A fresh, ripe cantaloupe just picked from your garden is one of the most pleasant summer pleasures. You can choose from hundreds of Cantaloupe varieties, some of which have been passed down from generation to generation, but the classic Hale's Best, popular with old-time growers, is one of the best. Whatever your choice, following these steps you will learn how to prepare the soil for planting, how to take care of the seedlings and how to deal with the most common problems of the cultivation cycle, to have a greater chance of success.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Ground and Sowing
Step 1. Select a hardy variety appropriate for the climate in your area
These melons come in dozens of varieties, and they grow best in warm weather, in climatic zones with at least 2-3 months of constant heat. Cantaloupes love very sandy and clayey soils with good drainage and around pH 6.
- Optimal strains for cooler climates include: Hale's Best, Sarah's Choice, and Eden's Gem. Varieties known for their scent include: Hearts of Gold, Ambrosia, Athena, and Honey Bun. In Italy the most widespread variety is the Charentais.
- Pay particular attention to the ripening times of the fruit, based on what is written on the bag of seeds. In most cases it is not advisable to buy small fruits to be planted, but it is preferable to start with seeds. On the seed bag, carefully read the sowing tips, information on keeping seeds safe and pay particular attention to the length of the ripening period.
- If you want to take the seeds of a particularly delicious cantaloupe to plant later, collect them from the fruit pulp and soak them for two days in cold water, then dry them thoroughly with a paper towel. Store them in a clean jar in a cool, dark environment until planting day. Although the seeds will keep for about two years, it is usually best to plant them within the current year.
Step 2. Choose the right place to plant the melons
To get a good harvest it is necessary to have a large enough space and a warm soil. The seedlings need a certain space available, regardless of whether you want to grow melons on trellises or let them ripen on the ground; so you will need a fairly large plot, depending on how big you want your plantation to be.
The fear that melons will cross with other members of the same family, including cucumbers, other melons, watermelons, and pumpkins is a misconception but a widespread one. It will not happen. Don't be afraid to plant climbing fruit from the same family in the same portion of the garden. Most odd-looking or overly sweet-tasting melons are not the result of accidental crossbreeding, but the result of environmental factors or other problems
Step 3. Prepare the ground
Spread the compost or fertilizer evenly on the planting bed to create a rich feeding area for the cantaloupe. It is advisable to reserve 6-8 cm of well-cultivated land for each plant, plus fertilizer.
- Start preparing the soil for cultivating the soil, at least 3 cm deep, by aerating and thoroughly mixing the rough soil, removing any stones, branches or other hard objects. Mix a thick layer of manure and a bottom layer of compost, substituting them for the earth you dug. Cantaloupe melons grow best on mounds that are slightly raised from the surrounding ground, so fear not if you've created a large swell in the ground.
- If you wish, you can cover the soil with plastic wrap or weed netting to speed up the warming process of the soil. It is important to plant cantaloupe seedlings in warm soil to promote healthy growth.
Step 4. Consider growing the seedlings indoors
If you knew the exact date of the last frost of the season, growing melons would be a breeze. Ideally, cantaloupes should be sown 10 days before the last frost, and even earlier in warm climates. As it becomes increasingly difficult to determine the date of the last frost, starting to grow seedlings indoors is a much simpler method.
- If you live in a cool climate, start by planting the seeds indoors about a month before transplanting, placing them in biodegradable pots rich in fertilizer. You do not have to disturb the development of the delicate root system during germination, which is why it is important to use biodegradable pots instead of terracotta. Water the soil abundantly, but without creating stagnant water. Seedlings should already have some mature leaves at the time of transplanting.
- If you live in hot climates, you can plant the seeds directly when the soil temperature reaches at least 18 ° C, to avoid incomplete germination.
Step 5. In your plot of land, create mounds in which to plant the seeds
Cantaloupes should be planted on mounds in a row, each one at least 35cm away from the others. The rows should be spaced at least 120 cm from each other.
