Melon splitting occurs when the vine takes up too much water too quickly. The fruit rind is unable to expand rapidly enough to accommodate the growing flesh. A heavy rainfall just before harvest is often responsible for this.
How do you keep melons from splitting?
Water pressure within the fruit can build up when it gets too hot, causing the melons to split open. One way to help alleviate splitting is by adding straw mulch, which will help retain moisture in the soil and insulate plants. Adding shade covers during excessively hot periods may help too.
Can I eat a split cantaloupe?
Savor it. If there is a slight crack or crevice where the stem connects but it resists breaking free of the fruit, it needs a few more days. If the melon begins splitting at this stage, it will still taste good, but it won’t be as flavorful as a fully ripened one.
Can you over water 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.
How can you tell if a cantaloupe is pollinated?
It’s fairly easy to tell the difference between male and female cantaloupe flowers: females have a small bulge beneath the flower, which will turn into a melon once pollinated. Female flowers have a short stigma, while male flowers have a long stamen.
When should I harvest my cantaloupe?
When rinds begin to change from green to tan or yellow, the melon is typically ripe enough to pick. Be careful not to pick too early, however. Look for a crack in the stem where it attaches to the fruit. This is a sign of ripeness as well.
Why are my cantaloupe rotting on the vine?
Why are my Cantaloupe rotting on the vine? Your Cantaloupe fruits are rotting on the vine most probably due to overwatering. Rotting of the Cantaloupe fruits is also seen when it’s infected by Anthracnose. Even some kinds of insects might rot the fruits of Cantaloupe.
Should cantaloupe be kept in the fridge?
Melon: Melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, should be kept at room temperature until you cut into them to ensure they have the best flavor. Once they’ve been cut into, store them in the refrigerator and be sure to eat within four days.
Should uncut cantaloupe be refrigerated?
Keep whole melons like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew on the counter for best flavor. USDA research found that storage at room temp may even help keep the antioxidants better intact. Once cut, store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
What is the best way to store cantaloupe?
How to Store. Let a not-quite-ready cantaloupe ripen at room temperature for up to two days (keeping it in a closed paper bag will speed up the process). Refrigerate a whole ripe melon for up to five days. For cut wedges of cantaloupe, cover the surfaces and refrigerate for up to three days.
How many cantaloupes will one plant produce?
Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.
How often should cantaloupe be watered?
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.
Should you prune cantaloupe plants?
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.
How can you tell a male from a female cantaloupe?
The easiest way is looking at the flower stem. The male rises from the vine with a single plain stem of its own. The female has a cute little bulge that will become the fruit if pollinated.
How can you tell if a cantaloupe is male or female?
Male melon flowers will have a stamen, which is a pollen covered stalk that sticks up in the center of the flower. Female flowers will have a sticky knob, called a stigma, inside the flower (that the pollen will stick to) and the female flower will also sit on top of an immature, tiny melon.
What happens if you pick cantaloupe too early?
If you harvest too soon, you’ll be left with a hard, tasteless, or bitter melon, as the sugars haven’t had sufficient time to develop and fully sweeten. And once they’re picked, they won’t continue to ripen. However, if you harvest your cantaloupe too late, you’ll be stuck with fruit that is soft, watery, and mushy.
Do cantaloupe continue to ripen after picked?
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.
How long does it take for a cantaloupe to mature?
Growing cantaloupe plants occupy a fair bit of space, so be sure to leave enough room for the vines to spread out. Cantaloupe plants take around 80 days to mature on average and is the most hardy when grown in zones 4-10 as a summer annual.
What is a good 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.
How do you keep cantaloupe from rotting?
To prevent rot, the fruit rests on gravel mulch instead of on the bare soil. Keep foliage healthy because it is the source of sugar for the fruit. As melons ripen, the leaves naturally begin to look rough.
Why are the leaves on my cantaloupe turning yellow?
The most common cause of yellowing cantaloupe leaves is overwatering. When the plant’s soil is saturated with water, it cannot receive as much oxygen as it needs. The roots will become ineffective at absorbing water and nutrients from the soil, and thus the plant’s ability to produce chlorophyll is impaired.