Your 2025 Garden

[LaurenRitz]

Most of my melons struggled with saturated soil and are just starting to produce. Three have melons on them already. I'll have to think about this.

 

[jxp]

Me too!

When I grew cantaloupe, I got better, sweeter melons when I did this: About the first weekend in August (right about now), I started culling any melon that was smaller than my fist, and any more that came on. This forced the plant to put its energy into the melons that were on the vine, and they were bigger and sweeter.

Picking the first weekend in August was because I could reliably depend on melons larger than my fist to ripen before the vine died.

I added Epsom salts and ... something else . ... to the soil before transplanting last spring. That's supposed to help make them sweeter. (Per the internet so it must be true. Right?)

I still have a long growing season left ahead of me so I might try that a bit later. About when do your temps start dipping to where it affects your crops?

 

[jxp]

That is not necessarily accurate.

With most cantaloupe they are ripe when a gentle tug separates the vine from the melon.

Good to know. Apparently one of the varieties I'm growing will fall off the vine on its own when ready. This is my first year with all 3 so it's a learning experience.

 

[Sally PB]

With most cantaloupe they are ripe when a gentle tug separates the vine from the melon.

You can see the vine starting to separate from the melon as a clue that that melon is getting ripe.

About when do your temps start dipping to where it affects your crops?

We've had frost in mid-September, or all the way to mid-October. I have one garden up on a hill, and one in a valley. I can get frost in the valley before up on the hill.

 

[R2elk]

You can see the vine starting to separate from the melon as a clue that that melon is getting ripe.

That is 100% true.

 

[NanaK]

I have also noticed when a cantaloupe is ripe you can smell it in the garden.

 

[R2elk]

We've had frost in mid-September, or all the way to mid-October. I have one garden up on a hill, and one in a valley. I can get frost in the valley before up on the hill.

My first fall frost is usually the first weekend in September. I can usually save the garden from the early frosts and stretch it out until October but the weather is usually so cool that not much is gained.

 

[R2elk]

I have also noticed when a cantaloupe is ripe you can smell it in the garden.

Yes

 

[Sally PB]

I have also noticed when a cantaloupe is ripe you can smell it in the garden.

I sniff cantaloupes when I buy them in the store. You should be able to smell a nice fruity scent. Also, the skin under the netting should be a buff color, not green.

 

[OnlySympathy]

My first fall frost is usually the first weekend in September. I can usually save the garden from the early frosts and stretch it out until October but the weather is usually so cool that not much is gained.

Oh wow we don’t get frost until usually late October to the first few days of November