Making Cantaloupes Even Sweeter - Garden Quickie Episode 300

The melons are set, albeit sizing up slightly faster than a snail's pace, but we're more than ready for the harvest. Cantaloupes. It's been a journey, no doubt, and with the fruit right in hand, we want it to taste as good as it looks. For this particular melon though, a few things can really affect the flavor and sweetness as harvest approaches. If we want to guarantee the best cantaloupes, then we need to be smart with them. Hi, I'm Jeff from the Ripe Tomato Farms. Welcome to another episode of the Garden Quickie, the show where in two minutes or less, we couldn't get any sweeter. Because today's episode is all about it. Specifically, two mid-season adjustments that's going to overload your cantaloupes come harvest time. Time right now though is short as it always is, so let's dive in. Cantaloupes are a ribbed, rinded melon cucurbit with few equals in the aromatic flesh category. However, to get that level of sweetness to justify the 90 plus day investment, we have to be smart around two things, watering and pruning. In the heat of summer, just as cantaloupes are hitting their stride, depending on the climate, weather, and soil type, they could need water almost daily. And although we never want the plants to be stunted from a lack of moisture, once those fruit appear, we need a new watering strategy. It's suggested with most melons to help with the ripening and sweetness to cut off all watering about 10 to 14 days before the harvest. This can and does help, but about a month before that, we need to adjust how we water as well. And it's not just about cutting back. By now, the root systems are extensive, so if we can water deeper for longer and less frequently, the fruit is less likely to split, spoil, or just be tasteless. It may seem like a small thing, but it really does affect the flavor. Another way to concentrate those sugars and make the melons sweeter is to concentrate where the plant puts its resources. We do this by pruning. Just like suckers on a tomato plant, removing the flowers and small fruit that won't have enough time to develop can really help the ones that do. All of that energy, resources, and of course sugars are going to be redirected to the fruit that's almost ready. Stop the plant from wasting resources on fruit that won't amount to anything, and the remaining melons will be the direct beneficiaries as a result. Speaking of results, the only way to get more is to watch more episodes of The Garden Quickie. Thanks for watching, guys. And hey, if garden quickies are your thing, make sure to subscribe and click on this playlist here as we explore and solve more growing issues in two minutes or less.