Charentais melon: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How to sow Charentais melon successfully under cover?
Sow your melons under cover a few weeks before you can plant them in their final position, adjusting the date to your climate. Use individual pots with drainage holes and a light seed compost. Sow one or two seeds per pot about 1.5–2 cm deep, following the packet instructions. Put the pots somewhere warm; roughly 18–21 °C helps germination. A mini-greenhouse can hold the pots, but does not replace them or guarantee enough warmth without heating.
Keep the compost slightly moist without soaking it. Once the seedlings emerge, give them plenty of light and retain the strongest plant in each pot if both seeds germinate. Handle the root balls gently. Before planting outdoors, gradually acclimatise the plants and wait until they have several true leaves, frost is no longer a risk and nights remain mild. In cooler regions, a greenhouse or tunnel may be more suitable than open ground; a fleece alone does not make cold conditions suitable.
How to sow Charentais melon successfully outdoors?
When and how to plant Charentais melons?
How to care for this plant
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Keep fruits off the soil
As your melons swell, check any resting on the soil. If it stays damp, slip a tile or small board beneath each fruit without pulling its stalk. This does not apply to fruit hanging from a support.
How to optimise the harvest of Charentais melons?
