How To Grow Cantaloupe 15 Steps With Pictures

Varieties good for cooler climates include Hale’s Best, Sarah’s Choice, and Eden’s Gem. Varieties noted for their flavor include Hearts of Gold, Ambrosia, Athena, and Honey Bun. Pay particular attention to the time to maturity listed on the seed package. Most of the time, you won’t buy cantaloupe starts, you’ll purchase seeds and start them yourself. On the seed package, pay particular attention to planting advice and information about keeping them safe, and pay particularly close attention to the length of time to maturation. If you want to save cantaloupe seeds from a particularly-delicious melon for planting, scoop them from the flesh and soak them for two days in cool water, then dry them thoroughly on a paper towel. Store them in a clean, dry jar in a cool, dark environment until you’re ready to start your melons. While viable for around two years, it’s usually best to plant seeds within the year. [1] X Research source

It’s a common misconception and fear that cantaloupes will cross with other members of the same family, including cucumbers, other melons, squash, and pumpkins. They won’t. Don’t worry about planting your vining fruits in the same area of your garden plot. Most strange or bland-flavored cantaloupe is not the result of accidental cross-breeding, but the result of environmental factors or other problems. [2] X Research source

Start cultivating soil by tilling the ground at least a foot deep, aerating and thoroughly mixing the rough soil, removing any rocks, twigs, or other hard bits. Mix in a thick layer of manure and a smaller layer of compost on top, replacing the earth you excavated. Cantaloupes grow best on mounds, slightly raised above the surrounding ground, so don’t worry if you’ve created a big bulge in the ground. If you want, it’s common to cover the ground of your plot with plastic film or weed matting prior to planting, to speed the warming process of the soil. It’s important to plant cantaloupe starts in warm soil to promote healthy growth. [3] X Research source

If you live in a cooler climate, start seeds indoors by sowing them in biodegradable seedling pots filled with rich planting soil. Moisten the soil generously, but without standing water. After a month or so, once the plants have a few mature leaves, you can transplant the entire biodegradable pot into your garden without disturbing the fragile root system. [5] X Research source If you live in warmer climates, you can direct sow seeds when the soil temperature warms to at least 65 degrees to avoid poor germination.

If you want to grow cantaloupe on trellis poles or wires, space hills in the same row about 12 inches (30. 5 cm) apart. Trellising typically only works for smaller melon varieties. If you plan to grow the cantaloupe on the ground, space the hills 36 to 42 inches (91 to 107 cm) apart.

If you started your cantaloupe indoors, plant your biodegradable pot in the middle of each mound, as close to the center as possible. Wet the soil generously during planting. If you’re direct-sowing seeds, drop 5 cantaloupe seeds about one inch deep, 18 inches apart, in hills about 3 feet (0. 9 m) apart.

Melons will take a while to set on the vine, but most of the sugary flavor in a melon can be determined from the leaves. Just because you don’t see melons yet doesn’t mean that you don’t know anything about how they will taste. Pay attention to the quality and vigor of the leaves: they should be dark green, with stiff structure and a healthy color. Yellowish or spotted leaves may be a sign of dryness or disease. It’s typical for melon leaves to wilt significantly in the midday and stay wilted looking until the evening in extremely hot weather. This isn’t necessarily a sign that you need to water the cantaloupe more, however, so look at the quality of the leaves, not the limpness. [6] X Research source Drip-tape can be quite effective in watering your melons, but you can also hand-water or do whatever is appropriate for the size of your plot and other planting projects. Water around the base of the vines and try not to get the fruit wet, when it sets.

It’s important to remove the matting after the threat of frost has dissipated and blooms have started to form, so that pollinating insects can reach the blossoms. You can cover the plants again once the fruits have set. Use weed killers and chemical pest controls only as a last resort. Read all label instructions to make sure the treatment is safe for use on edible harvests and will not kill pollinating insects.

