How To Grow Cantaloupe
Guidelines on how to grow cantaloupe
Learning how to grow cantaloupe is very easy, although it does take up quite a bit of space in the home garden. There are two ways you can grow cantaloupe. You can either grow them in hills or groups, or you can plant them in rows, similar to how you plant the other veggies in your garden.
If you’re trying to perfect the traditional way of growing cantaloupe, then you may want to try planting them in a hill. To discover how to grow cantaloupe with this method, just plant six seeds per hill. You’ll need to make sure the hills are spaced four to six feet apart. The seeds should be planted about an inch deep. You will probably need to thin out your cantaloupe plants after they sprout. Just pick the strongest plants and weed out the weakest ones.
One problem you may have, especially while you’re learning how to grow cantaloupe, is that they can be hard to harvest if you plant them in hills. This is why you may want to plant them in rows, just like your other vegetables. However, if you decide to plant your cantaloupes in rows, then remember that will need plenty of space for them. Just plant your seeds about three or four inches apart.
If you are especially crunched for space in your garden, you can train your cantaloupes to climb up a trellis. This will save you a lot of space, making room for plenty of other varieties of vegetable in your garden. One expert recommends that you plant the seeds about six inches apart in one row that is eight feet long. After the seedlings sprout, you can then tie them to a fence and sort of help them grow up a trellis. However, this method will take very meticulous planning as you retrain the cantaloupe plants. You may have to tie more and more stems to the trellis to keep them on a path of growing upward. You will also find that growing cantaloupes on a trellis requires quite a bit more water than if you were to grow them the traditional way. Organic mulch around the base of the cantaloupe plants will also help them out, and don’t forget to tie up the stems as the fruit develops. Look for a material that will stretch a bit as the plant grows.
Cantaloupes tend to have quite a long growing season, and it can take most of the summer for them to grow. Most varieties of the cantaloupe take about three months to grow. If you live in an area that does not have a very long growing season, then you may choose to start your cantaloupe seedlings indoors. This is a great way for children to learn how to grow cantaloupe. Just start by planting one seed per pot, using a germination mat to help them sprout. After you’re sure the last frost of the season is past, then you can transplant the seedlings outdoors. Make sure that you plant your seedlings about six inches apart when you move them outdoors.