Growing Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes have beige, netlike skin on the outside and orange flesh on the inside.

Growing cantaloupe is a bit of a challenge for a northern gardener as the plant is not cold-tolerant at all. Cantaloupes must be started indoors in the north to ensure enough time to mature to harvest before the cold weather approaches. Cantaloupes need temperatures in the 70s and 80s in order to grow well. Cantaloupes also require full sun and well-drained soil full of organic matter. Cantaloupes grow on vines and need a great deal of room in which to ramble, or vines can be trained to grow up a trellis. The fruit is very heavy and may need to be supported when not on the ground.

Things You'll Need

• Garden tiller
• Compost
• Peat pots
• Mulch
• Soaker hoses
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Sow cantaloupe seed indoors in peat pots during the end of April. Planting indoors adds up to four weeks of growing time and growth while the weather is still cold. Plant one to two seeds per pot about 1/2 inch to 1 inch deep. Place in a sunny area where temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees, and keep evenly moist.

2. Dig in a 2-inch layer of compost into the soil at the garden site to a depth of 8 inches.

3. Transplant cantaloupe plants after two to three leaves mature. Leave transplants in the peat pot, but break the edges of the pot apart so the roots can grow freely. Cantaloupe does not like to have roots disturbed, and peat pots are biodegradable. Plant the whole pot, keeping the transplant the same height at the soil surface as the transplant was in the pot. Space plants at least 2 feet apart in rows that are 6 feet apart. Pull out the weakest of the seedlings so that only one remains.

4. Apply mulch made of wood chips or straw after the soil temperature reaches 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This controls weeds that may compete for nutrients in the soil that the cantaloupe plants need. Mulch also retains moisture around the roots of the plants.

5. Water cantaloupe plants using soaker hoses to prevent moisture on leaves, which can produce diseases. Supplement rainwater when plants get less than 1 inch of rainwater per week.

6. Fertilize cantaloupe plants with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Too much nitrogen causes the production of male flowers. Fruit will not set without female flowers. Female flowers have little bulbs at the end of their stems and are pollinated by male flowers. Both are needed to set fruit.

7. Harvest cantaloupe when the skin is beige and the vine easily detaches from the fruit.

Tips & Warnings

• Soil test pH levels between 6.0 and 6.5 are perfect for growing cantaloupe.

• Harvest cantaloupe in the morning, right after the dew dries. This ensures the water content is the highest.

• Crowded vines do not produce much fruit.

• Avoid spraying vines with pesticides during this time as it can kill off bees.

References

• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service; Muskmelons (Cantaloupes); Jonathan R. Schultheis
• University of Illinois Extension; Cantaloupe; Jennifer Schultz Nelson
• Ohio State University Extension; Growing Muskmelons in the Home Gardens; Ted W. Gastier
• University of Minnesota Extension; Growing Melons (Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honeydew) in Minnesota Home Gardens; Karl Foord et al.
• Purdue University Cooperative Extension; Growing Cucumbers, Melons, Squash, Pumpkins and Gourds; B. Rosie Lerner et al.

Resources

• Maryland Cooperative Extension: Growing Cantaloupes