Melon leaves are oval to kidney shaped with

five to seven shallow lobes. Plants produce

trailing vines and yellow flowers similar to
cucumbers, but flowers may be male, female, or perfect. There are three botanical
varieties within the species and crosspollination can occur among these.
Muskmelon, C. melo var. reticulous, has orange flesh and a netted rind and is fre-

quently called cantaloupe. However, the

true cantaloupe C. melo var. cantaloupensis
is not grown in the United States and has a
hard, rough, warty, or scaly rind. The lateripening winter melons, C. melo var. inodorus, include casaba, Crenshaw, honeydew, Christmas and Persian melon.
Muskmelon is a popular fruit that is eaten
fresh or can be frozen.

Melons require a long growing season of

90 to 125 days with temperatures averaging between70-80oF. Melons can be direct sown, but will yield a much better
crop if started indoors in late April or early
May and transplanted into the garden in
early June after the soil has warmed.
Vine crops cannot tolerate root disturbances and do not normally transplant
well. Sow the seed indoors inch deep
in 3-inch peat pots using a sterile seedling
mix. You can buy or mix your own sterile
potting mix for starting transplants. The
mix should include peat, sphagnum or
compost to retain moisture; vermiculite or
perlite for aeration; and mineral and nutrient sources to encourage growth after the
first roots form. Germination is in 7-10
days when soil temperature is in the optimum range of 70-85oF. Direct sowing is
not recommended due to our short growing season. Like most vine crops, melons
require even moisture levels to keep from
rotting. The soil should be barely moist to
the touch. Seedlings should be hardened
off before planting, by reducing water
slightly and gradually exposing them to
outside temperatures and sunlight. Vine
crops cannot tolerate cool temperatures,
so be sure to bring them inside the greenhouse if the temperature threatens to dip
below 40-45oF. Space transplants 3 feet
apart in rows 5 foot apart. Space 3 foot
apart in both directions for wide row planting. Plant each seedling on a slight
mound and protect young plants until they
are established from wind and cold
weather with cloches or plastic tunnels.
Planting in raised beds covered with
green or black plastic mulch can produce
ripe melons 2 weeks earlier. Black plastic
mulch is very effective because it absorb
heat, warms the soil, and maintains good

soil moisture levels. The plastic can be

installed when the soil is in good planting
condition, any time from a few days to 2-3
weeks before planting. This will speed
the harvest since the soil will be very
warm when the seeds and transplants are
planted.
Muskmelons may crack during periods of
high humidity, which is common during
summer rainy periods. Poor flavor, and/or
smooth rind is due to cool temperatures;
wet, cloudy weather; poorly adapted varieties; poor soil fertility (especially low
potassium) and picking the melons before
they are ripe. Muskmelons will become
bitter if the temperatures are too high.
After five leaves have developed, pinch
out each growing point to encourage further shoots. When these are well developed, reduce them to about four of the
most vigorous shoots. Train two shoots
on either side, between adjacent plants in
the row. Remove any protective covering
when the plants begin to flower to encourage insect-pollination.
Thin to one fruit per shoot when the fruits
are 1 inch in diameter, and pinch all
sublaterals at two to three leaves beyond
the developing fruits. Pinch out the main
shoots when they are 3 to 4 foot long and
remove any further sublaterals that form.
You can lengthen the growing season by
protecting plants from late spring frosts
and early fall frosts. There are a variety
of ways to prolong the growing season,
including planting on a southern slope,
creating a warmer microclimate using
floating row covers, dark plastic mulch to
warm the soil, clear plastic tunnels, cold
frames, or using windbreaks to shield
plants.

Master
Gardeners
Journal
MG 282
March 1, 2003

MASTER GARDENERS

Culture

Melon

Cucumis melo

Cultivar Selection
Melons were initially bred to resist powdery mildew fungus, but today melons are bred for multiple disease resistance. A wide range
of flavors and sizes is available. Melons mature in 90 to 125 days depending upon the variety. Days to maturity are calculated from
date of direct seeding. Seed Specification: Minimum germination standard: 80%. Usual seed life: 3 years. Approximately

25-40 seeds per gram; 28 grams per ounce.

