Planting Guide Hearts O’ Gold boasts deep orange flesh that is thick, juicy, fragrant, and very sweet. They have thin rinds, are heavily netted, and medium ribbed. Vigorous, prolific plants produce round, medium-sized, 2-3 lb. fruit. Special Instructions: Melons love warm, well-draining soil high in organic matter with pH between 6.5-7.5. Sandy loam is best. They are also heavy feeders. Calcium deficiency can lead to blossom end rot, especially when adequate moisture is not available. Boron deficiency can cause cracking. When to harvest: Knowing when to harvest can be tricky, as each type is a little different. In general: cantaloupes slip from vine when ripe; charantais types can be cut when they have a thick netted skin (they are slightly over-ripe if they slip); galia types slip from the vine and are ready when skin turns bright yellow; honeydews can be cut from the vine when skin turns color. Other indicators of ripeness are when the leaf closest to fruit becomes dried and shriveled and when the stem becomes corky. *** The first flowers to appear on the vines are male, and drop naturally. The later flowers are female and form the fruit.
