Growing good melons in Pennsylvania isn't always easy. Watermelons, cantaloupes and other members of this delicious family love hot weather and need plenty of moisture.
Most varieties of melons also require a fairly long growing season, making the southern United States a far better melon-growing location than Pennsylvania. But, with a few simple strategies, it's quite possible to have a good melon harvest north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Step 1: Choose the right varieties. To grow melons in the North, you'll need to select cultivars that have shorter maturation times. Look for cantaloupe and watermelon varieties that mature in less than 85 days from seed. Some of my favorite fast-maturing cantaloupes include “First Kiss,” “Minnesota Midget” and “Magnificenza.” As for watermelons, try “Blacktail Mountain,” “Sugar Pot,” “Baby Doll” and “Sugar Baby.” You also can try specialty melons like “Alvaro,” “Lambkin” and “Arava.” All of these melon varieties are available as seeds from territorialseed.com and highmowingseeds.com, as well as from some local, independent garden centers.
Step 2: Site them right and feed them well. All types of melons require a minimum eight hours of full sun per day. You'll also want to make sure the soil is fertile and contains a good amount of organic matter. Amend the planting site with compost before planting, but avoid manures or fertilizers high in nitrogen, as they'll result in too much vine growth and very little fruit production.
Step 3: Plant at the right time. Melons loathe cold soil; the seeds won't even germinate until the soil is at least 70 degrees. If you want to get a jump-start on the season, you can start melon seeds indoors, under grow lights, about three to four weeks before the danger of frost has passed. Use plantable peat pots, as melons don't like to have their roots disturbed.
It's too late to start seeds indoors this season, though, so your best bet for growing a melon crop this summer is to sow the seeds directly into the garden. You can do this anytime between Memorial Day and the third week in June.
Step 4: Heat the soil. Covering the soil in your melon-growing site with a layer of black plastic mulch for two to three weeks before planting the seeds gives your melon crop the warm soil it craves.
Most commercial melon growers in the northern United States use black plastic mulch to warm the soil, cut down on irrigation needs and reduce weeds. The plastic mulch can be left in place all season; if you don't like the looks of it, just cover it with a layer of straw or shredded leaves.
Step 5: Keep your melons well-watered. All types of melons require a lot of moisture. If the plants dry out while the melons are forming, the fruit set will be poor and the quality of the melons will be diminished.
The only time water isn't desired is in the last two weeks before harvest, when dry soil causes the sugars to concentrate in the melons, resulting in a sweeter flavor.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts “The Organic Gardeners” at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio with Doug Oster. She is the author of several gardening books, including “Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control” and “Good Bug, Bad Bug.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com.
Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 503 Martindale St., 3rd Floor, D.L. Clark Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
