Planting melons: cantaloupe melon, honeydew melon & Co.

Melons love warmth. But with a little care, suitable varieties can also grow and thrive in this country. We have expert tips ready for you.

watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) and cantaloupes (Cucumis melo) are considered sweet refreshments in hot summers and are very popular in Germany. But although the majority is imported from warmer countries, melons can also be grown in our latitudes. There is a wide range of varieties and variations that you can cultivate in your own garden with a few tricks. We show you the best way to proceed from rearing to harvesting.

Planting melons: location, timing and procedure

Basically, it should be noted that success in growing melons depends heavily on choosing the right location. The timing of planting outdoors also plays an important role, as melon plants are very sensitive to cold.

The perfect location for melons

In Germany, melons can only be grown outdoors if sufficient heat is provided. It is therefore worth growing in a greenhouse in harsh areas, but planting out in the bed should not be a problem in a wine-growing climate. When planting outdoors, make sure you choose a sunny, warm spot that is sheltered from the wind. The soil should also be able to warm up quickly - a loose soil structure is always advantageous.

Since melons in the garden are considered heavy feeders, the soil should also be very humus and rich in nutrients. Both sandy and very clayey soils need a lot of compost or a high-quality compost soil like ours for a successful melon cultivation Plantura organic compost be improved. The compost soil allows for better aeration of heavy soil, which means it warms up better to a temperature favorable for melons. Sandy soils, on the other hand, can store water much better with the help of compost. In addition, the compost soil continuously releases nutrients and is therefore particularly suitable for the nutrient-hungry melons.

Tip: Additional warmth around the melon plant increases the yield and sweetness of the fruit. For this reason, it is worth cultivating on a hot bed, warm compost or even on black mulch film. Putting old windows around the melon plant also creates a warmer plant, as does a good windbreak.

The right time to plant melons

All types of melons - regardless of whether they are water melons or sugar melons - are only planted out from the end of May to June due to their sensitivity to cold. If you grow melons in the greenhouse, you can plant them out as early as April, as the plants are constantly warm there. When growing in a greenhouse, keep in mind that creeping melon plants can take up a lot of space. The attachment of climbing aids is therefore very worthwhile so that the plants can grow upwards.

Tip: Melons are very sensitive to sudden cold temperatures and recover from a cold shock so slowly that the year's harvest is in jeopardy. Young plants should therefore be hardened off before planting out by placing them outside in the partial shade during the day 2 weeks before planting.

Procedure for planting melons

When planting outdoors, make sure there is enough space per plant. If you place the plants too close together, the risk of fungal diseases increases and the melons do not have enough space to grow. Therefore, calculate at least one square meter per plant.

The most important information about melon cultivation at a glance:

• Warm, sunny and wind-protected location
• Loose, nutrient-rich and humus-rich soil, black mulch film under the plant increases heat
• Improving the soil with compost like ours Plantura organic compost
• In harsh areas, best in a greenhouse, on a sheltered compost heap or behind wind-protecting, warming panes of glass
• Plant outdoors from the end of May, in the greenhouse from April
• At least 1 m² space per plant

Tip: Melons can even be grown in large tubs. This has the advantage that the earth warms up faster if the planters are in a warm, sunny place. Small-fruited varieties such as the pocket melon are particularly suitable for this.

Growing melons: Sow yourself or buy plants?

Many hobby gardeners prefer to use pre-grown young plants when growing melons, but it is also easy to sow them at home. We present both variants and their advantages and disadvantages.

Sow your own melons

All melon varieties are grown indoors between the beginning and end of April. Plant one seed per pot 1 to 2 cm deep. At an optimal germination temperature of 25 - 28 °C, the seeds germinate within 3 to 7 days. Immediately after germination, the seedlings are placed in a bright and cooler place, at 18 to 24 °C - this way they remain compact and stable. The seedlings can be planted out between the end of May and the beginning of June.

Tip: Melons have very sensitive roots and therefore cannot be transplanted. Therefore, only one seed is ever sown in a sufficiently large pot. Even when planting out in the garden, melon plants need to be treated very carefully.

Growing melon plants at a glance:

• Sow from the beginning to the end of April at a depth of 1 – 2 cm, one seed per large pot
• Ideal germination temperature 25 – 28 °C (min. 18°C)
• Keep cooler after germination: 18 – 25 °C
• Don't poke

Buy melon plants

If you want to save yourself a little work, it can definitely be worth buying young plants that have already been grown. You can buy these in the garden center from May to June and then plant them outdoors in the same way. An advantage of these young plants is that they are often grafted on pumpkin rootstock and are therefore less susceptible to root diseases. All in all, the costs for pre-grown plants are much higher compared to growing them yourself, since a pack of seeds only costs a few euros.

