Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe

[street]

With gardening not too far off I was wondering if anyone has grown these cantaloupes. A rancher out my way said, they are a great melon, and he raises them every year and produce a lot. He said they only need about 3 feet per plant. He gave me a couple last year and I saved the seeds to try them.

They are a 60-to-70-day maturity date and are grapefruit size melons. I was wondering if you have grown this melon and also wondering if I could grow them on a cattle fence trellis.

 

[MarieIG]

https://www.hortmag.com/headline/midget-minnesota-cantaloupe

I had never heard of them before, but they look really good!

 

[street]

https://www.hortmag.com/headline/midget-minnesota-cantaloupe

I had never heard of them before, but they look really good!

They are great!! That old rancher gave me a couple and they were great. He said it is the only melon that he has ever raised that ripen each year consistently. He said, he has not had a year they didn't ripen for him. Living in a short growing season we need an early everything. lol

 

[MarieIG]

I look forward to hearing about your success with these!

 

[RobbieB]

Cantaloupe are my fav melons. Closely followed by watermelon and honeydews.

Hope all goes well!

 

[garyt]

Shouldn't that be Minnesota Little Person Cantaloupe?

 

[street]

I'm going to give them a try and I also like them. I guess they do well climbing up trellis and such so do that. This variety is very tame and stays in a footprint of 3 to 4 feet.

 

[KB]

We grew them in the Master Gardener vegetable garden. We did trellis them on cattle panels using T-shirts pieces like a sling. They did well.

It's probably been 5 years, so I don't recall how they tasted, but why not try.

 

[street]

We grew them in the Master Gardener vegetable garden. We did trellis them on cattle panels using T-shirts pieces like a sling. They did well.

It's probably been 5 years, so I don't recall how they tasted, but why not try.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[pacergal]

They sound interesting and tasty!
May give them a try this year. Thanks!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Hi Street.

I've grown them for years. I garden in southern MN. I never plant melons before May 15th. I've never had good luck transplanting melons, I plant 5 or 6 seeds per hill and space the hills about 6' apart.

They are a terrific early melon. They don't get large, I can eat one all by myself. They are solid and sweet all the way to the rind.

I plant 5 hills of them and another 5 hills of another later variety. I have melons for over a month.

They produce well. I've also had good luck with their germination, I plant 5 or 6 seeds per hill and most of them grow. I thin them to the best 4 plants. You'll want to watch them closely as they ripen, they turn quickly and a green melon can be a ripe melon in a couple days. Don't be afraid to pick them a little early, once they over ripen the spoil quickly.

I wouldn't garden without them. Good luck to you.

 

[street]

Hi Street.

I've grown them for years. I garden in southern MN. I never plant melons before May 15th. I've never had good luck transplanting melons, I plant 5 or 6 seeds per hill and space the hills about 6' apart.

They are a terrific early melon. They don't get large, I can eat one all by myself. They are solid and sweet all the way to the rind.

I plant 5 hills of them and another 5 hills of another later variety. I have melons for over a month.

They produce well. I've also had good luck with their germination, I plant 5 or 6 seeds per hill and most of them grow. I thin them to the best 4 plants. You'll want to watch them closely as they ripen, they turn quickly and a green melon can be a ripe melon in a couple days. Don't be afraid to pick them a little early, once they over ripen the spoil quickly.

I wouldn't garden without them. Good luck to you.

Outstanding!! They will be agenda for planting this spring.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

PM me if you can't locate seed. Seed is readily available here for about $2 a bag. I mail a pack every year to a friend who lives a ways away and can't find them.

 

[Gumby]

I have been disappointed with my melons the last few years, so I've been considering a different variety. These seem to fit the bill, so I have ordered some seed and will try them this year.

 

[street]

I have been disappointed with my melons the last few years, so I've been considering a different variety. These seem to fit the bill, so I have ordered some seed and will try them this year.

PM me if you can't locate seed. Seed is readily available here for about $2 a bag. I mail a pack every year to a friend who lives a ways away and can't find them.

Thanks for that MN kindness offer. I saved seed from two melons that were given to me. I have a few seeds I planted indoors last Saturday, just to see if they germinate. Weather has been cold and snowy since I planted so that isn't a good thing. I want to make sure they germinate, or I will be looking for seed.

Gumby, I have not heard one bad thing from this variety of melon. Very positive results. I know a guy that lives at 6000 feet in Wyoming that has a very short season and says it is the only melon that will mature or even grow in his environment. Please let us know how you do with them would be very interested in knowing.

Thanks to all.

 

[MarieIG]

DGD (age 4) has started her own garden (on the linai) but I suspect moving from Minnesota to Florida increased their growing season.

I should tell them about these Midget Cantaloupes, they love fruit.

 

[street]

DGD (age 4) has started her own garden (on the linai) but I suspect moving from Minnesota to Florida increased their growing season.

I should tell them about these Midget Cantaloupes, they love fruit.

That would be a great growing experience for her! She would love to pick them and eat them. They don't take up much space for a vine fruit. Very tame in foot print of this melon.

Good Luck!

 

[MarieIG]

That would be a great growing experience for her! She would love to pick them and eat them. They don't take up much space for a vine fruit. Very tame in foot print of this melon.

Good Luck!

I haven't been to a nursey in years - but am going to put this on my "to-do" list.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

These are great melons. They mature quickly and you should check them daily to see if they are ripe. You really only have one day to pick them or they over ripen on the vine.

Give the vine a firm tug right at the melon and if they fall off pick it. Put them in the fridge and they'll keep a while. They won't in the garden.