Cucumis melovar.reticulatus
If you ’re a fan of muskmelons , you probably think biting into a slice is the best predilection of summer .
Their juicy , nutritious , and sometimes brightly colored frame is the perfect addition to the piece of cake table , adding flavors that make your mouth water supply when you ’re crave a coolheaded , sweet-scented goody after a barbeque or alongside a buffet of grilled foods .
We associate to vendors to help you find relevant products . If you buy from one of our tie-in , we may earn a perpetration .
European cantaloupe,C. melovar.cantalupensis.
Muskmelons are often thought of interchangeably with cantaloupe , and , even though cantaloupes are in fact muskmelons , not all muskmelons are cantaloupes . Some types see and sample very dissimilar .
You might involve what the genuine difference is between these – so we ’ll overcompensate that , as well as how to constitute , grow , and care for these indispensable summertime fruits .
Here ’s everything we ’ll cover up ahead :
What You’ll Learn
It seems public opinion are a moment polarized among gardeners and consumer – they either love muskmelons and produce them every yr , or do n’t delight their flavor – or supposed deficiency thereof – and want nothing to do with them .
In my own home base , we ’re divided about this ! But if you or others in your dwelling enjoy them , they ’re some of the easiest vine fruits to grow , and you’re able to feel cultivars in a range of sizes and savour .
What Is a Muskmelon?
Muskmelons , Cucumis melovar.reticulatus , are part of theCucurbitaceae family , along withcucumbers , autumn pumpkin , courgette , Mexican dark gherkin , and evenwatermelons .
It ’s a vast family that encompasses thousands of known species and cultivars , the majority of which produce scrambling , trailing , or mounting vines .
The speciesCucumis melois divide into seven botanic variants : cantalupensis , reticulatus , inodorus , flexuosus , conomon , chito , anddudaim .
Only theindorusandreticulatustypes are commonly grown as a commercial solid food rootage in the United States .
Although a large-minded family of melons are often pertain to usually as sweet melon vine , in this guide we will focus on those that technically qualify as muskmelons : thereticulatusgroup .
sweet melon feature netted rinds and the upcountry flesh may be pale unripened to clean , orange , or pink .
They are generally rounded or oblong and range in size from six to nine inches in duration with a weight of four to eight pounds on modal .
internal seeds are narrow and off - white-hot , and referred to in Hindi as kharbuja magaj . In parts of India , it ’s commonplace to eat them in the altogether , roasted , or steam much likepumpkin germ .
Seeds are enclosed in a sleeping room inside the melon vine , sometimes by the 100 . While the leaves are also technically comestible , most are not preferred for consumption .
The hazy , vining , monecious plant life produce small , jaundiced blossoms that are either manlike or distaff . After pollination , single vine can produce as many as six to eight fruits each .
It ’s often believed that the public figure cantaloupe and muskmelon are standardised , but even though cantaloupes fall down into this group , they ’re only one of many types of muskmelon .
The cantaloupe vine that we typically find in American stores are not true cantaloupes , but muskmelons .
American cantaloupe have netted rind , a feature of allC. melovar.reticulatusfruits . They have somewhat sweet-flavored shape that is enhance by foresighted period of exposure to heat , so the hotter the summer , the sweeter the yield .
They ’re typically round off or oblong and the netted rind does n’t usually have ridge . They may or may not grow a musky aroma as they ripen .
you could findcomplete details on how to grow cantaloupe in our scout .
The lawful cantaloup , the EuropeanC. melovar.cantalupensis , has thick , warty rind that may lack netting and often have ridge . They sometimes have immature perpendicular strip as well .
One lesson of a true cantaloupe is the Charentais melon , bred in France in the former 1900s . It has the typical rocky exterior , with erect green ridge and a musky scent . The DoI is often tinge pink , and the chassis has a firm texture and rich flavor .
Let ’s take a quick stroll through history before discussing planting and caretaking , shall we ? It ’s always interesting to determine how our favorite foods have come to have a place on our tables .
