Melon: The Taste of Summer

Nothing says "summer" like a juicy slice of ripe melon. Beyond familiar cantaloupe and muskmelon, home gardeners can grow exotic types like charentais and crenshaw. Watermelon options now include compact "icebox" types, yellow-fleshed varieties, and seedless cultivars alongside traditional oblong ones.

About This Plant

Most melons need a long, warm growing season—80 to 100 days to maturity. In short-summer regions, choose early-maturing varieties.

Site Selection

Choose a site with full sun to light shade and well-drained soil, preferably in the warmest part of your garden (a south-facing slope is ideal). Loosen soil to 12–15 inches and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.

Planting Instructions

If your season allows, direct-sow after all frost danger passes and soil is warm. Otherwise, start seeds indoors in individual peat pots 3–4 weeks before the average last spring frost. Melons need space—plan 6–8 feet between rows or beds. To warm soil and speed growth, cover the planting area tightly with black plastic mulch just before planting. Set transplants 1½–2 feet apart in rows 6–8 feet apart, keeping plants in peat pots to avoid root disturbance. If direct-seeding, plant seeds 1 inch deep, 4 inches apart.

Care

Thin when plants touch, leaving healthiest plants 2 feet apart. Row covers can maintain warmth and promote fast growth. Water during summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Contact your extension office for pest controls (cucumber beetles, squash vine borers).