Growing Rockmelon, also Canteloupe

Cucumis melo : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                  S S  
T                     T

(Best months for growing Rockmelon in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 68°F and 90°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 10-16 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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16 Jan 18, Hanneke Koevoet (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Do I need hand pollination if see quite a lot of bees in the flowers
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20 Jan 17, Ron Leggett (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I am trying manual pollination. Not a lot of success. Do I need to pinch out the leaders to promote more lateral growth and more flowers?
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12 Dec 11, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
There are a couple of photos on the rock melon page. Click on them to make them larger.
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17 Sep 10, Jancis (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Can you tell me anything about how long it takes until the leaves sprout from the seed tray? I need to know!!!
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Showing 11 - 14 of 14 comments
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When the plant first starts sending out runners there is mainly male flowers. Then there will be female flowers, It takes a lot of visits from bees to pollinate and set the fruit. I hand pollinated pumpkin the other week and one female flower set fruit and the other didn't. The answer I have no idea. Pumpkins, cues melons are all in the same family. The pumpkin female flower only opens for about 6-9 hrs for one day. Probably melons cues zucchinis are the same. If you are in the sub-tropics you probably should have planted these 2 mths earlier. My rockies (I should have planted a month earlier) are about 5-10 days from start picking and some grubs are just destroying the leaves.

- Mike

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