Winter Melons
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting
Winter Melons
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow winter melons in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many melons to plant
- Growing conditions for winter melons
- When to plant winter melons
- How to plant winter melons
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning winter melons
- Companion plantings for winter melons
- How to harvest, store, and use winter melons
Growing Winter Melons
Winter melons—late-ripening casabas, charentals, crenshaws, honeydews, and Persians—are vining, warm-season vegetables. Their plants, to 25 ft. (7.5 m) long, bear a variety of melon sizes, shapes, flavors, and colors in late autumn or early winter.
Winter Melon Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 2–3 plants per household member, pinching back flowers to permit only 4 fruits to form per vine.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 5–10 days. Average Climates: Sow seed when soil warms to 50°F (10°C). Subtropical Climates: Sow seed or transplant seedlings in winter for early summer harvest. Sow 4–6 seeds, 1 in. (25 mm) deep, 1 ft. (30 cm) apart, thinning to 2 plants per drill, in mounds 2–3 ft. (60–90 cm) tall, 2 ft. (60 cm) wide, and 4–6 ft. (1.2–1.8 m) apart, installing sturdy tripod supports at time of planting.
Best Conditions for Growth
45–95°F (7–35°C). Requires sustained temperatures over 80°F (27°C) to set flowers and develop fruit; flowers may drop if temperatures during bloom exceed 90°F (32°C). Place fruit on aluminum reflectors in cool climates.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 2 ft. (60 cm) deep.
Proper Care
Challenging. Keep evenly moist; avoid wetting foliage. Apply ample water during the flowering and fruit-development stages. Fertilize at planting with 5–10–10 formula, monthly thereafter with 10–10–10 formula. Cultivate. Keep heavy fruits from direct soil contact with supports, or place melons on boards. Powdery mildew, fusarium wilt susceptible.
Pairing Recommendations
Beans, corn, leafy greens, nasturtium, and radish.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
110 days. Pick melons when stems have turned brown, fruits are easily detached from vine, and stem holds emit a strong, sweet aroma. Harvest promptly; leaving melons on vine after maturity yields mushy-textured, seedy fruit.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in refrigerator for 1 week; processed and frozen as sorbet, 2 months. Cut cubes, freeze layered flat in sealed plastic bags, mix with berries or other fruit, add sugar to taste, blend, and strain to make low-calorie fruit smoothies.