"Duplicate Africa," say many successful melon growers. This means long, hot, dry summers with days in the 80s and nights in the 60s, and a very well-drained, fertile, sweet and light soil.  

"Melons prefer a rich, well-drained soil. Planting in a raised bed is ideal. They also like to be fed. Putting a granular, organic fertilizer an inch or two below the seed or plant is usually adequate. Applying a liquid fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, such as Earth Juice Grow Formula 2-1-1, can get the young plants off to a good start. You might also want to side dress with fertilizer when the plants are starting to fruit. And, of course, compost is a great way to amend the soil to add nutrients."

"Melons need a minimum temperature of 70s during the day and 50s at night," Gettle recommends.



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