15 Gardening Tips for Growing Melons

Tip 1: Know your melons and what they want. ...
Tip 2: Start your melon seedlings indoors. ...
Tip 3: Transplant melons when ready, not before. ...
Tip 4: Removable row covers are useful for melons. ...
Tip 5: Use soil heating methods to increase melon size and yields. ...
Tip 6: Keep the soil perfect.

What is the best time to plant melon?
How do you increase melon growth?
What is the best fertilizer for melons?
What is the easiest melon to grow?
How late can you plant melons?
What month do you plant cucumbers?
Can you grow melons in pots?
Why are my melons small?
Why are my melon plants dying?
How often should you water melons?
What kind of fertilizer is 20/20 20?
How do you increase watermelon fruit size?

What is the best time to plant melon?

For best performance, plant melons in hot, sunny locations with fertile, well drained soils. Plant melon seeds 1 week to 10 days before the last spring frost date. Watermelon and honeydew are more cold-sensitive than cantaloupe. Melons will not all ripen at the same time, so plan to pick them as they become ready.

How do you increase melon growth?

To encourage strong growth, blend 4 to 6 inches of composted manure into your melon beds prior to planting. Then add a balanced organic fertilizer (such as a mixed blood meal/bone meal product) every 3 to 4 weeks.

What is the best fertilizer for melons?

The Best Fertilizer for Melons

Planting. Melons are very sensitive to cold and require late spring plantings if they're to survive. ...
Fertilizer. Ohio State University recommends a phosphorous- and potassium-heavy fertilizer for melons, with a mixture of 5-10-15 or 10-15-20 to enhance growth, flowering and fruiting.
Application.

What is the easiest melon to grow?

Watermelons tend to be the easiest melons to grow in organic gardens because of their pest and disease resistance. American cantaloupes, properly called muskmelons because of their fruity fragrance, produce 75 to 85 days after planting.

How late can you plant melons?

Winter melons are grown during the summer, but not ready for harvest until late summer through early winter. Sow late melon seeds directly into the garden in spring, two weeks after the last expected frost date or start seed indoors six weeks before time to transplant into the garden.

What month do you plant cucumbers?

Sow cucumber seed in the garden or set out transplants 3 to 4 weeks after the average last frost date in spring. The ideal soil temperature for growing cucumbers is 70°F (21°C). Sow cucumber seed indoors as early as 6 weeks before transplanting into the garden.

Can you grow melons in pots?

While you can grow full-size melons in containers, you'll get the best results with dwarf cultivars that produce smaller fruits and shorter vines.

Why are my melons small?

Temperature – Watermelons like it hot, between 60-70 degrees F. ... If temperatures are low in your area, this may very possibly be the reason for small watermelons. Pests and disease – If you have small, misshapen fruit, the culprit might be an aphid infestation. The aphids act as vectors introducing the mosaic virus.

Why are my melon plants dying?

The most common cause of wilting on melon and cucumber is the cucurbit bacterial wilt. This is a bacterial disease that's transmitted by the striped and spotted cucumber beetles. The first symptoms of wilt are droopy leaves on a single vine or entire plant. ... Squash can also become infected with bacterial wilt.

How often should you water melons?

While melon plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Keep soil moist, but not waterlogged. Water at the vine's base in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering. Reduce watering once fruit are growing.

What kind of fertilizer is 20/20 20?

Our 20 20 20 Garden Fertilizer is a multi-purpose, premium fertilizer that can be used at all stages of plant growth in the vegetable garden. It contains equal amounts of nitrogen (20%), phosphorous (20%) and potassium (20%) to provide a balanced formula for your vegetable plants.

How do you increase watermelon fruit size?

To maximize the size of the melons, water the plants at the base in regular, deep-watering sessions that keep the soil moist. Side dress the watermelon plants with fertilizer designed for edible crops or compost tea to feed the plants. The fertilizer encourages growth to get larger melons.