[stub]
Botanical Information
Taxonomy
Muskmelons: Cucumus melo Reticulatus Group
History
Physical Description
Varieties & Cultivars
Categories or Types of Melons
- Muskmelons
- Netted Melons
- American Cantaloupe
- Winter Melons (Inodorus Group)
- Smooth Melons
- honeydew
- casaba
- True Cantaloupes (European Cantaloupe, French Cantaloupe)
- Charantais
- Watermelons
Colors Available
Varieties (link to ../category/cultivars/tag/Melons)
Growth Requirements
Climate & Temperature Requirements
Air Temperature
- 65°F – 75°F
- Melons ripen with heat – minimum temperature: 65°F
- Melons require 120 frost-free days, if started in the ground
- Smooth types (Winter Melons) take the longest time to ripen
- Watermelon takes at least 70-75 warm days (AEGP)
- Watermelons need at least 77-86°F and 70 frost-free days to ripen
- Melons need 3 months of hot weather
Germination Temperature
- 75°F – 95°F
Humidity
Day Length or Light Requirements
Site Conditions Favored
Soil Requirements
Soil Texture
pH
- 6.0-6.5
Nutrient Requirements
- Heavy feeder: before planting, work in compost or rotted manure
- side-dressing: apply balanced fertilizer or compost when vines are 12″-18″ long and again when fruits form
Propagation
Methods of propagation
Seed
- can be sown directly outside, but better germination will come from indoors
Division
Cuttings
Transplanting or Potting Up
- Melons don’t like their roots to be messed with, so don’t pot up if you started seeds indoors; just transplant directly into garden at the 3 true leaf stage
Seed Saving
Planting Out
Melon seedlings are ready to be planted out when they have 3 true leaves
Bed Prep & Soil Amendments
Bed Spacing
- 2 feet apart
Row Spacing
- 4-8 feet apart in rows 5-7 feet apart
Planting Depth
Alternative Bed Methods
Biointensive Method:
Space melons 15″ apart, all directions, in an off-center grid
Container Gardening
Routine Cultivation & Maintenance
Water Requirements
- Don’t water too close to the stem – can cause rot. Build up a little earth around the stems to keep water away
- Melons need a steady but not overwhelming supply of water for good growth; monitor soil moisture and water whenever the top 4″ dries out, or if the plants begin to wilt before noon (afternoon wilting on hot days is not cause for alarm).
- water deeply
- Count days on seed packet to know when the melons are getting close to ripe; when you are 2 weeks to ripe, start withholding water – water just enough to keep the vines healthy – this last 2 weeks is when the flavor develops (less water = sweeter melon)
- Water regularly until 3 weeks before harvest, then lessen water to harvest – stop watering altogether after you harvest
Fertilization Recommendations
- side-dressing: apply balanced fertilizer or compost when vines are 12″-18″ long and again when fruits form
Mulching & Weeding
Pinching or Pruning & Dividing
- Encourage side shoots by pinching out the growing end when seedlings have three leaves – then when the new side shoots have three leaves, pinch out the central growing area again
- Once vines have set 3 or 4 fruit, remove new blossoms
- When fruits begin to form, pinch back the vine to two leaves beyond the fruit (A-Z)
- One month before your first fall frost, pinch off all buds & tiny melons so the larger ones will get ripe before frost
Support
- Use an A-frame trellis to grow vines vertically
- When melon is fist-sized, set on large stone or straw to keep them dry & bug free
Companion Planting
Helpful Companions
Nasturtiums
Harmful Companions
Companion to..
Pests, Diseases & Problems
Common Pests
Common Diseases
Symptoms
Whole Plant
Leaves
Stem/Trunk
Flowers
Fruit
Roots
Harvesting & Storage
Edible Parts of the Plant
- Flowers
- Fruit
- Seeds
- China: watermelon seeds are enjoyed roasted
- Hopi: use the oil from watermelon seeds
Yield
- Plan on growing 10.8 lbs of cantaloupe for every person
- My 2012 crop of 15 plants produced 126 lbs (8.4 lbs per plant); of these 15 plants, cantaloupes accounted for most of the harvest: 8 cantaloupe plants produced 72 lbs, or 9 lbs per plant. I used the 2-plant per mound, 3 feet apart spacing
- Biointensive Method: 84 plants at 15″ spacing in 100 square foot bed
- Beginner’s yield: 50 lbs (10 oz per plant)
- Intermediate-level grower’s yield: 72 lbs (14 oz per plant)
- Advanced-level grower’s yield: 145 lbs (1.75 lb per plant)
Days to Harvest / Harvest Timing
Melons, in General
- Melons are ready for harvesting in August & September
- Seed to harvest: 12-20 weeks
- Ready to pick in late summer & early autumn
- Ripe fruits are sweet-smelling
- Harvest when outer skin begins to change color and when blossom end begins to soften
Netted Melons (Muskmelons, American Cantaloupe)
- Netted melons do not ripen further after being picked (TKG), but this is okay because they essentially pick themselves by detaching, or “slipping”, from the vine when they are ripe
- You will notice the stem detaching, then you just need to use a little pressure from your thumb to disconnect it when it’s ready to be picked
- there should be a strong melon scent when ripe
- The netting pattern also becomes more prominent when ripe
- Muskmelons ripen from green to yellow or tan
- Stems will become brittle or shriveled and easily pull from vine
Smooth Melons
Smooth melons ripen a bit after picking, but they don’t slip, so you have to judge ripeness by their scent at the blossom end – should be sweet smelling
True Cantaloupes (European Cantaloupe, French Cantaloupe)
- True cantaloupes are ripe when the 1st leaf above the fruit stem turns pale
- Sometimes there will be a small crack on the melon close to the stem
- True cantaloupes don’t ripen further when picked
- Pick “at leaf turn”, which is when the 1st small leaf at the end of the stem next to the melon fades from green to pale tan
Watermelons
- Watermelon takes at least 70-75 warm days
- Watermelons are harvested 10-14 weeks (70-98 days) from sowing
- Watch for the skin to turn dull & resists piercing by a fingernail
- Watermelons need at least 77-86°F and 70 frost-free days to ripen
- Ripe watermelons give a hollow sound when tapped
- The tendril at the base of the stem where the melon attaches to the vine will dry up & turn brown when ripe
- There are several ways to recognize a mature watermelon: VG
- look at the stem near the melon for tendrils that have turned brown
- dark yellow coloring where the melon is resting on the ground
- a dull thud sound after you flick it with your thumb and middle finger.
Harvest Methods
- Netted melons slip readily (detach) from the stem when ripe; just a little pressure from your thumb will detach it when ripe
- Separate melons gently from the stalk (don’t tug, cut)
- twist melon with one hand while holding stem with the other hand; if it resists parting, the melon isn’t ripe
Storage of harvest
Fresh
- Eat melons ASAP after picking, since they don’t keep well
- Ripe melons can store for 2 weeks in the refrigerator
- Watermelons:
- may be stored 14-20 days at 50-54°F
- Other melons:
- can store for 14-50 days at 50-59°F, depending on cultivar
Canned
Frozen
Pickled
Dried
Cooking
Nutritional Benefits & Values
Toxicity
Cooking
Preparation
Cooking Methods
Recipes (link to …/category/recipes/tag/Melons)
Resources
Information for this article was taken from these sources. (link to …/category/resources/tag/Melons)