How to Grow Melons Vertically in Colder Climates
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2015
- In this complete guide to melon growing in low zones we will go through growing watermelons, cantaloupe and honeydew melons from start to finish.
where do plant melons?
What do melons need?
Do melons need heat?
Can you grow melons on Compost?
how to fertilize melons
how to use a hoop house.
how to built a teepee trellis.
Can you transplant melon seedlings?
what variety of melons works best in Canada?
How can you tell when a melon is ready to harvest?
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Great tip to use rocks for heating. We have many rocks around here and I will have to try it next year.
+Rainbow Gardens They work very well! I also like how they look too ;)
Wonderful demonstration. Also, I like the idea of placing the rocks close to the plants
Fantastic video. I learned a lot really quickly. And everything is super clear both with your explanations and visuals. Thanks!
I once grew cantaloupe on a chain-link fence -- it looked beautiful and they were delicious. That was zone 6 and it still was not a long enough growing period. I am going to try your methods. We are in zone 5B now but someone told me to play it safe and look for things that grow in zone 4. You have given me hope!
I loved your video so much!!!! I loved that you were demonstrating the process and it was not just a video of letters and music. You were very quick and to the point. Long story short I’m so happy I found your channel!
Great tips on growing melons, Stephen! You had more success than we did. We just don't get enough direct sun. I'll be cutting open a sugar baby watermelon tonight to see if we got at least one ripe melon.
+OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening I hope you get one!! The direct sun I get in my short intense season defiantly helps!
I am growing sugar baby watermelon in my backyard and its may so its gonna be great!
Thank you for this great video! I have a watermelon growing about the size of my fist but now it is a race against the first frost. From Canberra, Australia 😊
Love these ideas. I have three cantaloupe crawling all over the garden. Trellises next year for sure and an inspired great idea. Thanks ever so much
Thank you very much for the tips. I’m growing them on the west coast. Thanks again.😃😃😃
Awesome vid. I'm growing 4 kinds of melon this year here in Calgary. I've done well with squash apart from hail damage and you've given me loads of ideas to help things along.
Good video. Straight and to the point with useful visuals.
That was a comprehensive demonstration on how to grow melons Vertically. I thank you Stephen for that. Cheers . Patrick
I am glad you enjoyed the clip my friend ! I have spent a fair bit of this season working towards this goal !
@@AlbertaUrbanGarden great video... how many melon plants were grown in the teepee?... thank you
I like the simple teepee you constructed for the melons. I am in Arizona and worry about using wire, because of the hot summers. Thank you for the great idea and helpful info..Awsome video!!thanks!
I have been trying the same cantaloupes for 3 years. 2 years I kept them in the greenhouse in an elevated trough so some were trained up and some hung down. I was having trouble with powdery mildew killing the leaves. So this year I planted them in a 1/3 height wicking barrel. I moved the barrel from the greenhouse to the open end of one of my high tunnels when the nights were warm enough and set up a trellis. All went well during the growing season. The plants liked the steady moisture of the wicking barrel. but in September nights started to get cold so I closed the end of the tunnel then while I was gone the temperature soared int the high 80's I did not have a high/low thermometer in the hoop house but the one in the greenhouse hit 125 F. The leaves shriveled worse than the cold or mildew. I managed to ripen some seed but only one of the mellons had received enough sugar. New plan for next year wil video it.
+Hans Quistorff That is too bad that you had gotten so far just to have a temperature increase stunt the growth. It sounds like your method is sound you just need to figure out a way to vent the extra heat in the fall.
I plan on growing 3 mini varieties next spring in zone 4 NB. This was helpful, thank you. We get 16 hrs sun on the summer solstice. I will start them indoors in plantable cowpots to prevent transplant shock and I will trellis them as well.
Stephan, your melons look awesome. The information on ripeness and when to pick them is helpful. Thanks for the tips.
Glad I could help! I ate one last night and boy was I impressed with how sweet it was ! Nothing beats a home grown one !
Glad I could help! I ate one last night and boy was I impressed with how sweet it was ! Nothing beats a home grown one !
