Sweet Success with Cantaloupes

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Growing for Flavor

From the time they start flowering until the fruits approach full size, melons benefit from regular watering. “Hope for dry weather as the melons ripen, because hot, dry weather at that time increases sweetness and overall flavor,” Drowns says. Too much water dilutes flavor and contributes to problems with cracking, and many a melon planting has been lost to fruit rot when heavy rains arrived just as fruits were ripening.

Impatience also can lead to disappointing results, because cantaloupes and muskmelons need to ripen fully before they’re picked. Muskmelons give a clear clue when they’re ripe: The stem separates itself from the fruit, which is first evident as a crevice between the stem and fruit (half-slip stage). Within days, the fruit separates cleanly at the slightest tug (full-slip stage). A forced slip is when bad weather, fruit splitting, raccoons, deer or other natural factors force you to gather almost-ripe melons a few days early. Muskmelons picked at the forced-slip stage often taste good, but not as great as if they’d ripened all the way.

True cantaloupes seldom slip, but they often change colors as they ripen, with the rind typically morphing from green to golden yellow. They also develop a distinct fragrance that’s most noticeable at the blossom end, and the leaf closest to the fruit fades to yellow — a sign that the plant has slowed its nutrient supply to the fruit. When harvesting melons that do not slip, cut them from the vine and leave a small stub of stem attached. You can store them at room temperature for a day or two, or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Experience will teach you the art of harvesting melons. Morris thinks sampling melons out in the garden is an experience that should not be missed. Some melons taste best when they’re still warm from the sun, others are improved by chilling, and many develop their best flavors at room temperature. If you grow a few yourself, or acquire tempting varieties through your farmer’s market, then you’ll have exactly what you need to start summer days just right — with a spoon in one hand and a cantaloupe in the other.

Cantaloupe Clinic

The most powerful challenges to growing great melons are various diseases, including the four described below. Act quickly at the first sign of disease or insect infestation; prevention is often possible, whereas curing a badly infected plant is not. Serenade, the organic fungicide suggested below for powdery mildew and gummy stem blight, is based on a special strain of Bacillus subtilis, which is a common airborne bacterium found in many environments. When spraying any substance on melon leaves, add a few drops of dishwashing detergent to help the spray stick to the leaves.

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