Cultivation and History
Archeological grounds from excavation and write records prove that these melons were used in unnumberable ways as long ago as the third century in ancient Persia , Egypt , Rome , Greece , and Spain .
In the recent 1400s , muskmelons were introduced to North America by Columbus . In 1881 , the W. Atlee Burpee company began offering seeds for sale for a mixed bag they dubbed ‘ webby Gem . ’
cultivar have been selectively breed for thicker , firmer human body , better disease resistance , and more uniform size , shape , color , and flavor . Their extremely alimental flesh makes them a staple for home gardeners , containing large amounts of vitamins A and C , and atomic number 19 .
Planting and growing muskmelons is easy . The most of import thing to bear in creative thinker are the duration of the grow time of year and seasonal temperature .
Propagation is done by planting seed – we ’ll cover that next .
Propagation
Seeds are well sown outdoors at the planting site rather than starting them indoors and transpose them out into the garden .
But if your region does n’t have a long enough season to accommodate the month - retentive full stop of growth to gain maturity , you may have to bulge them indoors and move them outdoors later on .
Use biodegradable flowerpot to avoid disturbing the roots when it ’s time to transplant them to their outdoor localisation if start semen inside .
From Seed
Begin about four to six weeks prior to the last auspicate frost day of the month for your area to start seed indoors .
fill up biodegradable pots with a potting mixed bag of one part seed - starting mix to one part sand . I care these Coco Seed Cups that areavailable in packs of 20 from Home Depot .
Coco Seed Cups
obviate pot mixing that check peat as they are dense and not the best alternative for propagate melon germ .
Water the medium well and permit the excess moisture to drain off .
weightlift one to two seeds into the soil per pot , pointed stop down , about three - twenty-five percent to one inch bass . Cover them over with soil .
Place the pots in a propagator or track them with a piece of formative movie , and ride them in a quick station out of direct sunlight .
This domed propagator with an include grow light that’savailable from Super Sprouter via Amazonis a great option that can be recycle .
Super Sprouter Propagation Kit
The light can be switched on after germination fall out .
apply a heat mat to keep grime temperature systematically at 80 ° atomic number 9 and offer a gentle mist of water if the potting mix begins to palpate ironic , but avoid overwatering . Seedlings should go forth in about a calendar week to 10 days and weaker seedlings should be thinned early on .
Direct sowing should be done after the last frost particular date when the stain temperature is at least 65 ° C . you may add a layer of landscaping plastic or fabric to help keep temperatures reproducible and punch hole at about 18 - inch interval .
The stain at the land site should be amended with sand andcompostor manure and water prior to establish . Make a small pitcher at each site , press two to three seed about one column inch deep into the soil in each mound , and incubate them over .
Humidity domes can also be placed over the semen if you ’re implicated about cool evening temperatures or unexpected dusty snaps .
fictile Garden bonce
These plastic clochesfrom Vumdua via Amazonare perfect since they have vents and come up with stakes to keep them in position .
Keep the seedlings protect until temperatures begin to rise , but be sure to ventilate the covers or take away them on hot , cheery days since they can cause wilt and overheating .
Be sure to keep the undercoat moist but not wet until the seedlings originate to bring about true leaves . After that , extend enough H2O to prevent the ground from dry out wholly . I ’ll cover this in more contingent in the How to Grow section below .
We have a cracking list of suggest supplies for seed start up here .
From Seedlings/Transplanting
Once your plants have two sets of true leafage , begin hardening them off .
localise them outdoors in a fly-by-night locating for a few hours , and reprise this each twenty-four hour period for a week , gradually moving them into more direct sunshine for longer periods .
Depending on the seasonal temperature in your neighborhood , seedlings should be moved out of doors between April and June when the reason is systematically ardent , and the peril of Robert Lee Frost has make it .
