Timeframe

• Depending on the type of climate in your region, the exact date upon which you can plant cantaloupe seeds can vary widely. The climates in most areas require planting cantaloupe seeds sometime in spring, but in some regions you can plant the seeds in early summer as well. Because cantaloupes are warm-season crops, they won't grow in cold temperatures--nor will the seeds germinate in cooler soils. In spring, wait to plant your cantaloupe seeds outdoors until the air temperatures average around 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, the soil temperatures should be at least 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to plant the cantaloupe seeds after all chance of frost has passed. The date can vary from as early as March in some regions or as late as May or early June in others.
  
  

Early Seeding

• Because cantaloupes take up to three full months from seed to harvest, you might want to get a head start on growing the plants if you live in a climate with a shorter growing season. There are several ways that you can do this, including starting the seeds indoors and using black plastic mulch to warm the soil outdoors. If you start the seeds early indoors and transplant them into your garden after the last frost, you can usually harvest the cantaloupes as much as two weeks earlier than normal. Alternatively, you can lay black plastic mulch on your garden soil to warm up the soil and plant your cantaloupe seeds by cutting holes into the plastic. Then, you simply remove the plastic after temperatures warm in late spring so the plants don't overheat.
  
  

Types

• Another strategy for getting in a good harvest in colder climates with shorter growing seasons is to select a cultivated variety, or "cultivar," of cantaloupe that is ready for harvest earlier in the season. For example, the Eclipse and Legend cantaloupe cultivars are all ready for harvest about mid-season--for most regions, this would be around July. Athena is another cantaloupe variety that's classified as having an early to mid-season harvest.
  
  

Planting

• Before planting your cantaloupe seeds or transplants, apply a 5-10-10 NPK fertilizer formula to the garden bed at a rate of 30 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. When the soil and air temperatures are appropriate for planting your cantaloupe seeds in spring, plant the seeds in rows that are 6 to 8 feet apart to give the plants adequate growing space. In each row, space the seeds 18 to 24 inches apart, planting the seeds approximately ½ to ¾ inch deep into the soil.