Back to growing guides 
FruitsTenderAnnual
Melon
Melon is a tender dessert crop grown for sweet aromatic fruits that need real warmth to ripen well. In most UK gardens it is best treated as a greenhouse or very sheltered polytunnel crop, where the vines can be managed closely and fruit quality is more dependable.
Basic information
Category
Fruits
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Tender
Planting partners
1 companion · 1 crop to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
90 days
Germination window
4–10 days
Germination temperature
18–21 °C
Plant spacing
60 cm
Row spacing
90 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Height
30 cm
Spread
60 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Grow melons in the warmest brightest conditions possible, and avoid any sudden checks from cold nights or drought. Keep watering even while fruits are swelling, feed as plants crop, and thin or pinch growth where needed so the plant can ripen a sensible number of well-sized fruits.
Common pests
Aphids, red spider mite, powdery mildew, slugs.
