How to Grow Melons in Your Home Garden This Summer

Inside: Melons are easy to grow if you have fertile soil, ample space, and plenty of sun, but they aren’t suitable for every garden. Direct sow melon seeds, water and fertilize them, and look for a strong fragrance and separation from the vine to know when they are ripe.

There’s nothing as delicious as a homegrown melon (Honestly! Those store-bought orange hard chunks are nothing like the sweet and soft melons you’ll grow at home.) I love fruit and vegetable gardening. Growing melons in my garden, it’s right up there with sunflowers and tomatoes and is one of my very favorites. They are also a great money-saver because once you start harvesting them, you won’t need to buy fruit all summer.  

What You’ll Need to be Able to Grow Your Own Melons

Before you start dreaming of fruit salad and watermelon slices all summer, let’s make sure they’re a good fit for your garden. Melons can be a bit high-maintenance, but if you’ve got the right conditions, they’re totally worth it.

Melons need lots of space. First things first: melons need room to roam. They’ve got long, sprawling vines that can take over your garden if you’re not careful. I recommend giving each plant at least a 4×4 foot area to spread out. Make sure you calculate how big of a vegetable garden you will need. If you’re tight on space, you might want to stick to smaller varieties or try vertical gardening.

Melons crave sun and heat. Melons are sun-worshippers. They need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day to thrive. They also love heat, so if you live in a cooler climate, you might need to give them some extra TLC. Some people use black plastic to warm up their soil.

Melons require fertile soil. Melons are heavy feeders, which means they need nutrient-rich soil to grow big and strong. Before planting, I always amend my soil with plenty of compost or well-rotted manure. If you’re not sure about your soil quality, consider getting a soil test or learn how to do your own soil test here to see what nutrients you might be missing.  I also water them with a diluted liquid fertilizer every week or so until they set fruit.

My Favorite Melon Varieties in Zone 7 Garden

Now that you know what melons need to thrive, let’s discuss some of my favorite varieties. I live in Zone 7, which means I have a relatively long growing season and plenty of heat to work with. Here are a few melons that always make me smile:

• “Little Darling” Watermelon: These little cuties are perfect for small gardens or even container growing. They’re about the size of a bowling ball and have super sweet, crisp flesh. The best part is their size. A family can finish one off in one meal without awkwardly storing the rest in your fridge. 
• “Snow Leopard” Honeydew: They have a beautiful mottled green and white rind and sweet, juicy flesh. The vines are vigorous and productive, and the melons are ready to harvest in about 75 days. I love the unique speckled skin of this variety, and the flavor is simply outstanding. Get snow leopard seeds here.
• “Ambrosia” Cantaloupe. Ambrosia cantaloupe is a popular variety that has been super, super productive in my garden. They have a high sugar content, making them very sweet and flavorful. Get ambrosia seeds here.

I grow each of these every single year, without fail. I also tend to try a new one every year. Some others I’ve liked in the past are:

• Sugar Cube (sweet classic cantaloupe): Get sugar cube seeds here.
• Honey Blond (smaller cantaloupe)
• New Orchid (orangey-yellow watermelon): Get new orchid seeds here.
• Crimson Sweet (a classic and large watermelon we like for parties): Get crimson sweet seeds here.

Of course, there are countless other melon varieties out there, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find your own favorites. Just make sure to choose varieties that are well-suited to your growing zone and available space.

When to Plant Melons

Timing is everything when it comes to planting melons. Plant them too early, and they might get zapped by a late frost. Plant them too late, and they might not have enough time to ripen before the cool weather sets in. Learn how to use phenology to observe your environment and determine when is the best time to plant. Here’s what I’ve learned about when to plant melons:

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Growing Vegetables at HomeThe Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You LiveRaised-Bed Gardening for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Sustain a Thriving GardenThe Vegetable Gardening Book: Your complete guide to growing an edible organic garden from seed to harvestThe Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook: Make the Most of Your Growing SeasonThe Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, 2nd Edition: Discover Ed’s High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil

 

Direct Sowing is Better

While you can start melon seeds indoors, I’ve found that direct sowing works best. Melons have sensitive roots that don’t like to be disturbed, so transplanting can be a bit tricky. Plus, direct sowing is way easier and less time-consuming. Just wait until the soil has warmed up to at least 70°F (21°C) and you’re good to go.

They’ll Die in Frost and Love Heat

Melons are not frost-tolerant, so make sure all danger of frost has passed before you plant them. In my Zone 7 garden, I usually plant melons in late April or early May, depending on the weather. Melons also love heat, so if you live in a cooler climate, you might want to wait until even later in the season to plant them. The warmer the soil, the happier your melons will be. But remember, they need a long time to mature!  (This is why they won’t work for short growing seasons)

Melon Growing Basics

Alright, so you’ve got your melon seeds and you’re ready to plant. Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind as you grow your melons:

Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew Care

While there are some differences between watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydews, they all have pretty similar care requirements. They all need plenty of sun, water, and nutrients to thrive. I like to water my melons deeply but infrequently, giving them about 1-2 inches of water per week. I also fertilize them every 3-4 weeks with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to keep them well-fed. You can also make your own at-home fertilizer.

