Cantaloupe is a fruit that many people love and has many health benefits. The following article will share in detail how to grow cantaloupe properly and for high productivity!

is an agricultural product that brings high economic value. However, not everyone has the knowledge of growing melons with the right techniques and high productivity. So why hesitate to refer to the information below to gain more experience in growing melons, for a bumper melon season.

Things to note before growing melons at home

Cantaloupe planted at the right time will give high yieldTo have a lush trellis of melons with lots of fruit, when growing melons at home you must pay attention to the following:

Choose the right month to grow melons

The best time to plant melons is from February to September . However, the most ideal time is still the following two times: February-March, when you plant at this time, you will harvest at the end of April or May. August, September and the harvest time is in November-December.Melons should not be planted in cold weather because the plants are susceptible to pests and diseases, and the survival and growth rate of the plants is not high.

Select melon seeds

When choosing melon seeds, you should choose pure F1 seeds , this type of seed will have a high germination rate and produce large, sweet fruit. You should not choose to buy hybrid seeds , without a clear brand, this type of seed has a low germination rate and the fruit will not be wrong.

Choosing a planting location

Melons are light-loving plants, so you should plant them in places with lots of light and spaciousness . You can take advantage of the front yard, terrace or balcony. Do not plant them in shady, cramped places , as they will have difficulty growing and produce few fruits.Melon is a light-loving plant, so you should plant it in places with lots of light.

Prepare the soil

To have good growing conditions for melons, you need to pay attention to choosing soil that is rich in nutrients, loose, and well-drained , such as: Clean soil mixed with vermicompost, vermicompost liquid, and coconut fiber. You can buy this type of soil at garden stores.In addition, you can mix your own soil for growing melons by: Take honeycomb coal slag, soak in water for a day and a night. After a few hours, change the water to remove impurities in the coal. Next, take out the coal and mix it in a ratio of 40% soil, 40% coal slag, 20% rice husks, mix well together and you’re done.

Prepare pots to grow melons

You can choose foam boxes or plastic boxes to grow melons , but you need to make sure to punch holes in the bottom of the box to increase drainage, create ventilation and oxygen exchange into the soil, so that the plant does not get waterlogged and grows well. Helps the plant not get waterlogged and grows well.

How to grow melons on the terrace

Cantaloupe grown on the terrace, if well cared for, will produce large, sweet fruit.

Techniques for growing melons on the roof

Seedling

After fully preparing the seeds, pots, and soil for growing melons, the first step you need to do when growing melons on the terrace is to sow the seeds.First, soak the seeds in warm water (ratio: 2 boiling + 3 cold) for about 4-5 hours, then incubate the seeds in a damp cloth until the seeds split slightly, then take them out to sow.Note : If you buy F1 seeds, you do not need to incubate them, you can incubate them right away.Next, you put the seeds in the prepared nursery pot, cover with a thin layer of soil, water to keep the seeds moist. Leave the nursery pot in a cool place, away from direct sunlight. After about 2-3 days, you will see the seeds germinate . At this time, do not forget to water enough for the plant to grow. After about 7-10 days, the plant will have two real leaves.Growing melon seedlingsAfter about 10-12 days, the plant has produced 2 main leaves . At this time, you will move the seedling to the planting pot. You dig a small hole in the middle of the pot, gently remove the nursery pot and place the seedling in the pot, fill the soil and compact the soil around the base and water the plant thoroughly and place the plant in a shady place, water twice a day to ensure moisture for the plant.

Melon care techniques

Cantaloupe fruit is big and fruitful

Sprinklers

During the seedling stage, you do not need to water too much. When the plant has 3-4 leaves, you need to water about 0.5 liters – 0.7 liters of water per plant/day depending on weather conditions. If it is hot, you can water a little more, but if it rains, you can water less. You should water by misting to avoid breaking or crushing the plant.

Fertilizing melonsIf you want the tree to grow and produce many fruits, you must fertilize it to supplement nutrients for the tree. The amount of fertilizer will vary depending on the stage.

When the plant has 3-4 leaves, you water the plant with nitrogen to help it grow quickly and the stem lengthen. For every 1/2 cup of nitrogen (equal to a tea cup), you mix it with 7-8 liters of water and then water the plant.

When the plant has many leaves and many new buds appear , mix the ratio of 3 Nitrogen: 1 Phosphorus: 2 Potassium with 7-8 liters of water, water the plant every other day so that the plant has enough nutrients to grow.Fertilizing melonsWhen the young fruit begins to sprout, increase the amount of Phosphorus to about ⅔ cup so that the fruit will grow more and grow faster.

