Growing Cantaloupes

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cantaloupes

Cantaloupes are a delicious, heat-loving melon with a relatively long growing season, making them especially well-suited for southern gardeners. Here’s how to grow cantaloupes in your garden!

What Is a Cantaloupe?

Cantaloupes are a type of melon with a tan-green rind. Typically, the rind is covered in a spiderweb-like pattern, though some varieties may also be striped. Inside, the flesh is bright orange and sweet. Their growing requirements are similar to that of other popular melons, such as watermelons and honeydew melons.

Cantaloupes vs. Muskmelons

Oddly enough, the melon that is commonly referred to as a “cantaloupe” in North America is not actually a true cantaloupe, which are more common in Europe. In fact, our “cantaloupes” are a type of muskmelon. (True cantaloupe has a rough, warty rind and is not widely grown or commercially available in the US and Canada.)

In North America, the names “muskmelon” and “cantaloupe” are used interchangeably, but we will refer to this fruit simply as “cantaloupe” on this page to avoid confusion!

Cantaloupes sliced

Planting Dates for CANTALOUPES

Planting Calendar for all Plants

Planting

When to Plant Cantaloupes

Cantaloupes may be started from seed or purchased as young plants. In colder regions, starting with young plants is recommended, as it will give you a head start on the growing season.
To start from seed:
- If you are in a colder region, start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. Cantaloupe vines are very tender and should not be transplanted until all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures remain above 60°F (16°C).
- If you live in a warmer climate, you may direct sow seeds outdoors as soon as the soil temperature warms to at least 60°F (16°C).

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

Cantaloupes do best in well-draining soil that’s a mix between loamy and sandy.
Plant in a spot that gets full sun. To produce the best melons, the plants need all the light they can get. Plus, afternoon sun will dry off leaves, reducing the risk of fungal and other diseases that come with wet foliage.
Growing the plants in raised rows—aka “hills”—ensures good drainage.
Amend soil with aged manure or compost before planting. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
Mulching the planting site with black plastic will serve multiple purposes: it will warm the soil ahead of planting, hinder weed growth, and keep developing fruits clean.

How to Plant Cantaloupes

Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 18 inches apart, in hills (or hilled rows) about 3 feet apart.
If you have limited space, vines can be trained up a support, such as a trellis.

Cantaloupes growing

Care

How to Grow Cantaloupes

If a soil test indicates that nutrients are lacking, fertilize with a standard liquid fertilizer when vines start growing and spreading. Later on, avoid nitrogen-heavy fertilizers, as too much nitrogen can result in lots of foliage and less fruit.
Row covers are a good way to keep pests like squash bugs and vine borers at bay.
Watering is key. While the plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches per square foot of water (about 1.5 gallons) per week.
- Water in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves, as wet foliage encourages fungal and other diseases.
- If possible, use drip irrigation to keep plants consistently and evenly watered.
- Mulching around the plants can help to retain moisture.
- Reduce watering once fruits are growing. Hot, dry weather produces the sweetest melons.
- If you’ve had an exceptional amount of rainfall during the ripening stage, this can cause bland fruit.
Once fruit begins to grow, prune end buds off vines. Your plants may produce fewer melons, but they will be larger and of better quality.
Vines produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant. They often begin producing male flowers several weeks before the females appear. (Don’t be discouraged when the first blooms do not produce fruit.)
- As with other cucurbits, melon flowers require pollination to set fruit, so be kind to the bees! Here’s how to pollinate flowers yourself to increase yields (squash flowers are shown as an example, but the principle is the same for melons).
If your muskmelons taste bland, the trouble could be a lack of magnesium in sandy soil. Sweeten the fruit by spraying the vines with this solution: Dissolve 6 ½ tablespoons of Epsom salts and 3 ⅓ tablespoons of borax in 5 gallons of water. Spray the foliage when the vines begin to “run” and again when the fruit is about two inches in diameter.

Pests/Diseases

Harvest/Storage

How and When to Harvest Cantaloupes

When rinds begin to change from green to tan or yellow, the melon is typically ripe enough to pick. Be careful not to pick too early, however.
Look for a crack in the stem where it attaches to the fruit. This is a sign of ripeness as well. The fruit should be easy to separate from the vine, but if they fall off by themselves they are usually overripe.
Harvest melon when vines are dry, and be careful not to damage them.
Melons will soften after harvesting, but will not continue to sweeten off the vine.
Cantaloupe can be stored uncut for 5 or 6 days. If cut, they can last in the refrigerator for about 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic.