One thing to keep in mind is that melons are prone to fungal diseases, especially if their leaves stay wet for too long. To prevent this, I always water my melons at the base of the plant, rather than from above. I also make sure they have plenty of space for air to circulate around the leaves.

Days to Maturity Varies by Type

Different types of melons have different days to maturity, which means they’ll be ready to harvest at different times. Watermelons typically take the longest, with most varieties needing 80-100 days to mature. Cantaloupes and honeydews are a bit faster, with most varieties maturing in 65-90 days.

Keep in mind that these are just estimates, and your actual harvest time will depend on a lot of factors, like weather and soil conditions. I like to keep track of when I planted my melons and then start checking them for ripeness a week or two before their expected maturity date.

How to Tell When Melons Are Ripe

Knowing when to harvest your melons can be a bit tricky, but there are a few key signs to look for. Here’s how I tell when my melons are ready to pick:

Cantaloupe and Honeydew

Fragrance (for cantaloupes). One of the first signs that a melon is getting close to ripeness is the fragrance. When you walk by your melon patch, you should be able to smell a sweet, fruity aroma wafting through the air. This is more noticeable in the heat of the afternoon. If you smell nothing, your melons probably need a bit more time.

Melons detach from the vine (for cantaloupes). As melons ripen, they start to separate from the vine. For cantaloupes and honeydews, this means that the stem will start to crack and pull away from the fruit. For watermelons, you’ll see a little curly tendril near the stem that will start to dry up and turn brown.

Color shift. (for cantaloupes and honeydew). Both of these melons will lose the green in their rind when they become ripe and it will turn tan or white.

How to Tell Watermelons Are Ripe

Watermelons can be especially tricky to judge, but there are a few extra clues you can look for. First, check the spot where the watermelon was resting on the ground. If it’s a creamy yellow color, that’s a good sign that the melon is ripe. You can also try the thump test – give the watermelon a gentle knock with your knuckles. If it sounds hollow and deep, it’s probably ready to pick. (This will make zero sense to you until you’ve grown them a year or two!)

And, don’t be ashamed if you mess up. Judging a watermelon’s ripeness is hard and we all get it wrong from time to time.

Common Melon-Growing Problems and Solutions

Here are some common melon-growing problems and what you can do to solve them.  Please don’t focus on the negatives and all the things that can possibly go wrong.  Just refer back to this if you do have a problem.

Problem	Cause	Solution	Note
Poor Germination	Cold soil Old or damaged seeds Planting seeds too deep	Warm the soil to at least 70°F (21°C) before planting. Use fresh, high-quality seeds. Plant seeds no more than 1 inch deep.	Melons will germinate MUCH faster when it’s warm.  Don’t plant too early, or they’ll rot,
Wilting Leaves	Lack of water Fungal diseases Insect damage	Water the melons deeply but infrequently, providing about 1-2 inches per week. Apply a fungicide to prevent and treat fungal diseases. Inspect melons regularly for insect damage and treat them as necessary.	On super hot days, they will wilt, even if they’re adequately watered. They’ll bounce back after sundown. If they don’t bounce back, water them in the morning!
Blossom End Rot	Calcium deficiency Irregular watering	Add calcium to the soil before planting. Water the melons consistently and provide about 1-2 inches of water per week.	I struggle with this with my tomatoes all the time, but rarely with melons! (But it does happen.)
Powdery Mildew	Fungal disease Poor air circulation	Apply a fungicide to prevent and treat powdery mildew. Space melon plants to allow for good air circulation.	This becomes more of a problem as nights get cooler, around mid-September.  I typically pull my plants at this point.
Aphids	Quick growth from over-fertilized plants Everyone has some aphids!	Use insecticidal soap or neem oil to control aphids.	The best cure for this is prevention.  Plants lots of flowers to attract beneficial insects and you might notice your aphid problem takes care of itself.
Cucumber Beetles	Attracted to melon plants	Use row covers to protect melons from cucumber beetles. Handpick and destroy cucumber beetles.	N/A
Vine Borers	Insect pests	Use beneficial nematodes to control vine borers. Remove and destroy any infested vines.	N/A

By following these tips, you can overcome common melon-growing problems and enjoy a bountiful harvest of delicious melons.

FAQs

Before we wrap things up, let’s tackle a few common questions that I get asked about growing melons:

Good Luck!

Growing melons can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Like anything, there will be good years and bad years in your garden.  But melons are sweet, fun, and easy to grow if you have the space, the heat, and the sun.

I hope you enjoy the fruits of your labor.