LATIN NAME: Cucumis melo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Few garden crops come close to the juicy sweetness of melons. Muskmelons (sometimes incorrectly called cantaloupe) have a netted, yellow-tan rind and salmon-colored flesh. Honeydew-type melons include honeydew, which has a smooth, white rind and pale green flesh; casaba, which is pointed at the stem end and has a yellow rind and white flesh when ripe; and Crenshaw, which is oval with netted, tan skin and pinkish flesh. Charentais-type melons, a French true cantaloupe with a warty, ribbed rind, has sweet, bright orange fruit. Because melons grow on long vines, they commandeer more than their fair share of garden space. They also need a long, hot growing season, making them more difficult to grow in the North. Minimize the problem by growing early-maturing cultivars.
GERM. DATE: Late May
GERM. TIME: 7-10 days
TRANSPLANT DATE: Early June
TYPE OF PLANT: Fruit
BLOOM CYCLE:
pH LEVEL: above 6.0
SEED DEPTH: ½ inch
HEIGHT OF PLANT:
WIDTH OF PLANT:
PLANT SPACING: 2-3 per hill
ROW SPACING: 4-6 feet apart
DAYS TO HARVEST: 75 days
ZONE REQUIREMENTS: Long, warm summers best
FERTILIZER REQUIREMENTS:
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full sun
WATER REQUIREMENTS: Plentiful moisture when vines are growing; less as fruit ripens
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Fertile, well-drained soil (high in organic matter)
DISEASE PROBLEMS: Mildew
PEST/INSECT PROBLEMS: Cucumber beetles
SOLUTIONS: To prevent cucumber beetles, cover with row covers; remove when female flowers appear (base of female flower is swollen). Treat infestation with pyrethrin. To prevent mildew, keep plants vigorous and plant resistant cultivars.
HOW TO GROW: If starting indoors, plant in peat pots 3 or 4 weeks before you plan to set out transplants. Where warm season is 120 days or more, direct-seed outdoors or set out transplants 2 or 3 weeks after date of last frost. Plant 6 to 8 seeds in hills spaced 3 feet apart if trellised and 4 to 6 feet apart if not. Thin plants to strongest 2 or 3 after threat of cucumber beetles and shifting weather has passed. Or, plant seeds 1 foot apart in rows 5 to 6 feet apart, thinning to 3 feet if trellised and 4 to 6 feet if on ground. Use same spacing for transplants.
Warm soil in spring by covering with plastic sheet, then planting in holes in plastic. In the South, remove plastic once hot weather arrives and use organic mulch to keep soil temperature even. To save space, provide support for vines to climb. If melons hang heavily, support in net or pantyhose sling. If plants lie on ground, set melons on butter tubs or boards to prevent insect damage. Keep soil moist when vines are growing and flowers are being pollinated. As fruit ripens, water only if leaves wilt at midday.
HARVEST NOTES: Harvest when melons are 4-5 inches in size. Following are the signs of ripeness: muskmelon, stem separates from fruit with light pull, leaving round depression; honeydew, blossom end (opposite stem end) softens, rind smells faintly sweet, and skin turns creamy; casaba, blossom end softens and skin is yellow streaks; and charentais, fruit begins turning yellow and blossom end softens or cracks.
SPECIAL CARE/NOTES: Cultivar resistant to powdery mildew. Cultivar ideal for short season areas.
STORE BY: Store in cool, dry place. Refrigerate if overripe.
PRESERVE BY:
USES FOR PLANT: Can be eaten fresh.
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