🍈 Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)
Cucumis melo var. reticulatus
vegetables
annual vine
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate (reduce as fruit ripens for sweeter melons)
🗺️ Zones
[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
🧪 Soil pH
6.0-7.5
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, rich, sandy loam
📏 Spacing
18-24 inches (bush); 3-4 ft (vine)
📐 Height
12-18 inches (vine spreading)
⏱️ Maturity
70-90 days
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (3)
Deters squash bugs and cucumber beetles; groundcover
Provides light afternoon shade in hot climates; attracts pollinators
Traditional Three Sisters companion , corn provides support; melon shades corn roots
⚠️ Keep Apart (1)
Potatoes compete for space and may harbor diseases affecting melons
📝 Growing Notes
A vine-ripened cantaloupe picked at peak fragrance , when it slips from the stem with a gentle tug , is an entirely different species from anything in a grocery store. The aroma alone fills a room. Reduce water in the final 2 weeks to concentrate sugars.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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