Fruit / Warm season
Cantaloupe
Also called rockmelon
Wait for the crack at the stem, then lift
Plant out byMay 18zone 6
- Family
- Gourd (Cucurbitaceae)
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ h)
- Difficulty
- Fussy
- Days to harvest
- 70-90 days
- Spacing
- 18 in apart, rows 60 in
- Pot size
- 10 gal pot (fine in pots)
- Frost
- Tender
- Start
- Either
- Water
When to plant
Showing .
Averages for a typical garden in the region. Your local frost dates may differ by 2-3 weeks, check a local source.Too late this year (try fall)
In zone 6, start seeds indoors Mar 9 to Apr 6; plant out May 4 to May 18. Average last frost Apr 20, first fall frost Oct 20.
Units
A store cantaloupe is picked early so it survives the truck. Yours does not have to be. A ripe melon tells you when it is ready. The rind under the netting turns from green to tan or yellow, and a crack forms around the stem. Then the fruit comes away with a gentle push. Growers call that full slip. Sugar stops building once the melon leaves the vine, so wait for it.
The common heartbreak is cucumber beetles. These striped or spotted yellow beetles chew seedlings and spread bacterial wilt, which makes vines collapse in midsummer. Leaves that wilt at noon and stay limp by evening are the warning sign. Row cover from planting until female flowers open is the usual defense. Melons also hate cold, wet soil. Wait until it hits about 70 degrees F, often two to three weeks after your last frost. Black plastic mulch warms a bed faster.
Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart, or train them up a sturdy trellis and cradle each fruit in a mesh bag or old T-shirt sling. On a balcony, a compact type such as 'Minnesota Midget' can work in a 10-gallon pot with daily summer watering. Cut back on water once fruit is nearly full size. Heavy rain or soaking near ripening can leave the flesh bland, which stings after a whole season. A sweet smell at the blossom end is one more hint you are close.
Things to consider
- No bees, no melons. Vines open male flowers first, and each female flower needs visits before it sets fruit, so plant flowers nearby and avoid daytime spraying. On a quiet balcony, a soft brush in the morning is the backup.
- Start seeds in their own pots if you start indoors. Melon roots dislike being disturbed, so plant the whole root ball without teasing it apart. Seedlings left too long in small pots tend to stall, so move them out young.
- Powdery mildew often coats leaves late in the season. Choose resistant varieties when you can, and water the soil rather than the leaves. Good spacing and a trellis both help air move through the vines.
Good neighbours
Keep apart
Pests to watch for
Cucumber beetlesAphidsSquash bugs
Questions about growing cantaloupe
Is cantaloupe the same as muskmelon?
In the US, the netted melons sold as cantaloupe are muskmelons. The true European cantaloupe has a rougher, unnetted rind and is rarely grown here. Seed catalogs use both names, so read the description. Growing advice is the same for both.
Why are my cantaloupes splitting?
Splits usually follow a big drink after a dry spell, when the fruit swells faster than the rind can stretch. Even watering through early growth helps. Mulch keeps the soil from swinging so hard between wet and dry. A split melon is still fine to eat if you catch it before rot or insects get in.
Can I pick a cantaloupe early and let it ripen on the counter?
It will soften and smell more like melon, but it will not get sweeter. The sugar comes from the vine. Wait for the stem to crack and the fruit to slip off with light pressure. Honeydew and Crenshaw are different, since they do not slip; cut those once they turn fully yellow.
Save this crop
Pin it to a garden board so it is there when planting time comes round.
Similar crops
Sources
General guidance for home gardens. Frost dates are averages for a zone or region; check a local source (in the US your county extension office) for local timing.