One of the difficult things about growing cantaloupe directly from seed is that the budding cantaloupe plant looks an awful lot like clover, a weed that you’ll want to pick. Because it would be a tragedy to pull your budding plant, try to mark your start with a plant card, or wait until it distinguishes itself from the clover to start pulling weeds. After removing weeds, add a thick layer of mulch around vines to suppress weed growth and help the soil retain moisture.

To train the vines, start by planting poles at least 6 feet (1. 8 m) tall at each mound in your melon row, or up to 8 feet (2. 4 m) tall for large varieties in warm climates. [7] X Research source You can use metal wire, planks of wood, thick twine, or any other available supplies to connect the poles and provide something for the vines to cling to. Train the vines up along the poles to get them started. To support the fruit, give them something to rest on or in to lessen the load on the vines. Place the fruit on raised mulch beds or pedestals like upside down cans or pots. You can cover the fruits with milk crates or similar protection if they are under attack by ground hogs or other animals. When your vines start fruiting, melons seated directly on the ground are more prone to rot and being picked off by critters. If you expect damp weather near the end of the growing season, trellising is a good way to protect your melons. If the melons started on the ground, however, don’t try to trellis them mid-growth.

It’s also common to fertilize cantaloupe with a higher potassium and phosphorus fertilizer after the blossoms have opened, though long time deposits of phosphorus fertilization can be environmentally hazardous. Line organic matter like compost or manure around the root system if they’re lagging.

When a cantaloupe is ready to pick, the stem will start cracking slightly where it meets the stem. It’s overripe when it falls off completely. [8] X Research source It’s also common that you’ll start smelling the distinctive musky smell of a ripe melon when you’re near the patch. If you can smell cantaloupe, they’re ready to pick. Most varieties of cantaloupe will ripen within 4 weeks of appearing on the vine, though pay attention to the guidelines of the particular variety you’re cultivating for more specific instructions.

Root knots and swelling mean nematodes, a significant problem that you won’t be able to take care of this season. Pull up your plants and sew some cereal rye into the soil to cleanse it. Stickiness and wilting mean aphids, which can be treated with Theodan or other organic insecticides such as diatomaceous earth or essential oil & olive oil mixtures. Leaf tunnels and trails mean leaf miners, which isn’t something to worry about. They shouldn’t affect the fruit significantly. Yellow webbed leaves mean spider mites, meaning that plants will need to be removed, if the small red mites are significant enough. [9] X Research source

Yellow spots with downy undergrowth signify downy mildew. This is sometimes treated with chlorothalonil, or other organic-based wide-spectrum fungicide, though it shouldn’t be necessary for most gardens. Proper trellising of vines should help circulate air and eliminate the possibility of mildew. [10] X Research source Broken stems emitting amber-colored liquid means gummy sap blight. This is a soil-based blight, which means the crop will likely die this season, but you can treat sap blight by rotating varietals around your plot, and possibly using a selective fungicide. Fruit rot after rain means southern blight. In regions with heavier soil, this is a common problem. Avoid over-watering and mulch between the plant and the soil to prevent rot.

A lack of pollinating insects can result in healthy-looking vines that never set. Cantaloupe vines produce male and female flowers, and pollination between them is necessary for fruiting. If you’re growing cantaloupe in a greenhouse, or live somewhere that bees are scarce, you might need to pollenate by hand. Improper ground temperature will force the plant to only produce male flowers, which makes it difficult to fruit, even if pollinating insects are very present. Make sure you wait to put your plants in when the soil is around 65 °F (18 °C). If your melon plants struggle to produce, but you’re doing everything by the book, try tilling some cereal rye in plots you plan on growing in for next season about a month before putting your plants in the ground. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/3/3b/Grow-Cantaloupe-Step-1-Version-2. jpg/v4-460px-Grow-Cantaloupe-Step-1-Version-2. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/3/3b/Grow-Cantaloupe-Step-1-Version-2. jpg/aid1400342-v4-728px-Grow-Cantaloupe-Step-1-Version-2. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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