupes: Ambrosia, Amish, Athena, Bella Tuscana, Bush Star (miniature), Eden’s Gem (green flesh), Hale’s Best Jumbo, Hopi, Jenny Lind, Minnesota Midget, Pride of Wisconsin, Sweet ‘n’ Early
Other melons: Asian varieties, Canary, casaba varieties, Charantais varieties, Crenshaw, Crane, Galia, honeydew varieties (Earlidew, Honey Ginger, Sweet Delight), Persian, Schoon’s Hard Shell
Mildew- and disease-resistant varieties are your best choice for humid and coastal regions. Late melons generally prefer hot, dry climates.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
Cantaloupes: Ambrosia, Amish, Athena, Bella Tuscana, Bush Star (miniature), Eden’s Gem (green flesh), Hale’s Best Jumbo, Hopi, Jenny Lind, Minnesota Midget, Pride of Wisconsin, Sweet ‘n’ Early
Other melons: Asian varieties, Canary, casaba varieties, Charantais varieties, Crenshaw, Crane, Galia, honeydew varieties (Earlidew, Honey Ginger, Sweet Delight), Persian, Schoon’s Hard Shell
Mildew- and disease-resistant varieties are your best choice for humid and coastal regions. Late melons generally prefer hot, dry climates.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
Planting: Look for a warm spot in full sun with very rich, well-drained soil. For added warmth, plant near a wall that reflects heat, surround with black plastic mulch or use row covers. A hot compost pile is a proven site for encouraging melon seeds to sprout, though it may not be your idea of the perfect gardening location.
A few days before you plant, cultivate the planting location and mix in about 4 to 6 inches of a combination of manure, fertilizer and organic matter. (Adding fertilizer alone in too high an amount can result in burned plants.)
You can grow melons in hills or in rows, but most experts recommend hills. These flat-topped mounds should be 3 to 4 inches high and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Create a watering basin around each hill and leave 4 to 8 feet between them.
Sow four or five seeds per hill, 1 inch deep. Thin to two plants per hill when seedlings reach 3 to 4 inches tall, or set out two transplants per hill. Set up any supports, such as trellises, when you sow or set out plants.
Rows should be built up to 4 inches above the surrounding soil and 12 to 15 inches wide. Create 3- to 4-foot-wide irrigation furrows along each side of the rows and space the rows 5 to 7 feet apart. Sow seeds in rows 1 inch deep and 1 foot apart; thin to 2 to 3 feet apart after seedlings reach 3 to 4 inches tall. Set out transplants 2 to 3 feet apart. Set up any support structures at this time as well.
If you're growing melons in a container, look for one at least 18 inches wide and deep, and grow smaller varieties. Follow the planting guidelines above.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
A few days before you plant, cultivate the planting location and mix in about 4 to 6 inches of a combination of manure, fertilizer and organic matter. (Adding fertilizer alone in too high an amount can result in burned plants.)
You can grow melons in hills or in rows, but most experts recommend hills. These flat-topped mounds should be 3 to 4 inches high and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Create a watering basin around each hill and leave 4 to 8 feet between them.
Sow four or five seeds per hill, 1 inch deep. Thin to two plants per hill when seedlings reach 3 to 4 inches tall, or set out two transplants per hill. Set up any supports, such as trellises, when you sow or set out plants.
Rows should be built up to 4 inches above the surrounding soil and 12 to 15 inches wide. Create 3- to 4-foot-wide irrigation furrows along each side of the rows and space the rows 5 to 7 feet apart. Sow seeds in rows 1 inch deep and 1 foot apart; thin to 2 to 3 feet apart after seedlings reach 3 to 4 inches tall. Set out transplants 2 to 3 feet apart. Set up any support structures at this time as well.
If you're growing melons in a container, look for one at least 18 inches wide and deep, and grow smaller varieties. Follow the planting guidelines above.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
Care: Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. When seedlings are small, apply enough water to reach the shallow roots. Once seedlings are established, you generally don’t need to water daily as long as things aren’t too dry. Fill the watering basins or furrows with enough water for a deep soak while keeping the foliage and fruit dry. Water deeply if the leaves are wilting at sunset, but don’t worry if they wilt in the midday sun.
Remove row covers once the plants start to flower (male flowers appear a week before female flowers; both are needed to set fruit). Remove any flowers that appear less than 50 days before the first expected frost to keep the energy focused on current fruit production.
Feed every six weeks with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Tie up vines if you’re growing the fruit on a support. Protect Crenshaw melons from sunburn by creating some shade on the southwest side of the fruit.
Place a brick or piece of wood or foam under each fruit as it grows to keep it off the soil. If you’re growing on a support, once the fruits reach about 2 inches, use netting or stockings to create a sling to support them.
Melons face a range of pests and diseases. Aphids, cucumber beetles (which transmit bacterial wilt), mites and squash vine borers can all cause problems. Protect the young seedlings from birds and other animals.
Keeping the foliage and fruits dry can prevent downy mildew and rot. Other diseases that can occur include powdery mildew.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
Remove row covers once the plants start to flower (male flowers appear a week before female flowers; both are needed to set fruit). Remove any flowers that appear less than 50 days before the first expected frost to keep the energy focused on current fruit production.
Feed every six weeks with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Tie up vines if you’re growing the fruit on a support. Protect Crenshaw melons from sunburn by creating some shade on the southwest side of the fruit.
Place a brick or piece of wood or foam under each fruit as it grows to keep it off the soil. If you’re growing on a support, once the fruits reach about 2 inches, use netting or stockings to create a sling to support them.
Melons face a range of pests and diseases. Aphids, cucumber beetles (which transmit bacterial wilt), mites and squash vine borers can all cause problems. Protect the young seedlings from birds and other animals.
Keeping the foliage and fruits dry can prevent downy mildew and rot. Other diseases that can occur include powdery mildew.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
Harvest: Cantaloupes are the easiest to harvest. When ripe they’re fragrant, they look as if a piece of netting has been slipped over their skin, and they separate easily from the stem when gently lifted and pulled.
All other melons should be cut from the stem when they have a strong yet sweet aroma and the blossom (not stem) end is slightly soft. Another hint is that the rind has started to dull and the melons have begun to change color.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
All other melons should be cut from the stem when they have a strong yet sweet aroma and the blossom (not stem) end is slightly soft. Another hint is that the rind has started to dull and the melons have begun to change color.
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange
Days to maturity: 70 to 115
Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Regular