Melons: Suitable types and varieties

There is more variation in melons than many realize. Nevertheless, the plants from the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae) can be roughly divided into two types: Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) and cantaloupes (Cucumis melo). The latter also includes the ever-popular honeydew melon with its yellow skin and sweet taste. Other varieties include the cantaloupe melon with its characteristically orange flesh and the netted melon with its netted, rough skin.

In principle, only early-ripening melon varieties are suitable for cultivation in cold Central Europe. Late varieties need a longer and warmer vegetation period and do not even reach maturity here before it is already getting cold again. Even rather small melon varieties promise better success in cultivation, because the development of the fruit takes less time.

watermelon varieties

‘Bush Sugar Baby‘

• New breed derived from Sugar Baby
• Early ripening with smaller fruits: 2 - 4 kg (1 - 2 fruits per plant)
• Red flesh with a dark skin
• Plant remains quite compact (1 m² per plant)

‘Crimson Sweet‘

• Widespread and popular variety worldwide
• Oval and light green fruits. High fruit weight: 5-8 kg
• Aromatic, light red flesh
• Good resistance to leaf blight and other fungal diseases
• 1.5 - 2 m² per plant

‘Asahi Miyako‘

• Precocious Japanese breed; very high sugar content
• Fruits with light green skin with dark stripes and light red flesh
• Fruits weighing 3.5 – 5 kg
• 1.5 m² per plant

You can find more watermelon varieties suitable for growing in Germany here.

cantaloupe varieties

‘Giallo Canaria 3‘

• Yellow canary melon
• Oval and yellow fruits
• White and sweet flesh
• 1.5 m² per plant

‘Bari F1‘

• Cantaloupe melon
• Round fruits with orange flesh and gray skin
• Very aromatic
• 1-2 m² per plant

‘Hale's best‘

• netted melon
• Round fruits with a white-grey net structure as a shell
• Orange to red flesh
• 1-2 m² per plant

Caring for and de-pointing melons

Regardless of the type and variety of melon, proper care of the exotic plants is essential for a rich harvest. We introduce you to how you Water and fertilize melon plants properly.

Water the melons properly

Melons need a large amount of water to grow optimally. Never let the soil dry out completely. This is especially true while the flowers and fruits are being formed. If possible, do not use cold water, but only warm water, such as from a rain barrel. Melon plants are sensitive to water that is too cold. When watering, also make sure not to wet the leaves, otherwise the risk of fungal diseases increases.

Fertilize melons properly

A sufficient supply of nutrients is particularly important for the growth of melon plants. Before planting the young plants, first work a primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura Organic Tomato Fertilizer into the ground. Alternatively, compost is also suitable. In this way you supply the young plants with important nutrients right from the start and also in the longer term and loosen up the soil structure. Fertilizer is applied again during flowering and fruit formation so that the plants have enough strength to develop the large, sweet fruits.

De-seed melons

A proven care measure to increase the yield in cold regions and outdoors is the so-called pinching. To do this, the main shoot of a melon plant is cut off after the fifth leaf. As a result, the plant forms more side shoots, which can also be cut at the top. With this method you encourage the plant to grow more compactly and produce fruit earlier. If you also remove the tip a bit above the growing fruit, there is more energy for that growth of the melon and you will harvest a few large and sweet melons rather than many underdeveloped melons be able.

Harvesting melons: when and how to do it

As summer draws to a close, it's time to harvest melons. Depending on the type of melon, it can be harvested from the end of August until autumn. You should now cut off ripe specimens with a sharp knife at the fruit base. As a rule, only harvest ripe fruit, since melons can only ripen to a limited extent. But how can the optimal maturity actually be recognized?

When is the melon ripe?

Depending on melon type maturity can be recognized by different criteria. All melons have a strong color when ripe and sound dull to hollow when tapped. In addition, there are slight cracks on the stem when the fruit sets. Ripe sugar melons can also be recognized by their sweet scent.

You can recognize the ripe melons by these criteria:

• Strong green for watermelons, intense yellow for honeydew melons
• Dull to hollow sound when tapped
• Slight cracks on the fruit base
• Sweet scent of cantaloupe

Store melons correctly and extend shelf life

Basically, melons - regardless of whether they are water melons or sugar melons - do not have a particularly long shelf life. At room temperature, the sweet fruit will only keep for about two weeks uncut. Therefore, store melons in a cool and dark place like the basement. If the melon has already been cut, you should wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge. Unfortunately, it also loses some of its flavor as a result. Freezing melons, on the other hand, is not recommended, as the flesh becomes very mushy after thawing.

More specific to the best types of melon and –varieties for cultivation in Germany you can find out in our special article on this topic.