Halona F1 Cantaloupe Melons Vegetable Seeds - West Coast Seeds - ML500A

PRODUCT DETAILS

A knock-out for aroma and overall flavour, and productive earlier in the season - which translates to a better harvest potential for coastal growers. The fruits are deeply ribbed, finely netted, and globe shaped. They can be as large as 15cm (6"") in diameter and weigh in at 1.8 to 2.2kg (4-5 lbs). Halona cantaloupe seeds produce cantaloupes that have exceptionally good disease resistance, including resistance to powdery mildew and fusariam wilt. Powdery mildew can be a big problem in hot, humid weather, so Halona is a good choice for coastal gardeners. These are premium quality, medium sized melons for the home garden.

Matures in 75 days. (Hybrid seeds)

• Knock-out for aroma and flavour
• Medium sized
• Exceptionally good disease resistance
• Hybrid seeds
• Matures in 75 days

All About Halona

Latin

Cantaloupes (musk melons) & Honeydews: Cucurbita melo
Watermelons: Citrullus lanatus
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Difficulty

Easy in a greenhouse or cloche, or outdoors in long, warm summers. Somewhat challenging without these conditions.

Season & Zone

Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full-sun

Timing

It is essential to start seeds indoors or in a greenhouse 4-6 weeks after the last frost date. Transplant when the plants are 5 weeks old. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 20-25°C (68-77°F). Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.

Starting

Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep. Set transplants 60-90cm (24-36″) apart in rows 1.5-2m (5-6′) apart.

Days to Maturity:

From transplant date.

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Choose a warm, well-drained soil. Add dolomite lime and compost or well-rotted manure to the bed and ½-1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer beneath each transplant. Melons need warm growing conditions. Use black plastic mulch, cloches, or floating row covers. Success may improve in raised beds. Melons plants require 8-10 weeks of good, hot growing weather from the middle of June to the end of August. During that time, a melon vine must grow 5-9 leaves before starting to flower, then set 4 or more male flowers before making its first female flower, and then ripen its fruit before cool, damp weather sets in. Melons do not ripen off the vine. During the entire growing season, make sure to provide ample water.

Harvest

Fruit will ripen in late August to early September. Ripe cantaloupe will easily detach from the vine when light finger pressure is applied to the stem. Watermelon is ripe when the tendril nearest to the fruit withers and dries up.

Seed Info

In ideal conditions at least 60% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100′ row: 60 seeds, per acre: 5.2M seeds.

Companion Planting

Melons are great companions for corn, marigolds, nasturtiums, pumpkin, radish, squash, and sunflowers. Avoid planting near potatoes. Melon leaves are full of calcium, so they’re good for the compost heap.