Prepare the planting site by amending with guts and compost . Till or rake it well to relax and make holes as late as the roots or pots at 18 - column inch separation .
If you ’ve used biodegradable potful , simply place the entire pot into the hole and mound the dirt but avoid swallow up the stems .
If you used a jail cell tray or plastic pots , carefully turn the seedlings out of their containers and head off handling or damaging the roots . Place them in the hole and gently mound grease around the works , but again , do n’t inhume the stem .
Water them in with a wand to nullify wetting the foliage . put up pee whenever the surface of the soil begin to feel slimly dry .
How to Grow
It ’s gentle to grow muskmelons , but you ’ll desire to keep a few main stop in mind for the best event , and a fertile harvest home .
observe before you commence that sweet melon alter in their time to maturity . Some may be quick for crop in about 40 days , but others can take 90 days or more to full ripen .
Be sure that you hump how long the growing menstruation is for the diverseness that you opt , and plant accordingly so you do n’t lose your crop to Robert Frost .
Soil
The soil at the planting site should be loose and loamy , but sand is an authoritative constituent to increase friability .
Melons do n’t fly high in soggy environments and prefer warm , well - drained filth , but they call for somewhat consistent moisture throughout the time of year .
Clay or heavy , compress soil should be tilled and repair prior to planting . If you have generally inadequate soil , raised seam growingis also an option .
Test your soil ahead of plantingto ensure the ground pH is between 6.0 and 6.8 and name any nutrient deficiencies .
Prior to planting , tote up a three- to four - in - mysterious stratum of compost to the situation to aid in warm the soil and increasing available nutrients .
Temperature
A long , red-hot time of year with temperature in the 80 to 85 ° F chain of mountains is a must . Look for the sunniest , warmest zone of your garden and plant them there .
If you live in a place that does n’t experience gamy heat in the summer months , you may need to bring a layer of smutty credit card or cloth to the ground to beget enough warmth .
you could find three - millimeter charge plate sheeting in a roll 10 feet encompassing by 25 feet longavailable from HDX via Home Depot .
Black Plastic Sheeting
Roll it over the quarrel , bet or press it down , and cut a hole at each planting site .
If you ’d prefer not to use plastic in the garden , or you be in an area that experiences temperatures that typically go above the optimal ambit , a three- to four - inch - thicklayer of straw mulchcan be distribute early in the time of year to reflect spark and keep the planting field nerveless .
extra sun protection such as shade fabric may be necessary if temperature go up above 90 ° F for an extended period of metre . Otherwise , you may see some bud and blossom drop or wilt happening .
Spacing
Space plants 18 inches apart in words five to six feet aside . It ’s best to avoid overcrowding as this may lead to issues with fungous disease as well as piteous product and melons that are savorless in flavor .
If you do n’t have much uncommitted undercoat and prefer totrellis and develop vines vertically , that ’s also an option .
Trellising
You ’ll demand a stout bodily structure , such as one made of Mrs. Henry Wood or metallic element . An A - skeleton trellis work out well for this function .
laborious fruits on trellised vine may necessitate extra support , such as hammock made of stretchy cloth like nylon pantyhose tied under each fruit .
The mound should be tied on when the melon are still modest and loosely hung to earmark way for expansion .
Avoid using fabric that hold wet or do n’t transpire as they will surely cause rotting .
Watering
As I mentioned , passable moisture is super authoritative for Cucumis melo , specially during early outgrowth and bloom .
supply aboutone to two inches of water per weekin the absence seizure of rain , or slightly more in metre of high heat .
As the fruit begins to fructify , repress the amount offered to about one column inch per calendar week , and continue point off irrigation gradually as the fruits approach ripeness . We ’ll talk over how to recite if they ’re advanced and how to reap in just a second .
Fertilizing
sum compost to the bed or site prior to planting is good to increase useable nutrients for new plant .
When bud begin to form – typically within three to four hebdomad of planting – apply another bed of compost two to three inches deep , but void pile it around plant life stems .
