Melinda Myers

Melon

Botanical Name

Cucumis melo

Hardiness

Annual

Height

12 to 18 inches

Width

3 to 12 feet

Fruit

Orange, green, yellow, white and pink fleshed varieties in a number of different sizes, shapes, and textures

Light

Full sun

Soil

Moist, well-drained, fertile, warm

Planting & Care

• Melons germinate in warm temperatures of 60°F to 95°F
• Direct seed after last frost and soil has warmed to an ideal 70°F and above. Plant seeds in hills ¹/₂ inch deep, 6 seeds per hill. Thin to 2 or 3 plants per hill. Space hills 4 to 6 feet apart
• Or sow seeds in rows - spacing plants 12 to 24 inches apart. Set rows 5 feet apart
• When growing in areas with cooler temperatures or a shorter growing season, select varieties that are fast growing or start plants indoors 3 to 4 weeks before planting outside
• Your seedlings should have no more than one or two true sets of leaves when transplanted. When growing transplants, plant seed in individual peat pots so not to damage this plant's tender roots.
• Melons do not transplant well when their roots are disturbed
• Space transplants at 2 or 3 plants per hill. Space hills 4 to 6 feet apart. Or plant in rows - spacing plants 12 to 24 inches apart. Set rows 5 feet apart.
• Trellis plants at seeding to avoid damaging the sensitive roots. Trellising allows for closer spacing.
• You can provide additional support to fruit with the use of slings
• Mulch the soil around plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds and regulate soil temperature
• If using floating row covers, remove once the plants begin to flower to allow bees to pollinate

Problems

Cucumber beetles, fusarium wilt, bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic virus, aphids, squash vine borer, squash bugs, powdery mildew

Varieties

• Honey Brew - honeydew type, good disease resistance
• Harper Hybrid - muskmelon; good disease resistance
• Casaba Golden Beauty - white flesh, spicy sweet
• Angel - early Mediterranean-type, sweet 2-3 pound fruit, white interior, All-America Selections winner
• Amy - canary-type, bright yellow skin with white interior, AAS winner
• Lambkin - early to mature, good for containers, 2-4 pound oval shaped fruits, attractive mottled yellow-green exterior, AAS winner
• Melemon - early and high yielding, sweet and tangy, AAS winner
• Orange SilverWave - ornamental speckled rind holds very sweet, orange flesh, ASS winner