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Because the true cantaloupe works ( Cucumis melo var . cantalupensis ) is a hard - shelled or warty European fruit seldom grown in the U.S. , this article actually focuses on Cucumis melo ( Cucumis melo var . reticulatus ) . It has a netted - looking rind and often is phone cantaloupe these day , but the care for both types of melon is the same .
When considering how to produce cantaloupe , keep in mind that it requires at least 2½ months of summery weather to mature decent , sooner 4 calendar month . However , gardeners in the Union stretch along their time of year with the enjoyment of transplants , smuggled charge card mulch , and row cover .
Growing Cantaloupe at a Glance
vulgar Name : Cantaloupe , muskmelonScientific Name : Cucumis melo var . reticulatus , Cucumis melo var . cantalupensisHardiness geographical zone : AnnualSoil : Sandy , well - drained loamLight : Full sunWater : MediumFood : constitutional vegetable fertilizersPropagation : SeedSafety : Edible fruit
Cantaloupe Characteristics
A cantaloupe vine can straggle or climb 6 to 9 feet in length and 3 foot in width . It has 3 - column inch - long and up to 6 - inch - wide hairy and frequently shallowly lob leaves . It makes yellow manful and distaff flower over 1 inch in diameter , with the male type usually appearing first on thin stems in clusters .
The solitary distaff blooms each have a swelling beneath the flower , which will transform into a cantaloupe fruit after that flower is pollinate . Mature cantaloupe fruit depart from 6 to 10 inch in duration and 1 to 11 pound sterling in weighting and usually have a beige netted - await rind and orangish flesh .
If it does n’t shade off their vines , sweet corn often makes a goodcompanion plantfor melons that can cringe around its “ ankles . ”
Photo: istockphoto.com
Recommended Cantaloupe Varieties
Planting Cantaloupe
To forbid disease , keep off planting cantaloupe where other cucurbits , such as cuke , squash , or other melons , have originate during the last 3 years .
When is the best time to plant cantaloupe?
you could get a head start on the season by planting cantaloupe seeds indoors in peat pot 2 to 6 weeksbefore the last rime engagement . instead , sow them straight in the garden about 2 weeks after that last Robert Lee Frost day of the month when the territory temperature has come up to at least 65 degrees .
Where can cantaloupe grow?
Cantaloupes will need 8 to 10 hour of Sunday per twenty-four hours . They also involve fertile , well - debilitate dirt with a pH between 6 and 6.5 . To provide passable drainage in arduous clay dirt , grow melon vine plants either in raise beds or atop hills . nurseryman withsandy loamgenerally can countenance the vines to creep along the ground rather .
How do you plant cantaloupe?
Keep in mind that black credit card mulch may generate too much heat for gardeners in the south .
Can you grow cantaloupe in containers?
you may grow a little melon vine , such as ‘ Lil Loupe ’ , in a container like a one-half barrel or largegrow bagbut credibly will need to train it to ladder up a trellis in that container . ensure to back the fruit withcloth slingstied to the treillage or they will tear free of the vine once they put on exercising weight .
WateringCantaloupe
When growing cantaloup , keep in mind that melon vine will ask at least 1 column inch of water per workweek , mayhap up to 2 in in firm drain soil , preferably provided viadrip irrigationor a soaker hosiery to avoid wetting the foliage . Make trusted that wet reaches a deepness of at least 6 inch .
You canmulch the plantsto retain moisture , but do n’t go for constitutive mulch until after the soil heats to 75 degrees , or it may keep that grime too cool . Once cantaloupe fruits begin to ripen , discontinue supplemental irrigation , which can thin out their flavor .
FertilizingCantaloupe Plants
If possible , apply compostor compost manure to your melon patch in the fall before you engraft it . Just before sowing or transplanting your melons , work an constitutive veg fertilizer such as 3 - 4 - 4 into the soil at the rate of 1½ pound per 25 square feet , mixing it into the upper 5 inch of that soil .
irrigate your cantaloupe seedlings or transplants with a eminent - nitrogen liquid plant food , such as a 5 - 1 - 1 Pisces the Fishes emulsion , follow the focus on the bottle . it’s advised to do this once every 6 week until they start to bloom . At that point between two cantaloupe grow stages , you should stop applying the nitrogen fertiliser .
Pollination
If you recollect the bee are n’t adequately pollinating your melon blossoms , which can happen during nerveless or rainy periods , you’re able to tryhand pollinationin the early morning of a ironic day . According to theUniversity of Utah , you should just use an creative person ’s brush to roll up pollen from the stamen of one of the slight - cauline male prime and — using a swirling move — apply that pollen to the stain of the distaff flower . Each of those female efflorescence will normally tumefy and produce a small ball beneath its bloom .
Safety Considerations
Although melon vine pulp is edible , it can be contaminate by salmonella and E. coli bacterium , which ordinarily originate on the rind and diffuse to the shape via knife cuts . For that cause , do n’t provide cut melon standing in a fond place where bacterium can multiply quickly . or else , send it in the icebox since depressed temperature retard bacteria growth . Also , only cut a melon vine with a clean knife after you have scrubbed the out rind thoroughly with a vegetable brush under head for the hills water .
Potential Pests and Diseases
melon vine often suffer from bacterial wilt diseases carry by insects such ascucumber beetles . To aid keep those illness , top your melon plant with afloating row coverimmediately after you transplant them into the garden or before long after they emerge from the soil for direct - sown plants .
That dress hat also will helpprotect them from unexpected belated frostsand keep them a few degrees warmer than they otherwise would be . You will need to remove the cover once the plants begin to bloom to allow them to be pollinated . Keep in thinker that hybrids tend to be more disease - resistant than open - pollinated melons .
Harvesting Cantaloupe
Not all of your melons will ripen at the same sentence , so you will involve to watch for certain signs .
When is the best time to harvest cantaloupe?
Cantaloupes typically age 35 to 45 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. after the plant ’s heyday time . The rind of ripe melons should have turned from gullible to beige with their netting more marked and their tendrils having dry out to embrown . Those melons also will have develop a fruity fragrance and will detach easily from the vine when they are ready .
How do you harvest cantaloupe?
You wo n’t need any tools other than your fingers to reap melons that are fully ripe .
How do you store cantaloupe?
If you store an unmown melon in the crisper room access of your refrigerator , it should last for 5 to 15 day . Cut melon should not be left out of the icebox for long than 2 hours . Do n’t store cantaloupe with other green goods , such as salad greens , which are adversely affected by ethene .
Looking for more vining fruits and vegetables ? Check out our guide on growingcucumber , squash , andwatermelon .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
Photo: istockphoto.com
We ’ll serve you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your terrace , a raised bed , or an in - footing plot of ground out back — and select the good plants for your soil and region .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
