Crop fact sheet · Warm season · frost tender
Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)
Not in season right now in Houston. Dates below.
Your dates in Houston
| Window | Order seed by | Start indoors | Plant | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | Jan 11 | Feb 1 | Feb 22 – Mar 29 | from May 18 |
| Fall 2027 | Jul 8 | Jul 29 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 | from Nov 12 |
Worked out from AgriLife planting windows (days before/after average frost) and Houston's average frost dates. "Order seed by" is our own 3-week heads-up, not an AgriLife date.
The numbers
- How to plant
- Sow seed or set transplants 1.25" deep, 30" apart, rows 78" apart.
- Days to harvest
- 85–100 days
- Yield per 10 ft of row
- about 10 fruits (100 fruits per 100 ft of row)
- Keeps producing
- about 4.3 weeks
- Start indoors
- 3 weeks before planting out
- Sun
- Full sun
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae (for rotation)
Water
Melons need a lot of water; wet the soil at least 6 inches deep and use drip or morning watering to keep leaves dry. Too much water in the last week of fruit development reduces sweetness (Clemson).
Feeding
- At planting: About 2 to 3 lb of fertilizer per 60-70 ft of row; phosphorus matters most at planting.
- Vines begin to run: Side-dress along the row when vines begin to run (nitrogen matters most now); 2 or 3 banded applications in total.
Not sure what your soil needs? Get a soil test first.
Texas heat
AgriLife: melons need neutral pH because acidic soil causes blossom drop, and bees are needed for pollination. Clemson: cut back water in the last week before harvest for sweeter fruit. No temperature threshold was given.
Pests to watch
- cucumber beetles
- aphids
- spider mites
Diseases
- gummy stem blight
- Alternaria leaf blight
- downy mildew
- powdery mildew
What to do about them: pest sheet · what's wrong with my plant?
When it's ready
Rind turns yellowish-orange, the stem begins to slip from the fruit (half slip preferred for quality) and the fruit smells strong. About 30 to 35 days from pollination to harvest.
Storing it
Use full-slip melons within 36 to 48 hours; sugar does not increase after harvest.
Texas tips
- TAM Uvalde and Perlita are Texas-adapted varieties on the AgriLife list.
- Muskmelons can fit small gardens if trellised.
- Plant on ridges 4 to 8 inches high; heavier soils need higher ridges.
- Do not plant melons in the same spot more than once every 3 or 4 years.
Varieties that do well in Texas
Ambrosia, Caravelle, Hale's Best, Israeli, Magnum 45, Mainstream, Mission, Perlita, TAM Uvalde