Charentais melon
Melon green flesh orange melon charentais
Charentais melon in the ground
Yellow Charentais melon flower
Unripe green Charentais melon
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
The Charentais melon, the sweetest melon
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Scientific classification
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Type
Cucumis
Species
Melon - Cucumis melo
Renowned for its sweet, aromatic flesh, the Charentais melon is grown well beyond the Poitou region! This hybrid variety of Melon (Cucumis melo) belongs to the Cantaloupe melon group (cantalupensis). It can be found in France, Spain and Morocco.
How to recognize the Charentais melon?
The Charentais melon is an annual herbaceous plant. It grows to just 20 centimetres in height, but its stems can exceed one metre. This variety naturally adopts a creeping growth habit. However, if given support, the stems can climb thanks to their simple tendrils.
The medium-green foliage is typical of the Cucurbitaceae family. The large, irregular leaves are more or less lobed.
The same Charentais melon plant bears two types of flowers. Yellow and funnel-shaped, they can be male or hermaphroditic. This diversity enables pollination, essential for fruiting. Only hermaphrodite flowers have a protuberance at their base. This bulge, the ovary, gives rise to the fruit.
The round fruit weighs up to 1.5 kg. Dark-green meridian lines run through the smooth, pale-green rind. Beneath this skin lies sweet, juicy orange flesh. In the center, the elongated seeds are yellow.
Is the Charentais melon toxic?
Of course, the Charentais melon is not toxic. You can enjoy the fruit without fear.
However, when the fruit grows in contact with the ground, the rind may be contaminated by soil or fertilizers. Carefully clean the skin before serving, and wash your hands after handling the melon.
Our maintenance tips
Charentais melons like the sun. Move the fruit away from the foliage to let the light shine on them, so they'll be sweeter. You can also elevate them with a tile or stone to protect them from humidity.
Watering
Charentais melons like water. Don't let the soil dry out. Water at the base, without wetting the foliage, to prevent powdery mildew.
Use rainwater or tap water.
Fertilization
Apply a potassium-rich fertilizer, such as a tomato fertilizer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to avoid damaging the plant.
Harvest
Harvest the fruit when it's ripe.
When the base of the petiole at fruit level cracks, you can harvest. Cut the stalk two or three centimetres from the fruit.
Pulling out
Once the plant has dried out completely, you can pull it out.
When the foliage turns yellow and the stem becomes brittle, this is a sign that the root system is no longer functioning. You can uproot the plant to make room for other crops.
Take the base of the main stem (the stalk) with your full hand. Use gentle circular movements to loosen the roots, then lift gently. If the soil is compact, use a fork. Push it about 15-20 cm from the stem and pry up to dislodge the root ball without breaking it.
Pick up any dead stems and leaves lying around to prevent spores and fungi from remaining in the soil.
Thinning out
Keep only one plant out of three, the most vigorous.
Plantation
When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.
Choose a sunny location, sheltered from the wind. If you live in a rainy region, make a mound and plant your Charentais melon at the top. This will protect the plant from excess water.
Dig a hole 15 centimetres deep and place compost or manure at the bottom to enrich the soil.
Water the rootball to keep it intact. The roots are fragile. Carefully remove the pot and avoid touching them.
Plant your Cucumis melo cantalupensis. The rootball should be flush with the soil. Fill in with garden soil and tamp gently. You can form a watering trough and mulch to retain moisture and prevent the spread of weeds.
Make an initial watering to help the plant take root. Water at the base, without wetting the foliage.
Pollination, which is necessary to obtain fruit, is easier between two different plants. Charentais melons benefit from being planted at least in pairs, side by side, to optimize harvesting. However, keep them at least a metre apart to allow them to develop.
Seedling
Once the risk of frost has passed, you can sow your Cucumis melo cantalupensis seeds.
Charentais melons are greedy plants. Prepare the soil by adding manure or well-decomposed compost.
Charentais melons can be sown in bunches.
- Dig a hole about ten centimetres deep.
- Fill it with sowing and planting soil.
- Bury three seeds under a centimetre of soil.
- Water lightly.
Water to keep the substrate moist until the first leaves appear.
Space your plantsat least one metre apart. Charentais melons needs room to grow.
You can start seedlings indoors when the days get longer.
Get your own buckets. It's best to choose models made of biodegradable material (peat or coconut fiber). This way, you won't have to unstuff your Cucumis melo cantalupensis to transplant them into the ground: their roots are fragile.
Fill your cups with potting soil for seedlings and plantations. You can also use garden soil enriched with compost.
In each pot, plant three seeds and cover them with a centimetre of soil.
Water lightly, then regularly to keep the substrate moist until the first leaves appear.
Place your seedlings in a bright spot where the temperature exceeds 18°C, such as a greenhouse or veranda.
Disease / Threat
Information
| Lifecycle | Annual |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Exposure | |
| Substrat | |
| Planting methods |
Open ground In pots |
| Categories |
Vegetable |
| Tags |
Beginner Fritillary Large pot Soiffarde Edible vegetable |
| Origins |
East Africa Western Asia South Asia Australia |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 12a (10°C ≤ T° < 12.8°C) |
| Leaf color |
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| Flower color |
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| Fruit colors |
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