Cantaloupe

3 products

Bring the sweetness of summer to your garden with cantaloupe seeds from David's Garden Seeds®. Known for fragrant flesh and refreshing flavor, cantaloupes are a rewarding warm-season crop for gardeners with sunshine, room for vines and time for fruit to ripen. Compare individual varieties below for flesh color, rind characteristics and maturity information.

Choose a Cantaloupe for Your Growing Season

Match maturity to your climate: Check the variety's growing information and allow enough frost-free time for vines to establish and melons to mature.
Compare fruit characteristics: Use each listing to choose the fruit size, flesh color and flavor profile that suit your kitchen.
Plan for spreading vines: Give plants the recommended spacing so leaves receive light and air can circulate around the crop.

Start with Warm Soil and Sunshine

Plant after frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed, following the packet for sowing depth and germination requirements. Choose a sunny location with fertile, well-drained soil. If starting indoors, avoid disturbing roots when transplanting and gradually harden off seedlings before planting outside.

Keep moisture consistent as vines grow and fruit develops, without leaving the soil waterlogged. Mulch can help conserve moisture and reduce soil contact with fruit. Allow pollinators access to flowers and avoid unnecessary disturbance of established vines.

Harvest by the Variety's Ripeness Cues

Watch for the combination of aroma, rind-color changes and stem behavior described for your variety. Many netted cantaloupes release readily from the vine when ripe, but not every type slips, so do not rely on that sign alone. Harvest carefully, wash the rind before cutting and refrigerate cut melon promptly.