Many gardeners with limited space believe melons to be outside the scope of their dwellings, but with some creative use of vertical space they can have a crop of ripe melons ready to pick at their own back door. Melons, like all members of the cucurbit family, will climb up trellises, reducing the amount of ground they need, and creating a beautiful backdrop as well.
Varieties of Melons Suitable for Container Growing
When growing melons in containers, it is best to look for a manageable variety that produces smaller sized fruit such as:
- Jenny Lind
- Sugar Baby Watermelon
- Watermelon Golden Midget
- Emerald Gems
In cooler climates with short summers, also look for early maturing varieties, and consider disease resistant varieties in areas prone to powdery mildew. Try searching online for seed purveyors with a good range of varieties such as The Diggers Club.
Choosing a Location for Container Grown Melons
Melons are summer growing fruits and require warm weather, good drainage and plenty of sun. Choose a spot that gets at least 8 hours direct sun a day, with good air circulation and protection from strong winds.
Choosing the Right Container in Which to Grow Melons
Most miniature varieties of melon will require a minimum of 5 gallons of soil, so choose a pot large enough to accommodate them. An inexpensive option is to grow a couple of plants together in a 10 gallon plastic pot. Half whisky barrels and wine barrels make attractive and generous containers, but will need some holes drilled in to the bottom for adequate drainage.
Growing Mediums for Container Melons
All container plants should be grown in ‘potting mix’ which provides much better drainage than garden soil. Compost and manure can be added for extra nutrients, and melons prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Planting the Melons
Sow melon seeds directly into the containers after the last frost and preferably when soil temperature has reached at least 20°C (70°F). Plant the seeds 5cm (2 inches) deep into the potting mix and gently water to create good soil contact.
Melon plants purchased as seedlings can also be transplanted into containers once the soil temperature has reached 20°C (70°F) as long as there is no chance of frost.
Providing Support for Container Grown Melon Plants
In order to keep the melon plants from taking up too much space, they need some sort of vertical support to climb upwards. A wooden trellis or a tepee of bamboo sticks will make an attractive support.
In addition to the vine support, the melons themselves will need support once they get to a certain weight. Use old pantyhose, onion netting or any other stretchy, breathable fabric to create a hammock under each melon, and secure it to the main vine support. Make sure the fabric is big and stretchy enough for the melons to grow to their full size.
Feeding and Watering Melon Plants
Container grown melons generally need to be watered daily to ensure the soil stays moist. Melons are quite heavy feeders. A pinch of potash per seedling will help to encourage flowering, and a liquid fertiliser should be applied weekly for optimal growth.
Hand Pollinating Melon Plants
Something important to consider in urban areas is pollination. If there are not enough bees around to pollinate the female flowers, they won’t produce fruit, so hand pollinating may be necessary.
Female flowers can be identified by what looks like a tiny melon at the base of the flower, whereas the male flowers just have a normal stem. Carefully gather some of the pollen from the male flower using a cotton bud or small paint brush and gently brush the pollen inside the female flower.
Common Melon Plant Diseases
Melon seedlings are susceptible to fungal infections if the soil temperature is too cold, so ensure it is at least 20°C (70°F) before planting.
Powdery mildew can be a problem in areas lacking sun and air circulation, so plant resistant varieties, avoid wetting the leaves when watering, and apply an organic milk spray.
Harvesting and Storing Melons
When ripe, the tendrils of the vine closest to the melon stem will usually start to dry out and turn yellow. Rockmelons will smell sweet and fragrant, and pull away easily from their stem.
Melons have a relatively short shelf life, so harvest them one by one as they ripen (they usually won’t ripen at the same time) and enjoy as soon to picking as possible. If necessary, they can be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, but the flavour may be compromised.
With some consideration given to light, soil, food and water, any gardener with a little bit of space can produce a good yield of melons that will taste better than any found in supermarkets today.
For a Winter to Spring balcony crop, try Growing Snow and Snap Peas in Hanging Baskets.
Colette Haydon John - Colette Haydon John graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Major in Creative Writing, and holds a Graduate Diploma in Education ...
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