Juicy cantaloupe melons are typically grown from seed, started indoors or directly in the bed. In mild coastal U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 9, for example, cantaloupe is sown indoors in late March for transplanting in early May. Saving your own seed from fresh melons allows you to grow your favorite variety, but you must prepare the seed for saving in the fall and store it until the spring planting day. Starting cantaloupe indoors also requires careful preparation to prevent root damage during transplanting.
Scoop the seeds from the cantaloupe with a spoon. Separate the seeds from the pulp and place them in a bowl.
Add enough warm water to the bowl to cover the seeds. Soak the seeds for two days, stirring once or twice a day. The pulp and nonviable seeds floats to the surface of the water.
Pour the pulp off the top of the seeds. Drain the seeds in a colander and rinse them under cool water.
Lay the cantaloupe seeds on a paper towel in a single layer to dry. Dry the seeds for approximately one week.
Store the seeds in a sealed jar until planting time. Label the jar with the contents and keep it in a cool, dry and dark location.
Fill biodegradable peat or cardboard seedling pots with a sterile seed starting soil mixture. Water the the mixture until it's evenly moist. Cantaloupe cannot tolerate root disturbance from transplanting, so the seeds are started indoors in plantable, biodegradable pots.
Check the cantaloupe seeds prior to sowing. Any moisture in the jar can cause mold, which renders affected seeds nonviable. Only sow plump but dry seeds with uncracked shells and no signs of mold.
Sow the cantaloupe seeds one per pot, planting them 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep in the soil. Keep the pots in a warm 70 degree Fahrenheit location and keep the soil moist until they germinate, typically within one week.
Things You Will Need
- Paper towel
- Biodegradable pot
- Seed starting soil mix
- Cantaloupe and melon seeds can remain viable for two years or more, but they germinate best when sown the spring following collection and preparation.
- Only nonhybrid and heirloom cantaloupe varieties produce reliable seeds. Cantaloupe also cross-pollinates, which can affect the seed, so only plant one variety if you plan to save the seed.
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