How Long Does It Take For A Cantaloupe To Grow After Flowering?

35 to 45 days.
Typically a cantaloupe will yield mature fruit 35 to 45 days after blossoming, according to the University of Minnesota, so time your planting to provide those 45 days while the weather is still warm.

Does cantaloupe grow from flower?

Pollination and Growing Cantaloupes
Cantaloupes produce separate male and female flowers as well as some flowers with both male and female parts. The first flowers to appear are male and will fall off.

How long does a melon take to grow after pollination?

Cantaloupes are among the first melons to produce fruit — typically within 35 days of pollination. Early varieties, including “Earli-Sweet” and “Alaska,” produce fruit even sooner. Honeydew melons take between 45 to 60 days to bear fruit, while watermelons need a long, warm season.

What is the life cycle of a cantaloupe?

The cantaloupe growth cycle is 80 to 120 days and at this stage of growth it requires warmth, soil nutrients and moisture protection. A layer of straw or chipped bark mulch is added as plants reach several inches in height and the soil warms to 75 degrees F or above.

How do you encourage cantaloupe to grow?

6. Care for cantaloupe correctly throughout the growing season

1. Mulch cantaloupe plants to help retain moisture, regulate temperature, control weeds, and keep fruit clean.
2. Water in the morning and avoid getting water on leaves, which can encourage disease.
3. Fertilize when vines begin growing.
4. Be on the lookout for bees.

Why is my cantaloupe flowering but not producing fruit?

Lack of Pollination Cause Cantaloupe Flowers But No Fruit. The most common reason why cantaloupes will flower but not fruit is that they aren’t getting pollinated. While perfect flowers don’t need external pollination, the other female flowers on the plant do.

Should I remove cantaloupe flowers?

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 many cantaloupes do you get from one plant?

Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.

How long does it take cantaloupe to produce fruit?

about 80 to 90 days
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 tell the difference between a male and female cantaloupe flower?

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.

Should you Mound cantaloupe?

Seeds are usually planted anywhere from ½ to 1 inch (1-2.5 cm.) deep, and in groups of three. Although not required, I like to plant them in small hills or mounds as I do with other cucurbit members. Cantaloupe plants are generally spaced about 2 feet (61 cm.)

How can you tell when a cantaloupe is ready to be picked?

In fact, most cantaloupes are ready to be picked once they’re fully ripened, changing from green to a tan or yellowish-gray color between the netting. A ripe melon will also exhibit a sweet and pleasant aroma. One way to tell if a melon is overripe is by looking at the rind, which will appear quite yellow and soft.

Do cantaloupes need full sun?

However, if you plant a full-size variety, you’ll also need netting, old pantyhose, or cloth slings to support the fruit on the trellis and keep it from pulling loose from the vine prematurely. You’ll also need a location where the cantaloupes are exposed to at least eight hours of bright sunlight per day.

How often do you water a cantaloupe?

Cantaloupes need plenty of water, but not enough to make a soggy garden. Give your crops one to two inches of water per week, watering the soil directly to avoid wetting the leaves and promoting powdery mildew. Once fruit begins to grow, reduce your watering, as dry weather is best for sweeter melons.

What is the best fertilizer for cantaloupe?

Compost manure for Cantaloupe. Compost and well rotten manure make the best fertilizer for Cantaloupes. The elements are not so concentrated, so you have to use about 450 grams for every 4 or 5 square feet. Compost and aged manure improve the soil structure as well as fertility.

How do you make cantaloupe sweeter when growing?

Sweetness Starts in the Soil
To encourage strong growth, blend 4 to 6 inches of composted manure into your melon beds prior to planting. Then add a balanced organic fertilizer (such as a mixed blood meal/bone meal product) every 3 to 4 weeks.

Why do cantaloupe leaves turn yellow?

Air pollution, fungicides, and de-icing salt in the soil can all cause the leaves of the cantaloupe to yellow. Yellowing caused by air pollution is generally confined to the older crown leaves, while fungicides and de-icing salts will cause yellowing along the margins of the leaves.

Why are my cantaloupe leaves curling?

Alternaria leaf blight
This is seen in the older leaves of the Cantaloupe plant. What is this? These spots enlarge and merge to become large lesions. Necrotic patches develop, the leaves curl and eventually die.

Do cantaloupe plants come back every year?

A: Unfortunately, cantaloupes are an annual and will die off once the vine has finished producing its melons.

Is Epsom salt good for cantaloupe?

The cantaloupes will ripen faster and the fruit is protected from insects and rot. For sweeter watermelons and cantaloupes when the plant starts vining and again when small 1-inch melons appear, spray with 6 1/2 tablespoons Epsom salts and 3 1/2 tablespoons borax in 5 gallons of water.

Are cantaloupe leaves edible?

They’re so light and subtle that they’ll take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with, so I prefer them raw. You just have to be careful not to over-pick the leaves, which can stunt production of the cucumbers.