Scaffold

When you see the plant has 5-6 leaves, you proceed to make a trellis for the plant to climb . In case you plant near the balcony fence, you can take advantage of the fence for the vine to climb, but if there is no fence, you can use bamboo poles or wooden bars to make a trellis for the melon.If you plan to grow long term, you can make an iron trellis so you can grow for many seasons.

Pollination

If the area where you grow melons has few bees and butterflies, then during the flowering stage you should help the plant with artificial pollination to increase the fruit set rate.

Harvesting and preserving melons

After about 3 months from the date of planting, you will have melons to harvest. Before harvesting, you should stop watering for 5-7 days so that the melons can be crispier and sweeter. After picking, leave it for 2-3 days before cutting it open to eat so that the melons are sweeter and more fragrant.

How to grow cantaloupe outdoors

Cantaloupe is growing

Outdoor melon growing techniques

Soak and sow melon seedsChoose good seeds, then soak them in warm water for about 4-5 hours, then put the seeds in a piece of cloth and incubate for 1 day to separate the seed coat.Sowing melon seedsPrepare a seedling nursery with soil mixed with manure or vermicompost to ensure enough nutrients for the plant to grow . After the seeds you incubated have cracked, put them in the nursery, cover with a thin layer of soil and water regularly to ensure moisture for the seeds to germinate.It only takes about 2 days for the seeds to germinate, and after about 8 – 10 days the plant will begin to produce 2 true leaves.When the plant has real leaves, put it in a large container with holes in the bottom to help the plant drain better and avoid waterlogging.Planting seedlingsWhen the plant has 2-3 main leaves, you put the plant in a large container, which can be a foam box or bucket, but remember to punch holes in the bottom of the container so that the plant drains better and avoids waterlogging. Note that the soil for growing melons should be loose and rich in nutrients.Make a deep hole, then cut the nylon bag and place the pot in the pre-dug hole, fill the base of the tree with soil, and cover the base with straw, wood chips, and dry grass to keep the tree moist.After planting the seedlings, you need to water them twice a day and cover them to prevent them from being exposed to harsh sunlight.

Outdoor melon care techniques

Sprinklers

Melons need to be watered daily to ensure moisture for growth, the best time to water the plant is early morning and late afternoon.Melons need to be watered daily to ensure moisture for growth.

Fertilizer

Besides choosing nutrient-rich soil to grow melons, you need to add NPK fertilizer to the plant to help it produce more flowers and a higher fruit set rate. Plants with 4-5 leaves need to add potassium and nitrogen, and when the plant develops leaves, it needs to be watered with diluted nitrogen.From the stage when the fruit swells until it ripens, about 1 month, you fertilize with NPK, Potassium and Nitrogen every week until about 15 days before harvest, then stop fertilizing.

Leaf pruning

When the plant has 2-3 true leaves, you proceed to prune the leaves and pinch the top . You continue to pinch the leaves until the plant grows to 8-10 leaves, then leave that branch. When the plant has 22-25 leaves, you pinch off the top so that the plant can focus on growing fruit.

Note : If there are too many fruits, you should cut them off, leaving only 2-3 fruits per tree, because the melons are quite large and heavy.Make a trellis for melons

Scaffold

When the plant starts to grow 4-5 real leaves, you need to make a trellis for the cucumber. You can make a trellis and then use nylon rope to tie the plant lightly to the trellis. If not, you can also stake the cucumber.

4Related questions about how to grow cantaloupe

How to distinguish male and female flowers

• Female flowers : female flowers grow from the leaf axils and have only one flower. There is a small ovary under the petals, this part when pollinated will develop into fruit.
• Male flowers : male flowers grow from branch axils, each axils has many flower clusters. There is no ovary under the male petals, male flowers are shorter than female flowers.

Flowers should be pollinated between 6am and 8am.

The right time to pollinate flowers

Flowers should be pollinated between 6am and 8am . When the female flowers turn yellow and show signs of blooming, they need to be pollinated immediately.

How to pollinate melon flowers

• Pick off the male flower , remove all the petals , leaving the yellow stamens .
• Then, rotate the male stamens evenly around the female flower . You can use a brush or cotton swab to sweep the pollen from the male flower to the female flower. You can use 2-3 male flowers for 1 female flower to ensure successful pollination.