Growing melons

When the topic of melons arises, a diverse array of options comes to mind. In Australia, watermelon, rockmelon, and honeydew melons reign as the major crops. However, the melon landscape is far more expansive, with varieties like Canary melon, winter melon, and horned melon also making their mark. While we could delve deeper, let’s focus on these main varieties of these highly nutrimental fruits.

Where the water gets muddy is cantaloupe, which is a melon common in America. Honeydew melon or Cucumis melo Inodorus has green flesh and is sweet, and cantaloupe or Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis, which is orange in colour and softer flesh. You guessed it, rockmelons or Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis is the same as cantaloupes. The Latin name tells us when plants are different rather than relying on the common name.

Watermelons or Citrullus lanatus have a vast range from seedless to mini to flesh colour of pink, orange or yellow.  Collecting seeds from a watermelon does not necessarily mean you will get the same variety as the parent plant if you raise them yourself.  Unless they are in an insect-proof netting, cross-pollination by bees can mean it is like a box of chocolates: ‘you never know what you are getting’. If you enclose the melons with insect-proof netting and hand pollinate them, you will get the same result as the parents. This is how people often collect heirloom varieties, which are open-pollinated cultivars that have been passed down through generations due to their valued characteristics.

The world of melons can become even more profound. Wild melon or bitter melon sounds like a sweet option, but they are bitter and sour. Melons are usually very easy to grow and well worth trying; all you need is space and patience. To grow melons successfully, it’s important to provide them with plenty of sunlight, water, and well-drained soil. Additionally, regular pruning and pest control measures can help ensure a healthy crop.