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Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is hard to start in our greenhouse in January, like peppers they like the soil to be nice and warm. Usually we germinate the seeds in a moist paper towel. Our germination rate is much higher. If we just put them in the pot in the greenhouse most of them will not grow.
Cantaloupes are easier to grow than watermelon because they take less time. By the time we transplant them outside some of them have flowers. The cantaloupe are slow to take off after we plant them in the garden. Once it gets hot outside they really take off fast, if it is to cold and wet they will just get stem rot and die. Even in the greenhouse we have to have a fan on to keep the air moving at all times so they do not get stem rot.
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Favorite Variety
Our favorite cantaloupe variety's are Hales Best and Hearts of Gold, both are 4 - 5 inches in diameter, a great personal size, just right for being able to ripen in our zone.
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Are Cantaloupe Worth Growing?
One word, yes, there are not too many things in our garden that are as tasty as a vine ripen fresh cantaloupe, other than my favorite, our peaches. The vegetables and fruits we grow in our garden are far superior to the ones in the grocery store.
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