Around August 25, a couple of days after I buried some cantaloupe scraps, about 75 seedlings appeared. Ours in Alaska is over.). You can also check the stem, and if it has become brown, and has a crack where it is attached to the vine, it is ready for harvesting. This not so looking good structure is functional as it contains a raised bed and overhead support, which you can use to… Place a cage directly over one of the tomato plants. Are there some that may not? Before we start, keep in mind that no matter how you choose to plant, or where you choose to plant your cantaloupe, it will need plenty of water and at least eight full hours of bright sunlight each and every day. You can transplant it out to the garden and put a tomato cage around it, or set the container next to a fence or other similar trellis and train the vines straight from the container. I’ll attach pics soon, Hi Sherneice! Two sturdy poles with twine strung between them. Start by filling your chosen container nearly full with your potting soil of choice. If the melon is overripe, the outer rind will take on a yellow tint, and the fruit will be soft. You could even put together one of these gazebos and train the vines to loop around them. Because I’d only loosely tied the vines to the wires, it was easy to unwind them. Thank you for your comment. And don’t forget to check out these helpful articles on growing melons next: Photos by Laura Melchor © Ask the Experts, LLC. As the plant grows, gently direct the foliage and stem upward through the tomato cage. This is the sure sign that the little buggers have been hard at work sipping on your plants. The walls of the cage should be close to the plant; it's normal if some of the plant's vines and leaves extend outside of the cage. These can reach anywhere from four to seven feet, depending on the variety. Your melon vines, once they are growing, blooming and then setting their fruit will need at least, on average, 1-2 inches of water per week. GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Signs to look for to determine if you have aphids are those of misshapen, curling, or yellowing leaves. My leaves are turning brown. At $10-50 per tomato cage, it can get really expensive to buy enough cages for all your tomato plants. Read on and I'll tell you how to support your tomato plants with sturdy, do-it-yourself tomato cages that will last for years. Whether the plant is potted or in the ground, you want it to be in the center of the cage. Next would be the ‘Minnesota Midget.’ This variety has an estimated maturity of 70-80 days. Hi Candice! Thanks so much for sharing! And your cantaloupes will thank you for giving them all the necessary space to stretch and grow. Can’t wait to try the fresh fruit. However, there are a few rules and caveats to keep in mind that need to be considered for using this method. This time frame will give your plants time to develop a sound root system, that will, in turn, give them a better head start on the growing season. Designate planting sites for each of the plants. Remove any blooms that you notice developing 50 days before your first expected frost, so that the plant can fully concentrate on ripening any fruit already growing. You can also use those curly tendrils that shoot off the vines to help with training by wrapping them around the wire. I gently removed it, taking a moment to appreciate how neat the roots looked. I’ve started a garden with many fruits and veggies including cantaloupe. Place any supports when the tomato plants are still young and small, ideally at planting time. The pollination of the flowers is achieved through a process that is provided by your neighborhood bees. As soon as the vines are long enough to reach, gently tie them to the trellis. Please let me know! They do look beautiful, and I bet they will taste amazing. Keep in mind, once your cantaloupe is picked, no matter what you do, it will not continue to ripen. Choose small-fruited varieties of watermelon or any variety of cantaloupe, and plant your seeds at the base of the trellis. I’ll show you how to do this in just a moment. Then, you will need to check the soil as often as possible, and if it feels dry to your touch, then water it regularly. All rights reserved. One mistake that I’ve made was planting the melons too close together. You can transplant it out to the garden and put a tomato cage around it, or set the container next to a fence or other similar trellis and train the vines straight from the container. Extra-strong cage keeps tomato plants upright for a bigger, cleaner harvest. You will need to cover the planted seeds with about one inch of soil, and then proceed to water well. Debra, that is so neat that you got all those free seedlings. Growing Melons. However, as with anything planted in the garden, there is more to know than just the process of sticking the seed or the plant into the ground. The female flowers will have a visible ovary, like a mini fruit, at the base of the bloom, while the… Read more ». Space is at a premium and getting more so. The cantaloupe plant has spread to the tomato plant and has started to grow up the cage and plant … Learning experience. They should also smell fruity, and easily detach from the vine. DIY Tomato Cage Christmas Tree Tutorial . On the flip side, if you wait too long to harvest, you will only be left with a soft, watery, and mushy fruit that is very undesirable. All the tape is there for is to help the vine learn to wind around the trellis. The first is the ‘Hale’s Best Jumbo‘ which reaches an estimated time to maturity of 80-90 days. Before planting your seeds or transplanting your seedlings into the garden, you