Cantaloupe Planting Basics Plant cantaloupe seeds in full sun in well-drained soil. They’ll need about 85 days to mature, but don’t rush things. Sow seeds only when temperatures reliably stay above 50°F to 60°F. Plant in groups of two or three seeds spaced 2 feet apart.
How do you make cantaloupe grow bigger?
Mulch cantaloupe plants to help retain moisture, regulate temperature, control weeds, and keep fruit clean. Water in the morning and avoid getting water on leaves, which can encourage disease. Fertilize when vines begin growing. Be on the lookout for bees.
How do you grow sweeter cantaloupe?
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 is the sweetest cantaloupe?
The sweetest cantaloupe varieties are ‘Charentais’ and ‘Sugar Cube’. The scrumptious sweetness and smooth dense texture of these French-style melons will rival any dessert.
What is the sweetest cantaloupe you can buy?
European Cantaloupes tend to be much sweeter than other cantaloupe types, with an appearance that also differentiates; European Cantaloupe types have less netting and bear light green stripes, a distinguishing characteristic throughout which many find harkens more to other melon varieties.
What is the best fertilizer for cantaloupe?
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.
Should cantaloupe vines be pruned?
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.
Why are my cantaloupes not sweet?
According to Penn Live, cantaloupes grow without ripening much at all until they are almost ready to pick. The melons then ripen quite quickly on the vine. So if farmers pick their cantaloupes too soon, they won’t have that sweet, summery flavor you expect.
Do cantaloupes need a lot of water?
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.
How many cantaloupes will one plant produce?
Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.
Why are my homegrown cantaloupes not sweet?
If a lot of fruits are ripening around the same time, they have to split up the available sugars. That means you’ll get more fruits, but all of them would be less sweet. Growers often pinch out developing fruits so that only one of them ripens every two weeks.
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.
How can you tell if a cantaloupe is sweet?
A ripe cantaloupe should have an overall sweet smell, but I get the absolute best melon by putting my nose close to the blossom end (the end opposite the stem). It should smell sweet and slightly musky. If it doesn’t smell good, I don’t buy it.
What is the largest cantaloupe?
The fruit was of the North Carolina Giant variety. The cantaloupe had a circumference of 136.625 inches (347 cm).
Will cantaloupe ripen after you pick it?
However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest. Once into the ripening process, fruit will gain sugar, flavor will improve and flesh soften.
What month do you plant melons?
Start melon seeds indoors before transplanting to your garden outside. Sow seed indoors at the end of April, about 2 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date. Use peat pots or other biodegradable containers that you can place directly into garden soils. Use larger pots than you would for other vegetables.
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.
Do cantaloupes like bone meal?
Mix in some broken-down compost to provide nutrients and improve soil structure. Avoid water build up on the surface, since melons rest on the ground during growth. A sprinkling of fish bone meal helps. Best soil pH ranges from 6.5-7.
How do you grow big melons?
To maximize the size of the melon, water the plants regularly in deep water sessions that keep the soil moist. Side dress the Watermelon plants with fertilizer prepared for edible crops or fertilizer tea to feed the plants. Fertilizer encourages growth to produce large melons.
Should I pinch off cantaloupe flowers?
Avoid pinching off shoots because an abundance of healthy leaves will produce sweeter fruit. For best flavor, leave the largest fruit growing on the vine and pinch off any young fruits that begin to form.
Should I remove cantaloupe flowers?
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.