All growing-melons articles

how to grow

Growing Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons

Growing cantaloupe and honeydew melons is so rewarding, as they taste much better than their store-bought cousins. Learn the best techniques here.

how to grow

Growing Bitter Melon

Learn to grow this Asian delicacy in your garden. Growing bitter melon is similar to growing related plants such as squash, cucumber, and cantaloupe.

recipes

Watermelon Jicama Salad

how to grow

Growing Watermelons

Few things taste better than a homegrown watermelon. Get expert tips for growing watermelons in your own spring and summer garden.

recipes

Watermelon Cucumber Sparkler

recipes

Fruit Salad with Lemon and Mint Sauce

recipes

Watermelon Salad

garden fundamentals

Harvest Guide to Summer Veggies

Harvesting summer vegetables can be tricky if you're just starting out with gardening. Use our quick guide to know when & how to harvest vegetables in your garden.

garden ideas inspiration

Garden Games for Kids

Raise a crop of lifelong gardeners by getting kids outside and in the dirt with one of these fun garden games. You’ll find your backyard is full of surprises, wonder, and endless moments of play.

garden ideas inspiration

Full Sun Vegetable Plant Garden Ideas

There’s nothing like harvesting fresh veggies straight from your backyard or balcony and creating a delicious dinner from ingredients you grew yourself. But many veggies need what the experts call “full sun” to grow their best. Do you know which of your favorites need it?

garden fundamentals

Heirloom Vegetable Growing Tips

Raising a crop of heirloom veggies isn’t all that different from growing non-heirlooms. Like all vegetables, each heirloom plant requires sun, consistent moisture, and fertile, well-drained soil to grow and yield a healthy crop. But it's also helpful to know where the plant originated. for the best chance of success, try these heirloom vegetable growing tips.

garden fundamentals

Square Foot Gardening

Square foot gardening is exactly what the name says: dividing a growing area into 1-foot x 1-foot sections. In a true square foot garden, an actual grid is placed on the growing area to divide up the space. What you grow in each section depends on the mature size of the crop.

recipes

Berry Basil Fruit Salad

garden fundamentals

How to Prevent and Get Rid of Cucumber Beetles

Cucumber beetles feed directly on plants, causing visible damage, and they may carry a bacterium that causes leaves to wilt. Infection typically occurs when plants are half-grown.

garden fundamentals

Stories Behind Heirloom Vegetable Names

Heirloom vegetables bring more than big flavor to the dinner table. Many of these traditional varieties boast a rich history that’s often hinted at in their names. Allow us to share some of our favorite stories of heirloom vegetable names.

diy garden projects

3 Ways to Use Cattle Panels in the Garden

Many favorite vegetable plants — such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, melons, and squash — need a little help standing tall. Cattle panels, available online and at farm supply stores, are a simple, affordable way to keep plants off the ground and away from foraging critters and soil-borne diseases.

diy garden projects

DIY: How to Build a Bamboo Trellis Tower

Here’s a simple, beautiful way to support tall-growing tomato (aka "indeterminate tomato") plants: a Bamboo Trellis Tower, brainchild of horticulturist and garden designer Charlie Thigpen. Bamboo can be surprisingly easy to find, as it grows vigorously and often a little too enthusiastically for the person on whose property it resides.

garden fundamentals

Conquer Blossom End Rot

If you see a black, sunken spot on the end of your tomatoes, you've got blossom end rot. Learn what causes blossom end rot and ways to prevent it.

garden fundamentals

Squash Beetles

Often found on squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons, these pests typically don’t cause enough damage to hurt plants. These are often confused with Mexican Bean Beetle.

garden fundamentals

Which Veggies for Which Season?

Learn which vegetables to plant in summer, spring, and fall. Seasonal vegetable planting is the first step to a beautiful and bountiful garden.

garden ideas inspiration

Small Garden Ideas

You don’t need acres of land or even a huge garden to grow your own healthy, delicious food. If you’re the proud owner (or renter) of a sunny balcony, fire escape, patio, postage-stamp lawn, flat sturdy roof, or front porch, you have plenty of room to grow veggies and herbs—and we’ve got a bunch of small garden ideas to help you out.

garden fundamentals

Got Pollination Problems? Give Hand-Pollination a Try!

If you’re having trouble with pollination of your melon, pumpkin, cucumber, or squash plants, don’t give up. Give hand-pollination a try.

garden ideas inspiration

Meet the Urban Gardeners

Urban gardeners use salvaged materials and creativity to build a mini-farm in their backyard. Learn from their experience to grow your own urban garden.

garden fundamentals

Rotating Vegetable Crops for Garden Success

Home vegetable gardens will benefit as much from rotating vegetable crops as big farms do. Learn what crop rotation means and how to make it work in your garden.