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 T
                  P P  

(Best months for growing Rockmelon in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed

September: Frost tender

  • 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 20°C and 32°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm 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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30 Oct 12, Suzanne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have just planted rockmelon seedlings & would like to know if they prefer cow manure, horse manure or chook manure, as I can get any of the above. Also on the seedlings punnet it says to grow them on a fence or trellis? I had not heard of this before? what benefits are there to this type of growing? Thank You.
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01 Jan 13, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
Suzanne, Do not use horse manure unless you compost it. Cows have 4 stomachs and any weed seeds are disolved. Do not make the mistake that l did & use horse manure. Horses only have one stomach & you will get a fine crop of weeds, year after year.
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07 Jan 13, Suzanne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Thank you Michael, I have lots of rockmelons on the vines, but when I picked 4 yesterday, only one was edible, due to little holes in the others and when cut open they had little fruit maggots in them! They have obviously been "blown" by something? What should I spray the other young ones with before I lose even more. It was so disappointing as the melons that I picked were ripe and smelt delicious!
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18 Aug 12, Patri (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I started rockmelons from seed in April and May. I transplanted them into my garden bed and none of them has given me any fruit so far!! Just one of the vines (out of 6) is growing one rockmelon eventually... Are they difficult to get pollinated?? I've pollinated them myself because I dont trust bees so much ( I dont get many, that's what I mean) but I haven't been very successful...nanyone with the same problem?
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08 Oct 12, Anna (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I just started my Rockmelon today and I live in Sydney.
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21 Feb 12, Rex (Australia - temperate climate)
Re Rock-melon pollination I accidentally planted some coriander near a Rockmelon as I have never grown either one before and the coriander flowers encouraged lots of bees , which in turn assisted in pollinating the Rockmelon, so in future that will be my plan.
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14 Feb 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
From three vines I have just one healthy rock melon growing. The others seem to form buds, grow a little, and then turn yellow and wither. Is this lack of pollination or soil deficiency?
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23 Feb 13, lita (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I pollinate the flowers myself and they seems to be lots of flowers . Some of them form buds but they only grow a little and they turn yellow and died too. Have anyone know the reasons?
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14 Apr 12, sarah (Australia - temperate climate)
how old are the plants? mine took along time(over two months) to produce female flowers, also i found the bees do a better job of pollinating if the plants are spread out rather than too inter-grown
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13 Feb 12, Nelson Shem (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Where can i purchase the seeds?
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Showing 151 - 160 of 217 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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