Melons

60-70 Days. Light green, mild tasting, deeply ribbed fruit. The elongated fruit yields uniform, easily digestible, fluted slices. They are apt to twist and coil growing on the ground, but develop nice and straight when hanging from a trellis. Fruit reaches over 24 inches long, but is best harvested at about 15 inches. This classic Armenian “cucumber” is actually a melon genetically. 

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Ideal Temperature: 70-90 F
• Plant Spacing: 18-36" 
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo
  

90 days. Banana-shaped fruit with smooth, yellow skin and sweet, spicy, salmon-colored flesh. Melons mature at 16-24 inches long and 5-8 lbs. Listed in 1885 by J. H. Gregory’s Catalogue, saying, “When ripe it reminds one of a large, overgrown banana... It smells like one, having a remarkably powerful and delicious fragrance.” This is one of our all-time favorites, being very sweet and great for specialty markets.

• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

95 days. Unique, sweet, citrus-like taste! 95 days. Oblong fruit is brownish-green and netted outside, lime green within. In our trials the flavor was an unusual, a very delicious, sweet-tart combination with a distinct citrus taste. The name simply means “old melon from Samarra,” which is a city in northern Iraq. Original seed was furnished by our friend, Iraqi seed collector Nael Aziz, who writes that this variety is known to have been grown in the Abbasid Period over one thousand years ago! Endangered due to war and America’s aggressive promotion of patented seeds in Iraq.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

(Golden Perfection) Very sweet, pale green flesh is just marvelous. Lovely yellow fruit has a unique, lacy netting, like a work of art. This was one of our top melons in our 2003 trials, truly incredible; my all-time favorite honeydew type. Sugary flesh is so flavorful and rich. This variety is a dream for market growers and will command high prices with gourmets and chefs alike! It was listed in Vilmorin’s book, The Vegetable Garden, in 1885 but it is very rare now. Let’s make this variety a market favorite again!

• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

85 days. A famous superb heirloom French melon--super sweet and very fragrant. Light grey-green skin, smooth round 2-to 3-lb fruit, bright orange flesh. These are top sellers at high-dollar markets. This is always a favorite here. We just love the sweet flesh that is so firm.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

85 days. Delicious Crenshaw type melons have sweet, fine flavored pale orange flesh. The green-skinned rind develops orange spots when ripe. Fruits mature at around 4 lbs. This famous California heirloom was introduced in 1920 by Oliver Crane, whose family has been farming near Santa Rosa for six generations.

• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

Easy to grow, early to mature Asian melon with a succulent sweet flavor and crisp flesh. This gourmet variety originated in Japan and became a commercial success before it was discontinued in the early 1980s. The small, oblong- to pear-shaped fruits weigh about ½ pound each. Smooth, golden skin with incredible sweet, uniquely aromatic white flesh. This delicious, personal-sized melon was almost lost and we are delighted to see it shine once again.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

92 days. A honeydew melon with a brilliant, gold rind, delicious green flesh, and unique flavor. Two weeks earlier than regular Honeydew with excellent yields. Will rarely sunburn. A great keeper--unique and rare!

• 92 Days
• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

85 Days. An outstanding golden meated version of Jenny Lind, developed by long-time friend and the late master seed saver, Merl Neidens. Short vines just go wild producing these succulent, sweet 2 lb. beauties. Give this one a try at upscale markets. Early and productive.

• 85 Days
• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

90 days. This gorgeous teardropshaped melon from Punjab, India, is dripping with sweetness, boasting a sky-high sugar brix level and exquisite flavor. Introduced in 1967 by Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, India, the Hara Madhu is an improvement on several old local landrace varieties from what is now the state of Haryana, just south of Punjab. Its incredible flavor is a testament to the local flavors of the region. It is improved to grow vigorously in a wide range of climates, including the U.S. 10-12ft long vines produce plenty of 2-3 pound fruit that are striped green and cream, with a white flesh and have a shorter shelf life.

• 8-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
  
• Cucumis melo
  

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

98 days. Has the crisp and crunchy texture of a honeydew with fragrant orange flesh and a complex musk melon/honeydew flavor! Light green, smooth skin, with cantaloupe colored orange flesh. A unique twist with sublime flavor!

• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

80 days. This fine melon dates back to the 1840s and was sold by many of the seed companies of that day. It was named for the famous singer, Jenny Lind, known as “The Swedish Nightingale.” This wonderful 1 to 2 lb turban-shaped melon is very sweet and has light green, delicious flesh. It is becoming popular again with those who try it!

70 days. Easy-to-grow, early and so productive. The flavor is world class. The perfect variety for most gardens, the best overall melon we carry! This amazing classic Indian melon was collected by Joseph Simcox. The fruit is a brilliant copper red and is striped in green and cream, making this an extremely unusual and beautiful melon. The pale green flesh is sweet, aromatic and slightly musky in taste. Joe believes that this melon originated in the Punjab, and he spent more than 8 years trying to find seeds of this extremely interesting variety. Vine produces lots of 2-lb fruit. Customer favorite!