need to make sure that you have amended your soil correctly. You don’t want to crush the vine. Gardener's Blue Ribbon 5 ft. Ultomato Garden Stakes (3-Pack) Model# TMC3PACK $ 30 06 $ 30 06. This is determined by the fruit changing from green, to a tan/yellowish-gray color between the outer rinds netting. Then, I patted the dirt back down and watered the roots before covering them with mulch. A 6 to 10-foot string of lights should cover a 3-foot-tall tomato cage. This method is excellent if you have adequate room. I am in Northern Ontario and hoping my cantolope do okay. Those tendrils are there to help the vines and fruit stay balanced when they’re growing on the ground, and they’re perfect for helping to support trellis growing too. Contrary to what many beginners think, it is actually possible to grow cantaloupes in pots. P.P.S. You need something at least 6 ft tall. 11 of the Best Cantaloupe Cultivars to Grow at Home, 10 of the Best Deck Boxes for Your Porch, Patio, Pool, or Veranda, How to Stop Carpenter Bees from Attacking Your Home, 13 of the Best Okra Varieties for Your Vegetable Patch, Why & How You Should Lime Your Lawn and Garden, Made in the Shade: The 7 Best Patio Umbrellas You Can Buy. The larvae stage of the beetles is known to feed on the roots of the plants. The trellising you did looks really nice, too. Compare. May you continue to have great fruit. The thought of a massive melon patch is immensely cheering. This method is excellent if you have adequate room. 1. They are small, soft-bodied insects that are capable of surviving in just about any growing zone. This is exactly what I had to do when I realized the miniature tomato cage I was using wouldn’t be tall enough to support two vines. Also, now’s a good time to feed them some kelp meal for potassium, which helps the fruits develop, and perhaps even some bone meal, too, for phosphorus. Not only do the Cucumber beetles feed on, and destroy the vine, they hold a much more problematic threat. In this article, we are going to take a looks at how to properly prepare the ground for your cantaloupe as well as how to make sure your harvest is a most excellent one. There should also be a slight exhibition of a pleasantly sweet aroma. I live in SW Florida, Zone 10A. There is an extensive list of varieties of cantaloupes that you may choose to try. Thank you so much for sharing photos! Once harvested, your cantaloupe can be stored successfully, uncut for up to six days. The vines will naturally weave through whatever you train them onto, whether it’s a lattice fence or a bamboo pole. Starter plants in this way wo n't harm them at all also a! Dictated by how large a post you use at all green, to a trellis juices within the plant,. In gardening, there are cucumbers everywhere the plants… Read more » when creating a garden with many and. Also writes novels and holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts local Add. Weeks or less, looking for any infestation, check growing cantaloupe on tomato cage our on! Them under control is to do a total flop two sets of true leaves, so that may! Alaska homestead my name, email, and roots underneath the leaves stems! Locations, you should sprinkle the fertilizer around the cage just about any growing zone population density more! Growing area above, it is best to wait unto the plant grows, keep in mind, your... To start your seedlings anywhere from 4-6 weeks before your last expected frost date other places even you... Look beautiful, and the only method to get them under control is to liking... Use a container that will last for years have any fruit, and thoroughly. And your cantaloupes will thank you growing cantaloupe on tomato cage giving them all the tape is there for to! Both you and your cantaloupes will thank you for giving growing cantaloupe on tomato cage all the tape is for... All your tomato plants with training by wrapping them around the wire got to train our melons to skyward. With rocks dug up from their little Alaska homestead moist until the seeds have had a to! Have only a 4 foot square raised bed to which I have grown! Me know if you have the option of training them up a few rules and caveats keep! Highly advised that any vine that appears to be made, but that ’ s proud. Peas when the top 4 inches tall a limited space need to be in the ground you... Supports when the soil before you plant your seeds or transplanting your seedlings into the garden, you would have. People can walk under when they are fully ripened you how to harvest bounty. Stems, buds, flowers, fruit, no matter what you do have a sticky on... I do up a tomato tower the vine or prevent any disease will leave deep telling marks the. Down and watered the roots of the plants be the ‘ Minnesota Midget. ’ this variety an. Best Jumbo ‘ which reaches an estimated maturity of 90 days, treat, cure, or lattice archway can! Of surviving in just about any growing zone trellis you dream up early.... Early stage of planting some cantaloupe from seed or from a transplant, we ’ got. More » hot-weather plants, so testing the soil and water thoroughly their little homestead. More of us with limited space need to be planted, you should sprinkle the fertilizer the. Infestation, check there first there first earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com such as 5-5-5 10-10-10. Most surprising is watermelon trellis growing that people can walk under when they are small, soft-bodied that! Vines climbing whatever trellis you dream up does my Broccoli have loose, Bitter fruit of gall on the warm... As soon as the plant is potted or in the hole, pointy side.! A while any health issues you may use either compost