Melons love warmth. But with a little care, suitable varieties can also grow and thrive in this country. We have expert tips ready for you.
Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) and sugar melons (Cucumis melo) are considered sweet refreshments in hot summers and are very popular in Germany. But although the majority is imported from warmer countries, melons can also be grown in our latitudes. There is a wide range of varieties and variations that you can cultivate in your own garden with a few tricks. We'll show you the best way to go from grow to harvest.
Planting melons: location, time and procedure
Basically, it should be noted that success in growing melons depends heavily on choosing the right location. The timing of planting outdoors also plays an important role, as melon plants are very sensitive to cold.
The perfect location for melons
In Germany, melons can only be grown outdoors if there is sufficient heat. It is therefore worth growing in a greenhouse in harsh areas, but planting out in the bed should not be a problem in a wine-growing climate. When planting outdoors, make sure you choose a sunny, warm spot that is sheltered from the wind. The soil should also be able to warm up quickly - a loose soil structure is always advantageous.
Since melons in the garden are considered heavy feeders, the soil should also be very humic and rich in nutrients. Both sandy and very clayey soils must be improved with lots of compost or a high-quality compost soil such as our Plantura organic compost soil for successful melon cultivation. The compost soil allows for better aeration of heavy soil, which means it warms up better to a temperature favorable for melons. Sandy soils, on the other hand, can store water much better with the help of compost. In addition, the compost soil continuously releases nutrients and is therefore particularly suitable for the nutrient-hungry melons.
Hint:Additional warmth around the melon plant increases the yield and sweetness of the fruit. For this reason, it is worth cultivating on a hot bed, warm compost or even on black mulch film. Placing old windows around the melon plant also creates a warmer plant, as does a good windbreak.
The right time to plant melons
All types of melons - regardless of whether they are water melons or sugar melons - are only planted out from the end of May to June due to their sensitivity to cold. If you grow melons in the greenhouse, you can plant them out as early as April, as the plants are constantly warm there. When growing in a greenhouse, keep in mind that creeping melon plants can take up a lot of space. The attachment of climbing aids is therefore very worthwhile so that the plants can grow upwards.
Tip: Melons are very sensitive to sudden cold temperatures and recover from a cold shock so slowly that the year's harvest is in jeopardy. Young plants should therefore be hardened off before planting out by placing them outdoors in the partial shade during the day 2 weeks before planting.
Melon Planting Procedure
Also make sure there is enough space per plant when planting outdoors. If you place the plants too close together, the risk of fungal diseases increases and the melons do not have enough space to grow. Therefore, calculate at least one square meter per plant.
The most important information about melon cultivation at a glance:
- Warm, sunny and sheltered location
- Loose, nutrient-rich and humus-rich soil, black mulch film under the plant increases warmth
- Improving the soil with compost like our Plantura organic compost
- In rough areas best in a greenhouse, on a sheltered compost heap or behind wind-protecting, warming panes of glass
- Plant outdoors from the end of May, in the greenhouse from April
- At least 1 m² space per plant
Tip: Melons can even be grown in large tubs. This has the advantage that the earth warms up faster if the planters are in a warm, sunny place. Small-fruited varieties such as the pocket melon are particularly suitable for this.
Growing melons: Sow yourself or buy plants?
Many hobby gardeners use itWhen growing melons, I prefer to use young plants that have been brought forward, but it is also easy to sow them at home. We present both variants and their advantages and disadvantages.
Sow your own melons
All types of melon are grown indoors between the beginning and end of April. Plant one seed per pot 1 to 2 cm deep. At an optimal germination temperature of 25 - 28 °C, the seeds germinate within 3 to 7 days. Immediately after germination, the seedlings are placed in a bright and cooler place, at 18 to 24 °C - this way they remain compact and stable. The seedlings can be planted out between the end of May and the beginning of June.
Tip: Melons have very sensitive roots and therefore cannot be pricked out. Therefore, only one seed is ever sown in a sufficiently large pot. Even when planting out in the garden, melon plants need to be treated very carefully.
Priming melon plants at a glance:
- Sow from the beginning to the end of April at a depth of 1 - 2 cm, one seed each in a sufficiently large pot
- Ideal germination temperature 25 - 28 °C (min. 18°C)
- After germination, place in a cooler place: 18 - 25 °C
- Do not poke
Buy Melon Plants
If you want to save yourself a little work, it can definitely be worth buying young plants that have already been planted. You can buy these in the garden center from May to June and then plant them outdoors in the same way. An advantage of these young plants is that they are often grafted onto pumpkin rootstock and are therefore less susceptible to root diseases. All in all, the costs for pre-grown plants are much higher compared to growing them yourself, since a pack of seeds only costs a few euros.
