Choose a cantaloupe type suited to your needs Ambrosia – sweet variety; resistant to powdery mildew. Mini Sugar Cube – disease resistant; small fruits; only 75 days to harvest. Hale’s Best Jumbo * – sweet and large; only 80 days to harvest. Planter’s Jumbo – does best in hot climates; resistant to powdery mildew.
What is the best cantaloupe to plant?
11 of the Best Cantaloupe Cultivars
- Aphrodite Hybrid.
- Athena Hybrid.
- Ball 2076 Hybrid.
- Charentais.
- El Gordo Hybrid.
- Hearts of Gold.
- Olympic Express Hybrid.
- Planters Jumbo.
What is the sweetest cantaloupe to plant?
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 easiest cantaloupe to grow?
Our favorite varieties to try
Minnesota Midget an heirloom variety producing 4-inch melons on 3-4 foot vines. It’s relatively quick growing and matures in 60 to 70 days. Divergent is a favorite of many gardeners. It has a sweet flavor, performs well in short seasons and matures in 75 days.
What is the name of the sweetest cantaloupe?
- Sugar Cube.
- Honey Rock.
- El Gordo.
- Hannah’s Choice.
- Ambrosia.
- Halona.
- Sarah’s Choice.
- Other Super Sweet Muskmelon/Cantaloupe Varieties.
How many cantaloupes do you get off of one plant?
Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.
What month should cantaloupe be planted?
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.
What should you not plant next to 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!
How long does it take a cantaloupe plant to bear fruit?
about 80 to 90 days
How long before I can pick our cantaloupe? How long does it have to grow? Cantaloupe matures in about 80 to 90 days. Melons are normally ready to harvest when they start turning yellow on the bottom and the stem starts turning brown.
How do you increase the sweetness of a cantaloupe?
Heat brings out melons’ sweetness, so make sure to plant them in a location that warms up early in spring and stays hot through the end of September. The south side of a fence or wall is ideal as the structure will absorb heat and light from the sun and reflect it back onto the melons.
What is the best tasting melon?
‘Amy’ canary melons are sweet with a firm texture.
- ‘Papaya Dew’
- ‘Piel de Sapo’
- ‘Rocky Ford Green Flesh’
- ‘Canary Yellow’
- ‘Crenshaw’
- ‘Golden Beauty’
- ‘Honeydew Green Flesh’
- ‘Honeydew Orange’ ‘Honeydew Orange’ is incredibly sweet, with a 13-degree Brix rating.
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.
Is it better to grow cantaloupe on the ground or trellis?
Vining plants that sprawl on the ground are also vulnerable to insect pests, fruit rot, and other diseases. Growing melons vertically, that is up a trellis, allows for better airflow that keeps foliage dry. In addition, fruit is held above the wet ground and far from crawling bugs.
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.
What’s the most expensive cantaloupe?
Yūbari Kings
If you’re a zillionaire lover of fruit, try a wedge of this cantaloupe. In 2018, a pair of Yūbari Kings was auctioned for ¥3.2 million ($29,000) in Sapporo, making it the world’s most expensive melon. The Yūbari King is actually a hybrid of two melon cultivars, called Earl’s Favorite and Burpee’s Spicy Cantaloupe.
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.
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.
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 do you increase the yield of a cantaloupe?
Cantaloupes grow best on well drained, warm, sandy or silt loam soils, but a variety of soil types can be used. Where early harvest is of importance, lighter soils located where there is good air drainage are best. Heavier soils produce higher yields and are better for later season production.
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.
Do cantaloupes 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.