Melons

melon Growing Melons Like other members of the cucurbit family (squash and cucumbers) melons thrive in warm weather, take up lots of space, and need regular, ample water. If you can provide these requirements, home grown melons will reward you with a vine ripened sweetness impossible to find in the market.

If you don’t have a very long warm season, however, look for the earlier maturing hybrids that can be successful in all areas but those with the coolest or shortest summers. Compact varieties with short vines even make it possible to grow melons in a small garden.

Watermelons once considered a long season vegetable can now be grown wherever cantaloupes mature reliably, thanks to new short-season varieties. The quick-maturing types called “icebox” melons have smaller fruits than those sold commercially. The largefruited varieties require 85 to 90 days or more to ripen fully they grow best in the southern states and in warm western interior valleys.

How to plant

Unless you live where summers are long and warm both day and night, start melon seeds indoors in late spring in peat pots, large paper cups that can be torn without disturbing the root ball, or other deep, well drained containers. Cover seeds with 1 inch of soil; they sprout at 75^°. Seedlings will grow very rapidly in a sunny spot or under fluorescent lights, so don’t start them more than two to three weeks before the frost-free date. Transplant carefully; melon seedlings have few roots and are fragile. Set plants 3 to 8 feet apart, depending on variety.

Before planting seeds directly in the ground, wait until you find the soil has warmed to the 70-75^° required to sprout seeds. Plant 1 inch deep in circles of 5 seeds and later thin to 3 plants per circle.

Melons respond dramatically to manure or fine compost in the soil and to being grown on mounds raised 6 inches above garden level for drainage and warmth. Build mounds for three plants by excavating about a bushel of soil, mixing with equal parts of organic matter and refilling the hole. Add a complete garden fertilizer when mixing the soil and feed plants every four to six weeks.

Grow melons in full sun at the side of the garden where the robust vines can be trained away from smaller vegetables. Vines are brittle and break easily, so train them while young.

Care

Mulch around the plants with straw to maintain an even level of soil temperature and moisture and to reduce loss of fruit to rotting. Watch the tips of vines for signs of wilting; then soak around the plants thoroughly.

Harvesting

Here are some clues to ripeness in melons: for cantaloupes, if the stem slips off easily, the melon is ripe. Also, the opposite end softens and the netting becomes thick and corky as the fruit ripens.

For Persian and crenshaw, try the aroma test. Sniff the blossom end; if it smells sweet and fruity, the melon is ready. (Crenshaw can be fully ripe, yet have a green skin.) For honeydew and casaba, pick when the rind has turned deep yellow. The blossom end also tends to become springy instead of firm.

Even the experts are sometimes fooled by watermelons, but these tips can help you pick them at their prime. Rap the melon with your knuckles; a dull “plunk” means the watermelon is probably ready a higher pitched “ping” means wait a few days and thump it again. (This test is most reliable in the early morning.) Also, note the two curly tendrils that extend from the stem nearest the fruit. When these turn brown, the melon is likely to be ripe. Check the light spot on the underside of the fruit. When this turns from white to light yellow, the melon is probably ready. Or, press down firmly on the top of the fruit with the palm of your hand. If you feel the flesh crack inside, it is ready to eat.