Question
my cantelope, pic is 2
I have read and appreciated your answers to others questions on various vegetables, and profited by it. My question is, I am a very newly established vegetable gardner, and am loving it. I planted cantelope after 3 weeks of germinating inside, and they look healthy enough. I feel I didn't space them out enough, but abut a foot. They have plenty of room to grow. I just don't know if I need to fertilize or give them any kind of nutrients. I hope I can attach a picture of them. I am not very good at this but will try. I planted them about 5 weeks ago, after starting inside at three weeks. Am I at the right time frame for cantelope? I live in central Fla, Ocala area. Thank you for your time.
Joanna
AnswerCantaloupe, like all vining vegetables, should be planted 2 feet apart. Since you recently planted, you can still move them to the proper distance. If you decide to leave them as is, the size of your harvest and the size of the fruit may be somewhat smaller due to the plants competing for nutrients.
Once the plants produce their first blossoms, apply a water-soluble fertilizer high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen. This will stimulate the plants to produce more flowers and larger fruit. Mulch the bed with organic matter such as compost or peat to retain moisture and improve the soil.
That is all you really need to do. Water sparingly except for dry spells, and then water very deeply to encourage the roots to grow vertically. The first cantaloupe should be ready to harvest in about 75 to 85 days.
I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever provide assistance.
Regards,
Mike
