Q&A for How to Grow Cantaloupe

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Should I snip the end of each vine to stop it from growing? Would this promote better yield of melons?

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.

Andrew Carberry, MPH

Food Systems Expert

Expert Answer

Studies show that cutting the vines back doesn't increase fruit yield. The plant needs all of its leaves to create sugars for the melons.

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Question

How do you know when cantaloupes are ready to be picked?

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.

Andrew Carberry, MPH

Food Systems Expert

Expert Answer

As they ripen, cantaloupes will start to smell sweeter. Try smelling them up close and you'll notice a difference when they are ripe.

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Question

Should I pick the blossoms off the vine while the plant is fruiting?

Community Answer

No, the fruit comes from the flower. Male and female flowers depend on each other for fertilization. Only pick them off if you don't want any fruit.

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Question

Could the runners be cut off without any harm to the plant? Also, would trimming excessive runners help in making fruit?

Community Answer

My experience is that on each vine, the male flowers come in a series first, and then the female blossoms. So if you are considering shortening the vines, DON'T. My experience has been the plant thinks it's dying when the vines are clipped, and so things start to ripen rather than grow bigger. If you want to produce better or more fruit, I wouldn't twist, pinch or clip the vines.

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Question

I am growing melons on black plastic. How can I stop my vines from dying as soon as the melons start to get ripe?

Community Answer

Grow them in your garden. Black plastic will have your melons ripen prematurely and that'll spoil it.

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Question

Can cantaloupes be picked when green?

Community Answer

Yes, but you'll have to let it sit for a while. Pick it when it's mostly yellow but still has some green.

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Question

Is there a way to make my cantaloupe plant self-pollinate?

Community Answer

Touch the inside of every blossom with a tiny brush. Pick up the pollen and transfer it to every flower.

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Question

My cantaloupes are really producing, but the larger ones are sitting on my concrete. Is this a problem?

Community Answer

If you have some old towels or clothes, just fold them a few times and put them under the melons. If they are in full sun, they could be getting too hot sitting on the concrete.

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Question

How many times do you water a cantaloupe plant in a day?

Community Answer

The soil surrounding your plant should always be moist, but not standing in water.

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Question

How long does it take to produce melons from blossoms? My plants are 8-10 weeks old and have lots of blossoms but no melons yet.

Community Answer

The plant needs about 45 to 60 days to grow fruit and about 90 to 115 days for it to blossom.

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Question

Would straw under the vines help keep fruit off the ground?

Community Answer

Straw might promote mold and other diseases; use chicken wire or a short trellis so air can flow.

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Question

I want to trellis our cantaloupe horizontal slightly above the ground. How high should the trellis be? And how far apart should each plant be?

Community Answer

No matter how high it is, the trellis mustn't touch the ground to avoid soil-dwelling critters. You should tie them gently on the trellis. As long as the vines are sprawling rampantly, you should tie them continuously to guide them along the trellis. Remember the trellis must be sturdy for melon's heavy support. You should plant them at every side of the trellis if possible, or 1 - 2 feet apart from each other to prevent overcrowding network of vines.

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Question

Can cantaloupes tolerate shade, or do they need full sun?

Community Answer

They are considered primarily summer crops, so they must be planted in a location with 6-8 hours of sunlight every day.

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Question

How can I protect the melons from cold night time temperatures while they are ripening?

Mark Ransdell

Community Answer

Cover them with clear plastic only while the temperature is freezing, then uncover when warmed up.

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Question

Can I plant the stems deeper than what they are in the pot, like I do with tomatoes?

Community Answer

No, you should not do that. They would rot.

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Question

How do I know when the fruit is ready to pick?

crystalize44

Community Answer

The cantaloupe should be yellow and some green. There should be some cracks in the stem. If it has completely fallen off of the stem, it is overripe.

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Question

How do I know when to pick cantaloupe?

crystalize44

Community Answer

The cantaloupe should be yellow with some green. Some cracks should be in the stem. If it has completely fallen off of the stem, it is overripe.

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Question

Is it okay to cut the vine back to where the melon is?

crystalize44

Community Answer

Cutting the vines will result in the melon ripening, but not growing bigger. If you want a ripe, big, sweet cantaloupe, don't cut off the vines.

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Question

Is it okay for cantaloupe to sit on tin while it ripens?

Community Answer

Yes, that is fine.

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Question

How long does it take for cantaloupe to ripen?

Community Answer

Different varieties mature at different rates, but most starts will have an information tag, as do the seed packs. Of course, the climate and weather of your area can greatly affect the actual results for your plantings.

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Question

Can I use a cotton ear swab instead of a tiny brush for self pollination?

Community Answer

Yes. Gently swab male flowers and then transfer the pollen to female flowers.

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Question

Something is gnawing vines off my main vine. What do I do?

Community Answer

Try setting up chicken wire around the main vine. If the creature is able to get through the chicken wire, you might want to consider setting up a game camera or the like to see what you are up against. If it is a small insect or something like that, then look for organic pesticide or "bug off" spray.

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Question

What color will the cantaloupe be when it is ready to be picked?

crystalize44

Community Answer

The cantaloupe should be yellow or yellowish-green. There should not be many cracks in the stem. If it has completely fallen off of the stem, it is overripe.

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Question

My single cantaloupe melon has lots of flowers, and grows small, grape sized fruits that turn yellow and then drop off. What's wrong with it?

Community Answer

My understanding is that the melon hadn't germinated. Take a paintbrush to a male flower and then use the pollen from it on the flower of the female flower. I lost a lot of cantaloupe until I did that. Also, if you are using a sprinkler system (like I did), it makes it hard for the flowers to germinate. I switched to a drip method.

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Question

How do I get sweeter melons?

crystalize44

Community Answer

Try smelling the melons. Pay attention to the leaves, too. The melons will smell sweeter and sweeter. Pick them at the right time. Check the leaves to see if they are diseased and not how they are supposed to be. They should be one color, dark green. If amber juice is coming out of the cracks in the stem, that is bad.

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Question

If my cantaloupe plant got cut, will it continue to grow?

Community Answer

Maybe, but fruit won't be very good and you may have cut off male flowers. Leave them to roam.

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Question

What do I do if my cantaloupe is turning yellow and falling off the plant?

crystalize44

Community Answer

If your cantaloupe is yellow, that's fine. It's also fine that it's falling off. Harvest it before it falls off completely, though.

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Question

What do I do to prevent fruit from bruising while lying on the ground?

Community Answer

You can grow on a trellis. I find that I can grow great melons by putting fruit on boards or tin cans when they first appear. This keeps them off moist ground (which causes rot) and helps keep insects from damaging them.

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Question

When can I transplant a cantaloupe plant once it begins to grow outdoors, to give it more room to grow?

Markloiuslejano

Community Answer

Find a sunny area with loamy soil, then harden off the seedlings. After hardening off, transplant them in the evening for best results.

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Question

How many cantaloupes grow per plant?

Community Answer

Look to trail four runners each off each plant. For each runner, allow up to four melons to set before pinching off.

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