Recommended Varieties

‘Ambrosia’ — 85 days to maturity. Among the sweetest varieties.
‘Athena’ — 70-80 days to maturity. Early variety that produces large, 5-6 pound fruits.
‘Hale’s Best Jumbo’ — 80-90 days to maturity. Produces 3-pound, aromatic melons.
‘Minnesota Midget’ — 70-80 days to maturity. Early variety well-suited for gardens in colder regions. Produces 1-pound, sweetly flavored melons.
‘Bush Star’ — 90 days to maturity. Bush variety suits gardeners with limited space.

Wit & Wisdom

Cantaloupe was named for Cantalupo, a former papal villa near Rome.

Recipes

Vegetable Gardener's Handbook

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Reader Comments

Canaloupe

All good info but lacks day to maturity , which would be very helpful in northern areas.

Cantaloupe fall planting

Can I plant cantaloupe to grow as a fall crop in zones 9-10? It is very hot here.

Can cantaloupes grow...

In a greenhouse?

Good manure

I am planting my vegetable garden and was curious about the aged manure it calls for. My grandmothers barn has tons of 15 yr old goat manure. Would that be good for a vegetable garden?

cantaloupe

My betrothed and I wanted to run away and get married but her Mom said we cantaloupe ..

Pickleworm

My vines were off to a great start and I even had 3 fruits set. Then pickleworm infested my vines rapidly. They wiped out all the fruits and most of the leaves, and it took weeks to get them under control. I do have new vines sprouting off the main stem, and even a couple male flowers now. Being so late in the season is there still hope for any yield? I'm bordering zone 9b/10a.

I live in So Cal and have had troubles with melons....

I wonder if it is due to very high day heat and then much cooler (sometimes 50 degrees) at night. Also, have had downey/powdery mildew wipe out most of my curcubits. AND curly top has been a problem, too, though I'm not sure the bugs that cause it like melons. Any ideas? Thanks...

Cantaloupe

How do I grow cantaloupe in a backyard garden? Where do I have to grow it? What do I use and how much?

Cantaloupe I bore

What is I bore and can it be seen. My vines blossom and the next day it looks like something is digging into the root of the plant

Vine Borers

Check out our pest page on Squash Vine Borers for pictures and more information on these pests: https://www.almanac.com/pest/squash-vine-borer

Cantalope

Should I put something under the fruit, like cardboard while fruit is still growing, like watermelon?

Cantalope Protection

Hi David,

Yes, putting cardboard or a towel or tarp under the fruit while it’s growing can help to protect the underside, but it’s not necessary.

I love in Texas it's not hear

I love in Texas it's not hear all the time we have a farmer's market and one gentleman has the sweetest cantaloupe I've ever eaten and his watermelon is excellent the hot sun he is from Pecos Tx!!! I am going to use his seeds thanks for sharing your information!!!!

Seeds didn’t germinate this year

I bought a delicious cantaloupe (musk melon) from Fairway. It was so good I decided to try to grow my own and gathered the seeds, dried them, stored them in a dark space and planted last year in peat pots and then to small garden. Unbelievable - I got a 14 lb for the first one. The rest were 6 & 7 lbr’s. All amazingly delicious. This year I went to my same seeds stored in the same place and planted the same way in pots and out of sunlight to no avail. After 4 weeks I broke open peat pot(s) and none spouted. Can seeds go bad? Any ideas? Thanks

Storing Seeds

That sounds like it was quite a yield last year! Too bad about this year’s seeds. Seeds do go bad eventually (unless frozen and stored professionally), but cantaloupe seeds typically last longer than one or two years if stored properly.

This year, did you plant seeds from last year’s fruit or from the year before? If you planted seeds from last year’s fruit, it’s possible that the plants cross-pollinated with another member of the cucurbit family, producing unviable seeds. However, if you planted that same seeds this year that you have previously had success with, perhaps they were not stored properly or were simply bad seeds. After drying the seeds completely, store them in an air-tight container in a fridge or cool cellar.

