Vegega Garden
July 28th, 2025
How to Grow Cantaloupe
How to Grow Cantaloupe in Raised Beds | Beginner's Guide
There's something incredibly satisfying about slicing into a homegrown cantaloupe on a hot summer day. The sweet, juicy flavor is on a whole different level if you compare it to anything you would find in a grocery store. And the best part? Growing cantaloupe in your own garden isn’t as tricky as it might seem! Today, we share everything we know about growing cantaloupe in metal raised garden beds, including how to grow and care for them, and even grow them vertically.
⬇️Click and Jump to section
- Choosing the Right Variety
- Growing Melons in Raised Beds
- How to Grow Cantaloupe Vertically
- How Long Does It Take a Cantaloupe to Grow from Seed?
- How Many Cantaloupes per Plant?
- Harvesting Cantaloupe
Choosing the Right Variety
Not all cantaloupes are the same. Some are smaller and ripen faster, which is ideal if you live in a cooler climate or have a shorter growing season. Others are large and juicy but need more time and space.
Here are a few varieties you can consider:
- Hale's Best - A classic cantaloupe with rich flavor and high yield
- Minnesota Midget - A smaller melon, great for shorter seasons or raised beds
- Ambrosia - Super sweet and aromatic, but needs a bit more room
Tip: Choose your variety based on your climate and available garden space.
Growing Melons in Raised Beds
Growing cantaloupes in raised beds is an excellent idea. Cantaloupes love warm soil, and raised beds heat up faster in the spring and drain more efficiently after rain. Plus, it’s easier to control soil quality, which is important for heavy-feeding plants like cantaloupes.
Raised bed conditions:
- Hale's Best - A classic cantaloupe with rich flavor and high yield
- Minnesota Midget - A smaller melon, great for shorter seasons or raised beds
- Ambrosia - Super sweet and aromatic, but needs a bit more room
Tip: Add a layer of mulch around the base to keep the soil moist and discourage weeds.
How to Grow Cantaloupe Vertically
Cantaloupes tend to go all over the garden if you leave them unattended. That’s why we like to go vertical! It saves space, improves air circulation (which means fewer pests and diseases), and makes harvesting way easier.
Here’s how to grow cantaloupe vertically:
- Use a sturdy trellis - These vines get heavy, especially once the melons start to develop. Use sturdy wall trellis, wooden A-frames, or metal arches.
- Train the vines - Once your cantaloupe seedlings start to vine, gently guide them up the trellis with garden ties or soft string.
- Support the fruit - As the melons grow, sling each one in a fabric hammock and tie it to the trellis. This prevents the fruit from falling prematurely.
Tip: Vertical growing is especially helpful when you have limited space or urban gardens. And we have The Best Climbing Plants For Garden Trellis for your reference.
Planting Cantaloupe
You can start cantaloupes from seed directly in the ground, or indoors 3-4 weeks before your last frost date. We’ve tried both, but in cooler climates, starting indoors gives them a head start.
- Direct sow seeds - the soil should be at least 70 degrees
- Plant depth - Sow seeds about half an inch deep.
- Thinning - Once seedlings have a few true leaves, thin to one plant every 18-24 inches.
Tip: Start seeds indoors in peat pots or seed trays, then harden them off before transplanting.
How Long Does It Take a Cantaloupe to Grow from Seed
Watering and Feeding
Cantaloupes love water - up to a point. Consistent moisture is key, especially when the vines are setting and developing fruit. But too much water at the end of the growing season can make the melons watery and bland. We water deeply once or twice a week, depending on rainfall, and always aim for the base of the plant to avoid mildew on the leaves.
As for feeding:
- We mix compost into the soil before planting
- Apply a balanced organic fertilizer once the vines are about 12 inches long
- Switch to a low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer once fruit begins to form
Pollination Tips
Cantaloupes rely on pollinators like bees to set fruit. If you notice flowers but no fruit, poor pollination might be the culprit.
To help:
- Plant pollinator-friendly flowers nearby.
- Hand-pollinate using a small brush or transfer pollen from male to female flowers manually.
- Avoid pesticides that can harm beneficial insects.
How Many Cantaloupes per Plant?
This depends on the variety and growing conditions, but on average, you can expect 3 to 6 cantaloupes per plant. Some mini-melon varieties may produce more, while larger varieties will give you fewer, bigger fruits.
To make the most out of it, we suggest you provide consistent water and nutrients, remove early flowers to encourage stronger vine development, and prune the side shoots if the vine gets too crowded.
Harvesting Cantaloupe
You need to know when to harvest – if you pick them too early, the melon will be bland. If you pick them too late, they might overripe or attract pests.
Here are some signs that your cantaloupe is ready:
- It slips easily from the vine with a gentle tug.
- The skin underneath the netting turns yellowish.
- It has a sweet, musky aroma at the stem end.
Once harvested, let it sit at room temperature for a day or two to bring out the full flavor (if you can wait that long)!
Recommended Metal Raised Beds
Conclusion
Growing cantaloupes is one of the most rewarding things we do in our garden. Just remember to choose the right variety for your space, prep your soil and raised bed, stay consistent with water, be patient, and let nature do its thing. By the end of the season, you will enjoy some fantastic fruit! Check out our other blogs for more garden info!
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