How to Water Melons

Water the soil of melons, not their fruit or leaves.

Cantaloupe, canary, Crenshaw, casaba, Charantais, galia, muskmelon, Persian melon, honeydew, watermelon . . . whichever of the many melon varieties you decide to grow, all will reward you with their sweet, juicy flesh in the summertime. Melons require a long, warm growing season. Although leaves and forming fruit prefer dry weather, the fruit needs plenty of water to grow large and juicy. Watering only the soil in which melons grow is the key to keeping the foliage dry.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Drip system or soaker hose
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Dig a trench about 4 inches deep in a circular shape about 3 feet in diameter. Pile the soil into the center to form a hill.

2. Plant melon seeds around the outer edge of your hill, about 6 inches apart. Use a sprinkler or hose spray to water them after planting: it's fine to overhead-water the area until the seeds sprout, about 1 week to 10 days later.

3. Install a drip irrigation system in your melon patch, or wind a soaker hose in the trench around your melon hills. Alternatively, place the end of a garden hose in the trench.

4. Run your drip system, soaker hose or garden hose at a medium drip speed for about 30 minutes two or three times each week until the fruit begins to form.

5. Run your drip system, soaker hose or garden hose at a medium drip speed for about 45 minutes once every 12 to 15 days after melons begin to form on your vines.

Tips & Warnings

• If your melon vines begin to wilt or become scorched from sunburn, water more frequently, especially during very hot weather.

• Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch on the soil around your melons to help conserve moisture.

References

• Northern Gardening: Melon Fact Sheet
• Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Melon Growing Methods
• Agriculture Guide: Growing Melons