Some growers prefer to grow them on vines, lifting the branches on poles or poles to move them away from the ground. This technique only works with small melons. If you want to plant melons so that they are climbing, make sure you have enough space to use this method, as you will see below
Step 6. Plant the melons
Wait for the ground to warm up to 18 ° C, some time after the last frost of the season. Depending on where you live, frosts can happen at different time periods of the planting season.
- If you planted the seeds indoors, plant the biodegradable pots in the center of each mound, as close to the center as possible. Wet the soil thoroughly during this operation.
- If you prefer to plant the seeds directly in the ground, place a pile of 5 cantaloupe seeds 2.5 cm deep and 40 cm away from the piles on mounds 90 cm apart.
Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Cantaloupe Plant
Step 1. Water the melon thoroughly but in moderation
Keep the soil around young plants moist, but don't let the water stagnate. Seedlings should grow 3-4cm per week. Cantaloupes are very sensitive during dry spells and may need supplemental watering, so use your discretion and closely monitor plant development to make sure they grow well and look healthy.
- It will take a while for melons to grow on the plant, but the quality and quantity of the sugary flavor in a melon can be determined by the leaves. The fact that the fruits have not yet been born does not prevent us from understanding in advance what they will taste like. Pay attention to the quality and vigor of the leaves: they should be dark green in color, with a rigid structure and healthy complexion. If the leaves are yellowish or blotchy, this can be a sign of dryness or disease.
- Typically, melon leaves wilt significantly around noon and remain wilted into the evening, especially in extremely hot climates. This does not necessarily mean that you need to water the plants more: mainly look at the quality of the leaves, not their weakness.
- Irrigating with a pump can be very effective for melons, but you can also water by hand or otherwise do whatever you think is appropriate depending on the size of the piece of land or other planting projects. Irrigate around the base of the plant being careful not to get the newly born fruit wet.
Step 2. Protect the fruits when they start to grow
Whether you are growing new plants or have transplanted existing seedlings, it is a good idea to cover the rows with a floating cover to keep the seedlings warm and protect them from insects. You can use small rings of wire mesh to create a tunnel, and then cover the rows with a mesh.
Remember to remove the cover when there is no longer the danger of frost, so as to allow the pollinating insects to reach the flowers that have formed in the meantime
Step 3. Thoroughly remove the weeds around the seedlings before they begin to grow
For the development of seedlings, weeds are more dangerous than any trampling. To give the plants the best chance of development, aggressively eliminate weeds in the first couple of weeks of growth, so that the seedlings are already large enough and thus have a head start; when the melons ripen, the weeds will no longer be a danger.
One of the drawbacks that are encountered when growing melons starting directly from the seeds is that the plant initially looks tremendously like clover, a weed that must be uprooted. To avoid the risk of mistakenly plucking the seedlings, put warning labels next to the melon seedlings or wait until you clearly distinguish them from the clover before you start weeding
Step 4. Consider lifting the seedlings off the ground and growing them as vines
Depending on the location and terrain you have chosen for your plantation, this may be the most appropriate choice. Make some fence-like pylons, elevating them a few decimetres from the ground.
- To grow climbing plants, start by planting 120-180cm high poles on each mound in the row. You can use wire, wooden planks, sturdy twine, or other available materials to connect the poles and provide your melons with something to hold onto.
- To support the fruits, provide them with something to lean on, so that their weight doesn't put everything on the poles. Place the fruits on raised beds of mulch or on pedestals such as cans or pots upside down. If the fruits are threatened by small rodents, protect them with a cover.
- When the plants begin to bear fruit, melons grown directly on the ground are more prone to rot and be eaten by critters. If the weather gets a little wet, lifting them off the ground is a good way to keep melons protected from harm, especially in the later stages of the growing season, but it's not absolutely necessary. However, it is recommended that the melons be raised above ground level to protect them during ripening.
