Melon
Fruiting vegetables · Cucumis melo · Gourd family · Annual
Needs heat, full sun and light warm soil; in a cool climate grow it in a greenhouse or under cover. Water less as the fruit ripens: it gets sweeter.
How it grows
| Sun | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Moisture | Dry / hilltop |
| Soil | light (sandy, sandy loam) |
| Spacing | 80 cm |
| Rotation group | Heavy feeders (nightshades, squash, corn) |
| How to plant | seedlings |
| Green manure before it | Buckwheat |
| Protector plant | Marigold |
| Bad neighbours | Potato |
When to sow, by climate zone
| Zone | In the ground | Sow indoors | Sow again for autumn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | early May – late Jun | early Apr | |
| Zone 7 | mid-Apr – mid-Jun | mid-Mar | |
| Zone 8 | late Mar – late May | early Mar | |
| Zone 9 | early Mar – early May | early Feb | |
| Zone 10 | mid-Feb – mid-Apr | mid-Jan |
Dates for the average frost dates of each zone; the app works them out for your own town.