How to grow Melons in a Greenhouse? Growing Tips

Get complete access how to grow Melons in a Greenhouse. So, grow melons in a greenhouse for a rewarding experience. Prepare soil with compost, use grow bags, and secure wires for support.

Choose from various melon types like cantaloupes, honeydews, Charentes, and Asian varieties. Provide proper care, watering, and harvesting for sweet, succulent melons straight from your greenhouse. Enjoy the delicious rewards.

Prepare the soil by mixing in well-rotted manure for nutrients. Alternatively, utilize grow bags or 10-inch pots with three plants per bag or pot.

Secure wires to the greenhouse’s interior horizontal frame for training the plants. As the melons grow, guide them up the wires for support and space optimization.

Once you have mastered herbs, tomatoes, and peppers, try growing melons for a rewarding challenge. Enjoy their beauty and versatility.

Planting Melon Seeds

When growing melons, frost can be a problem, especially towards the end of the growing season.

But do not worry, they love being in greenhouses where it’s cozy and warm. The best time to start planting is from mid-April to mid-May.

Here is how to get started: soak the seeds in lukewarm water for a day.

Then, plant one seed in a small pot, about 3 to 4 inches wide, and bury it about an inch deep in the soil.

Make sure the soil is damp, but not too wet. And that’s it! You’re on your way to growing delicious melons in no time.

Which Melon Types are best?

In the UK greenhouse, you can grow tasty cantaloupes (also known as muskmelons). Varieties like ‘Halona’ or ‘Sweetheart’ are perfect picks. These melons are small to medium-sized, with sweet, aromatic orange flesh. They’re great for UK conditions because they have shorter growing periods, meaning you can enjoy your melons sooner.

Growers in the UK can grow sweet honeydew melons such as “Honey Bun” and “Green Machine.” These types produce very tasty, light green melons with lots of taste. The greenhouse’s regulated climate allows these honeydews to reach the ideal levels of ripeness and sweetness. Prepare to indulge in some delicious honey-dews right from your greenhouse.

Melons from Charentes, like “Savor” or “Cavaillon,” are tiny, aromatic, and very flavorful. Because of their dense growth habit and capacity to mature faster, they are ideal for growing in greenhouses.

In your greenhouse, you can grow Asian melons like ‘Korean Yellow’ or ‘Ogen.’ These smaller melons have a crisp, sweet taste that’s quite unique. Get ready to savor their delightful flavor straight from your own garden!

How to Grow and Take Care of Melon Seeds?

Once your seedlings have grown real leaves, it’s time to move them into grow bags. Make sure the greenhouse stays cozy, between 18°C (59°F) and 23°C (73°F), and keep the air fresh with good ventilation to ward off diseases.

Before planting, warm up the grow bags in the greenhouse. Melons like their soil nice and toasty, around 21°C or higher for the best results.

Use soil enriched with organic matter like compost or manure, aiming for a pH level between 6.0 to 6.5. And do not forget, good drainage is key for healthy roots. With these steps, you will be on your way to a numerous melon harvest in no time.

As your melon vines grow, they’ll need a little support. You can use a wooden stake placed a few inches from the root ball, or provide them with a thread to climb. Once the vines start getting longer, tie the strongest shoot to the support to help it grow upright.

To encourage vertical growth, pinch off the side branches as they appear. When the main stem reaches the desired height, pinch off its end to start producing melons.

Remember, it is best to have no more than two or three melons growing on each vine. This way, you’ll get bigger, juicier melons instead of lots of smaller ones. With these simple steps, your melon plants will thrive and reward you with delicious fruit.

When watering your melon plants, it is important to keep their deep roots in mind. You want the roots to absorb water without getting waterlogged. Too much water can cause the melons to crack open. Aim for soil that’s somewhat damp but not soggy.

For the best watering system, consider using a drip irrigation system or something similar. This allows water to reach the roots more directly.

Another trick is to bury a pot or piece of pipe next to the plant. This helps ensure that the water goes straight to the roots, where the melon plants need it most. With proper watering, your melon plants will stay healthy and happy, ready to produce delicious fruit.

Harvesting melons is a gradual process, as each melon ripens at its own pace. This means you won’t be overwhelmed with a sudden abundance of fruit. Instead, you can enjoy them over a few weeks as they mature.

You will know a melon is ready to be picked when it stops growing and makes a soft thud sound when tapped.

If you are unsure, you can open one up to check its progress and compare it to others nearby.

Just be careful not to wait too long, or the vine might start pulling away from the melon, indicating it is past it is prime. Harvest at the right time, and you will enjoy sweet, delicious melons all season long.

FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1). How do you grow melons?

Grow melons in your backyard garden with these steps:

Prepare soil: Two weeks before the last spring frost, enrich soil with fertilizer and compost.

Create raised beds: Measure out and mark six to eight-inch-high raised beds for good drainage and quick soil warming.

Plant seeds: Bury melon seeds half to one inch deep, spacing them 18 to 24 inches apart in clusters.

Follow these simple steps for tasty melons in your own yard.

Q2). How much time does it take melon to grow?

Melons typically take about 80-100 days to grow from planting to harvest. Keep an eye out for signs of ripeness within that time frame. Once melons are cut from the vine, they won’t ripen any further or get sweeter.

Conclusion

How to grow Melons in a Greenhouse? Growing melons in a greenhouse can be a rewarding endeavor, offering a variety of delicious and flavorful options suited to different tastes.

By providing the right environment, support, and care, you can cultivate a bountiful harvest of melons ranging from cantaloupes to honeydews, Asian varieties, and Charente’s melons.

With proper attention to soil preparation, watering, and harvesting, you can enjoy sweet and succulent melons straight from your own backyard greenhouse.

Whether you’re a novice gardener or a seasoned enthusiast, the journey of growing melons offers both challenges and delights, promising a fruitful and satisfying experience for any garden enthusiast.