Melons need a lot of space to grow, so you need to plant them where they’ll have room to spread out or plan on providing them a tall, sturdy trellis.
Does cantaloupe need a trellis?
Once you’ve got the how-to’s of growing cantaloupe, the vertical part is easy. The vines can grow several feet, and the fruits can be heavy, so be sure you use a sturdy, tall trellis. A fence can work well, as can an archway. As the vines grow, simply tie them loosely to your trellis.
Do melon plants climb?
Melons like sunshine and they like to roam around the garden. The plants send out tendrils that will produce more and more leaves and will actually climb if you give them a support.
Does watermelon need a trellis?
As the vines, which should be about two feet apart, begin to run, send them up a sturdy trellis. You will need to tie the runners to the trellis, since watermelons are not natural climbers. Cllimbing is learned behavior. Watermelons don’t climb by habit, but once shown the way they can rise with the best.
Will melons climb trellis?
Melons grow on very sprawling vines that can take up most of a garden bed though. The perfect solution is growing melons vertically. While these fruits are heavy, you can grow melons on a trellis as long as you create a strong support system for the vine and each fruit.
How do you keep melons off the ground?
4 Ways to Keep Melons Off the Ground
- Use Plastic Cradles. If you’re a backyard gardener who’s just raising a few melon plants in your veggie patch, commercially made plastic melon cradles are a great way to keep melons off the ground.
- Build Platforms.
- Make Slings.
- Use PVC Pipe Platforms.
How many cantaloupes will one plant produce?
Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.
How do you support a melon plant?
If you’re growing them vertically, tie the stem and main shoots to the trellis as the plant grows and support each fruit with a mini hammock attached to the trellis. You can make hammocks from an old pair of tights or netting. Harvest once the fruits start to smell like melons and eat them nice and fresh.
Can you grow melons on the ground?
Melons grow best on well-drained, sandy loam soils, with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Soils with a pH less than 6.0 will produce plants with yellow foliage that set few or no fruit. You can improve your soil by adding well-rotted manure or compost in spring or fall.
How tall do melon plants grow?
Melon plant height: 24 inches if grown on the ground. The vines reach 6-8 feet tall on a trellis. If space is limited, plan to grow your melons on a trellis. Melons are frost-tender annuals.
What can you not plant near watermelon?
Because other members of the Cucurbitae family are all attacked by cucumber beetles, planting watermelons next to these crops is not recommended:
- Cucumbers.
- Summer squash/zucchini.
- Pumpkins.
- Winter squash.
What should I put under my watermelons?
In order to grow great watermelons, you’ll need to put a barrier between the watermelons and the ground. This is to reduce the risk of rot and disease. Good ground barriers are straw, or even cardboard.
Do cucumbers need a trellis?
Let Cucumbers Climb
Trellised cucumbers are easier to pick and less susceptible to disease. Cucumbers do best if they can climb instead of spread over the ground. The tendrils of the vines will grab fences, string, wire trellis, or tall cages so that the vines climb the structures.
How much space do melons need?
Melons need room to roam. Space plants 36 to 42 inches apart. Or, to save space, plant melons 12 inches apart at the base of a trellis.
Do honeydew melons need a trellis?
Honeydew melons grow vines that require a lot of surface area in the garden. These plants grow best either on raised mounds (six inches tall, spaced four to six feet apart) or on trellises (spaced three to four feet apart).
Are melon cradles necessary?
Placing developing melons atop a bed of straw, plastic sheeting or smooth piece of wood diminishes the chance for fruit rotting when in direct contact with wet soil. Ultimately, it’s an optional step as melons won’t rot atop the ground if the soil isn’t soggy and air circulation is good.
How do I protect melons from rats?
Step by step: How to keep rodents off your melons with melon cages
- Get hardware cloth.
- Cut square-sized pieces of hardware cloth large enough to complete encircle your mature melons.
- Secure a cylindrical shape with metal string.
- Create your wire end folds.
- Close one end of your melon cage.
- Cage your melon.
What can you not plant near cantaloupe?
Avoid planting cucumbers, watermelons or squash near cantaloupes, as they are susceptible to the same pests!
What’s the best month to plant cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe does best when direct sown. Sow seeds outside about 2 weeks after the last frost date when soil temperatures are about 65℉. In the low desert of Arizona, the best time to plant cantaloupe is from February 15 through July.
When should I fertilize my cantaloupe?
You should not be fertilizing cantaloupe until after the plant is at least 4 inches tall. At this point, you can apply a dose of balanced fertilizer. If you want to use granule type fertilizer, choose one with a 10-10-10 or 5-5-5.
Should I prune cantaloupe?
As mentioned, pruning cantaloupe plants isn’t absolutely necessary and, in fact, the more leaves that remain on the vine the sweeter the fruit. That said, cutting back cantaloupe plants results in fewer fruit which enables the plant to put all of its energy into a scant few, resulting in larger melons.