Reduce chances for pests and disease Use a melon hammock to support the hanging fruit if desired, but it often isn’t necessary. If powdery mildew is a problem, consider growing Ambrosia or other disease-resistant varieties.
What do you put under cantaloupes?
Use Plastic Cradles
When the melon begins to form, simply lift it up and place a cradle beneath it. Each of these plastic, bowl-shaped cradles has a spike on the bottom to hold it in place and a perforated upper surface to ensure good air circulation around the developing melon.
Should you put straw under cantaloupe?
While many people prefer to use plastic mulch when they grow cantaloupes, you can use straw as well. Within about a month or so after the fruit has set, cantaloupes should be ready for harvesting.
Should I put something under my melons?
Prevent soil contact.
When you’ve got watermelon fruits growing, you’ll want to make sure they don’t touch the soil. 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 cantaloupe plants need support?
Cantaloupe cultivars with smaller fruits can be grown up a strong trellis or fence without much (if any) fruit support. For full-size cantaloupes, you’ll want to create a hammock for each melon to help support them on the trellis.
What can I use to keep melons off the ground?
Use a cage, plastic mulch, stakes, straw mulch or other materials to protect the fruit from the ground. You can even use a wooden board for the fruit to rest on as it matures.
How do you protect cantaloupe?
The optimal relative humidity is 95 to 100 percent, which prevents drying. If possible, place cantaloupe in the refrigerator crisper, where the humidity tends to be higher. Under these conditions, freshly harvested cantaloupe, picked at full slip, lasts about 5 to 15 days, depending on variety and growing conditions.
How many cantaloupes will one plant produce?
Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.
How often should you water cantaloupe?
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 you grow the best cantaloupe?
Plant cantaloupe in an area with warm soil (70°F+) and plenty of sun. Cantaloupes are sprawlers, so plant them 36 to 42 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil. Growing cantaloupes require a lot of nutrients, so it’s best to improve your soil by mixing in several inches of compost or other rich organic matter.
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.
What is eating my cantaloupe at night?
Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, deer and woodchucks enjoy puncturing and eating melon crops. Coyotes and domesticated dogs also enjoy biting into sweet melons. Raccoons and birds make holes in the tops of melons and scoop or suck juices from the fruit’s inside.
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.
Do cantaloupe plants climb?
Growing cantaloupe plants on a trellis
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.
How long does it take 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.
How tall should a cantaloupe trellis be?
While growing cantaloupes vertically, always go for a strong and sturdy trellis as you are growing a dense vine that will bear heavy fruits. Hence, there must be tough support to hold their weight. A trellis that is at least 6-8 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide is going to do the trick.
Should you trim cantaloupe vines?
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.
What is the best mulch for watermelons?
Melons need heat and plastic mulch can make a big difference. Black plastic mulch is most widely available and will raise soil temperatures 5°F versus bare ground. You can generate even more heat by using clear plastic mulch (8–14°F).
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.
What causes cantaloupe to rot on the vine?
Gardeners growing cantaloupe should be on the lookout for vine rot, which can cause the entire plant to suddenly die. This rapid collapse likely is caused by two soil-borne diseases — Monosporascus cannonballus and Acremonium cucurbitacearum.