Growing Melons: Techniques for Cooler Climates, Planting, and Choosing Tasty Varieties
© Keith Muraoka
Cooler temperatures tend to produce small melons that are not very sweet, but there are gardening techniques that can help. Plant your melon seeds outside in May. Seeds started indoors earlier grow slowly and don’t transplant well.
If lack of heat is a problem, use infrared-transmitting plastic mulch or black plastic mulch to warm roots, especially at night. They have the added benefit of discouraging water-sapping weeds. Simply cut slits in the plastic for the seeds. Powdery mildew in cooler weather requires you spray leaves with water-tolerant sulphur.
How to Plant Melons Successfully
Melons need plenty of compost and well-rotted manure. Use raised beds or mounds for best results. You can also try growing melons in personal planters or old tires that absorb heat and can be filled with organic-rich compost that “raises” the soil level.
Melons also require generous amounts of water in order to support quick vine growth in early summer. Use soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system to provide sufficient water. However, once the first fruit ripens, cut back on watering. Too much water at ripening time will dilute the fruit’s sugars.
Choosing Varieties of Melon to Plant
All melons – watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydew or crenshaw – are all easily planted by seed. Already-started melons sometimes can be found at local garden centers, but seed provides more of a choice. You can go with more exotic types or the newer seedless watermelon varieties like “Icebox” or “Sugar Baby.”
Ralph Riddle at the McClellan Ranch in Cupertino, California rates “Earliqueen,” with the highest sugar content and a medium fine texture, first and “Burpee F1 Hybrid” second with a sweet flavor and a slightly softer texture. “Galia,” an Israeli melon, also ranked high with a green flesh and sweet aroma. “Honey Pearl” was the only honeydew to make a good ranking.
If lack of heat is a problem, use infrared-transmitting plastic mulch or black plastic mulch to warm roots, especially at night. They have the added benefit of discouraging water-sapping weeds. Simply cut slits in the plastic for the seeds. Powdery mildew in cooler weather requires you spray leaves with water-tolerant sulphur.
How to Plant Melons Successfully
Melons need plenty of compost and well-rotted manure. Use raised beds or mounds for best results. You can also try growing melons in personal planters or old tires that absorb heat and can be filled with organic-rich compost that “raises” the soil level.
Melons also require generous amounts of water in order to support quick vine growth in early summer. Use soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system to provide sufficient water. However, once the first fruit ripens, cut back on watering. Too much water at ripening time will dilute the fruit’s sugars.
Choosing Varieties of Melon to Plant
All melons – watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydew or crenshaw – are all easily planted by seed. Already-started melons sometimes can be found at local garden centers, but seed provides more of a choice. You can go with more exotic types or the newer seedless watermelon varieties like “Icebox” or “Sugar Baby.”
Ralph Riddle at the McClellan Ranch in Cupertino, California rates “Earliqueen,” with the highest sugar content and a medium fine texture, first and “Burpee F1 Hybrid” second with a sweet flavor and a slightly softer texture. “Galia,” an Israeli melon, also ranked high with a green flesh and sweet aroma. “Honey Pearl” was the only honeydew to make a good ranking.
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