Vegetable:
Melon
1. When – Plant in summer. Melons do best when night time temperatures are above 55 degrees, and daytime temperatures are around 80 degrees.
2. Where – 6-8 hours of full sun. A trellis for the plants to climb on is useful to assist with harvesting later on. Also a trellis helps prevent diseases that the melon plant can pick up by growing along the ground.
3. How -Melons grow well in mounds. Dig a 1 ft deep and 2 ft wide hole. Fill the hole half way with rich compost, then add the native soil back to the hole in a mound. The mound should be about 6 inches tall and 6 ft apart, as the melons can grow quite large. If using a trellising method the mounds can be closer. When growing larger melons the spacing should be farther apart (approx. 10ft).
4. Harvesting – To know if your melon is ripe press gently on the bottom side, if it is soft then it is ready to eat. If your finger goes through the bottom of the melon it is over ripe.
5. Tips – Fertilize with 5-10-5 around each hill. A trellis is highly recommended, diseases such as powdery mildew is common to pick up off the ground. When melons start to get large and close to harvest they may require additional support as the melon can become very heavy.
Type:
Annual
Time to harvest:
80-90 days
Plant Origin:
Asia around 3,000 years ago
How to Cultivate 