How to Grow Cantaloupe

by The Gardening Experts

how to grow cantaloupe

Also called muskmelons (because of their musky, sweet taste), cantaloupes usually need plenty of room to grow in a garden because of the lengthy vines they mature on. But if you only have limited space available to you, don’t worry! Cantaloupe melons also come in varieties that grow on shrubs with smaller vines.

Best Guide to Growing Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe melons are delicious snacks for every time of day and are always welcome at a party (especially a summertime picnic one).

So if you have the inclination, the room, and the desire, you should try your hand at learning how to grow cantaloupe.

A lot of people shy away from growing their own fruits and veggies because they think it’s too hard or it will take up way too much of their time.

This simply isn’t true!

Gardening is not only easy, but it can be downright fun.

At the very least, you should give it a try. After all, what do you have to lose?

In the following sections we’ll discuss a simple step by step process through which you can learn how to grow cantaloupe in your own backyard and we’ll also divulge a few tricks of the trade that will allow you to grow the best possible crop of cantaloupe possible.

How to Grow Cantaloupe in Your Garden

If you have the desire to find out how to grow cantaloupe, well, look no further! Here’s a brief guide on how to do just that:

  1. You’ll want to start your seeds indoors and move them outside in early spring, only after the last frost, when soil temperatures have reached between 60 and 80 degrees F.
  2. Bury your seeds almost an inch deep and space them out in three to four rows in your garden.
  3. Use rich soil or compost to fertilize your cantaloupes.
  4. Mice and fungus are big enemies of the cantaloupe. Use safe fungicides and pesticides to keep them at bay.
  5. These melons usually take between 70 and 90 days to grow to full maturity. You’ll want to pick them off the vine just before they ripen.

And it’s really that easy. It’s all about paying attention, taking care, and reaping the rewards. Anyone can do it, so you certainly can!

How to Grow Cantaloupe: Hints and Tips for a Great Harvest

In order for you to have best possible crop of cantaloupe melons you can possibly grow, take a look at the following tricks of the trade that will help you learn how to grow cantaloupe with the best of them:

  • Thin out the seedlings as they grow to keep them from running wild. Pick maybe the best four or five plants to keep healthy and ditch the rest.
  • Melons do not like the cold! Be sure that the last frost has passed before you think about sticking them in the ground.
  • Sometimes it’s hard to tell when a melon is ripe. The accepted indication that it is time to pluck them from the vine is when the stems have begun to dry out.

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

hennies railey July 21, 2011 at 9:52 am

My cantaloupes are small and not very sweet. Take any advice.

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