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Annual BiennialFruit Edible

Cucumis melo

melon

A wild species of melon from which all other cultivars have been bred. It's a deciduous annual, spreading, twining plant to 1.5 m long, with large, soflty-haired leaves and unbranching tendrils. It produces yellow separate male and female flowers on the same plant, followed by round fruit varying in size. The skin and colour/taste varies depending on variety. The skin can be smooth (honeydew melon), ribbed (Cantaloupe) or netted (muskmelon)

Other common names

apple cucumber
common cantaloupe
see morecucumber vine
musk melon
sweet-scented melon

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Clay

Chalk

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1B

Botanical details

Family: Cucurbitaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Trailing, Climbing
Potentially harmful: Pets: Bitter fruit can be TOXIC if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Cucumis is a genus of twining plants with tendrils which includes cucumber, melons and gerkins. Around 30 species are native to Africa and 25 to India, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in acidic to neutral, moisture retentive, well-drained soil in warm and humid conditions, ideally in greenhouse, large coldframe or polytunnel. Follow melon cultivation for more advice.

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Germinate seeds in heated propagator or warm windowsill in spring.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Ground cover
Edible fruit
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

Pinch out growing tip to encourage side-shoots. Where these appear, choose the strongest few and remove others. Prune to two leaves where the fruit is developing to direct plant's energy to the fruit, rather than vegetative growth.

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to Cucumber mosaic virus Powdery mildews may also occur

Get involved

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