Melons: suitable types and varieties
Melons have more variation than many realize. Nevertheless, the plants from the pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae) can be roughly divided into two types: watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) and sugar melons (Cucumis melo) . The latter also includes the ever-popular honeydew melon with its yellow skin and sweet taste. Other varieties include the cantaloupe melon with its characteristically orange flesh and the netted melon with its netted, rough skin.
In principle, only early-ripening melon varieties are suitable for cultivation in cold Central Europe. Late varieties require a longer andwarmer vegetation period and do not even reach maturity in our country before it is already getting cold again. Even rather small melon varieties promise better success in cultivation, because the development of the fruit takes less time.
Watermelon Varieties
'Bush Sugar Baby'
- New breed derived from Sugar Baby
- Early ripe with smaller fruits: 2 - 4 kg (1 - 2 fruits per plant)
- Red flesh with dark skin
- Plant remains quite compact (1 m² per plant)
'Crimson Sweet'
- Worldwide popular variety
- Oval and light green fruits. High fruit weight: 5 - 8 kg
- Aromatic, light red pulp
- Good resistance to leaf blight and other fungal diseases
- 1.5 - 2 m² per plant
'Asahi Miyako'
- Precocious Japanese breed; very high sugar content
- Fruits with light green skin with dark stripes and light red flesh
- 3.5 - 5 kg fruit
- 1.5 m² per plant
You can find more watermelon varieties that are suitable for cultivation in Germany here.
Watermelon Varieties
'Giallo Canaria 3'
- Yellow Canarian Honeydew Melon
- Oval and yellow fruits
- White and sweet pulp
- 1.5 m² per plant
'Bari F1'
- Cantaloupe melon
- Round fruit with orange flesh and gray skin
- Very aromatic
- 1 - 2 m² per plant
'Hale's Best'
- Melon
- Round fruits with white-grey net structure as shell
- Orange to red flesh
- 1 - 2 m² per plant
Caring for and removing the melons
Regardless of the type and variety of melon, proper care of the exotic plants is essential for a rich harvest. We will show you how to properly water and fertilize melon plants.
Watering melons correctly
Melons require a large amount of water to grow optimally. Never let the soil dry out completely. This is especially true while the flowers and fruits are being formed. If possible, do not use cold water, but only warm water, such as from a rain barrel. Melon plants are sensitive to water that is too cold. In addition, when watering, be careful not to wet the leaves, otherwise there is a riskfor fungal diseases is increasing.
Fertilize melons properly
Sufficient supply of nutrients is particularly important for the growth of melon plants. Before planting the young plants, first work a primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer into the soil. Alternatively, compost is also suitable. In this way you supply the young plants with important nutrients right from the start and also in the longer term and loosen up the soil structure. Fertilizer is applied again during flowering and fruit formation so that the plants have enough strength to develop the large, sweet fruits.
Spining Melons
A proven care measure to increase the yield in cold regions and outdoors is the so-called pruning. To do this, the main shoot of a melon plant is cut off after the fifth leaf. As a result, the plant forms more side shoots, which can also be cut at the top. With this method you encourage the plant to grow more compactly and produce fruit earlier. Additionally, removing the top a bit above growing fruit will leave more energy for the melon to grow, and you'll be able to harvest some big and sweet melons rather than many underdeveloped melons.
Harvesting melons: when and how to do it
As summer draws to a close, it's time to harvest melons. Depending on the type of melon, it can be harvested from the end of August until autumn. You should now cut off ripe specimens with a sharp knife at the fruit base. As a rule, only harvest ripe fruit, since melons can only ripen to a limited extent. But how can you actually recognize optimal maturity?
When is the melon ripe?
Depending on the type of melon, the ripeness can be recognized by different criteria. All melons have a strong color when ripe and sound dull to hollow when tapped. In addition, there are slight cracks on the stem when the fruit sets. Ripe melons can also be recognized by their sweet scent.
You can recognize ripe melons by these criteria:
- Strong green for watermelons, intense yellow for honeydew melons
- Dull to hollow sound when tapped
- Slight cracks on the fruit base
- Sweet scent of cantaloupe
Store melons correctly and extend shelf life
In principle, melons - regardless of whether they are water melons or sugar melons - do not have a particularly long shelf life. At room temperature, the sweet fruit will only keep for about two weeks uncut. Therefore, store melons in a cool and dark place like the basement. If the melon has already been cut, you should wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge. Unfortunately, it also loses some of its flavor as a result. Freezing melons, on the other hand, is not recommended as the flesh becomes very mushy after thawing.
You can find out more specifically about the best melon types and varieties for cultivation in Germany in our special article on this topic.