key growing information

Growing Melons From Seed

How to grow melons: soil and pH, watering before ripening, plastic mulch and row covers, starting transplants, direct sowing, pests, sudden wilt, harvest slip types and storage.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Melon - Key Growing Information

Melon plant in blossom, being cultured on mulch to enhance soil temperature and minimize weed competition.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Cucumis melo

CULTURE:

Melons do best in light, well-drained soil with a southern exposure and a pH of about 6.0–7.0. Keep soil evenly moist early on and while fruit is setting, then hold off watering in the final week before ripening, since too much water can make fruit bland. Because melons need steady warmth, plastic mulch and row covers bring earlier harvests and higher yields, especially in northern areas. Take the covers off once female flowers appear; you'll see a tiny fruit at the base of the blossom.

DAYS TO MATURITY:

Counted from transplanting; add about 10 days for direct sowing.

TRANSPLANTING:

Start seed indoors in 50-cell plug trays or 2-3" biodegradable pots in late April, or one month before planting out and no earlier. Plant 1–2 seeds per cell or pot about ¼" deep, and keep them at 80–90°F (27–32°C) until they sprout. Thin to one per cell, handle seedlings gently, and never let the mix dry out. Grow them on at 75°F (24°C), then harden off for a week by cutting back on water and warmth. Once the weather is warm, settled and frost-free, plant 2–3' apart in rows 6' apart; or thin each cell or pot to one plant with scissors and set them 18" apart. Even hardened seedlings are tender, so avoid disturbing the roots and water well after planting.

DIRECT SEEDING:

Sow outdoors 1–2 weeks after the last frost, once the soil is warmer than 70°F (21°C): ½" deep, 2–3 seeds every 18", thinned to one plant.

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:

At 3 seeds every 18" in rows 6' apart: 30 seeds sow about 10', 100 seeds about 50', 1,000 seeds about 500', and roughly 15,000 seeds per acre.

INSECT PESTS:

Guard against cucumber beetles with floating row covers put on at transplanting, or use insecticides such as pyrethrin or azadirachtin.DISEASE: Pick varieties with resistance to the diseases common where you live. Sudden wilt, caused by cold stress late in the summer on plants carrying a heavy load of ripening fruit, can collapse vines almost overnight; good fertility and steady watering help prevent it.

HARVEST:

Signs of ripeness include a change in rind color, cracking or striping, slight softening, a browning or shriveled tendril or leaf next to the fruit stem, and shrinking or cracking where the stem attaches. Melons fall into 3 broad harvest groups: "full slip," where a gentle tug frees the fruit; "forced slip," which takes more pressure; and "no slip," which has to be cut from the vine. For more on melon types and ripeness signs, ask us or your local extension service.

STORAGE:

Keep ripe netted melons at 36–41°F (2–5°C) and 90–95% humidity, and other types at 45–50°F (7–10°C) and 85–95% humidity. All will keep a few days unrefrigerated but last longer chilled; how long depends on the variety and how ripe the fruit was when picked.

SEEDS/LB. (AVG.):

18,800.

PACKET:

30 seeds per packet unless noted.