Do Cantaloupes Need Lime & Fertilizer?

The cantaloupe or muskmelon is a versatile warm-weather vine fruit.

Cantaloupes are a type of muskmelon. Cantaloupes are smaller and lack the netting usually associated with muskmelons. Muskmelons are easy to grow in a variety of soils, though no cantaloupes are grown commercially in the United States, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Soil Acidity

Muskmelons prefer slightly acidic soil, with a pH between 5.8 and 6.2. Conduct a soil test, and if the soil is too acidic--or has too low a pH--adjust by adding lime to the soil. Lime is usually available to gardeners in the form of dolomitic agricultural limestone. If your soil pH is too high, use ammonium sulfate or sulfur-coated urea.

Fertilizer

Just before you plant the muskmelons, fertilize with 40 to 50 lbs of nitrogen and phosphorus per acre, and 100 to 120 lbs of potassium per acre, or, preferably, get a soil test and follow the recommendations of your local extension agent. However, be warned: fertilizers can make soil more acid, since many fertilizers are ammonia-based.

Drainage

Muskmelons need soil with good drainage, and they prefer medium-textured loam soil. In order to improve drainage, plant the seeds in beds raised 6 to 8 inches.

References

• NC State University Consumer Horticulture North Carolina Extension Service: Muskmelons (Cantaloupes)
• Clemson University Extension Service: Soil Acidity and Liming (Overview)
• Clemson University Extension Service: Lowering Soil pH