Sowing & Growing Mini Melons – Part 1 – Varieties & What do you need to Grow

15th May 2024

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The UK climate is not tropical and it is definitely not hot enough to grow melons outside. However..

If you own a greenhouse or a poly tunnel, even a small one, it’s your lucky day! Bingo! you can now grow Mini Melons.

What are Mini Melons?

Mini Melons are melons but their size is just larger than a tennis ball, approximately 7-10cm in Diameter. There are 3 & 5 melons per plant so they are definitely worth growing.

Mini Melons are juicy, delicious and packed with a sugary sweet flavour. These melons are great for two people to share and they fit into the fridge for storage.

The mini melon plants are also small and compact with the maximum height at 1.5 meters tall.

Mini melons are easy to grow in the greenhouse, even if it is already packed out with tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers, like mine will be!

Don’t be fooled with Cucamelons, these are not melons.

Cucamelons are grape size fruits that taste like cucumber with a hint of citrus. They look like mini watermelons but are definitely not melons.

What Melon Varieties are Mini?

Mini Melons that can be grown in the UK are:

Cantaloupe Melon – Minnesota Midget – Real Seeds – orange flesh.
Watermelon – Mini Love F1 – Thompson & Morgan & Plants of Distinction – Red flesh.
Melon – Rich Sweetness – SheGrowsVeg – cream flesh.
Watermelon – Sugar Baby – Real Seeds red flesh.
Melon – Tasty Bites – Plants of Distinction – orange flesh

To Grow Mini Melons, You will need:

1. Greenhouse or poly tunnel – A greenhouse or poly tunnel of any size made of glass or plastic, with an interior height of at least 1.5 meters.

2. Large Pot or Container, Growbag or raised bed in the Greenhouse. You will need 1 large pot per melon plant. The ideal pot size is 45cm diameter and 45cm in height or larger.

3. Plant Support – A support or bamboo canes or trellis for the plant, although they are quite compact and reaching a maximum height of 1.5 metres.

The mini melons harvest themselves by just popping off the plant when they are ready, so no need to support the melons. You may need a crash mat instead!

4. Germination Temperature needs to be 21 degrees centigrade or higher. So make sure it is a high temperature outside your greenhouse, if it’s a bit colder, put a cover over your pots when you sow the melon seeds to create a warmer environment until germination.

Mini melon seeds will germinate in 5-10 days. The night temperature will also need to be consistently above 10 degrees centigrade. Otherwise you may have to put them on a sunny windowsill inside to germinate.

5. Sow Mini Melon seeds in May. This is not too late as mini melons grow faster than normal melons and they do not need to grow too big to get a great crop in just approx 70 days. Harvest Late July to August.

Can I grow cucumbers with melons?

Yes however it is worth noting that Cucumbers are in the same family as melons. This means they are both susceptible to the same pests, which is why is it said not to grow them next to one another.

I am going to be growing cucumbers in the same greenhouse as melons but the plants won’t be next to one another.