Jobe ’s Organic Fruit and Citrus Fertilizer
you could also use a box fertilizer , such as Jobe ’s Organic Fruit and Citrus Fertilizer with Biozome ( 3 - 5 - 5 NPK ) . It’savailable in four - pound packages from Home Depot .
A low - nitrogen plant food such as this works best to prevent overproduction of leaf . go for it every two months or so throughout the arise time of year , according to package instruction manual .
Trimming
Rather than countenance the vine bring forth to maximal capacity , they can be trimmed back after the 2d or third yield set out to acquire .
Trim the ending of the vine after the leafage node following the last yield . This will allow energy to be disport to producing larger , more flavorful fruit , rather than expending it on farm long , trailing vines .
Any blossoms that come out after the vine has been trimmed can be pinched off to divert that energy as well .
Growing Tips
Cultivars to Select
There are many different types of muskmelon to choose from .
I ’ll cover a few that are pop choices for household growing , but carry in mind that this is a small sampling of available form .
Hale’s Best Jumbo
‘ Hale ’s Best Jumbo ’ is an heirloom cultivar introduce in the 1920s . It features three- to five - pound , orangeness - fleshed ellipse fruits with a mellisonant smack .
‘ Hale ’s Best Jumbo ’
The vines farm up to six foundation long and fruits are ready to harvest after 80 to 85 days .
you may ascertain packets of 200 seedsavailable at Burpee .
Hearts of Gold
‘ Hearts of Gold ’ is an heirloom form that is frequently chosen for the home garden . Its large , two- to three - quid heavily sack up fruits have tenuous rinds and deep orange , sweet material body .
‘ Hearts of Gold ’
This cultivar is an excellent choice if you have a shorter produce season as it only necessitate about 80 days to reach maturity .
breed from ‘ Osage ’ and ‘ webbed precious stone , ’ you’re able to expect vine of at least six feet and fertile works – with right caretaking , of course .
Find one - gram packets of seedavailable from Botanical Interests .
Rocky Ford
‘ Rocky Ford ’ aka ‘ Eden Gem ’ is a vigorous heirloom cultivar that produces two- to three - hammering fruits with clear green flesh and a perfumed , slightly spicy flavour .
‘ Rocky Ford ’
vine grow at least six foot long and fruits are ready to glean in 85 to 95 day .
you may find seeds in a variety of packet sizesavailable from Eden Brothers .
If you want to learn more about other eccentric of melon available , take a look atour guide to 33 of the best varieties to produce at menage .
Managing Pests and Disease
Muskmelons are susceptible to several unlike case of pestis and disease , although some types have been bred for resistance .
Some of these are vexatious but easily dealt with , while others can wreck your harvest home and destroy your vines if the problem ’s not caught early on .
Animals
There are quite a few animals that enjoy melon vine as much as you believably do .
birdie , deer , chipmunks , groundhogs , raccoons , and , of course of study , squirrels , may all have a go at nibbling through the rinds to get at the sweet flesh at bottom .
Trellising the vines and enfold the yield in nylon as they mature can forestall some issues , but it can be pretty tough to keep these furred yield fiend out of your garden and off of your produce .
By far , the easiest way to protect your works is tobuild a fenceor use rowing cover that keep them out of reach .
Otherwise , you might consider planting some impediment crops specific to the animals you ’re dealing with .
Insects
Pests are common in the garden and no less so when you ’re produce sweet melon .
Aphids , wanderer mites , cucumber beetle , cutworms , andsquash bugsare all potential guests that you may come across among your vine . Check out our template to ascertain how to deal with these .
Keep a close eye out for preindication of destruction that may mean you have an infestation .
Discoloration , stunted growth , holes or spots on leave of absence or in vine , and the spreadhead of disease may indicate that you have unwelcome guests making the rounds .
Disease
unluckily , there are quite a few malady to be on the lookout for as well . And , just as with other outcome that can arise , some can be devastating .
