Emir F1
Melon in the UK

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.

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.