Well Alberta Gardener.. I am growing watermelon this year. I have a friend who grew one in Alberta Northern Alberta. Just giving you ideas lol.. Sweet Siberian and Cream of Saskatchewan are two 80-85 days and for cantaloupe I am growing Far North. I have ideas for early start. Great ideas coming from your channel. Many many thanks.
Nice to find a video about growing in Alberta
Great information, thanks!
Very exciting to get your first melons! I like the rock idea. had not heard of that before. ~Sheryl :-).
Both my father and grandfather mentioned it to me. I have to give them credit ! Funny enough the worms loved the rocks too! They are always hanging out below them !
Amazing video, thanks for the info!
Glad it was helpful!
Well done Stephen!
+Elyse Joseph Thank you my friend! It was so much fun!
Love your teppee trelis!
thank you for posting this as I am starting to get excited to start planting, I would like to try to grow cantaloupe this year as I will be building a garden with trellises on the side of the house with the most sun and will be putting my squash plants and melons on that side.where do you recommend to purchasing seeds?
thank you I learned something about the melon, good video
Thanks for the video, I'm so excited to try melons this year!
A couple questions- how many seeds did you plant per hill? When did you start your seeds under the hoop house? I'm in Manitoba and think if I follow your directions I've got a good chance
thanks so much for the info. looking forward to eating melons now
+Sherry Braz good luck !!
Your videos are sooooo interesting, thank you 👍👍👍
I’m glad to help!
Super job😊
Cool I’m growing water melon vertically too here in Australia, I’ve got three fruits going I hope they are able to ripen not sure though but it’s fun to try 👍🏼
Very good tecnic.
That is nice to know about growing melons in Alberta, and it is about the same in Michigan trying to grow them. My father had problems with growing them in a large garden there and the farmers still have a problem keeping them warm when grown early.
If you can keep that heat they do great !
We have plenty of heat here, and they do grow well in this climate we have.
Can you tell me exactly which netting you used? I'm looking to buy some for this spring. Do you still prefer this method for melons? Thanks!
got one rockmelon plan and will be trying out soon. spring almost over here in nz
There is hope for next year! Thanks :-)
There is always hope :) now there is a method to start with and adapt !
Congratulations!!!
this is a great video! Have you experimented with longer growing melons? I've heard about pruning flowers and encouraging only a couple of fruits per Vine. Apparently it can shorten grow times. What are your thoughts on this? Have you tried it or gears of it?
great ideas
Good one.
Thank you!
Looks like you found a good process that works for your climate. I was fortunate to have pretty decent conditions this summer and just harvested several. I would definitely recommend growing Charantais melons in a colder climate. Thanks for sharing!
It is a little more work to make happen but overall did not take a large amount of time at any one step :)
I'll have to check out those varieties ! I am already excited to do this again next year :)
Do you live in zone three?
Thank you! I should be able to do this in NL (zone 5b) for sure then
Thank you very much for this video as I also tried melons and failed dismal even though I am in an area where the sun is no issue , but I think the transplanting was the problem they must have gotten a shock will try them again.
This man is the hero we deserve !
Thank you my friend
great video thank you
I am glad you enjoyed it !
thank you for sharing
my pleasure!
Excellent work and lesson. The most success I had with melons was the flowering stage.
I did experiment with black brick (painted) for bitter melons, summer squash and okra. This year I started late, for next season I will include mirror or shiny side of aluminum for extra light and heat for speciality vegetables. If one can grow cucumbers he/she should be able to grow melons.
They are a rather particular crop needing that heat where cucumbers are perfectly happy in the cool !
Try the short season varieties and you might get past the flower stage. !
Superb
Great advice on growing melons. I've had some success with a yellow interior watermelon in my area. Nice fenced in garden. What critters do you have problems with in your area?
+NewEnglandgardening thank you. Hope it helps you grow some more melons !
