JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER Home Site Map Muskmelons Growing Muskmelons in the Home Garden HYG-1615-93 Ted W. Gastier History and Taxonomy Muskmelons originated in the hot valleys of southwest Asia. There are numerous botanical varieties of muskmelons including: netted melons, cantaloupe melons, winter (casaba) melons, snake or serpent melons, and mango or lemon melons. Technically, cantaloupes are only those muskmelons with a rough, warty surface and a hard rind; however, the name cantaloupe has been applied to the netted varieties of muskmelons. Whether you call them muskmelons or cantaloupes, we can agree that a vine-ripened melon from your garden adds high dessert quality and fine flavor to your family's diet. In addition, muskmelons are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. Climate Muskmelons are a warm season crop, adapted to mean monthly temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees F, and needing ample soil moisture and plant nutrients for growth. During the ripening period the best quality melons are produced when hot, dry conditions prevail. Under humid summer conditions, choosing a site with adequate soil drainage as well as good air drainage can help to ensure the desired quality. It is important to allow the leaf surfaces to dry to control foliar diseases. Fertilizers Keep in mind that excessive nitrogen fertilizer can delay maturity and affect fruit quality, especially in seasons with heavy rainfall. Lime should be applied only if indicated by soil test results so as to maintain a pH of 6.4 to 6.7. Culture The use of black plastic mulch will conserve moisture, control weeds in the row, and assist in an earlier harvest. Hills of two plants or seeds should be spaced three feet apart on the strips of plastic which are placed on five-foot centers. Melon plants can be purchased or started in peat pots or pellets about 25 days before the anticipated planting time. Since melon plants are very sensitive to cold temperatures, they should not be set out until all danger of frost has passed. Muskmelons can also be direct-seeded through holes cut in the plastic, but this can delay harvest. Varieties Many new cultivars are being released by seed companies. Try several new cultivars in addition to these suggestions: Sweet 'N' Early Earlisweet Ball 1776 Burpee Hybrid Gold Star Classic (for northern Ohio plantings) Saticoy Hybrid Iroquois Harper Hybrid Ambrosia Pulsar (Trial) Eastern Star (Trial) Note that no ranking is implied by the order in which these cultivars are listed. Newer cultivars listed in the "Midwestern Vegetable Variety Trial Report for 1991" worthy of trial are as follows: Rising Star Superstar Starship Cordele Caravelle Where garden space is limited, several "bush" type cultivars are available: Rising Sun Retor Anatol Honeybush Insects and Diseases Cucumber beetles (both spotted and striped) are vectors or carriers of a potentially devastating disease known as bacterial wilt. Protecting the plants with insecticides (or row covers until flowering) is necessary, since there are no control measures for bacterial wilt once the plants are infected. Other pests of muskmelons are aphids, flea beetles, and melonworms. Several diseases can be troublesome when raising muskmelons. These include powdery mildew, downy mildew, alternaria leaf spot, anthracnose, and fusarium wilt. Crop rotation, resistant cultivars, and fungicides are important control measures. For assistance in controlling muskmelon insects and diseases, consult your county Extension office. Pollination Home gardeners sometimes ask why the earliest blossoms on their muskmelon vines do not set fruit. The first flowers developing on the vines are male or pollen-bearing flowers. Only the female or pistillate flowers are capable of developing into fruit. Honey bees are the most effective pollinators of muskmelon blossoms. Every effort should be made to protect the bees during the flowering periods to ensure high-quality melons. Harvest The slipping of the stem from the melon with slight finger pressure is an excellent indicator of melon ripeness. Those fruit that show a change of color from green or olive-grey to yellowish brown should be considered ready to harvest. For best quality, walk the patch daily. The author gratefully acknowledges James D. Utzinger, William M. Brooks, and E.C. Wittmeyer on whose original fact sheet this is based Thanks for stopping by!   Healthy Nutrition Growing Herbs Recipes Winter gardening Seeds Tomatoes : Pacific Northwest Gardening : Herbal Beers : Herbs and Natural Remedies : Eat Well To Be Well : Refelting Your Pool Table : Audio Bar and Grill : My Internet Business Strategy : : Healthy Recipe of the Week : My Web Gal :