Melon Seeds - Edisto 47

Minimum Seeds per Packet: 45

Packet Weight: 1g

Planting Season: After Last Frost

Sowing Method: Direct Seed or Transplant

Seed Depth: 1/2"

Direct Seed Spacing: 5"

Soil Temperature: 75-95 ℉

Days to Sprout: 8-16

Mature Spacing: 18-24"

Sun Requirement: Full Sun

Frost Tolerance: Frost Sensitive

Days to Harvest: 95

When to Seed Melons

Melons are a frost sensitive crop that should be direct seeded or transplanted outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. If transplanting, they can be started four to six weeks before your last frost date. Melons will germinate best in soils that are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Where to Plant Melons

Select a location where your melons can receive full sun - at least eight hours - and will have nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. Melons are especially partial to sandy soils, so mixing in some sand to your best ahead of planting would be an excellent idea. 

Growing Melons

Sow your seeds ½ inch deep and five inches apart, if direct seeding. As they grow and mature, thin your seedlings to their mature planting distance of 18 to 24 inches. Melons will vine out, so ensure they’ve got plenty of room to sprawl. Water extremely well to ensure good germination. Melons need a lot of water in general, so ensure your plants are getting at least one to two inches of water per week. As your melons start to produce and size up, pull back on watering. Overwatering at this stage can produce rot and/or melons that are less sweet. As your melons are growing, we recommend fertilizing every four weeks or so with a gentle, balanced fertilizer. 

Harvesting Melons

Your melons should be ripe and ready to eat by late summer or early fall. Being able to tell when your melons are ripe is something of an art. One way to tell is when you can smell the sweetness of the melon through the rind. Once they’ve been picked from the vine, melons will get softer - but not sweeter.

Melons, Cucumis melo
Pollination, insect; Life Cycle, annual; Isolation Distance, ½ mile

Melons are an insect pollinated annual that will cross readily with other melons of the Cucumis melo family. This does not include watermelons, but does include certain gourds. Leave melons on the vine for as long as possible to ensure good seed development. When ready to harvest, you will scrape out the seeds into a jar or bucket and add an equal amount of water to seed/pulp mixture, making sure that all of the seeds are covered. Ferment for 2 to 3 days and then rinse very well to remove all of the melon goo that might be holding on. Allow to dry very well on screens or several sheets of newspaper, this could take a few weeks.