How to Mulch Cantaloupe

Plastic mulch warms the soil when applied to the garden bed in spring. This soil-warming ability makes it one of the best choices for use with heat-loving cantaloupe plants. Garden soil can take weeks to warm up to a suitable temperature for growing cantaloupes, even if the air temperature has already warmed. Using a mulch to speed the process allows you to plant the cantaloupes earlier, ensuring they have a long enough growing season to reach maturity. The mulch also blocks weeds and retains soil moisture, which also helps the cantaloupes produce well.

Irrigation hoses
Black plastic

Instructions

- 1
  Lay a soaker or drip hose between each planned planting row. Water doesn't soak through plastic mulch, necessitating irrigation beneath the mulch layer.
- 2
  Lay the black plastic over the top of the garden bed and irrigation hoses. Weight the edges of the plastic with rocks or a soil mound so it doesn't blow up during windy conditions.
- 3
  Cut 3- to 4-inch-diameter planting holes in the plastic for each cantaloupe seedling. Space the holes 2 feet apart along each row, setting the rows 5 feet apart.
- 4
  Plant the cantaloupe seedlings into the mulch holes once all danger of frost is passed and after the soil beneath the mulch warms to a minimum temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 5
  Inspect the mulch after rain. Poke small holes through the plastic in any areas that collect puddles of standing water. The holes allow the rain water to drain through the plastic and into the soil below, where the moisture can benefit the cantaloupes.

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