DibbleGrowing cantaloupe: from seed to harvest
Sow melon seeds 2 weeks after last frost in warm soil, or start indoors in pots. Ripe fruit slips free from the vine.
Planting dates for cantaloupe by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | not needed | May 29 | August 17 |
| Zone 4 | not needed | May 24 | August 12 |
| Zone 5 | not needed | May 14 | August 2 |
| Zone 6 | not needed | May 5 | July 24 |
| Zone 7 | not needed | April 24 | July 13 |
| Zone 8 | not needed | April 11 | June 30 |
| Zone 9 | not needed | March 15 | June 3 |
| Zone 10 | not needed | February 14 | May 5 |
| Zone 11 | not needed | January 15 | April 5 |
These dates use typical frost dates for each zone. Dibble tunes them to your exact ZIP and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Cantaloupe:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Cantaloupe is in the cucurbits family. Sprawling heavy feeders. Rotate away from where squash family grew last year. Learn about crop rotation.
Related crops
Cucumber
When to plantZucchini
When to plantWinter Squash
When to plantWatermelon
When to plantPumpkin
When to plantStrawberry
When to plant
Questions
When should I plant cantaloupe?
It depends on your zone. Cantaloupe is a tender crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and enter your ZIP to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow cantaloupe?
About 80 days from sowing to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 21 days after that.
What grows well with cantaloupe?
Good companions include Sweet Corn, Bean (bush), Nasturtium. Keep it away from Potato.
Plant at the right time this season
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