Melon 'Charentais'

60 Seeds

Seeding Melon 'Charentais'—a classic French cantaloupe-type melon—can be very rewarding when done right. It produces small, round melons with aromatic, sweet, orange flesh and is considered a gourmet variety. Here’s how to seed and grow it successfully:

🍈 Melon 'Charentais' – Seeding Guide

✅ Quick Overview

• Type: Heirloom or hybrid (check your packet)

• Fruit size: ~1–1.5 kg (2–3 lbs)

• Days to maturity: ~75–90 days

• Flavor: Intense, sweet, fragrant

• Ideal for: Warm climates or protected growing (greenhouse, polytunnel)

🌱 Step-by-Step Seeding Instructions

1. When to Sow

• Indoors: 3–4 weeks before last frost date

• Outdoors (direct sowing): Only after soil warms to 18–21°C (65–70°F) and all frost danger has passed

2. Seed Preparation

• Optional: Soak seeds in warm water for 4–6 hours before sowing to speed germination

3. Indoor Sowing (Recommended for Cooler Climates)

• Containers: 7–10 cm (3–4 in) pots to avoid root disturbance

• Soil: Rich, well-draining seed-starting mix

• Depth: 1.5–2 cm (½–¾ in)

• Temperature: 24–29°C (75–85°F) for germination

• Germination time: 5–10 days

🌞 Light

• Bright sun or grow lights (14–16 hrs/day)

4. Transplanting Outdoors

• Harden off seedlings over 5–7 days

• Transplant once night temps are reliably above 13°C (55°F)

🌿 Spacing

• Rows: 90–120 cm (3–4 ft) apart

• Plants: 45–60 cm (18–24 in) apart

• Or: 1 plant per mound/hill with 90–120 cm spacing

🛖 Outdoor Direct Sowing (Warm Climates Only)

• Wait until soil is warm and frost-free

• Plant 2–3 seeds per hill, 2 cm deep

• Thin to the strongest plant once true leaves appear

💧 Watering & Feeding

• Keep soil evenly moist (not soggy) during early growth

• Reduce watering as fruit matures to enhance sweetness

• Feed with a balanced or low-nitrogen fertilizer when vines start to run, then switch to high-potassium fertilizer when flowering

🌼 Pollination

• Not parthenocarpic—requires pollination

• Encourage bees or hand-pollinate for better yields

  • Use a male flower to gently brush pollen onto a female flower (identified by the small fruit behind the bloom)

🍈 Harvesting

• Fruits are ripe when:

  • They slip off the vine with gentle pressure

  • Strong fragrance from the blossom end

  • Slightly soft feel at the stem end