How to Grow & Water Cantaloupes

Loosen the garden soil, using a rototiller or garden fork, to a depth of 12 inches.

Spread a 4-inch layer of well-rotted manure over the growing site and mix it thoroughly with the soil.

Sow cantaloupe seeds 1/2 inch deep. Plant the seeds in clusters of two or three, and leave a space of at least 18 inches between each cluster. If planting more than one row, allow a space of 6 feet between each.

Water well at the time of planting and continue to provide the developing seedlings with 1 or 2 inches of moisture every week.

Remove all but the healthiest plant in each cluster when the seedlings reach a height of approximately 3 inches.

Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of straw around the seedlings once daytime temperatures average at least 75 F.

Broadcast ammonium nitrate between the rows when the vines begin to to spread along the ground. Apply the fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb. to every 100-foot row. Keep it at least 6 inches from the plants and water deeply after feeding. Fertilize again, in the same manner, when melons start to develop.

Reduce supplemental watering during the first week after fruit appears, as providing too much moisture may inhibit the sweetness of the cantaloupes. Add only enough moisture to keep the soil from drying out.

Eliminate weeds between the rows with a garden hoe to shallowly cultivate the soil.