Alternaria foliage blight , downy mould , fusarium wilt , mosaic viruses , andpowdery mildewmay befall your patch .
These disease are particularly important to deal with quickly if you have other cucurbit or susceptible plants growing in close propinquity , because pathogens can often spread and destroy your garden .
Take a look at ourcantaloupe growing usher for information on these diseasesand how to deal with them .
Harvesting
There are a twosome of ways to figure out when your muskmelons are ripe and ready to reap .
First , keep racetrack of the planting dateand count out the number of days to due date of the cultivar you are growing to give you a aim harvest date .
Around the see maturity engagement , ensure on the melons day by day . you could apply some gentle pressure to the stems where they attach to the yield ; if they ’re ripe , the stem will release , or slip , reassure you that they ’re mature for the picking .
to boot , some types can look dark or brighter in coloring when they ’re ready to pick . change in people of colour are signals that the fruit may be ripe .
Handle the fruit gently as they can suffer bruising if they ’re drop or jostle together . get them indoors and immediately sanitize them , as the rind can harbor dangerous bacterium such as salmonella and listeria .
you could use a gallon of water ignite to at least 180 ° F with about two cups of white vinegar bring to submerge and soak for about 10 minutes . After soaking , scrub the rind under hot running water using a coppice for about one minute .
now succeed sanitizing , dry the fruit and move it to the refrigerator or ready it for use of goods and services if you favor to eat it mightily away .
Preserving
If you ’re not sure where to bulge to fix a muskmelon , you’re able to find a handy guide on how to cut a cantaloupeon our sister internet site , Foodal .
If you ’re not quick to utilize it immediately , those cut pieces can be spread on wax paper on a cookie sheet and placed in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes .
Once the exterior is frozen , the pieces can be placed into a goose egg - top congius cup of tea and frozen for several months . Though the lineament will decline , stock-still melon is first-class in a smoothie .
Cut fruit will only last in the refrigerator for a few days before it start out to spoil , but a whole melon will last for about a week to 10 day . Be certain to sue and freeze the flesh if you ca n’t use it in time .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
I ’ve been looking forwards to this dowery of the template from the beginning !
You may be under the stamp , as a lot of people are , that muskmelons are only utile if you wish to eat them fresh – and , to be just , eating them straight off from the rind or impart the cut pieces to a fruit salad is probably the well-to-do and most coarse means to enjoy them .
And , of course , this is a perfectly serviceable option . But , let me tell apart you – these nutritious summertime globe areversatile .
you’re able to wrap cantaloupe slices in prosciutto and function them with other sweet and savory meats , olives , snapper , and tall mallow .
Sweeter varieties can be blended in a food processor with a bit of heavy pick and honey or sugar and quick-frozen for an ice coldness , fruity summertime ice cream .
Or , neglect the cream and only freeze out the pureed yield and dough or dear for a light , refreshing water ice .
Skewer melon balls and add them to a lick arena full of sangria at your pond party . Mix them with other fruit , such asstrawberries , grapes , andpeaches , if you ’d like .
add up a handful of frozen cube to a blender with a splattering of sweet almond , cocoa palm , or oat milk and a drizzle of honey or maple sirup and meld it into a pleasant-tasting sweet talker – or , substitute the milk for Greek yoghourt for a thicker , spoonful - able treat .
interchange puree in place of other yield such bananas or applesauce in dinero recipes for an unexpected flavor .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Magnificent Muskmelons!
So , was I right ? Do you have a favorite variety in mind that you ’re contrive to rise this time of year ? Or are you hoping to strain more than one to see which you like most ?
You might also be concerned in learningmore about get other types of melon vine , so match out these guides next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photos via Botanical Interests , Burpee , Eden Brothers , Home Depot , Super Sprouter , and Vumdua . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock . With extra writing and editing by Clare Groom .
About
Kelly Spicer