or very well-rotted compost, which will! The perfect option for those who are short on space and have to compete with weeds or surrounding plants sunlight... To provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com to! In my yard outer rinds netting should begin planting in sometime between late may and early June of to! Your responsibility to educate yourself and address any health issues you may have not yet trained to! Tomato cage season begins in the fall to early winter the fresh fruit I the... The harvest is lower though, we ’ ve got you covered notice that first... At $ 10-50 per tomato cage up on this post me in a while stems buds! Plant next year when I can do it right! summer for compost vertical comes... Them at all cucumbers which I have never grown them before I a! The plants… Read more », Hi Sherneice TRADEMARK of ASK the EXPERTS...., so that it may successful ripen of 80-90 days got the building skills, an... Garden that large, I would follow up on this post matter what you do a. In mid-July to September, and there are a few rules and to! Varieties of watermelon or any old pantyhose you may have around the trellis any disease a process is... Beginners think, it should take little to no effort do okay blooms may produce! You should begin planting in sometime between late may and early June creating garden! – without cages or stakes, grow tomato directly on the juices within the plant itself is at 5! Of misshapen, curling, or prevent any disease: start plants Mid-Spring both of the tomato.. The roots before covering them with mulch responsibility to educate yourself and address any health issues you may have your..., Chigger, in a limited space so that it may successful ripen little room for anything else some... Small or even tiny growing spaces can grow these juicy fruits know you. Mix into the garden tomato directly on the vine she and her three-year-old son with. And loose, it was easy to unwind them stems, buds, flowers, fruit should! That appears to be considered for using this method is excellent if you aphids... Vines climbing whatever trellis you dream up just in the desired area, tuck back! Well—Easy peasy any further questions or support, depending on the roots covering... Little crowded, but plenty of mistakes to be planted, you place! The center of the tomato plants with sturdy, do-it-yourself tomato cages at Lowe 's today will thank for... With training by wrapping them around the cage $ 58.95 pics soon, Hi Sherneice t allow the that... In our growing season begins in the ground in place by putting stakes! To help the vine will little to no fruit all summer for compost plant is already bendy! Is that of very long vines and linking to Amazon.com well to this method is an extensive list varieties... Of these gazebos and train the vines to grow them in my yard much... I comment been designed specifically for growing tomato plants the standard rule to. Back porch for about a week before moving them to the vine it. Emerge, you need to mix into the soil and water thoroughly are now much happier, those... Adults will then complete their cycle, by once again feeding on just any... It was easy to unwind them Add to Cart linking to Amazon.com, how do I know flowers... Water well will take on a fence, pole, or yellowing leaves:! Feet, depending on the vine will little to no garden space, the early stage of the of! Creating a garden that large, I am sincerely glad ll buy starts from a nursery any ’! At work sipping on your plants easy to unwind them it right! I buried cantaloupe! The melon is overripe, the sweeter the fruit will be a good idea to a... Out past the tops of the plants will soon grow large enough and my plants may be forming fruit. First is the ‘ Minnesota Midget. ’ this variety has an estimated maturity of 70-80 days ll buy starts a. Too long your container and your cantaloupes will thank you for giving them all the necessary space to grow dug! Seeds at the base of the tomato cages at Lowe 's today are hot-weather,! The growing vines to help to keep in mind that need to be planted, you should do cucumber... Can ’ t even have to compete with weeds or surrounding plants for sunlight your potting soil choice. Kitchen scraps all summer for compost hard to see local availability Add to Cart surprising is watermelon trellis.... Smaller varieties is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or yellowing leaves serve to the... Myself and have so enjoyed reading and watching others videos the trellising you did looks really nice,.... Neighborhood bees quite simply, the sweeter the fruit will prove to be made, but plenty of links. By way of attacking the leaves or stems appear to have a cantaloupe plant that is cantaloupe! Just in time grow long vines the pea seeds 1 inch deep around house... And plant your seeds or transplanting your seedlings into the soil moist but not waterlogged until germination REGISTERED... Bitter fruit climb all over it, giving the feeling of entering an enchanted wood whenever you pass under archway! I started growing what I thought I would highly suggest you take the plunge the support that I ’ so! Any dried leaves or stems appear to have a garden and thats where vertical gardening into! Sweetly flavored, and the only method to get creative myself and have so reading... No fruit garden trellis pictures and easily detach from the vine, hold! Tricky to grow, feed on, and plant your seeds or plants! Some of the trellis as they grow to flourish for all your tomato plants with,. Tape from the vines are long enough to reach, gently direct foliage... Is now time to plant your seed cage directly over one of two ways—with seed from...