Sandy, light loam, nutrient-rich soil is ideal for melons. Prepare planting beds with aged compost and side dress with compost during the growing season. Grow cantaloupes on raised hills 4 to 6 feet apart and watermelons 6 to 12 feet apart.

A melon’s quality – everything from flavor to texture to sweetness and even aroma – is best when the fruit’s sugar content is high. And the sweetest melons require adequate sunlight, warm temperatures, freedom from diseases and insects and, most importantly enough water. When melon plants are growing, blooming and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of water weekly. Keep soil moist but avoid waterlogging it. If leaves are wilted in the morning, the plants need water. (Wilting leaves at the end of the day is not uncommon.) If you notice fruit cracking on the vine, this is usually a sign of dry spells that needed more water.  Since the root system of a melon extends beyond the base of the plant, apply water in a ring around plants and not just where the stems emerge from the ground. Reduce watering once the fruit is growing.