Why are melons hard to grow?

Melons cautioned gardeners as they have demanding climatic requirements and are hosts to persistent pests. My first crop got wiped out by spring frost that stunted my seedlings, so now I start seeds indoors 4 weeks early. Simply dropping nighttime temperatures even 10°F (5.5°C) halts crop growth for days at a time, and the fruit's setting will be delayed about a week later.

The timing has proven to be critical; plant too early and you lose seedlings to frost, too late, and fall rains split the fruits. I use soil thermometers and plant when the temperature of the soil at a depth of 4 inches is around 70°F (21°C). For late maturing varieties, I count back 100 days before the first frost date.

Fight back against bugs with kaolin clay sprays; after using this product for 2 years, I found that I had 75% fewer striped cucumber beetles when using kaolin clay than organic insecticides. Spray at the seedling leaf stage and reapply every time it rains. Interplant radishes at this same time to draw the flea beetles away from the cucumbers; fight wilt diseases, and destroy any infected plants immediately.

The harvest opportunities occur for just a few days at ripeness. I take Brix levels three times a week once the netting is formed. Cantaloupes measure at the minimum level of 12 percent Brix. Very few of the store-bought melons pick at even 8 percent Brix. The melons picked from home gardens measure higher than store-bought because of waiting for them to ripen on the vine and then dialing back on the watering days before harvest.

Read the full article: How to Grow Melons: 9 Essential Steps for Success