Sweet, juicy cantaloupe can be yours with the right combination of sun, soil, pollinationand luck.
Jason Donnelly
Nothing says summer like an endless bounty of fresh fruit.
Colorful and bright, cantaloupe is the perfect addition to an edible garden.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
This sweet member of themelon familycan be grown at home with some tender care and a little luck.
These techniques will get you started.
BHG / Joules Garcia
Basics of Growing Cantaloupe
Planting
Plant cantaloupe seeds infull suninwell-drained soil.
Credit:BHG / Joules Garcia
Plant in groups of two or three seeds spaced 2 feet apart.
Once the seedlings emerge, keep only the most robust individual plant in each group, pulling the rest.
Starting Seeds Indoors
You canstart the seeds in pots indoorsseveral weeks before yourlast frost date.
Credit:Robert Cardillo
Watering
Growing cantaloupesneed 1 to 2 inches ofwater per week.
If you dont 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.
Credit:Brie Williams
Too much water can also dilute the melons sugar content.
The melons flowers are sometimes hidden from pollinators by the vines large leaves.
Experts advise you not to wait for the fruit to fall off the vine.
Instead, watch for signs itsready to be harvested, and then gently twist the fruit from the stem.
It should slip away easily.
If not, stop and let it ripen for another few days.
Cantaloupes do not ripen after they are removed from the vine.
Cantaloupes can be stored at 45F to 50F for one to two weeks.
Grocery store cantaloupesthat still have little stems attached were harvested too early and probably wont be very sweet.
Brie Williams
Is It a Cantaloupe or a Muskmelon?
Not all muskmelons are cantaloupes.
The difference between muskmelons and cantaloupe is thatcantaloupe, like honeydew melon, is a punch in of muskmelon.
In the United States, two types of muskmelons are labeled cantaloupes.
One is the familiar North American cantaloupe with light tan-green rind and a netted appearance.
The other is a European cantaloupe with light green skin.
Cantaloupes form suckers, which are secondary shoots off the main stems.
Nothing beats black plastic mulch in this situation.
It warms the soil, allowing you to set out transplants or sow seeds earlier, and controls weeds.
