Growing Melons

Melons are one of nature's most delicious creations. Nothing beats watermelon on a warm, summer day, or cantaloupe eaten fresh as a lunchtime treat. The next time you want to have melons to enjoy, consider growing them in your own garden. If you live in an area that is not too cold, they are fairly easy to grow, and will serve up a great treat from you own back yard.

When you go to plant your melons, make sure that you find a spot that has full sun. That means you should keep it away from trees and buildings that may block the sun's light. Also be sure that the melons will be protected from any cold winds if you receive many in your area: melons do not do well with cold weather. The soil where you plant your melons should be rich and well drained. You might want to consider mixing in compost before you plant the seeds to ensure that the melons get all the nutrients they need.

If your area does not receive much frost, you can plan to plant melon seeds straight into the ground and have good results. If it gets cold where you live, you probably want to either start growing melons indoors a couple of weeks before the last frost of the season, or buy baby melon plants at your local nursery. For seeds, sow them directly into the ground follow the instructions on the packet, since every type of melon needs to have different amount of spacing. If you have a baby plant, transplant it into your garden, making sure to bury it about an inch deeper than it was in the pot.

Water the plants constantly as they grow to ensure they get the water they need. You might want to consider covering the plants with floating row covers to protect them from insects, but be sure to remove them as they flower, or the flowers will not be pollinated. Soon you should have little melons growing in the garden. As they grow, you probably will want to put something under them, such as a wooden board, to prevent the melon from rotting. As the fruits begin to ripen, you will want to stop watering them, unless you have a drought in your area. This will help them grow stronger and taste better.

That is it. Harvest when the melons are fully ripe and enjoy your own home grown melons.