It’s melon mania time! Nothing is quite as refreshing as a ripe, sweet melon at the peak of the season.  Here’s the secret to picking the perfect melon: use your senses. A ripe melon will give off a pleasant, fresh aroma. Tap the melon and listen for a dull thump. If a melon feels heavy for its size, that means it is likely to be sweet and perfect to eat right away. Learn more about all the varieties we’ll be carrying this season – from the classic watermelon to the eye-catching Piel de Sapo!

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Ambrosia

• Petite size, resembles a small cantaloupe
• Sandy hued exterior has rough netting that becomes increasingly pronounced as melon reaches ripeness
• Pale orange flesh is very sweet, juicy, and tender with slight floral nuances
• Sweet aroma

Canary

• Flesh has a pale greenish hue
• Fairly soft texture when it is ripened
• Tangy and sour flavor

Cantaloupe

• Netted and smooth skin
• Bright orange flesh
• Very sweet flavor

Charentais

• Heirloom French melon
• Widely popular for its sweet and refreshing fragrance
• Bright orange, super sweet flesh

Crenshaw

• Large in size, averaging 8-10 pounds in weight
• Yellowish-green, hard rind has a rough corrugated texture void of netting
• Skin turns golden-yellow at the peak of ripeness and will have slightly waxy feel
• Dense and tender peach-colored flesh
• Flavor is very sweet and slightly spicy

Galia

• Hybrid melon between the Honeydew and the Cantaloupe
• The more orange in color the exterior skin is, the higher the sugar content of the melon’s flesh
• Chartreuse flesh has succulent texture
• Signature spicy-sweet flavor with tropical aromatics

Goddess

• Oval shaped with slight suturing and medium coarse netting
• Resembles a cantaloupe
• Soft orange flesh tastes exceptionally sweet and juicy

Hami

• Large in size-closer in scale of a watermelon than a cantaloupe
• Golden yellow, lightly netted skin
• Inner flesh is a pale, coral color and surrounds a large central seed cavity
• Crisp flesh is juicy and refreshingly sweet
• Floral and sweet aroma
• Long shelf life

Harper

• Looks very much like cantaloupe but slightly less tan
• Netted exterior rind
• Inner flesh is salmon-orange with a firm yet exceedingly succulent texture
• Slightly less aromatic than other traditional varieties
• Sweet flavor rich with bright honey tones

Green Honeydew

• Perfectly spherical with a smooth and slightly waxy, cream-colored rind
• Pale green flesh is sweet and juicy
• Flavor has notes of honey and cucumber

Orange Honeydew

• Oval to round in shape
• Smooth rind is pale yellow-green
• Salmon-hued flesh is honey sweet

Piel de Sapo

• Name means “toad skin” in Spanish
• Oval and long, with a striking rind
• Sweet white flesh

Sharlyn

• Exterior resembles an elongated cantaloupe with a thinner, mosaic-like netting
• Pale green flesh is soft near the center and firm near the rind
• Distinct, perfume-like fragrance
• Flesh has a balanced sweetness
• Short shelf-life and should be eaten within a week of harvesting

Snow Leopard

• Cream-colored skin with green spots and streaks
• White flesh with somewhat crunchy texture
• Bright flavor; super sweet with undertones of honey and pear

Watermelon

This article is about growing melon types and cultivars in the species Cucumis melo, which includes a diverse range of both netted and smooth melons, but not watermelons. As a group, these are the melons sometimes referred to as hard-shell melons or winter melons.

Watermelons are a different genus and species, Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus, although both types are members of the Cucurbitaceae (cucumber family).

A perfectly ripe, locally grown melon is one of the great taste treats of the produce world. Sweet and fragrant, with a texture that practically melts in the mouth, a fresh, well-grown local melon bears little resemblance to its supermarket counterpart. Most of the melon varieties favored by grower-shippers selling to supermarkets have been bred to withstand the rigors of shipping and handling, for good shelf life and, to make matters worse, are picked before they are fully ripe. Flavor is subordinate to firmness and shelf life for these melons.