French melons

We have a melon vine which has produced a few melons, however the melons are cracking open from the base of the fruit before ripening. What causes this? Can we prevent cracking on future melons?

French Melons

Hi Debbie,

Melons crack due to stress, usually from soil that holds too much water or from inconsistent watering. In the fall, add compost to where you will grow melons next year to make for a well-draining mix. Also, melons enjoy pH of 6.0 to 6.5, so testing the soil never hurts. Plant next year’s melons in mounds 6 to 8 inches high to help with drainage as well. For watering, try to water 1 to 2 inches a week when there is no rain.

thank u for the good and

thank u for the good and point by point information. i am living in south India, Karnataka state. whether it is advisable to grow snap melon in dry hilly area with little water ? which month is suitable to plant seeds? here rain starts at the beginning of june. pl advise me which verity is good . mulching is necessary in dry hill area? watering once in a week is sufficient?

Fall temperatures and ripening muskmelon?

Is there a temperature at which muskmelons will no longer ripen? We are having highs in the 70's this October, with lows in the 50's. But a low of 37 is predicted for one evening later this week, followed by a return to the 50's lows/70's highs. Will temps in the mid/upper 30's stop the ripening process (in which case I'll pick my melons and hope for the best) or will they continue ripening up until frost?

Cantaloupe and Frost

I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, and for the first time have planted cantaloupe in my raised gardens. I have two plants and 5 lovely green cantaloupes. However, we will soon be experiencing frost, and I am wondering how susceptible cantaloupes are to frost. I look forward to receiving an email with an answer. Thank you very much.

Take Cover

Hi, Holly: Like all melons and “water-heavy” fruit, cantaloupes are indeed susceptible to frost. You will want to cover them with blankets or towels at night to help retain the earth’s warmth and then remove same during the day so that they continue to ripen in the sun. Labor-intensive, but it can be done! Good luck and thanks for asking!

Cantaloupe sprinkled with

Cantaloupe sprinkled with fresh ground black pepper is great!

Origin of Rocky Ford cantaloupe 120 years ago

Where did the Rocky Ford cantaloupe seeds originally come from 120 years ago? Cantaloupe were not native plants.

melon history

The modern melon we know today was not imported but was created by the Burpee company who introduced this cultivar in the early 1880s. This was a different kind of melon with a net-like skin covering. It became known as the Rocky Ford melon (named for the region of Colorado). It was landowner, politician, and entrepreneur George Washington Swink who helped built the melon industry; he transformed the region by developing a canal-based irrigation system; he also introduced honeybees to the region and invented the cantaloupe crate. Later, California and other states built up their melon business and surpassed Colorado.
Read more: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0974/ANR-0974.pdf

cantaloupe

I grew cantalopes from seed. I never did this before. I didn't know when to pick it. I picked it and cut it open but is was not ripe yet. Is there anything I can do to make it ripe after already cutting it open and taking seeds out.

unripe melon

Once a cantaloupe is harvested off the vine, it will no longer sweeten. There are a few ways to ripen a whole cantaloupe if it was picked to soon, but not when it has been cut into. For melons already cut, you can try to get it to soften a bit by placing it in a container with a little lemon juice or orange juice. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve (storing at room temperature can encourage bacteria). Use within a day or two.

I am growing muskmelons for

I am growing muskmelons for the first time. I got one round melon and the rest have been flat on the bottom when ripe. Any suggestions as to why this is happening?

flat melon

The most common causes of misshapen melons are poor pollination and/or dry soil or high temperatures. Either one of those extreme weather conditions could have affected your fruit. And the weather could have influenced pollination: it can be (and has been) too hot to achieve effective pollination. In future, try row covers to help to shelter the plant from extreme heat without sacrificing sunlight. The cover also helps to retain moisture—but note that the cover is not a replacement for mulch.

We hope this helps.

I want to work on

I want to work on adaptability of muskmelon on ecological zones. pls kindly help me with relevant materials and guide me on how to be successful in planting to have bumper harvest

Cantaolupe

My cantaloupe was doing really well and all of a sudden the blooms dropped of and the stems started drooping over instead of standing tall as they had previously. Any ideas about what could be causing the issue?