Melon

Overview:

Melons originated in Africa and southwest Asia, but made their way across Europe nearing the end of the Roman Empire. They were brought over with the earliest pilgrims to the Americas. There are many different kinds of melons, and each have a unique personality of taste, but all are grown similarly. Growing your own melons is very rewarding to both your taste buds and your garden ego.

Planting and Growing:

Before planting, amend the soil with plenty of organic matter. Leaves in the fall are a great way to add free, organic matter. Melons prefer well-drained fertile soil, with lots of sunshine. Give the melons enough room to spread out, and plenty of sun.

Start melons inside 3 weeks before the last frost, but not too early as they don't transplant well, especially when the seedlings get very large. About the same time, as you start the seeds inside, go out to your garden and cover the soil with a clear, plastic cover. This will raise the temperature of the soil to get ready for the melons, as they love the heat. This will also cause any weed seeds to germinate and show their faces. Before planting, pull all weeds.

Transplant outdoors when seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves and soil temperatures reach 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). Place the transplant at soil level, not any deeper. Then, dig a hole to the side and a little deeper than the transplant, and put a handful of fertilizer to give it a boost when the roots reach it.

If you are in a warm climate it is best to just directly sow the seeds outdoors when soil temperatures reach about 70 degrees F (21 degrees C).

Plastic mulches raise soil temperature and help control weeds. Lay the plastic over the area where melons will be grown, and secure the edges with soil. Slice "X" shaped slits to plant the seeds or transplants. If organic mulch will be used instead, do not lay it down until the soil warms up past 75 degrees F (23 degrees C).

Row covers are great to use on melons as well. Spread over the top of the plants, but support the cover with a PVC pipe so it doesn't lie on top of the young plants. Secure the edges with dirt and rocks. Row cover raises the temperature underneath about 10 degrees F (12 degrees C) and enhances the early growth, which produces a better end product. Remove the cover when the flowers start to bloom or if the temperature reaches 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). When using row cover in conjunction with black plastic, seeds or transplants can be set out about 2-3 weeks before the last frost.

Use drip irrigation, if possible, and mulch around the plants to control the soil temperature and conserve moisture. Water deeply at least 1-2" (2.5-5 cm) and reduce water as they start to ripen.

Harvesting and Preserving:

Melons take about 35-45 days to mature from flowering. The most difficult part of growing melons can be determining when they are ripe. Watermelons are ripe when the curly tendril opposite of the watermelon stem is dried out, and the bottom of the watermelon is turning yellow. Watermelons will store for 1-2 weeks after picking, if stored in the refrigerator.
Other melons are ripe when the rind turns from green to yellow, and the stem easily separates from the vine.