How to Grow Honeydew Melons From a Seed

Melons are a healthy alternative for a sweet tooth.

Summer can be much sweeter after biting into a sweet, homegrown honeydew melon. You can start your own crop by growing them from seed in your garden this season. Melons are grown much in the same way that squash, cucumbers and pumpkins are grown, as they share the same plant family. They can grow in the same vicinity of other cucurbit plants without the danger of cross-pollination. Honeydew melon plants need ample room to grow in your garden, but are well worth the effort if your looking for something healthy to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Things You'll Need

• Honeydew melon seeds
• 5-10-10 fertilizer
• Calcium nitrate
• Ammonium nitrate

Instructions

1. Choose an area that gets full sun and has well-drained soil to plant your melons. Wait until the soil temperature is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit to begin.

2. Add 5-10-10 fertilizer to the garden section where you want to grow your melons. Use a rate of 3 pounds per 100 square feet of soil.

3. Plant two seeds per hole at a depth of 1 inch. Space each planting 24 inches apart in rows that are at least 5 feet apart.

4. Water the plants at a depth of 2 inches per week throughout the growing season. Pull weeds by hand so that you don't disturb the roots.

5. Remove the weakest seedling from each hole once plants get their first true leaves. Add mulch around each plant once the soil is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Add a side dressing of 2 pounds calcium nitrate and 1 pound of ammonium nitrate for each 100 feet of row once your plants begin to vine. Repeat the process when blooms appear, to help the melons develop.

References

• University of Minnesota: Growing Melons; Karl Foord, Jill MacKenzie; 2009
• Clemson University: Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons; Gilbert Miller
• "Advanced Gardening Techniques"; Miranda Smith; 2001