Try to avoid pruning your cantaloupe vines unless you absolutely have to. If you’ve provided plenty of space for them to grow, the only times you should need to prune are when there is pest or disease damage to remove. If you can manage it, only allow one fruit per stem, and no more than 5-6 per plant in total.
How do you prune a cantaloupe vine?
Using pruning shears, cut lateral vines that grow from the primary up to the eighth leaf node. Take care not to damage the main stem when cutting back the cantaloupe plants. Leave 1-2 lateral vines untouched. Once the melons begin to form, remove all but a single fruit per vine.
How tall should a cantaloupe trellis be?
8 feet tall
A trellis for cantaloupe should be large: up to 8 feet tall and 20 feet wide in warmest climates. Wire fencing works well.
Can you trim back melon vines?
Pruning watermelons promotes healthier vines and increases fruit size. Look for irregular or rotting fruit to prune from the plant. Removing the less than perfect melons will enable the plant to focus energy towards growing bigger, healthier, juicier melons.
How long do cantaloupe vines get?
Vines will spread up to 72 inches and grow 15-18 inches tall. With just a touch of ribbing and a thin, netted rind, this is a classic cultivar to suit those of us who adore super-sweet melons. Plus, they’re resistant to one of cantaloupe’s most prolific diseases: powdery mildew.
What is the best fertilizer for cantaloupes?
For seeded or transplanted cantaloupes, apply 100 to 150 pounds per acre of a pop-up fertilizer such as 10-34-0 to enhance early growth, especially in cool/cold soils early in the spring. Pop-up fertilizer should be banded 2 to 3 inches to the side of the row and 2 to 3 inches below the seeds or roots.
How do you make cantaloupe sweeter when growing?
8 Tips for Growing The Sweetest Melons
- Start with the Sweetest Varieties.
- Sow Seeds Early.
- Find Your Warmest Microclimate.
- Accentuate the Sun’s Rays.
- Don’t Crowd Your Melons.
- Sweetness Starts in the Soil.
- Water Heavily – But not During Ripening.
- Pick at the Pinnacle of Ripeness.
What can you not plant with cantaloupe?
Some of the best companion plants for cantaloupes include marigolds, nasturtiums, radishes, and lettuce. Avoid planting cucumbers, watermelons or squash near cantaloupes, as they are susceptible to the same pests!
Why are my cantaloupe plants not producing fruit?
The most common reason why cantaloupes will flower but not fruit is that they aren’t getting pollinated. While perfect flowers don’t need external pollination, the other female flowers on the plant do. Of course, there’s no substitute for bees when it comes to pollination.
When should I fertilize my cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe plants are fertilized after flowers appear. At this point, you use phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Select a formula such as 5-10-10. If you add nitrogen-rich manure this time, the plant will grow huge but will not produce any fruit.
Do cantaloupe come back every year?
They grow best in warm climates and the plants will need a longer growing season than watermelons. Cantaloupes are part of the same plant family as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash and they’re annuals so you’ll need to plant new seeds every year.
How often should you water cantaloupe plants?
Water cantaloupe deeply and infrequently, 1-2 inches per week. Use drip irrigation if possible. Mulch around the plants will help conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth. Irrigate so that moisture goes deeply into the soil.
How do I grow a bigger cantaloupe?
Cantaloupes need about 1 to 2 inches of water per week. If you don’t receive that much rain weekly, water deeply, but infrequently, to reach that amount. As fruits mature, gradually reduce and stop watering, since too much moisture can cause the rinds to split. Too much water can also dilute the melon’s sugar content.
Why do cantaloupe leaves turn yellow?
Air pollution, fungicides, and de-icing salt in the soil can all cause the leaves of the cantaloupe to yellow. Yellowing caused by air pollution is generally confined to the older crown leaves, while fungicides and de-icing salts will cause yellowing along the margins of the leaves.
How do you trim a melon on a trellis?
Using sterilized pruning shears, cut off the first lateral vine; then look for secondary vines. Prune up to the eighth leaf node, suggests Gardening Know How, but leave a few lateral vines as they are. As the melons appear, prune all but one from the vine and continue to check for others.
How many cantaloupes will one plant produce?
Melons are closely related to cucumbers and require similar growing conditions to thrive. To grow them successfully you need to provide them with warmth, water and food. They can be quite vigorous, so regular pruning is needed to keep them under control. Each plant should produce two to four melons.
Can you plant cantaloupe in the same spot every year?
1 Don’t Plant Cantaloupes in the Same Place Two Years in a Row. Not only should you avoid consistently planting cantaloupes in the same location of your garden each year, but you should also avoid planting pumpkins, squash, and any other member of the cucumber family in the same location each year.
How long does it take for a cantaloupe to grow after flowering?
Typically a cantaloupe will yield mature fruit 35 to 45 days after blossoming, according to the University of Minnesota, so time your planting to provide those 45 days while the weather is still warm.
Is Miracle Grow good for cantaloupe?
Feeding and Caring for Melons
Then, feed your melon plants regularly through the growing season with a continuous-release plant food like Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules, which feeds the soil as well as your plants.
Are coffee grounds good for cantaloupe?
Coffee Grinds as Melon Fertilizer? Old coffee grinds really do enhance the flavor of many crops, cantaloupe, tomatoes, melons.
How do I increase the yield of my melon?
Increasing Melon Yield
- Nitrogen. Nitrogen is key for growth and development.
- Potassium. Potassium and nitrogen are key elements in boosting leaf growth and maximizing yield potential.
- Phosphorus.
- Calcium.
- Magnesium.
- Micronutrients.