Cucumis melo
SPACE REQUIRED: At least 100cm x 100cm.
DISTANCE APART: 100cm
WHEN TO HARVEST: Harvest rockmelons when the stalk attached to the melons starts to wither and the melon can be pulled away easily.
HOW MUCH WATER: Water every day unless it rains.
WHERE TO PLANT: Full sun
CAN I GROW THEM IN A POT? Yes, but it needs to be a very big one! Use an old bath or concrete sink and fill it full of premium potting mix. Plant the seedlings and then water. Make sure there is room for the vine to spill over the sides.
CAN I GROW THEM IN A GARDEN BED? Yes. The garden bed must get at least 6 hours of sun every day. Mix some compost or animal manure into the soil and then build this up into mounds that are about 20cm high and 100cm. Plant one seedling into the top of each mound. Spread some mulch such as pea straw or lucerne hay over the soil and water the area well.
BEST BUDDY PLANTS: Corn, sunflowers and melons are all best buddies! Plant corn and sunflower seedlings in between the rockmelon seedlings. The large leaves of the rockmelon vines will shade the roots of the corn and sunflowers.
OTHER ‘SMARTY PLANT’ TIPS:
- When you get your seedlings home, let them sit in a shallow tray of water which has had a tablespoon of seaweed solution added for an hour or two. This will get them ready for transplanting.
- After planting, water the seedlings with a very soft hose or a watering can several times a day until they settle in.
- Don’t fertilise too early. Wait until the flowers start to appear and then sprinkle on a granular fertiliser especially for fruit and vegetables.
- If there are not many bees in the garden, check out the rockmelon fact sheet on the Smarty Plants website and it will explain how you can use a paint brush to pollinate the flowers.
There’s more information at the Smarty Plants website.