Plant Guide

Description:

A unique heirloom variety that adds interest to any garden; produces small, 2lb greyish-tan smooth skinned melons with slight ribbing and salmon colored flesh; sweet and firm, great for snacking, desserts, breakfasts and even wrapped in prosciutto

Edible Qualities

Charentais Cantaloupe is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces small gray round melons (which are technically 'berries') with grayish green overtones and salmon flesh which are typically harvested when mature. The melons have a sweet taste with a firm texture and a sweet fragrance.

The melons are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Eating When Cooked/Prepared
• Juice-Making
• Freezing

Planting & Growing

Charentais Cantaloupe will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.