All of the critters I have problems with live in the house too. The dogs and my son are the reason I have the fence :)
Great job! Thank you for great advice! I am in zone 3 as well and will be following your advice as I plan to grow cantaloupes next summer. I managed to grow watermelons this summer without starting the plant indoors and without a greenhouse. But if I follow your advice, I will have a better yield next time around. Thank you
I plan on expanding my melon growing next year ! This method gave me 11 this year :)
Try Minnesota midgets cantaloupe. They have a three foot vine & the fruit is only 3-4 inches in diameter. Developed in 1948 in Minnesota for cooler areas & in something like 60 days.BTW can amid-summer light frost occur in zone three?
What variety og melon did you grow. Am in Alberta too.
Nice job. I have subscribed
Steven, thank you so much for this inspiring video. This year will be the first year trying melons. My bride and I both love them, but because I normally I fill my 30X30 main garden to the brims and all my 4X30 raised beds are usually full, I haven't done it. That and we are zone 4 here in Maine. This video really caught my attention, both in starting the plants in the grow tunnel and also growing on a trellis. I would be happy to have 1 or 2 plants so that we could enjoy a few melons.
Thanks my friend and may you be blessed.
Jim I am very glad I could help inspire you and your wife to be. Melons are truly one of the summer treats I enjoy the most! I cant wait to grow them again this year!
Picked up melon seeds yesterday and now the long wait to plant.
If I finish putting together Sunday's sermon message today, I may try putting together my first garden video. I have been toying with this idea for a while and last night, my mind was made up.
I have been watching many videos on seed starting ideas. Well, I think I found a solution that will be great for me. I will be building a seed rack.
Blessings
Great clip :-) I grow many of the miniature melons for similar reasons .... Most are a 90 day crops ... Normal full sized fruit are 120 days to harvest ... In Australia we have a long hot period and grow 2X 90 day crops on the same footprint , rather than growing a 120 day crop and run out of season before the frosts hit .... The smaller fruits make a great "Single serve" when split and can raise the overall production for small space growing area's
+Suburban Stewards Thank you my friend! I love the single serve ones as it makes it easy to add into a meal as a treat for the family ;)
I have some new seeds for some more mini melons !
Hi! I would love to see an updated melon video/post if you have any new tips and tricks you've learned over the last 7 years since this video was posted.
Hey! Amazing video!, how deep is your raised bed? I have an army of 28 cantaloupe seedlings and after seeing your video I'm a bit afraid of the transplating. Im thinking on using a 6 inch tall milk crate, not sure if thats enough :(
+Hector Rodriguez for the seedlings I would not worry too much about the depth. I would however make sure you have 30cm or 12inch minimum depth for your garden beds where these things will live out the summer.
Some great ideas for my garden due to it's small space, colder climate and my desire to grow more melons next season (I've got 1 nice Honey Dew melon going on one of the vines. SWEET!!!). What would have been nice to know is the feeding schedule and what you feed it at different stages of it's growth. i.e. Lots of nitrogen when 1st growing then start to cut back on the nitrogen and start adding Potash and Phosphate (along with trace minerals) as the fruit starts to show and increasing the amount of potash and Phosphate as it ripens. That's my basic way of getting the most out of all my plants.. Still, all in all a good video.. :)
This is so great to see! I had a packet of northern melon seeds that I got from a Saskatchewan farmer at Seedy Saturday in the Sunnyside Community Centre a few years back, but I ended up in a shady backyard and never got to plant them. By any chance, if I had a big half barrel or some such, do you think they'd grow in containers? And how did they survive the hail this year? Or did you not get hit?
+Catherine Lempke I think a 1/3 wine barrel size should work fantastic for growing melons in your front yard.
The last few years I have been lucky and have not had too much damage. the wind usually comes in and hits my fence before the garden so it nocks a lot down before it can hit my veggies!
Great video Stephen. I had some melons the other day, so I chuck the seeds and its peel in an area I wanted them to grow this year. Hope they will come up so I will have some more to eat.
I more than bet they will come up for you!
I was nice I gave the earth worms some peels to eat :)
Seeds and a meal ! :)
I am planting my melons in a large cardboard box. Warm and cozy, a good mix of sand and enriched soil water with fish emulsion. Smack in the best sunny of locations!
I wish I could get my hands on some fresh Mellons.
