Cantaloupe
Few summer pleasures rival slicing into a sun-warmed cantaloupe and finding that fragrant, honey-sweet orange flesh waiting inside.
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Summer's Sweetest Reward
Cantaloupe is a vining melon in the Cucurbitaceae family, closely related to cucumbers, squash, and watermelon. The fruits we call cantaloupe in North America are technically muskmelons, recognized by their rough, netted skin and deeply aromatic, orange flesh. They thrive in long, hot summers where the soil stays warm and sunshine is generous.
Originally cultivated in South Asia and the Middle East, melons spread across the Mediterranean and into Europe centuries ago, eventually arriving in the Americas with early explorers. Today cantaloupe ranks among the most popular summer fruits grown in home gardens, prized as much for its perfume as for its flavor.
Planting & care
Start cantaloupe after all frost danger has passed and soil temperatures have reached at least 60 degrees F - ideally 70 degrees F or warmer. Direct sow seeds 1 in deep in hills or rows, spacing plants 18-24 in apart in rows 4-6 ft apart. Raised beds and black plastic mulch speed soil warming and give vines a strong start. Work a balanced fertilizer or compost into the bed before planting.
Consistent moisture is critical during vine growth and fruit set, but ease up on watering as fruits approach maturity - this concentrates sugars and intensifies flavor. Feed with a low-nitrogen, higher-potassium fertilizer once vines begin to flower. Lay fruits on a small piece of cardboard or a melon cradle to keep them off damp soil and discourage rot. A ripe cantaloupe will slip easily from the vine and smell intensely sweet at the blossom end.
The Slip is the Signal
Cantaloupe is one of the few fruits that tells you exactly when it is ready: at full ripeness, the stem separates from the fruit with almost no resistance - a phenomenon growers call 'full slip.' If you have to tug even slightly, give it another day or two. A fully slipped melon picked at peak ripeness will not improve further off the vine, so check your patch daily once fruits start sizing up.
How much sun does Cantaloupe need?
Cantaloupe grows best in full sun.
How often should you water Cantaloupe?
Give it about 1-2 in per week.
When is Cantaloupe ready to harvest?
Cantaloupe is usually ready in 70-90 days from transplant.