Cantaloupe
Cucumis melo
About it
- Kind
- Vegetables · Annual
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Frost
- Very tender — needs warm soil and nights
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 24 in apart
- Soil depth in a pot
- At least 12 in
- Water
- About every 7 days
ⓘ We don't know this plant's soil pH, feeding needs and mature size yet.
When to plant
- Start indoors
- 3 weeks before planting out
- Plant out
- Plant out 2 weeks after the last frost
- Sow outdoors
- Sow 2 weeks after the last frost
- Soil temperature
- Germinates from 60°F
- Ready
- About 85 days from sowing
Based on your last frost date. Outside the US, check local advice.
Planting partners
No cited companion planting notes for Cantaloupe yet.
Safety for pets and children
- Cats Listed as non-toxic to cats (NC State Extension)
- Dogs Listed as non-toxic to dogs (NC State Extension)
- Horses Listed as non-toxic to horses (NC State Extension)
- Children No information in our sources
Read from NC State Extension ↗.
"No information" means our sources do not say, not that the plant is harmless. A non-toxic listing is not a reason to let anyone eat a plant.
Pests and diseases
No pest or disease notes for Cantaloupe yet.
Check the label and your local extension service before using any product.
Where this comes from
- category NC State Extension ↗ Listed in Table 16-4, "Garden Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs"
- climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Ch. 16 lists melons among the warm-season annuals, which it calls frost-sensitive; the Toolbox calls cantaloupe "a warm season, annual climber". No zones: an annual has no winter to survive (see the header)
- climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Ch. 16 lists melons among the warm-season annuals, which it calls frost-sensitive; the Toolbox calls cantaloupe "a warm season, annual climber". No zones: an annual has no winter to survive (see the header)
- days to maturity NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4: Melons, cantaloupe T=57-62, S=85-90; the from-seed low end
- direct sow weeks rel last frost cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) very tender class: typically 2+ weeks after the last frost. UNH (New Hampshire) gives no direct-seed week for melon
- family npgsweb.ars-grin.gov ↗ GRIN page: Cucumis melo L.
- frost hardiness cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) very tender class lists cantaloupe
- indoor start weeks cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) melon 3-4 weeks, NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-3 muskmelon 3-4, CSU #720 (Colorado) 2-3: 3 is in all three
- indoor start weeks NC State Extension ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) melon 3-4 weeks, NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-3 muskmelon 3-4, CSU #720 (Colorado) 2-3: 3 is in all three
- indoor start weeks extension.unh.edu ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) melon 3-4 weeks, NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-3 muskmelon 3-4, CSU #720 (Colorado) 2-3: 3 is in all three
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗
- maturity counted from NC State Extension ↗ The 0069 row took NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-4's S=85-90 (from seed), not T=57-62
- min soil depth in NC State Extension ↗ Not in Table 18-1; 12 in as squash (12-24), low end -- ch. 18 names bush melons as suited to containers. Derived. A group figure, as every ch. 18 depth is
- min soil temp f cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) Table 2: cantaloupe germination minimum 60°F
- space requirement NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4 distance between plants: 24 in. The table publishes no row distance, so rows equal plants -- the square spacing of an intensive bed
- species NC State Extension ↗
- sunlight NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- toxicity NC State Extension ↗ non_toxic for cat, dog, horse from its "non-toxic for" tags.
- transplant weeks rel last frost cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) table: melon transplants 2 weeks after last frost; CSU #720 (Colorado) very tender class: typically 2+ weeks after. CSU advises direct seeding vine crops
- transplant weeks rel last frost extension.unh.edu ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) table: melon transplants 2 weeks after last frost; CSU #720 (Colorado) very tender class: typically 2+ weeks after. CSU advises direct seeding vine crops
- water frequency days UMN Extension ↗ UMN "Growing melons in the home garden": "Water deeply and infrequently, one to two inches per week." The page also says to reduce watering as the fruits ripen, which a fixed interval cannot express.