Melons are a young, warm-weather crop.
- Sow melon seeds or set crops without delay into the lawn in spring 2 weeks in the end threat of frost has handed and when the soil has warmed to 70°F (21°C) or thereabouts.
- Melon seed may also be began indoors 4 to three weeks sooner than crops are transplanted without delay into the lawn, faster if transplants can be safe by means of a plastic tunnel or row duvet.
Melons come with cantaloupes and muskmelons that are referred to as “summer melons” as a result of they’re the primary melons to succeed in harvest, and casaba, Charentai, Crenshaw, honeydew, and Persian melons that are referred to as “winter melons” as a result of they arrive to reap overdue.
- Summer season melons are typically able for harvest about 3 months after sowing on the finish of summer season.
- Wintry weather melons, although planted similtaneously summer season melons, take an extra month to succeed in harvest.
- Summer season melons mature 70 to 120 frost-free days after sowing.
- Wintry weather melons mature 110 to 140 frost-free days after sowing.
Melon Sowing and Planting Pointers
- Develop melons from seeds or seedlings.
- Seed is viable for five years.
- Direct sow melons within the lawn in spring in the end threat of frost has handed and the soil has warmed to 70°F (21°C). In warm-winter areas, sow melons in midwinter for harvest in early summer season.
- Melon seeds won’t germinate at a soil temperature under 65°F (18°C).
- Get started melons indoors 4 to three weeks sooner than planting out into the lawn; sow seed in peat pots in seed beginning combine. The indoor temperature will have to be between 80° to 90°F (27-32°C) till germination. Develop melon seedlings on at 75°F (24°C).
- Sow seed ½ to1½ inches (13-38 mm) deep.
- Seeds germinate in 4 to ten days at 80°F (27°C) or hotter.
- Transplant melons into the lawn after the soil has warmed to no less than 70°F (21°C) for optimum efficiency.
- Area crops within the lawn 24 to 36 inches (60-90 cm) aside in all instructions.
- Plant melons on mounds or hills 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) top, house mounds 4 to six ft (1.2-1.8 m) aside; this may increasingly permit melon vines to run down the mounds permitting fruit to achieve most publicity to the solar.
- Stay the soil simply wet throughout fruit building.
- Fertilize with fish emulsion or a soluble entire fertilizer at part energy.
- Upload elderly compost to planting beds upfront of transplanting.
- Melons choose a soil pH vary of seven.0 to eight.0.
- Develop melons in complete solar for highest yield and taste.
- Steer clear of planting melons the place cucumbers or squash have grown just lately.
- Commonplace pest enemies come with aphids, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, squash insects, squash vine borers, slugs, and snails.
- Commonplace illnesses come with bacterial wilt, fusarium wilt, downy mould, powdery mould, cucumber mosaic.
Interplanting: Plant melons with bush beans, corn, dill, eggplant, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes.
Container Rising Melons: Melons don’t seem to be a good selection for container rising. They require vital room to unfold and develop.
Melon Planting Calendar
- 8-6 weeks sooner than the closing frost in spring: get started seed indoors for crops that can be transplanted right into a plastic tunnel in 4 weeks.
- 5-4 weeks sooner than the closing frost in spring: get started seed indoors for seedlings to be transplanted into the lawn.
- 4-2 weeks sooner than the closing frost in spring: transplant seedlings to a plastic tunnel.
- 1-2 weeks after the closing frost in spring: direct sow or transplant seedlings into the lawn; minimal soil temperature is 60°F.
Beneficial Melon Types
Make a choice from those melon varieties and sorts:
- True Cantaloupe: ‘Charentais’ is small; ‘Savor’ is nice with orange flesh.
- Muskmelon: ‘Ambrosia’ is nice and juicy; ‘Sweet ‘n Early’ is a great selection in short-season areas.
- Crenshaw: ‘Burpee’s Early Hybrid’ is pink-fleshed; ‘Morning Dew’.
- Honeydew: ‘Honey Pearl’
- Casaba: ‘Casaba Golden Beauty’ is spicy-sweet.
Botanical Identify: Cucumis melo var. cantaloupesis contains netted muskmelons and true cantaloupes; Cucumis melo var. inodorus contains honeydews, casaba melons, and Crenshaw melons.
Melons are a member of the Cucurbitaceae circle of relatives; different participants cucumbers, squash, watermelon, and pumpkins.
Extra guidelines: Learn how to Develop Summer season Melons–Cantaloupe and Learn how to Develop Wintry weather Melons.
