Knowing how to plant watermelons and cantaloupes is critical to producing fully ripened sweet and luscious melons that when chilled are crisp and delicious as a breakfast dish or served as a fat-free dessert. Plant the melons
Knowing how to plant watermelons and cantaloupes is critical to producing fully ripened sweet and luscious melons that when chilled are crisp and delicious as a breakfast dish or served as a fat-free dessert. Plant the melons early enough in the spring to allow them time to ripen over the summer and be harvested before the first frost. Start melon seeds indoors under controlled conditions to produce a high rate of germination and less seed loss due to birds, rodents and weather. This process speeds up the ripening time by as much as three weeks.
Starting Seeds Indoors
Start seeds indoors two months before planting time by using seeds treated to ward off typical diseases that attack seedlings, such as an anti-fungal damping-off disease. Seeds are available at garden centers.
Use peat pots, trays or plastic flats with a drain hole in the bottom. Fill the container level with the top with a potting soil mix that is light, loose, holds water well and is free of diseases, insects and weeds.
Place the planter container in a pan of water 2 inches deep and leave overnight so the soil can soak up water through the drain holes.
Plant five seeds into each container by gently pressing them into the soil to a depth of 1 inch and cover them loosely with soil.
Cover the container with plastic film to hold in the moisture and remove it when the seeds germinate.
Place the containers in a warm location, out of direct sunlight, with a temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees F.
Inspect the plants, after germination, for damping-off disease and apply a fungicide.
Place the germinated seedlings in direct sunlight in a bright south-facing window with eight hours of sunlight daily. Fluorescent lighting can be used when sunlight is not available. Place the fluorescent lighting 4 inches from the seedlings for 14 to 16 hours per day unti