Crops › Melon
How to grow Melon
in the UK
Sow April to May, plant out June to July, harvest August to September. About 95 days from seed to plate.
Melons, eh? Proper sunshine fruit. Getting them to ripen here in the North East, well, it's a challenge, to be honest. But when you bite into your own home-grown one, sweet and juicy, it's just cracking.
Sowing
Right, so you'll want to sow your melon seeds indoors. April or May is the time for it, when things are starting to warm up a bit. Pop one or two seeds about 1.5 cm deep into small pots, filled with good seed compost. They need a bit of heat to get going, so a warm windowsill or a propagator is ideal, around 20-25°C if you can manage it. Once they're up, thin to the strongest seedling, leaving just one per pot. No need for pricking out with these, they don't like their roots disturbed.
Growing on
Once your seedlings are sturdy and the risk of frost has well and truly passed – that's mid to late May up here, earlier down south – you can start thinking about planting them out. First, harden them off properly, putting them outside for increasing lengths of time over a week or two. Melons absolutely need protection in the UK, so plant them in a greenhouse, poly-tunnel, or under cloches. Give them plenty of room, at least 90 cm between plants, because they like to spread out a bit.
Looking after it
Watering is key with melons, you know. Keep the soil consistently moist, but don't let it get waterlogged, otherwise, you'll end up with split fruit. Once your plant has four or five proper leaves, pinch out the growing tip to encourage side shoots. If you're not seeing many bees under glass, you might need to hand-pollinate the flowers yourself. A bit of liquid feed every couple of weeks will help them along too.
What goes wrong
To be honest, melons can be a bit of a magnet for red spider mite, especially in a warm, dry greenhouse. Keep an eye out for them tiny red dots on the leaves. Powdery mildew can also be a bother, showing up as white patches; good airflow helps with that. And like everything on the plot, slugs will have a go at the ripening fruit if they get a chance.
Harvest
You're looking to harvest your melons around August or September, about 95 days from sowing. You'll know they're ready when they smell proper fruity and sweet, and the skin gives a little when you press it gently. Some varieties will also 'slip' easily from the stem. Once picked, get them in the fridge and eat them fairly quickly, as they don't store for long, like I say.
My best tip for melons is don't be shy about hand-pollinating; it can make all the difference between a few sad flowers and a cracking crop of fruit.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Alvaro F1 This one's an early variety, bred for our shorter growing season. If you've got a warm spot under glass, it's a good bet for a decent crop. | No club votes yet |
| Emir F1 Another early one, designed to do well even with our British summers. Perfect for anyone wanting to try melons without waiting ages for them to ripen. | No club votes yet |
| Ogen A classic short-season melon that thrives under cover here in the UK. You'll get lovely fragrant fruits from this one, well worth the effort. | No club votes yet |
| Charentais This is a proper French classic, adapted for our cooler climate under glass. If you love a sweet, aromatic melon, give this one a go. | No club votes yet |
| Minnesota Midget Don't let the name fool you, this short-season melon is well suited for growing under cover in the UK. It produces smaller, personal-sized fruits, which is quite handy. | No club votes yet |
| Honeydew Green Flesh A short-season honeydew type, perfect for growing under cover in the UK. You'll get that classic sweet, pale green flesh if you give it enough warmth. | No club votes yet |
| Galia This short-season variety performs well under cover in the UK. It's a popular choice for good reason, producing lovely netted fruits with green flesh. | No club votes yet |
| Sweetheart As the name suggests, this short-season melon is a real treat when grown under cover in the UK. It's a reliable choice for sweet and juicy results. | No club votes yet |
| Arava A strong performing short-season melon, ideal for growing under cover in the UK. It's a good option if you're looking for a dependable early harvest. | No club votes yet |
| Cantaloupe Sweet Granite This short-season cantaloupe is well-suited for growing under cover in the UK. It’s known for its sweet, orange flesh and good flavour. | No club votes yet |
| Sugar Queen A lovely short-season melon that does well under cover in the UK. Expect really sweet fruits from this one if you give it the warmth it craves. | No club votes yet |
| Sivan This short-season melon is a solid choice for growing under cover in the UK. It's known for producing good, consistent fruits, making it a reliable pick. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Melon seeds
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Cook the harvest
A richly flavoured, deep purple chutney made from jostaberries with red onion, balsamic vinegar and warm spices. It is superb with mature cheddar, Stilton or goat's cheese, and equally good with cold pork and game. The unique depth of the jostaberry makes this chutney more complex than most.
85 min · mediumThe British classic made with jostaberries — a bowl lined with white bread soaked until deeply stained purple-black with the berry juices, encasing a compote of jostaberries, redcurrants and raspberries. Turn it out and it holds its dramatic shape. Serve with clotted cream.
30 min · mediumA rich, deeply flavoured jostaberry sauce that is the ideal companion to venison, game or roast lamb. The berries' intense tartness cuts through the richness of the meat while their natural sweetness builds into the sauce with red wine and shallots. This is where jostaberries truly shine.
35 min · mediumA deeply flavoured, dark jam made from jostaberries — the hybrid cross of blackcurrant and gooseberry. The jam has an intense, slightly wild berry flavour with excellent natural pectin, making it one of the easiest fruits to set. A beautiful deep purple-black that tastes as good as it looks.
50 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigold, borage
Questions people ask
When do you sow Melon in the UK?
Sow Melon from April to May. Plant out June to July, after the last frost.
How long does Melon take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 95 days, with the harvest August to September.
Which Melon varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Alvaro F1, Emir F1, Ogen, Charentais and more.
Track your Melon from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.