Reward yourself by growing sweet, juicy melons. Gurney's carries a wide selection of honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe varieties that are great to grow and share with family and friends. Melon seeds can be direct sown into raised planting hills or started indoors and transplanted to the garden. With plenty of sun and lots of space, watch your melons thrive from seed to sprout to harvest!
Melon Seeds from Gurney's
Sweet and juicy melons are a summertime treat. At Gurney's, we've supplied gardeners with quality products for over 150 years. We grow a lot of cantaloupe, muskmelon, watermelon and other melons in our test gardens and note the best in yields, disease resistance, flavor and other factors. Our melon seeds for sale represent the best melon varieties for home gardeners, including growers in the North and South.
Choosing the Right Melons
Home gardeners have lots of choices when selecting melon seed to grow. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the right melon.
- Because melons are a warm-season crop, northern gardeners with shorter growing seasons should choose early-maturing varieties. Muskmelon usually mature more quickly than watermelons.
- Melon vines take up a lot of space. If space is an issue, more compact melon varieties may be an option.
- Melons come in all sizes. Personal-sized watermelons and cantaloupe are quite popular among home gardeners. However, if you want to feed a crowd, melons that produce larger fruits may be a good choice.
- If melon diseases are a problem in your area, then consider more disease resistant varieties.
- Taste and seeds. Choose melons with the flavor and texture you like. Also, when growing watermelons, you can choose between seeded and seedless varieties.
Getting Started With Melon Seeds
Melons are warm-season plants that like plenty of sunshine (at least 8 hours of direct sunlight daily) and well-drained soil. Here's how you grow melons.
When to Plant Melons
Melon seed can be directly sown in the garden soil or started indoors. Sow melon seed into the ground about a week before the last spring frost date. The soil temperature should be at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Start melon seeds indoors about three weeks before the last spring frost date. Wait to transplant melons until danger of spring frost has passed.
How to Plant Melon Seeds
Melons are often planted in hills spaced about 6-8ft. apart. Each hill usually has 2-3 plants. Follow seed packet instructions for specific planting depth and spacing of plants. It varies with the variety. After planting melon seeds, water thoroughly.
Where to Plant Melons
Melons are vine crops that take up a lot of space in the garden. Smaller sized cantaloupe can be grown on a trellis. When planting melons, make sure to allocate enough space for them. Because melons are pollinated by bees, avoid using pesticides, especially when the vines are flowering.
How Long Does it Take Melons to Grow?
Most melons take 80-100 days to reach maturity. Usually muskmelons mature earlier than watermelons.
How to Harvest Melons
Melons do not ripen all at once. Watermelon are ready for harvest when the tendril at the stem becomes brown and dry; the fruit color looks duller; and the side of the melon in contact with the soil starts to yellow. Muskmelons are ripe when the stem separates easily from the vine.
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