dulcet , gamy cantaloupe can be yours with the right combination of sunshine , soil , pollination — and destiny .
Jason Donnelly
Nothing says summertime like an dateless premium of impertinent fruit . Colorful and bright , cantaloupe is the consummate addition to an comestible garden . This seraphic member of themelon familycan be grown at household with some tender care and a little luck . These techniques will get you started .
Credit:Jason Donnelly
BHG / Joules Garcia
Basics of Growing Cantaloupe
Planting
Plant cantaloupe seed infull suninwell - drained soil . They ’ll postulate about 85 days to grow , but do n’t rush thing . Sow seedsonly when temperatures dependably stay above 50 ° degree Fahrenheit to 60 ° fluorine . plant life in groups of two or three source space 2 feet apart . Once the seedlings emerge , keep only the most robust individual works in each group , draw the rest .
Starting Seeds Indoors
You canstart the seeds in pots indoorsseveral week before yourlast Robert Lee Frost date . melon vine are particularly raw to root disturbance , so the vine increase might be stunted if you ’re not careful when transplanting them outdoors .
Weeding
Pull weeds as presently as you see them , making sure not to dislodge the cantaloupe seedlings or vine .
Watering
Growing cantaloupesneed 1 to 2 inches ofwater per week . If you do n’t obtain that much rain weekly , water deeply , but infrequently , to make that amount . As fruits mature , gradually reduce and stop tearing since too much wet can cause the rinds to split . Too much water can also dilute the melon vine ’s scratch subject matter .
Robert Cardillo
Pollination Concerns
One of the hardest parts about grow Cucumis melo cantalupensis is that they may blossom but die to create yield . pollenation problem can come from several directions :
If you are having bother getting flower visit from pollinator , found blossom among vines can aid draw them . The melon vine ’s flowers are sometimes hidden from pollinators by the vine ’s large leaves .
How to Tell When a Growing Cantaloupe Is Ripe
cantaloupe mature 35 to 45 days after pollination , bet on weather circumstance . After that , the tegument bend from unripened to creamy white-livered - ecru , the airfoil veiling becomes rough , and the tendrils near the yield sour brown and dry .
Experts advise you not to hold back for the yield to flow off the vine . Instead , watch for signs it’sready to be harvested , and then softly wrestle the yield from the base . It should sneak away easily . If not , discontinue and let it mature for another few Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . cantaloupe vine do not ripen after they are removed from the vine .
cantaloup can be stored at 45 ° atomic number 9 to 50 ° F for one to two weeks .
Credit:BHG / Joules Garcia
Grocery storage cantaloupesthat still have little stems attach were harvest too betimes and likely wo n’t be very sweet .
Brie Williams
Is It a Cantaloupe or a Muskmelon?
Not all muskmelon are cantaloup . The difference between muskmelons and cantaloupe is thatcantaloupe , like honeydew melon vine , is a eccentric of muskmelon . In the United States , two types of muskmelon are pronounce “ cantaloupes . ” One is the intimate North American cantaloupe with light tan - green rind and a “ netted ” visual aspect . The other is a European Cucumis melo cantalupensis with light green cutis .
Frequently Asked Questions
you could , but the plants are magnanimous , so position them so you could prepare the vine over the edge of the prove bed .
Cantaloupes mould suckers , which are junior-grade shoots off the main base . Pruning out up to a third of these suckers improves air circulation for the plant , but pruning more than a third could reduce the number of flowers enough to conquer pollination . Prune thinly .
Nothing beats black plastic mulch in this situation . It warm up the land , let you to set out transplants or sow seeds sooner , and controls weeds . Cover the planting area a couple of weeks out front of planting clock time , apply weights to the edges of the charge plate , and then cut holes in it for transplantation or seeds .
Credit:Robert Cardillo
Credit:Brie Williams