Melons provide a unique niche for local market gardeners who can grow them to full ripeness, handle them gently, then deliver a product generally not available in supermarkets. And once consumers taste such a melon, they will not go back to the supermarket types.

In this article, we review the basics of successful melon production, from seed-starting and transplanting to the best way to harvest and store each type. With Johnny's melons, including many varieties selected for adaptability to challenging growing conditions, even a small grower has access to superb melon genetics. With the right varieties and knowledge, you can produce melons that will win over the most discerning buyers, chefs, and guests.

Multiple plantings of different melon varieties is the recommended way to stagger ripening of your crop and extend the harvest window.

In the North, plants can be set out after the danger of frost has passed, from May through mid June.

In warmer areas, they can be transplanted in March and April.

Although there is some opportunity for making a single planting of varieties with staggered days-to-maturity, it is limited. In general, most melons have relatively similar days-to-maturity, so making multiple plantings is more effective for extending the harvest.

See our Comparison Chart of Melon Varieties to review distinguishing characteristics and features, including days to maturity.

Melons are heat-lovers and tender by nature, and although they can be direct-sown outdoors, we recommend this only under the warmest, most favorable growing conditions. Most growers find that starting seed indoors tips the odds in their favor by:

• Improving germination rates
• Preventing damage by hungry cutworms
• Discouraging damping-off of seedlings

For indoor seed-starting, time your first sowing date to about a month before transplanting, so the seedlings don't get oversized. Lanky seedlings are especially prone to physical damage and transplant shock.

Sow 2–3 seeds, ¼-inch deep in cell flats. To further prevent damping off, use a slightly drier medium than typical for most other crops. Water with care and allow medium to become moderately dry between waterings. Adequate air circulation is essential. If necessary, position small fans over greenhouse benches.

To avoid root damage when transplanting, grow melons in large cells, 50 or 72 cells per tray, so the plants can size up sufficiently before setting out.

Place the trays on a heat mat, set at 80–90°F (27–32°C) until the seeds germinate. After germination, dial the mat temperature back down to 75°F (24°C) to grow the seedlings.

When the plants have developed a couple sets of true leaves, they've reached transplanting stage. They will need to be hardened off for about a week, however, by reducing temperature and water, before moving them outdoors.

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When there is no longer any danger of frost and the weather is warm and settled, you can set the transplants out, spacing them 18 inches apart, in rows 6 feet apart. Melon seedlings are still tender even when hardened off, and handling them gently will minimize transplant shock and enhance field performance.

Immediately after transplanting, water them in with a fertilizer solution. We use an organic fish emulsion, as it delivers a good nutrient boost without burning the tender transplants.

Melons are typically grown on plastic mulch to warm the soil and prevent weeds. In cooler areas, solar mulch is recommended because it warms the soil better than black plastic. In the South, most growers grow melons only in spring to avoid the high heat of midsummer, though some also grow a fall-maturing crop.

The primary pest problem for melons is the cucumber beetle, which can severely damage the foliage and can also spread bacterial leaf wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila). To protect from cucumber beetles, most growers cover newly transplanted crops with row cover immediately after transplanting. We recommend AG-19 as it provides added warmth as well as insect exclusion. Hoops are not needed. On occasion, high winds may cause row cover to abrade the plants, but usually the damage is minimal and they will grow out of it.

Placing low tunnels with vented plastic over the rows is another option, if melon prices justify the added expense. Low tunnels also protect the crop from excessive rain and provide more heat for young plants, allowing for earlier spring crops and later fall crops.

In order to set fruit, melon plants must be pollinated. Once the vines begin to run and the first flowers appear, be sure to remove the covers or tunnels, or roll up the sides during the day, to allow access to pollinating insects. You may also find setting hives worthwhile, to aid pollination and improve yield.

