Cantaloupe thrives in warm weather and needs a long growing season; great news for desert dwellers. Learn how to grow cantaloupe, and add this tasty fruit to your garden and table.
Once cantaloupe is picked, it continues to ripen but does not get any sweeter. When you grow your own cantaloupe, you can pick it at the peak of sweetness. It is so good!

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9 Tips for How to Grow Cantaloupe

1. Choose the best location
Cantaloupe prefers a sunny location with well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. Amend the soil with compost and a balanced organic fertilizer prior to planting.

2. Choose a cantaloupe type suited to your needs
- Ambrosia – sweet variety; resistant to powdery mildew.
- Mini Sugar Cube – disease resistant; small fruits; only 75 days to harvest.
- Hale’s Best Jumbo * – sweet and large; only 80 days to harvest.
- Planter’s Jumbo – does best in hot climates; resistant to powdery mildew.
- Chimayo Melon – Spanish heirloom from New Mexico.
- Hearts of Gold * – Old fashioned variety with sweet flavor; only 80 days to harvest.
- Minnesota Midget – Short-season variety; compact vines.
* = My favorite varieties to grow in the low desert of Arizona.

3. Plant cantaloupe at the correct time
Cantaloupe prefers warm weather, so don’t plant it before temperatures have warmed in the spring. Cantaloupe does best when direct sown. Sow seeds outside about 2 weeks after the last frost date when soil temperatures are about 65℉. In the low desert of Arizona, the best time to plant cantaloupe is from February 15 through July.
In cooler zones, start seeds indoors about 3 weeks before the last frost date, and transplant outside when the soil is at least 65℉ and nighttime temperatures are above 50℉. Be careful not to disturb roots when planting to avoid transplant shock.

4. Reduce chances for pests and disease
- Rotate where you plant cantaloupe and members of the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae), such as other melons, squash, or pumpkins.
- Once fruits have formed, raise them up off the ground with melon cradles or pots; this increases air circulation and helps with rot and insects.
- Grow cantaloupe vertically; they love to climb. Use a melon hammock to support the hanging fruit if desired, but it often isn’t necessary.
- If powdery mildew is a problem, consider growing Ambrosia or other disease-resistant varieties.
- Inspect leaf undersides daily for aphids and other pests. Consider spraying with water or treating with insecticidal soap if problem persists. Read this post for more ideas for pest control.




5. Give cantaloupe plenty of room to grow

- Thin seedlings and keep only the strongest seedling in each group.
- Space plants 24-36 inches apart if left to sprawl on the ground.
- Space plants about 12 inches apart if growing up a trellis.
- If using square foot gardening methods, allow 2-3 square feet for each plant.

Looking for ways to add vertical space to your garden? This post shares 10 of my favorite ideas.

In this blog post, find more ways to add vertical space to your garden.
6. Care for cantaloupe correctly throughout the growing season

- Mulch cantaloupe plants to help retain moisture, regulate temperature, control weeds, and keep fruit clean.
- Water in the morning and avoid getting water on leaves, which can encourage disease.
- Fertilize when vines begin growing.
- Be on the lookout for bees. Male flowers will appear first, followed by female flowers. If female fruit withers and dies, consider hand-pollinating future blooms.

7. Learn how to grow cantaloupe that is sweet and full of flavor
- Don’t overwater while fruit is growing. Too much water (or rain) produces bland-tasting fruit.
- Pick off additional fruit once several fruits have formed. Ripening only one fruit at a time maximizes sweetness. The more fruit ripening on a vine at the same time, the less sweet it will be.
- Do not prune off leaves or shoots. The leaves produce the sugars which sweeten the fruits.
- About a week before melons are ripe, cut back watering as much as possible to concentrate the fruit’s sugars.
- Harvest cantaloupe at the right time (see chart below).


8. Harvest cantaloupe at the right time
Cantaloupe will continue to soften once picked, but it won’t get any sweeter. Leaving it on the vine as long as possible gives you the sweetest flavor.
Not Ready to Harvest | Ready to Harvest | Overripe |
Rind is green or gray | Rind is yellow | Fruit cracks |
“Netting” on cantaloupe is smooth | “Netting” on cantaloupe becomes rough | |
Stem has to be forcibly removed from melon | Stem easily separates from melon | Fruit falls off stem |
End opposite of stem is hard | End opposite of stem is slightly soft; rind has a little “give” | Fruit is mushy or soft |
No aroma | Musky, sweet aroma | Rotten or overripe smell |
Green vines | Tendrils around fruit dry out and turn brown |


9. Don’t let cantaloupe harvests go to waste
Melons last 3-5 days if left at room temperature. Uncut cantaloupe stored at 45℉ to 50℉ lasts up to 2 weeks. Once fruit is cut, it will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

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albert crockett
Wednesday 30th of August 2023
some of my cantaloupes are smaller than others is there a problem in the soil
Kathy Rumfelt
Friday 15th of September 2023
@Angela Judd,
Angela Judd
Thursday 31st of August 2023
You can get your soil tested to see if there are issues, but size variations (especially when there is more than one fruit on the vine) are normal.
al haag
Friday 28th of July 2023
i planted seeds...after 5 days i had sprouts ...after 2 weeks i have nice 5-6 inch high plants...looking good so far... should i let them climb or rest on the ground(the ground would be easier)
Angela Judd
Monday 31st of July 2023
Nice! It's up to you. If you let them sprawl, consider giving them something to rest on to prevent pest damage. Keep an eye on the leaves and check for pests/diseases.
Wendy
Thursday 13th of July 2023
I'm growing two cantaloupe plants for the first time and happened upon your site. They are growing well despite a cold, wet spring in Seattle. Please clarify what sounds inconsistent to me: Spraying foliage with epsom salt water vs not getting leaves wet to prevent mildew (which is unavoidable on squash plants in our humidity). Can this epsom salt water go into the soil instead? Thanks for the practical tips.
Angela Judd
Monday 17th of July 2023
I updated the article, to remove the epsom salt recommendation. I haven't seen a real benefit to using that. Best of luck with your crop!
David
Saturday 17th of June 2023
Thank you for your site Angela. I'm in north Phoenix and had a plant sprout from my compost I used to plant some flowers. I initially thought it was watermelon, but it turned out to be cantalope. . I now have for melons that are about 4" in diameter.
Angela Judd
Wednesday 21st of June 2023
Nice! I love volunteers!
Mike Himelright
Thursday 11th of May 2023
How long does it take to start to have a plant to come up from dirt . I plant the cantilope seeds today 11 May 2023.
James p.
Wednesday 31st of May 2023
@Mike Himelright, they come up within a week usually less , they grow really fast like a watermelon or cucumber vine will.. the vine can get really long so be prepared..i cut old tires in half an let them grow around in circles inside the tire so it saves a lot of space and also keeps the fruit off the ground ..
Angela Judd
Friday 12th of May 2023
Check the seed packet, it will usually give you a days to germination time.