Cantaloupe is one of the staples of summer , a sweet treat that hits market stores and produce put up across the country when the temperatures start up to rise . The understanding that we can get cantaloupe so early in the season is that the plant take only about three month to mature when properly plant and cared for , enabling menage everywhere to enjoy their cool sweetness during the hot months of the year .

Maturity Time

When raise in right lighting , watering and feeding condition , cantaloupescan mature in as little time as 80 daylight , or about 12 workweek . Most healthy cantaloupe will mature within 120 days , or around 17 weeks . One type of cantaloupe , the " Earlisweet " variety , matures in 68 day . It grow only to weigh up to 3 lb . and is very sugared .

Judging Maturity

you may tell if your cantaloupe has reach maturity and is ready to harvest by testing the strength with which the melon is attached to the shank . Cantaloupes result on the plant will finally fall from the stem ; this is ordinarily a signboard of over - ripening , and the yield will not be edible for much long . To judge if it is harvest home time , adjure your thumb against the side of the stem where it connects to the cantaloup vine . If the fruit comes free , it is ready for consumption . Always glean cantaloup vine before they fall .

Proper Care

Cantaloupes easy suffer from too much or too little body of water and therefore must be cautiously count after . The only time the yield will call for spare watering is in time of utmost drouth . try the soil around your cantaloupe with your finger . Do not irrigate unless the top 2 inch of soil feel dry to the signature . Cantaloupes boom with a layer of constitutional mulch around the root word of the plants , which will help forestall sens growth . A worldwide in high spirits - nitrogen fertilizer app , utilize just when the plants begin to form vines , will boost production , size and health of the yield .

Potential Problems

A number of problems could decelerate or stop cantaloupe moving toward maturity . Fungal infection , such as powdery mould , fusarium wilt disease or blight , will defoliate the plant , making it use up energy refreshing the falling leafage and battling the infection rather of growing salubrious fruits . Similarly , beetles feed on the plants and broadcast fungus and bacteria as they move from plant to constitute . treat these problems with antifungal agent or insect powder , or plant resistant specie of cantaloupe , will help ensure right maturity .

References

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