Hardiness Zone: 8b
Gwyn from Foresthill, CA
Cracking is a problem commonly face by gardeners growing all types of melons. Like all melons, cantaloupes need a constant supply of soil moisture when they are becoming established, and throughout their growth and fruit development stages. If cantaloupes are grown in poorly drained soil, they may split or crack if excessive moisture is persistent at maturity. They may also crack when heavy rain or irrigation follows a dry spell-regardless of how well drained the soil is. Maintaining even soil moisture levels throughout the growing season is the key to avoiding this problem. Cantaloupe crops should not be irrigated when the melons are ripening. Not only will this cause some of the melons to split and crack, but it will also result in lower sugar content and less sweet tasting melons. Sometimes weather conditions make controlling soil moisture difficult. Certain varieties (e.g. Earliqueen, Athena) have been developed to produce rinds that are less resistant to cracking. There are many to choose from, so ask your favorite nursery or seed company what they recommend. Using black plastic or mulch will also help control weeds and moisture levels, as well as keeping soil temperatures nice and warm.
Good luck!
Ellen
This is my first time. I have 1 cantaloupe plant that had grown 3 small cantaloupes where only 1 survived. It is now 2" in diameter. There are lots of flowers, but the fruit beside it is dead. I had some powdery fungus that I have been treating, but it has not infected the entire plant.
A friend told that fruit flies are killing the tiny fruit. The same thing is happening to my tiny zucchini fruit. Do you know what is killing it and how to stop it?
The number of melons produced by a cantaloup vine will depend on growing conditions and the variety planted, as well as, a bit of gardener intervention. This is a page about, "How many cantaloupes grow from a plant?".
Many types of melons and fruits can be grown in containers. Growing cantaloupes in containers is not hard but does require some extra attention.
Several conditions can halt the growth of melons, including temperatures that are too cool, and either too much or too little water. So if your cantaloupes or watermelons stop growing check to see if any of these conditions apply.
I noticed that on some of my cantaloupe plants, the leaves have withered and cracked/broken (see image). Does anyone know what this might be caused by?
Our first cantaloupe. That is a six inch ruler lying by the first picture.
When, as in what month, do you plant cantaloupe seeds? I live in zone 8.
By Kat from TX
My cantaloupe are small, seems to have stopped growing. It had been watered when the yard was, 3x a week, but I've cut it down to 2x a week. Have I over watered it?
Our cantaloupes are not sweet. Why?
By Robert H. from Salem, AL
Maybe the variety, the amount of rain, the temperature conditions, the minerals in your soil, the time picked, or any number of other things. Remember, vidalia onions only get their unique flavor because of the soil in Georgia; if grown any place else, they do not taste the same.
I have long beautiful vines with lots of blossoms, but no fruit. Why?
By Vickey M. from Concord, NC
How far apart do I plant the seeds to grow cantaloupes?
By Pat
How soon can I plant cantaloupe in the spring and what's the best container?
By Bob
We live northeast of Spokane, Washington in zone 5. When should I put the cover on my cantaloupes? It has been hot during the days, but now it is in the high 70s and cooling off at night to in the 40s.
By Betty G.
Your local weather forecast will tell you when there is a chance of frost. 32 degrees is the freezing point. You shouldn't have to worry about covering anything until the weather forecasts say it will be that cold. Even then it will depend on how long the temperature stays that cold.
Here in southeast SD it got down to 32 degrees about 6AM this morning, but didn't stay that cold long enough to be considered a hard freeze. Today it only got up to about 60 degrees. When did you plant them? It seems to me like they should already be harvested. Here in South Dakota, the home grown melons of any type were being sold in roadside stands and stores for more than two weeks.
This is my first time growing cantaloupes and the vines are beautiful with nice large fruit, however, the fruit is not sweet at all. I do not pick them until they are ripe and have come loose from the vine. Do I need to add something to the soil to make them sweeter?
By Karen
I have cantaloupe plants that had bloomed with yellow small flowers. Am I suppose remove the blossoms for the fruit to grow or not? I don't want to kill my fresh produce.
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Trudy from PA
The flowers are what turns into fruit, just like apple blossoms turn into apples, etc.
