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Melon
Cucumis melo
What could be more delicious than a sweet summer melon picked from your own backyard? There are a number of melons to choose from for your garden. Cantaloupe, also called muskmelon, has a netted tan rind and orange to pink flesh and is the most widely grown type. Charentais melon, difficult to find in supermarkets, looks similar to muskmelon but is smaller and has a smoother greenish rind with honey-sweet orange flesh.
Winter melons include honeydew, with a creamy white rind and light green or orange flesh; casaba melon, with yellow rind and white flesh; and Crenshaw melon, with a rough rind and pinkish flesh. All melons need extended temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit to grow well, so they're a great choice for warmer climates.
- Light:
- Sun
- Plant Type:
- Vegetable
- Plant Height:
- 1 foot tall
- Plant Width:
- 3-20 feet wide
Top Varieties
Cucumis melo 'Ambrosia' has outstanding flavor. The 5-pound fruits have salmon-color flesh, and the plant is resistant to powdery mildew. 84 days
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Cucumis melo 'Athena' bears 5-6 pound fruits with sweet salmon-color flesh. It has good disease and crack resistance. 79 days
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Cucumis melo 'Early Crenshaw Hybrid' has teardrop-shape fruits with a golden rind and succulent salmon-pink flesh. 85 days
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Cucumis melo 'Golden Beauty' is an heirloom casaba melon that produces 7-8 pound fruits with white flesh and golden rind. It is best adapted to the Southwest. 110 days
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Cucumis melo 'Savor' is a small-fruited melon with deep orange flesh with a gray-green rind. The highly aromatic and sweet flesh is a gourmet treat. 78 days
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Cucumis melo 'Sugar Nut' bears fruits with a bright yellow rind and creamy greenish-white flesh. The 2-pound fruits are a nice size for singles or small families. 77 days
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Cucumis melo 'Super Dew Hybrid' bears 6-pound fruits that have fragrant white flesh with a green tint near the rind. 80 days
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Harvest Tips
Harvest muskmelons and charentais melons when the stem end separates easily from the fruit. The ripe fruit will also give off a sweet melon scent when it is ready to pick. Pick honeydew, casaba, and Crenshaw melons when the rind turns pale yellow and the blossom end of the fruit softens slightly.
Harvest muskmelons and charentais melons when the stem end separates easily from the fruit. The ripe fruit will also give off a sweet melon scent when it is ready to pick. Pick honeydew, casaba, and Crenshaw melons when the rind turns pale yellow and the blossom end of the fruit softens slightly.
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