How do you know if your pollination was pure for seed saving? Thanks.
Great job! I had luck in my unheated greenhouse last year in New Brunswick but I picked the watermelon too early. I just had my 1st year raised bed soil tested over in PEI. The nutrients seem fine from just topsoil and mushroom compost, ph was a little low so there must be other important factors besides nutrients like soil biology.
+Potato Strong oh if i had a walk in greenhouse i would be even better off! did you have your soil tested?
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable haha, yeah having a greenhouse makes it really easy. Though I have to admire your stick-to-it-ness Stephen! I bet those melons tasted extra good because of the struggles in past years.
They are fantastic!! I have been told I am more stubborn then smart ;)
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable lol don't worry, I'm sure you're not the first gardener to hear that!
lol nope and I wont be the last!
What variety did you use?
I'm growing far north variety this year. Better choice for our Canadian climate.
I have a few more coming in and hope to get more again ;)
Far North did not do so well, by Cershownski cantaloupes were fabulous.
Quick question - do you put one plant under this teepee trellis, or two? I'm attempting Sugar Baby's this year here in Edmonton, and would like to give this method a shot. Thanks!
I usually do two but this year I am going to try one just to see what happens
Hi, hope all is well, I am trying to paste the link to my melon video but it will not allow me to do it. Its my latest upload, hope you enjoy it. Dan.
iv been growing both cantaloupe and water melons and the first 5 weeks they stoped growing and the leaf are looking really bad they are curling up.
i did replant the melons during week 2 and 4 and they continued to grow but then at week 5 they just stoped :S
Going to give it a try. Been trying to grow for some time with no success. How did they taste?
+Joe g They were fantastic!! Well worth it!
Very helpful video! Thank you so much! I would like to ask you if you think that i will be able to grow melons without a greenhouse where i am located. When i read about growing melons it always says that it has to be in a greenhouse, but i have never seen these kind of tips that you learn, and it gives me hopes!
I live in the middle of Sweden, zone 4 apparently. So the thing is that i'm growing on an open field with direct sunlight from around 10:00 am. The sun down in june where im located is around 10:00-10:30 pm. So its pretty late. I Have not been farming at this specific location before but the sun should be shining on the crops for a loooong time in the summerdays.
You should be able to grow melons in your area. I am in zone 3 and have done it without a greenhouse. I am give some tips in my latest video and give some varieties in the description. th-cam.com/video/05yVlX7tukU/w-d-xo.html
Thank you!
Hey there, great video. This year of all years, it was 51 degrees F at night June and July. Usually it's about 72 F every night, so my squash and melons are suffering for it. I finally out of frustration put a shade cloth over it because it's hot during the day, but we have had odd winds causing cool temps once a week. Really really weird weather. So I protected all the melons, and I'm checking them to make sure the flowers are all growing, or pollinating them myself. I'm trying to stick with old time melons which in a normal year would have worked perfectly. I have them in an open pasture which also usually works, it's usually an oven back there. it's the winds, and cool nights. What seeds are you using? I'm trying to stick to Heirloom or F-1 hybrids, specifically cantaloupe and watermelons that are very sweet. I'm so disappointed about this season. Plus we have had insects we never had problems with. Strange year. Thank you for all your information, I will try it. We are in Washington state, Eastern Wa/stateline Idaho. It gets cold here in winter, and hot in summer - well usually.
I don't have the varieties on me right now but they are all smaller varieties with a day's to harvest of 90 days or so.
If you don't have fruit developing yet don't worry to much. They usually do a sprint at the very last moment for me.
You could Google melons which grow in 80 days or less or ask for that type at your local nurseries or home improvement store in early Spring. Sugar baby is a very common watermelon which I have grown in Wisconsin.
Love your vids. i wonder if starting them in the house a month before putting them outside would be a good idea. Thanks for the vid.
I have tried that a few years in a row and failed but through this video have been inspired to try a new method ! In the past the transplant shock was just too much.
