I’m starting this thread early to say to those early birds feeling the planting urge-- maybe don’t plant melons yet unless you’re in a really warm place 
After nighttime temps are above 50F. Even if you got the ‘Polar’ melon mix!
Love to hear people experience/see photos from growing these melons last year.
I started seed in a plug tray and planted some seed directly into the ground last week. Its the Muskmelon landrace discovery mix and from my jar of mixed seeds. The mixed seeds are some I’ve grown and also includes heirloom seeds from the past 6 years. Germination was excellent and the seedlings are getting transplanted in the next week.
On April 1, 2025 we started 64 three-inch cells with a mix of 14 different muskmelon varieties from Seed Savers Exchange. On May 12, 2025 we plugged roughly 120 of those plants into a two hundred foot row. The melons are spaced 2feet apart with 5feet between rows. On 5/12/25 we also direct sowed our GTS Landrace seeds.
We are also growing watermelons about 200 feet away (with many rows of tomatoes in between) and will be relocating one of our bee hives near our grow out spaces.
I am growing 33 kinds of melons described as being cool-tolerant and/or early, plus two grexes: Eastern Erratic from Annapolis Seeds and Farthest North ex Peters. I started them in my greenhouse and then planted them in June in a sunny allotment garden as my own garden is shady. They are starting to flower, and are being visited by bees from two nearby hives. So far, the only one with melons forming is the only F1 hybrid: Emir.
Diane
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
cool mediterranean climate warm dry summers, mild wet winters 70 cm rain, sandy soil
That’s awesome Diane I hope you get tons of melons!
Seeds planted into deep woodchip mulch, no other inputs, no additional water. Two GTS mixes as well as some of my own saved seeds.
This was the first to bloom, first to fruit, and most prolific. Two harvested so far from this one plant, and at least 8 more developing.
Some animal got the next one to ripen, so the chickens got a treat. I checked it last night and it didn’t look ready, this morning it was blushed and ripped apart.
The black ones are splitting before they’re ready.
My first year growing melons has been quite the roller coaster. I planted about 100 seeds in mid-May (mostly GTS), but only 7 (!!!) germinated. My only guess is I should have let the soil warm up a little more before sowing. Even then, it took a full month after germination for any significant growth to happen. But 6 of the 7 (all from the Delicious GTS mix) have made it this far and have been thriving since late June. It looks like I’ve got 2 canteloupe plants, 1 honey melon plant, and 1 muskmelon plant for sure. The other two have very small fruits still, so I’m waiting to see if those are cantaloupe or muskmelon. I have done absolutely nothing for the plants the whole growing season except sprinkling in a light mulch of grass clippings - no watering, fertilizer, or other inputs. So I’m really excited to see 9-10 fruits growing strong and looking forward to see what those seeds can do next year.
The critters keep getting them as soon as they’re ripe (although I collect a few seeds from the mess left behind) so yesterday I sacrificed a pair of pantyhose to see if that deters the voracious critters.
One is obviously a traditional canteloupe. Two are black and ribbed, two have no ribs and no webbing–maybe some kind of honeydew?
