MELON MADNESS! VARIETIES TO PLANT NOW
Summer just wouldn't be summer without refreshing slices of watermelon and cantaloupe. Luckily, our climate and soil in Indiana are great for growing melons. In fact, Indiana produces over 6% of all of the watermelons sold in the US and is consistently in the top 10 watermelon producing states.
It's time to plant melons now! Generally, we can start planting cantaloupe and watermelon seedlings out into the soil in the first two weeks of June. For both cantaloupe and watermelon, you can expect to harvest your first ripe melons in mid-to-late August.
CANTALOUPE VARIETIES TO PLANT NOW
Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe produces smaller fruits, with each reaching about 1-pound, but it yields a bunch of them! It is one of the faster varieties to mature, ready in just 70 days. It is also disease-resistant to Fusarium wilt.
Sweet Granite Organic cantaloupe is also a quicker variety, producing ripe melons weighing about 3-pounds each in roughly 70 days. This is a sweet and juicy cantaloupe with classic flavor.
Halona delivers 4-5 pound melons with delicious flavor in just 73 days. It has exceptional disease resistance to Fusarium wilt and powdery mildew.
Sugar Cube takes 80 days but delivers intensely sweet 2-to-4-pound melons with bright orange flesh. They are delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This variety also has excellent disease resistance to Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, and watermelon mosaic virus. It has moderate disease resistance to papaya ringspot virus and zucchini yellow mosaic virus.
WATERMELON VARIETIES TO PLANT NOW
Red Amber watermelons feature dark red flesh with a striped rind. The melons weigh from 16-20 pounds and are uniform in shape and color. It is crisp and juicy with classic watermelon flavor and matures in 89 days.
Extazy produces smaller watermelons around the 10-pound mark. They feature a dark red center, with a high-contrast striped rind. The flesh is firm and sweet, and the fruit has a longer shelflife than other varieties. Extazy matures in 80-85 days.
Kingman watermelon features firm and crisp flesh, and tiny pips. The fruits average 15 pounds and mature in 85 days. This is a delicious family-sized watermelon that delivers a great yield on strong vines.
Road Trip watermelon is the one to have if you think you might forget to water it occasionally, or your soil isn't ideal. It can take a little bit of neglect and keep producing—just don't completely forget about it! It delivers 16-18 pound melons in 85 days that are super sweet and refreshingly crisp.
MELON CARE
Melons like lots of sunshine, regular watering, and lots of space. They do best in slightly sandy soil in the full, hot sun. Their vines can get up to 20 feet long, so make sure they've got room to grow. High nitrogen and high phosphorous fertilizer will help them produce sweeter fruit. Melons do need a fair bit of water, but they also like the soil to dry a bit between waterings. Water stress from over or under watering can cause powdery mildew, so be consistent with your watering schedule.
Everyone loves a cool, refreshing slice of melon as a healthy summer breakfast or dessert. By growing your own, you'll have a great supply to enjoy or share through the dog days of our Indianapolis summers!