Knowing just when to harvest a melon crop is part art and part science, but a skill you can acquire through observation and practice. To start, there are signs that herald the approach of peak ripeness or indicate its presence for the various types. How much time you expect to pass before the melon will be eaten is the other major consideration (more about this below).

Telltale signs to watch for. Visible or palpable changes at ripeness can involve the following:

• Rind
• Change in skin cast or coloration.
• Cracking, striations, or other markings.
• Slight softening of the fruit.
• Juncture of fruit stem and vine
• Browning and shriveling of tendril and/or leaf most proximal to fruit stem.
• Shrinking of the area where stem attaches to the fruit. When this occurs, it's time to test for ripeness. This is the primary clue growers use to assess ripeness, as it is characteristic of the melon type and relates to how the fruit is usually removed from the vine.

Removal from the vine. At ripeness, some melons "slip" from the vine easily or with a bit of a tug, whereas others must be cut. Most of the slip varieties are said to be ripe at either full slip or forced slip. With a little practice you will learn to recognize the distinctions between the two. The types that must be cut at peak ripeness would be overripe if left until they slipped from the vine.

FULL-SLIP

Ripe fruit can be easily detached from the stem with a slight tug or a gentle push of the thumb. Examples:

• Cantaloupe. Ripe when skin color "warms" and fruit slips easily from the vine.
• Galia/tropical melons. Ready to harvest when the fruit rind has turned yellow, and develops small cracks where it encircles the stem, indicating the fruit can be slipped from the vine with a gentle tug. Watch video…
• 'Lambkin' piel de sapo. Two choices, depending on your needs and preferences. Melons can be harvested by cutting from the vine to prolong shelf life; OR, for best flavor, allowed to remain on the vine to develop full potential, then slipped. As fruit approaches ripeness, the background color of the rind turns from green to yellow. Watch video…

FORCED SLIP (also known as Half-Slip)

Ripe fruit requires an extra-firm push of the thumb to detach from the stem — more pressure is needed than with full-slip types. Examples:

A creamy, sweet-spicy, aromatic Crenshaw variety.

• 'Brilliant' canary melons are ready when the fruit turns rich, canary yellow and the blossom end of the fruit yields slightly to a gentle press of the thumb. (Fruit can also be cut from the vine slightly earlier.)
• 'Lilly', an extra-early crenshaw, is ready to harvest when the skin is a creamy yellow and the fruit is slightly soft to the touch. Push the melon where it joins the stem to remove the fruit from the vine. (Crenshaws can also be harvested at full slip, however. 'Lilly' can be left on the vine a couple of extra days for extra flavor, and harvested at full slip rather than forced slip, at which point it will be a bit riper and tastier.) Watch video…

CUT-FROM-THE-VINE TYPES

These melons should be cut from the vine when ripe. Examples:

A fabulous, green-splashed/variegated Honeydew variety.

• Charentais melons are ready to be cut from the vine when the smallish, long-stemmed leaf next to the fruit becomes pale, the small tendril nearest to where the fruit attaches to the vine turns brown. Another indicator is a yellowish "warming" of the skin (whereas orange skin color indicates the fruits are overripe). Watch video…
• Honeydew melons, like charentais, have a small, long-stemmed leaf attached to the vine, opposite to where the fruit is attached, which turns yellow when the melons are ripe. Ripeness is also indicated by a "warming" of the skin tone.

When the intention is to ship or store a melon crop, some growers elect to time the harvest to occur before peak ripeness, to extend shelf life, harvesting full-slip types early at the forced-slip stage or harvesting forced-slip types early by cutting them from the vine. Take note that these practices will compromise the flavor.

For more details on when to harvest the various types of melons, refer to the descriptions given on our product pages, and watch our series of melon-harvesting videos. With practice you will learn to harvest your melons at peak ripeness.

For more information, please visit Melon Seed Supplier.