Growing Melons In A Greenhouse

[Artisan]

I want to grow melons in my greenhouse this years and having not grown them before. Can anyone tell me what would be the earliest I could plant them out in the greenhouse to get the longest possible growing season? Should I start the seeds now indoors on a heat mat?

The varieties I am going to try are Melon – Emir F1 a cantaloupe variety and Watermelon – Sugar Baby.

[goosander]

My sugar baby have sprouted and will be ready to pot up in another week. Some years great crops other only small ones.
Bob.

[burnie]

Mine failed last year, did get tiny Melons but I was late getting them sown, will try again though

[Penellype]

Given the current cold temperatures and the forecast for a cold first half to March, I'd be inclined to give it at least a couple of weeks before sowing melons (although you are much further south than me). Definitely start them indoors on a heat mat, and plant them out when you can maintain a decent level of heat over night in the greenhouse. They need loads of sun.

As a guide, this is what I did last year - variety Magenta:
Sowed seed 12th May, taken to greenhouse 7th June.
Planted out in a hotbed, under a plastic cloche in full sun in late June.
Flowers appearing early July, female flowers mid July.
Fruits clearly growing by mid August, supported with nets to keep them off the ground.
Fruits harvested late September, the biggest of which were about 4 inches across. Immature fruits were harvested as well due to cold nights - these slowly ripened indoors, even when quite small.

[nickdub]

I want to grow melons in my greenhouse this years and having not grown them before. Can anyone tell me what would be the earliest I could plant them out in the greenhouse to get the longest possible growing season? Should I start the seeds now indoors on a heat mat?

The varieties I am going to try are Melon – Emir F1 a cantaloupe variety and Watermelon – Sugar Baby.

Impossible question to answer without knowing what the weather will be like in a month's time. Of course if you supply artificial light and heat you can do more or less anything, but the cost of the melons will be much higher than what you would pay in a shop.

[Artisan]

Impossible question to answer without knowing what the weather will be like in a month's time. Of course if you supply artificial light and heat you can do more or less anything, but the cost of the melons will be much higher than what you would pay in a shop.

First. I should of said that I am in the South West of England where weather conditions are normally better earlier than elsewhere in the country - My error!

Second. I should have said that I can provide heat in the greenhouse - My error!

Third. So what if they cost more to grow than those in the supermarkets. Who Cares! the pleasure is knowing that I have grown the fruit!!

I only asked for some friendly advice!

[nickdub]

Apologies if my comment came across as unfriendly - it certainly wasn't intended that way.

As to who cares if something costs more to grow than you can buy the equivalent produce for, I do. Having gardened most of my life on a very restricted budget its not an attitude I can lightly disregard after 50 years of automatically counting the pennies.

As I said, and it was not meant as a critical thought, if you care to pay the costs of electric heating and lighting you can grow more or less anything.