Melons
Here are my tips for growing great melons:
Site, soil type:
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Melons need high fertility.
Grow melons in full sun and in well-drained soil.
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Planting requirements:
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Plant melons when the soil is at least 65 degrees. Melons like warm summer weather. Melons should be the last thing that gets planted in your garden.
To get a head start, plant indoors 4 weeks ahead and then transplant.
Melons do not like their roots disturbed when transplanting.
Melons do not tolerate frost.
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Nutrition/Fertilizer needs:
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Use ½-1 cup of a complete organic fertilizer per plant.
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Water needs:
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Keep the soil moist until fruits are tennis ball size. Then reduce the water.
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Other tips:
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Melons like heat. Use row covers after planting to give them increased warmth.
Put olive colored plastic down one week before planting to warm soil. Put holes in the plastic and put plants in the holes. Olive plastic suppresses weeds but allows sun to warm the soil.
A foliar feed with fish or kelp formula every 14 days makes plants more pest resistant.
Watermelon is less tolerant of cool weather than cantaloupe.
Blacktail Mountain is a watermelon variety that does very well for me in my cool season climate.
Halona is a cantaloupe variety that does well for me in the greenhouse.
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It also will help keep the rabbits and deer from munching your goodies.