Irrigation
Melons are shallow-rooted crops and require frequent watering. All vine crops require supplemental irrigation of 1 inch of
water every week in order to assure a constant supply of moisture, particularly during
bloom and fruit development. Soil moisture should not drop below 65%. A handful
of soil at 65% can be formed into a firm
ball. The ball will feel moist, but the soil will
not stick to your hand, and the ball will be
pliable. When broken, the ball will crumble
into medium-sized fragments. Moisture
stress can reduce crop yields. If leaves
begin to wilt midday, plants are moisture

MASTER GARDENERS
stressed. Plants that wilt intermittently may
produce smaller yields, while plants that
wilt frequently or that wilt too long die due
to irreversible cell damage.
Drip irrigation works particularly well with
black plastic mulch. When irrigating vine
crops, it is important to keep water away
from the crown of the plant as even a few
hours of crown wetness can damage the
root system. Water in the morning or early
afternoon so the foliage dries by evening.
This helps prevent the spread of leaf diseases.

Fertility
Melons prefer a soil pH between 6.0 and
6.8; adding lime in SE Wisconsin should
not be necessary. Vine crops require low
nitrogen and high potassium and phosphorous for good fruit development. At planting
time, apply 2 tablespoons per hill of a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or similar

analysis. One week after blossoming begins, side-dress with a 1 tablespoon of 210-0 (ammonium sulfate) or 20-10-10 per
hill, or alternately feed every ten to 14 days
with a liquid feed such as Miracle Grow as
the fruits begin to develop. Reduce watering and feeding as fruits ripen.

Harvest
Harvest muskmelon early in the day, after
the plants are dry. Be careful not to damage the vines. Check for maturity by gently
lifting the melon. If it is ripe it should fully
slip from the stem with slight finger pressure. When ripe, the muskmelon rind
changes from green to tan or yellow between the netting.

ture for a few days. When they are completely ripe, the blossom end yields to pressure.

To harvest Casaba and honeydew, cut

them off the vine after they turn completely
yellow. They will continue to ripen (become
soft and mellow) if kept at room tempera-

Melons should be picked in the cool of the

day and chilled as rapidly as possible to
35oF. Store at 35 oF. and 95% relative humidity.

Persian melons are ripe when they have a

sweet, fruity aroma at the blossom end. If
melons are not yet ripe in September and a
hard frost is predicted, cover the foliage
and immature fruit with newspaper.

Providing university researchbased horticulture information

and educational opportunities
Milwaukee County UW-Extension
932 South 60th Street
West Allis, WI 53214-3346
Phone: (414) 290-2400
Fax: (414) 290-2424
http://milwaukee.uwex.edu

Ozaukee County UW-Extension

Box 994
121 West Main Street
Port Washington, WI 53074
Phone: (262) 284-8288
http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us
/MasterGardener

Compiled By

John T. Kovatch.

Pests
Key pests include two species of cucumber beetles; striped and spotted. The striped cucumber beetles are more serious in Wisconsin. Cucumber beetles are a problem on vine crops because they transmit the bacterial wilt organism. The striped cucumber beetle is
1/5 inch long and yellow-green in color with three black stripes running the length of its body. Spotted cucumber beetles are yellowgreen with 12 black spots on their backs. Non-chemical control can be achieved in small plantings by covering the plants with floating
row covers to keep the beetles out. Make sure you uncover flowering plants to allow the bees to enter and pollinate the plants. If bacterial wilt infections have already occurred, remove the diseased plants immediately to prevent the spread of the disease while insects
are present.

Diseases
Melons are susceptible to many of the common vine diseases, such as Bacterial wilt, Alternaria blight, angular leaf spot, mosaic,
Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, scab, and stem anthracnose. Common control measures include crop rotation, field sanitation, and
fungicide applications. Many diseases can be eliminated or reduced by avoiding overhead watering. Where disease is a known problem, choose resistant varieties. Remove plant refuse and control insect pests. Consult University of Wisconsin - Extension for disease specifics.