Melons

Hales Best – 85 days, standard open pollinated melon for box plant growers.  Hales best produces 5-6 lb round-oval melons with a medium suture and net.  Good flavor and orange flesh.  Not as early, productive, or disease tolerant as hybrid cantaloupes.

Nature does not produce anything sweeter than a ripe exotic melon.  Being a favorite item to grow, we have grown various melon varieties over the years.  We have had great success producing quality melons here in Canada due to good varieties and use of IRT mulch.

(Tip) Melons: In Canada melons are best started indoors 3 – 4 weeks before the last frost.  Start 3-4 seeds in a 3-4” pot.  Transplant to the below plant spacing do not break clumps apart.  Soil- Melons like well drained, sandy – silty loam, high in organic matter PH 6 – 6.8.  Enrich with compost or well rotted manure in spring. Melons are heavy users of Nitrogen, potassium and calcium.  Germination- for proper germination soil must be at least 72F for 5 days.  Cooler soil temperature will result in poor germination.  Spacing – plant in clumps 3-4 seeds per clump, 24” apart in rows 4-7 ft apart.  Close planting will result in smaller fruit size.  Melons and Cucumber have the same pest problems.