So I had a big beautiful Cantalop growing. Seemed to take the heat well. But after some work near the plant, I had accidentaly injured the plant's root system. Unfortunatly the half that suffered had a big good looking fruit on it about the size of a small basketball. After that side of the plant died, I picked the fruit to let it ripen on the counter. The other half of the plant has survived. It too has a good size fruit. Some things I need to know, what's the root spread on a typical melon plant be it Cantalop (Muskmelon) or Watermelon? Like how deep and how wide accross?
All have pretty extensive root systems. Thats why they can take the heat well. If you can,, I would try to keep digging at least 3-4 ft away from cantaloupes and preferably more from melons. Once their roots are established they like to be left alone. I don`t touch mine at all. Forgot to say that I have no idea how deep they go, but I don`t water mine at all and they can take this Texas heat. I still have green watermelon vines and a few small melons on them. I am afraid to dig one up to see how deep they go. Might have a heat stroke ! LOL
Sounds about right. I had to make a hole about 3/4 in wide by 18 inches deep for a moisture sensor. Lost half of the plant. I was able to salvage the fruit. It was for the most part ripe, and yes it was good the rest of the family had most of it. I saved the seeds in hope to replant them. I'm also thinking of making a PVC and wire tree and have the melons grow on that. This will keep majority of the plant elevated while being a little creative.
Fountainman, I don't think a 3/4' hole 18" deep would cause 1/2 of the plant to wilt and die. Did you have more than one plant in the space and one plant wilted and died? Cucumber beetles are very hard on the plants and can inject viruses into the plant while feeding on them, which is a real problem for us here. I try to keep the sprays to a minimum, but my whole patch of watermelons wilted this week and no one has been near the roots to disturb them. All in thanks to the cucumber beetles. I picked 30 watermelons this week and have many more in the patch, but I may not get many of them, now. The cantelopes seem to be doing better for me this year than in previous years. Usually I get the patch to ripen, but the whole patch seems to keel over right at the end of the ripening cycle and looks all dried up. this year I did notice a few plants that up and died for no apparent reason, but with a patch the size of mine it wasn't very noticeable. I didn't want to step on any vines so I didn't look close, but i suspect cucumber beetles, once again.
I've never seen anything else than these small black ants. They seemed to leave the cantalop alone. My only theory is when I made the hole, I may have injured the stem.
That should not have caused it. I thought you said "dig" as in shovel. I lost one plant this year with no apparent cause. But I had no bugs. I suspect moles or gophers as in the little critters that dig under the plants and destroy roots.
I've never been able to grow a cantalope. It's the human pests that kill them. People see this big thing growing in the garden and love to play with it. Especially kids. Do you plant kids head up or head down?
LOL,, Heads down I think. Like potatoes,, gotta keep those eyes covered before they spy a new toy like tomatoes ect !