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

95 days. This is a small but delicious melon from Rajasthan, India. The name Madhu Ras means honey melon, an appropriate name for such a sweet fruit. These melons thrive in the hot and dry conditions of western India, and they will grow in similar conditions in the U.S. One of our favorites in trials, the flesh is soft and silky with a classic muskmelon taste. This is a rare find brought to us from Botanical Explorer Joseph Simcox, who found this special heirloom at a market in Delhi, India.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

Grow your own delicious fruit for pies in 70 days! Fruit taste of honeydew melon and peach when cooked in desserts. The 3-inch fruit is the size of a peach, with a yellow rind and fruity-tasting white flesh. This variety was very popular in Victorian times for making sweet pickles, pies, and preserves. Developed in China and introduced into America in the 1880s. You can find easy recipes for melon pie online.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

75 days. Crisp, juicy texture and electrifying green flesh; the sugary flavor is amazing! The green orb-shaped fruit is lightly netted. The green flesh is thick, very aromatic and sweet. This uniform and pleasingly perfect heirloom variety is one of the finest flavored that we have tried, always winning our hearts at annual melon tasting trials. Hailing from Poland, these melons are about two to three pounds each. Extra fancy looking!

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

80 days. This sugary melon has rightfully remained a popular choice in France for centuries. This variety was long ago preserved by Carmelite monks in France, at least since the 1800s but likely longer. This round/oblate, slightly ribbed 1.5 to 4-pound fruit has a sweet, juicy orange flesh and was a favorite of the “Maraichers” or vegetable farmers of Paris’ green belt in the 19th century.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

85 days. Dense, 2-lb fruit has orange flesh that is superbly sweet, flavorful, and perfumed. This variety is early and well adapted to cool climates. The fruit weighs around 2 lbs and has a grey-green rind. This fine French variety is of the best quality and is the favorite melon of the French melon expert and author Bruno Defay. Rare in the USA. One of our most requested market melons; specialty growers love them because they command top prices! We continue to receive rave reviews about this melon, which is surely one of the best Charentais types.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

70 days. The most unique and beautiful French melon we sell! The fruit is 4-9 lbs., very flattened and ribbed, with warts and bumps. Melons have grey/green skin turning straw color; flesh is salmon-orange. Once one of the best known melons, it was mentioned in the 1860’s, but it likely is much older. The flavor is very rich if picked at perfection, and the fragrance is heavenly. This is a favorite melon of ours, almost unheard of in this country.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

80 days. A tiny and wondrous melon from the Soviet Union. Vibrant in color, intense sweet aroma and juicy, honeydew-like flesh make this a favorite edible ornamental. Allow the vines to climb a trellis or a fence, and you will be rewarded with luminous, striped fruit about the size of a tennis ball. Its whimsical eye appeal and intoxicating scent will transform landscape and garden designs into a fairy land, but the fruit isn't just photogenic; it's also deliciously sweet and juicy in texture! The vines produce a large yield, early in the season.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

70 days. A sweet treasure from historic Japan. These delightful melons are a
mini-honeydew type! The Lilliputian 3- to 4-inch round melons are very sweet with a high sugar content. Crisp and crunchy; they have edible skins. This fine Japanese variety was developed by Sakata’s Seed Co., of Yokohama.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

A mouth-watering delicacy from ancient times, its superior taste and texture make this a top melon in our tasting trials. Each fruit weighs about 5 pounds with netted skin and thick, orange flesh dripping with honey sweet flavor. This Persian heirloom is thought to be the progenitor of the modern-day cantaloupe, and it has been a popular choice for centuries. One of Jere Gettle’s favorite melons to eat as a child, this heirloom has held a special place in many gardeners’ hearts as the granddaddy of all American-style cantaloupes! The Persian melon was a standard in early American gardens, and remained popular throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, but recently this melon has all but disappeared from the seed trade and is becoming quite rare. We are determined to save this supremely good variety that was a choice fruit of the great Persian empire.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

85 Days. An Ohio heirloom that has been grown since the 1920s. According to legend, the sweet orange flesh is said to cause a state of passion if eaten straight from the garden on a moonlit summer night. It has succulent flesh that is very sweet, aromatic and very finely flavored. Fruit weighs 3-4 lbs and is produced on vines that have some drought and wilt resistance.

• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

90 days. The most amazing looking melon we have grown. The fruit is vibrant yellow with brilliant fire-red, zigzag stripes (a few may be solid yellow), simply beautiful! They are also the most fragrant melons we have tried, with a rich, sweet, intoxicating aroma that will fill a room. The white flesh gets sweeter in dry climates, mild tasting. Small in size, the fruit weighs up to 1 lb. The vigorous plants yield heavily, even in dry conditions. This heirloom came from an Armenian market located in a mountain valley.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

A gourmet cantaloupe that has been tended by Mr. Tommy Apple in his home garden on the banks of the Snake River in eastern Oregon since the 1970s. Tommy received the seeds for this silky sweet melon from a local Oregon nurseryman in the early 1970s. The melons were introduced to Tommy as oriental melon and were quite late maturing but remarkably tasty. The fruit of this eastern Oregon landrace is oblong and varies in size from football-sized to jumbo. Over the decades, Tommy has selected for earlier maturation, but he says the incredible, sweet, mellow flavor and refined texture are just as good as the original melons he received almost 50 years ago. Tommy is our seed grower for this amazing variety and says that he harvests fruit by hand, visiting the garden each morning barefoot with a fruit sack slung around his shoulder. He says harvest is easy: the fruit picks itself! Indeed, the mature fruit turns a golden color and slip from the vine when perfectly ripe. Thanks to the hard work of Mr. Tommy Apple for this amazing heirloom.

• Full Sun
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.

A delicious melon that has made a trip around the world! This variety has been grown in Lanzhou, China since it was introduced there in the 1940s by U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace. The white skinned, honeydew type melon has thick, heavy and sweet flesh that is rich in Vitamin C. Wallace founded the Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed Company, and in the 1940s he shared the seeds of this melon with Chinese locals.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-14 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/2 inch
• Plant Spacing: 18"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Cucumis melo

Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.