Melons

Melon seeds are easy to direct sow in your garden and allow you to grow hundreds of varieties of melons from around the world that are only available from seed! With more than 40 types of melons cultivated and diversified for over 4,000 years, growers could grow a new melon every season and never try them all! Even with the wide range of colors, flavors, and textures available, melons require the same cultural practices.  Melon seed should be planted in the warm season when the soil has warmed adequately. Keep soil moist during germination to guarantee even and quick germination of seed. Melons enjoy growing in warm weather in full sun. Water deeply and regularly for the best production. In hot and dry climates like those of Zones 9 and 10, mulch heavily around plants to retain moisture in the soil and reduce evaporation. Avoid overhead watering to prevent foliar diseases. In areas with frost, melon seeds can be started indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost and planted out after the threat of frost is gone. Row cover and high tunnels can help melons thrive in colder climates. Harvest melons at their peak ripeness. To accomplish this, mark the days to maturity on your calendar to give you a good baseline of when your crop should be ready. Look for the drying of the tendril closest to the melon to indicate that the melon is no longer receiving ample nutrition from the vine and is ready to harvest. Some melons like our Kajari melon are slip melons, meaning they fall from the vine when ready. Easy peasy! You will find that we categorize melons into one of the following groups: Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, and tropical melons. Our melon seeds are chosen for high yield in small spaces, flavor, and disease resistance. Plant a new melon variety in your garden this season!