Step 5. Fertilize the plants periodically
During the growth process, the use of nitrogen fertilizers is common on plants that have not yet flowered or that appear to grow more slowly than others. Placing some coffee grounds around the root system can be a very effective method of awakening plants.
Fertilization of melon with potassium and phosphorus is also widespread, but only when the flowers have begun to open. However, after a certain period of time, phosphorus deposits can be dangerous for the environment. Avoid chemicals and herbicides: Instead, if you find that the plants are lagging behind in growth, pour compost or manure around the roots
Step 6. Shortly before the cantaloupe reaches full ripeness, decrease your water intake
Too much water could dilute the sugar content of the melon during development, affecting its flavor. Watering is usually stopped a week before harvest.
- When the melon is ready to be harvested, the stem begins to crack slightly where it meets the stem. When it falls completely, the fruit is overripe. When you get close to melons, you usually start to smell the typical musk smell. If you smell this, it means they are ready to be harvested.
- Most melon varieties ripen four weeks after the fruit appears on the plant - however, pay attention to the specific directions and instructions for the variety you are growing.
Part 3 of 3: Troubleshoot Cantaloupe
Step 1. Learn to recognize the most common parasitic infestations
Because they grow close to the ground, melon plants are particularly susceptible to pests such as insects, spider mites, and leaf miners. To avoid worrying unnecessarily, learn to recognize the most common problems, to understand if your plants are affected.
- Gnarled roots mean swelling of roundworms, a significant problem that you cannot solve in the current season. Lift the plants straight up and sow some rye into the soil to purify it.
- Viscosity and wilt mean aphids, which can be treated with Theodan or other organic insecticides such as olive oil essential oil blends.
- Pitted leaves and furrows mean leaf miners, which are not something to worry about. They shouldn't affect the fruit significantly.
- Yellow palmate leaves mean spider mites, which means that the plants will need to be removed if the small red mites are too numerous.
Step 2. Recognize the symptoms of the most common diseases
Properly cared for and watered, the cantaloupe should grow and develop well, most of the time. However, from time to time, plants and fruits are prone to diseases that can ruin crops if not treated immediately. It is advisable to learn to recognize the most common diseases, to possibly lift the plants from the ground and thus save the other crops or to start a fungicidal regime, depending on the severity.
- Yellow spots with underlying fuzz mean downy mildew. This problem is sometimes treated with Chlorothalonil or other biological broad spectrum fungicides, but for most gardens it should not be necessary. Proper lifting of the plants should promote air circulation, eliminating the risk of mold.
- Broken stems that emit an amber colored liquid mean rubbery sap. It is a disease that originates in the soil, which means that the crop will likely die in the current season, but the disease can be treated by rotating crops on the plot and possibly using a selective fungicide.
- Rotten fruits after rain mean Sclerotium Rolfsii. In regions with heavy soil this is a common problem. Avoid excess water and mulch between the plant and the soil to prevent fruit rot.
Step 3. Learn why plants sometimes don't bear fruit
After preparing the soil carefully and having overcome all the obstacles to grow your melons, there is nothing more frustrating than finding yourself with a grove of plants that have not produced melons. From an experience like this, however, you can benefit, to make sure that the plants bear fruit next time. The problem of non-fruiting is mainly due to two factors:
- Lack of pollinating insects can lead to healthy looking plants that never bear fruit. Melon plants produce male and female flowers: pollination between them is necessary for fruiting. If you want to grow melons in a greenhouse or live in a place where bees are scarce, you may need to manually pollinate the plants.
- An unsuitable soil temperature will force the plant to produce only male flowers, making it difficult for them to produce fruit, even if pollinating insects are very present. Before cultivating the seedlings, wait for the soil to reach a temperature of around 18 ° C.
- If the melon plants are struggling to produce fruit, but you are doing everything as per the textbook, try growing some rye in the part of the ground where you plan to replant the melons, about a month before growing the melon plants.