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable
I have been able to avoid the transplant shock by using the same soil as the planting bed in coconut fiber pots. I could then put the whole pot in the planter when they had their first true leaves.
that is a great way to do it. fabric pots that the roots can penetrate would remove the requirement to remove the pot when planting out
Great tips! No problems with sun down here in Texas, but I do have problems with pollination. Maybe next year :)
You can hand pollinate them. I have successfully done that in the past :)
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable Yes, I am also in Texas, and I have pollination problems also. Thank you Stephen for these tips. My husband just built a garden for me that looks almost like yours!. I had to show him yours because ours doesn't have a gate yet...but it will!
Cue tip works great !
The garden and fence work great ! My little puppies and child can't get through with out me there !
***** Can't wait to try next year! I'm dialing back on tomatoes (they were a pain) and dialing up on plants like this.
I am flush with harvest and can't wait for next year ! I always adjust what I am growing year over year as we find out what we like and what we love to do with the produce.
Hi my name's Lincoln and I somewhat successfully grown watermelon in a zone 6 in Massachusetts near newburyport but the plant also got mildew and what is the best time to plant them and to water
+Lincoln Carvill If you have issues with mildew growing them vertically will help prevent the infection. The other thing I do is place a good layer of mulch made of autumn leaves below to prevent the splash back of soil onto the plant that causes the infection. Water them in the morning.
+Alberta Urban Garden
Your vid was very well done!
This year I trained my cantaloupe through a bamboo round-chair frame to keep it off the ground. They are in the ground not a container. The chair base is roughly 12 inches off the ground and the round seat portion adds another 12 to the top rung. Also helps to keep the excessive ground humidity from the plants leaves.
There were some questions I need you to confirm, thnx.
1) Its risky to water the leaves? Leaf mold?
2) Inconsistent watering, too much water, too little water will hinder fruit production?
3) Use of 15-30-15 is beneficial? plus Epsom salts?
4) Limiting one fruit/vine branch will help ripening?
I've watched a couple of your vids so far. Always educational.
Fred, Simcoe county, Ontario. zone 5/6
glad you enjoyed the video
1) if you are in a high humidity area yes avoid watering the leaves. if not water in the morning prior to the sun drying the plant
2) try to keep consistent moisture as much as possible but over watering can cause mold issues and melon cracking and under watering can cause issues too.
3) use compost to top dress the soil around the base of the plant. Avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers but that one will do ok. Epsom salt is not effective. I have a video explaining why that I can link or you can search.
4) yes but i dont do that.
Howdy from Alberta! hope you are having a great season!
I grew here in zone 4b,I started mine in door put them out may 20.Mine are putting out more I can eat
If you can, wait a few days, even a week, after the tendril turns brown to assure full ripeness.
How many melon plants were growing together?
hey what variety of small melons are those..
I like to grow them in my back yard in florida..
Midget honey due.
You could grow just about anything in Florida! Look for compact and check on the TH-cam site Asiangarden2table for pruning videos.
Very nice trellis and crop cover suggestion but, do you have a solution to the a cucumber beetle problem? TY.
Sorry no I don't have that pest here. Usually I see people using scotch tape to remove them manually.
scotch tape? Great idea. They are slick critters. TY.
PS - organic here. :)
I usually give my advice organic too ;)
+Marcus Triton Hi Marcus, I've heard that planting radishes are a good deterrent to cucumber beetles, and that nasturtiums will lure them the same as they do for squash bugs, aphids, and whiteflies. Just remember to avoid planting the nasturtiums in good soil - they do better in the drier, low quality stuff. Good luck!
Catherine Lempke
interesting. great info. TY. :)
I wanna see your results ???????
thank you Steven I will give it a try ... Hey will you like to sell me some of those seed ...
I am not sure if I still have any I planted them again here. that said i am sure they are fairly common!
hey Steven where can I get some good seed I like to order water melon, cantelop and honeydew. can you PLEASE help me with that....I don't have a lot of room
Just look for fast "days to harvest" melons on the see website!
Try Burpee.com or Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. Their The Whole Seed Catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is for sale now at Lowes. rareseeds.com is their url.
Hi, do you think it is reasonable to grow these melons in Vancouver BC, we have relatively cool summers with average temperatures of only 25 degrees. We do get sunshine but much less than Alberta I think.
