Mulch not only keeps the soil warm, which these plants enjoy, but it helps retain moisture, minimizes weed growth, and keeps fruit off the soil (of course, you can set them on small pieces of board too). While many people prefer to use plastic mulch when they grow cantaloupes, you can use straw as well.
How do you keep cantaloupe from rotting on the ground?
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.
How do you prepare soil for cantaloupe?
Before planting your cantaloupe, use a loamy soil enriched with well-rotted compost or aged manure to make sure your melon has plenty of nutrients to feed on throughout its growing season. Cantaloupes prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil, between 6.0 and 6.8 pH.
How do you support a cantaloupe?
Use old nylons, pieces of t-shirt or other scrap cloth to create slings for the melons as they mature; otherwise, they will get too heavy and drop from the vine. Keep the slings tight enough to support the cantaloupe but with enough give to allow room for the melon to grow.
What can I use to keep melons off the ground?
Use a cage, plastic mulch, stakes, straw mulch or other materials to protect the fruit from the ground. You can even use a wooden board for the fruit to rest on as it matures.
Should I put something under my melons?
Placing developing melons atop a bed of straw, plastic sheeting or smooth piece of wood diminishes the chance for fruit rotting when in direct contact with wet soil. Ultimately, it’s an optional step as melons won’t rot atop the ground if the soil isn’t soggy and air circulation is good.
What is eating my cantaloupe at night?
Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, deer and woodchucks enjoy puncturing and eating melon crops. Coyotes and domesticated dogs also enjoy biting into sweet melons. Raccoons and birds make holes in the tops of melons and scoop or suck juices from the fruit’s inside.
What’s the best fertilizer for cantaloupe?
For seeded or transplanted cantaloupes, apply 100 to 150 pounds per acre of a pop-up fertilizer such as 10-34-0 to enhance early growth, especially in cool/cold soils early in the spring. Pop-up fertilizer should be banded 2 to 3 inches to the side of the row and 2 to 3 inches below the seeds or roots.
Should you mulch around cantaloupe?
worth, preferably through drip irrigation. Mulch is another factor to consider when growing cantaloupe. Mulch not only keeps the soil warm, which these plants enjoy, but it helps retain moisture, minimizes weed growth, and keeps fruit off the soil (of course, you can set them on small pieces of board too).
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.
Will cantaloupe climb a fence?
Cantaloupe, like other Cucurbits, grow long vines. These can reach anywhere from four to seven feet, depending on the variety. And they can quickly take over your garden, leaving little room for anything else.
Will cantaloupe grow up a fence?
Melons naturally produce tendrils that will coil around anything they come in contact with. Help the cantaloupe grow vertically by orienting new vines up onto the trellis and twisting these tendrils around the wire or string or loosely tying the vines to the trellis with a piece of cloth.
How do you support melon fruit?
You’ll need to be sure to install a trellis that will hold the weight of the melon vines and ripe fruit. Encourage the vines to climb by training them up a support system such as concrete reinforcing wire. Getting the vines up the trellis is only half of the job of growing melons vertically.
How do you increase the yield of a cantaloupe?
Cantaloupes grow best on well drained, warm, sandy or silt loam soils, but a variety of soil types can be used. Where early harvest is of importance, lighter soils located where there is good air drainage are best. Heavier soils produce higher yields and are better for later season production.
Should you mulch around watermelons?
Weeds are life-suckers in relation to your crops, so do your best to keep weeds at a minimum. Your new best friend as far as growing watermelons is mulch. Mulch not only suppresses weeds by smothering them and not letting light reach them, it keeps the ground warm; holding heat in the soil.
Should I put cardboard under my watermelon?
recycle your cardboard or put something under your large watermelons/squash so they don’t rot to the ground! recycle your cardboard or put something under your large watermelons/squash so they don’t rot to the ground!
Are there worms in cantaloupe?
On cantaloupe they’re referred to as rindworms because they feed on just the surface of the tough-skinned melon, only causing scarring. The caterpillars may tunnel through flowers, buds, and stems, but most usually prefer fruits.
Why is my cantaloupe black inside?
In the early stages of spoilage, cantaloupes may have bruises and discoloration. It may also lack shape and feel mushy. It will also have an unpleasant odor. A rotten cantaloupe will be darker and have a smell, and it may even have a spongy texture or even mold on it.
How many cantaloupe grow on a plant?
Unlike other varieties, the vines only spread up to three feet. Each plant can produce anywhere from four to eight delicious melons.
Is Epsom salt good for melons?
Flat, tasteless melons can be due to a lack of magnesium or boron in the soil. It has been found that such fruits can be sweetened by giving them a dose of Epsom salts and borax. For home garden use, use about 6 1/2 tablespoons of Epsom salts and 3 1/2 tablespoons of household borax, all added to five gallons of water.
How often should cantaloupe be watered?
Cantaloupes need about 1 to 2 inches of water per week. If you don’t 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.
Marilyn Medina is a food expert with over 15 years of experience in the culinary industry. She has worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world, including The Ritz-Carlton and The French Laundry.
What makes Marilyn stand out from other chefs is her unique approach to cooking. She believes that food should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget or dietary restrictions. Her recipes are simple, delicious, and healthy – perfect for anyone who wants to cook like a pro!