Category: Fruits

Once fruits have formed, raise them up off the ground with melon cradles or pots; this increases air circulation and helps with rot and insects. Grow cantaloupe vertically; they love to climb. Use a melon hammock to support the hanging fruit if desired, but it often isn’t necessary. How do you keep cantaloupes off the […]

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. Do melons grow from flowers? Melons produce both male and female flowers. The female flower has a fruit developing behind the bloom […]

Melons. Summer melons such as cantaloupe, muskmelons and watermelons, or winter melons like casaba, crenshaw, honeydew, and Persian can be planted with strawberries. What should not be planted near strawberries? There a various crops you should not plant with strawberries. These include: cauliflower, cabbages, broccoli, fennel, potatoes, melons, peppers and mint. Plants from the brassica […]

They grow prolifically in well-enriched, sandy loam soil that is kept moist during the growing season. Companion plants for cantaloupe include corn, pumpkin, squash, collards, borage, oregano, radishes, marigolds, petunias and beans. Can you plant melon next to corn? Watermelons (and, in fact, all melons) are considered good companion plants for corn. The one thing […]

Melons are one of the most compatible plants in the garden and do well when planted with most anything including beans, peas, onions, leeks, chives, and garlic. They also flourish with cabbage, broccoli, carrots, kale, okra, cauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts, and lettuce. What should you not plant next to cantaloupe? Some of the best companion […]

Muskmelon, Cantaloupe, Charentais; Honeydew; Casaba; Armenian Cucumber; Snake melon (gourd) can all cross with each other, but not with squashes, pumpkins, or cucumbers. Can you plant cantaloupe next to pumpkins? You can plant pumpkins next to other squash, melons and cucumbers. When we purchase and plant a seed of one of these tasty vegetables; that […]

You’ll need a trellis at least 8 feet tall to support the vines of a full-sized melon plant. Plant melons at the base of the trellis, spaced 12 inches apart for cantaloupe or honeydew and 24 inches apart for watermelon. Can you eat watermelon and cantaloupe together? They never pair up with anyone else. Have […]

Excess water can cause flavor to be bland. The two key times when too much water makes the most difference is when the fruits just start forming and about 1 week before ripening. Like most crops, cantaloupes grow and taste best when they get a consistent supply of dampness — not too much, not too […]

Herbs: Basil is a great companion for cantaloupes because it helps to repel whitefly, which can be a major pest of cucurbitcucurbitThe Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: Cucurbita – squash, pumpkin, […]

Avoid planting zucchini and summer squash with all other vining plants which include cucumbers and sweet potatoes as well as pumpkins, winter squashes and melons. Can I plant cantaloupe next to zucchini? Fortunately, melons and squash have virtually the same growth requirements, making it easy to plant them next to each other and allow their […]

A. Cantaloupes, like other vining crops such as cucumbers, pumpkins, squash and watermelons, require pollination for fruit set. This means pollen must be transferred from the male blooms to the female blooms. Do I need to hand pollinate cantaloupe? Hand pollinating melon plants like watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew may seem unnecessary, but for some gardeners […]

Wait until the fruits are fully ripe and separated from the vine before collecting seeds from melons. In cantaloupe, for example, look for thick netting and a pungent melon smell from the stem end. To start saving melon seeds, cut open the fruit lengthwise and scoop out the seed masses into a jar. Can you […]

Cantaloupe seeds need soaked clean water (room temperature, 20-26 C) for 12 hours. Then immediately seeded in place of exposed to direct sunlight, next planted and cared for. Which seeds should be soaked before planting? By soaking the seed, it enables the new growth from the inside to push through the hard shell and grow. […]

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. What parts of cantaloupe are edible? Inside, the cantaloupe bears a beautiful pale pinkish-orange flesh and […]

80 to 120 days. 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 […]

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 is my cantaloupe rotting on the bottom? That said, whether you’re growing cantaloupes, muskmelons or watermelons, […]