+HealthSupercharger yes you sure can grow them there. The only thing in Vancouver is you will want to start earlier and grow vertically. Your season is longer and about the same temperature but much more humid. So keeping them off of the ground will sure help !
Ok thanks, I like them all so will try my best to do so.
good luck make sure to keep me updated!
Ok I will. Last year I had a wonderful garden in terms of tomatoes and cucumbers. I had 24 heirloom tomatoes that grew up to 7 feet high and smallest one was 5ft and I also had 5 cucumbers that produced 100kg of fruit roughly. I have 2 fig trees also which gave me one meal a day for 3 weeks almost. I planted a plum tree in late summer so will see how it does. I am amazed that people do garden in Alberta since it is so cold there even in April. I needed gloves to gas up in Edmonton year ago and it was April, the wind was so cold. You guys have a short summer for sure.
I like to call it short but intense here ;) I originally came from the NWT so Alberta is very warm in comparison!
You can grow most places its just different varieties. I could not grow figs in the ground and plumbs have a tough time here but apples, pears and grapes do just fine!
Where abouts in Alberta are you? I live in the Vancouver area so I'm just trying to compare climates.
I am just outside of the capital :)
Wow, I never would have thought they could grow there. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I will have to try it here in Abbotsford. Cheers
Good luck !
Can I ask what variety of melon you grew. I have been growing melons for the last couple years in Ontario and I have been unsuccessful in getting any fruit. I grew mine in containers and started them in the greenhouse in April. I did have a fair bit of vegetation but nothing like what you have there. Perhaps it is the wrong variety and wrong location. I would be interested in some seed if you have an over abundance.
The melons I have are Early Champ cantaloupe. Minnesota midget are the watermelon I am going to try and I am told they are fast !
***** Thanks for the info. I will see if I am able to give it a try in the spring.
Let me know how you do my friend !
I met girl from Grand prairie, Alberta her name was Amal.
Has anyone here ever thought of using old badminton nets for a trellis? This is a good way to recycle those.
+vibe3d I bet it would work fantastically well! Let me know if you try it out!
Yep, I'll have to dig it out of the garage soon. I just need to find a good spot where to put the squash. Btw, have you ever observed if rain made plants grow faster than tap water? I've been watering my squash every two days but growth was very slow. The squash only grew like 2 inches for two weeks but when it rained for two days straight the squash was already around 5-6 inches tall.
That's something a few people have mentioned now and I will have to look into it. I right of the bat can not figure out why!
The first thing I can think of is that rainwater is hard water and therefore has minerals in it so maybe that's why?
it might be that it produces a much more even watering and it could be due to what it picks up in the air.... You have me thinking now!
I love melons it is so juicy and sweet
What disease is affecting them right now?
+my2cents0 Frost ;) we had a frost a few days back. They start to decline in the fall anyways as they push to ripen their fruit. I should have mentioned that growing vertically helps reduce diseases too.
Another tip: Rocks can also keep the soil underneath moist.
In a much layer ?
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable Basically anything under the rocks. What I did with my onions is I surrounded the base of the plant with stones and this keeps the soil underneath moist. I don't have to water as much and beneficial worms and insects use the stones as habitat.
All that was under my rocks was mulch and by the end of the season the worms had taken care of all of it. You are right it sure does help cut down on watering needs!
What was the variety of melon that you successfully grew?
It is a cantaloupe but I can't find the name. Basically I just look for early varieties that produce in 60 days or less.
What melon works for you?
Are you really Superman?
Dont keep the seed as it could be from a F1- Hybread, you there fore would not get them to germinate.best of look .
from UK...
The varieties I have are heirloom I believe but I am still working on finding the seeds that will produce consistently for me in my zone!
try pepino melons.
I certainly will. Thanks!
+Evelyn Woodcock thanks
Think again. 17 hours of sunlight?
The closer you get to the Earth's poles, the more dramatic the change of daylight is in summer and winter. The longest day is on Summer Solstice and the shortest day is on Winter Solstice.
Why are all of your statements questions 😂