Knowing the different type of melons can be a good investment, especially if you begin to get interested in eating something healthy.
This fruit belongs to the Cucurbitaceous family, and people have grown it for more than 4,000 years. For people in Africa and Egypt, it becomes an essential food source up to now.
Melons typically grow on vines that spread out across the ground. However, you can keep them upright with support.
Even though they are not appealing for adorning your backyard, melons make a great option for those looking for tasty fruits.
Basic Information of Different Type of Melons
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You can find a variety type of melons out there with different tastes and appearances. Most of them are fast-growing and very simple to care for.
If you sow melon seeds at the beginning of spring, get ready to enjoy the fruits in late summer or early fall.
With such a fast turnaround, the growing melon will be interesting for children or anyone who wants to see quick results.
Before growing any melon plant, keep in mind that most of them require full sun and a few months of warm temperatures.
For this reason, melons are more appropriate for hot climates. You can consider growing them in greenhouses in milder areas.
Moreover, any type of melons cannot withstand damp soil, so you should grow them in a well-draining spot that is rich and fertile.
They also enjoy consistent moisture although some species are tolerant of drought. For further details about each type of melons, check the following list.
Cantaloupe
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Cucumis melo var. Cantalupensis or commonly known as cantaloupe is a trailing plant that generates yellow blossoms in the summer and has dark green leaves.
People can refer to a different type of melons when talking about this fruit. While some may indicate the European Cantaloupe, others probably discuss the North American one.
The story behind the European Cantaloupe started in the 1700s when cultivation began in Cantalupo, Italy. This vine typically acquires white stripes on green-gray skin.
Named after its birthplace, the European version is the original, and people tend to consider it as the true cantaloupe.
Meanwhile, the North American variety owns a netted skin and is widespread in the regions. The plant enjoys warm areas across Canada, the US, as well as Mexico.
Both the North American and Europe Cantaloupe offer a sweet orange flesh. They make a good, healthy breakfast in either a dessert or a fruit salad.
This type of melons can reach 12 inches tall and 4 ft long. It usually grows well in hardiness zone 9 to 11 in full sun with medium water needs.
Watermelon
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Growing up to 18 inches tall and 15 ft long, the watermelon plant is well suited to hardiness zone 8 to 11. It enjoys full sun and requires medium moisture water.
In terms of soil, you should provide it with fertile, well-draining one for the utmost growth.
Also known as Citrullus lanatus, this plant is originally from Africa. In this region, the locals have grown watermelon for consumption in the past 4,000 years.
Nowadays, you can find over 1,200 of this type of melons around the world. Most of them generate fruits that vary in size ranging from 6 to 50 pounds.
All these types of watermelons share something in common such as solid outer rinds and squashy inner flesh that is scattered throughout with seeds.
Watermelons come with a super high amount of water that is somewhere around 90 percent, making their name highly appropriate to describe them.
Thanks to its high water content, watermelon makes a hot-weather refreshing snack. Due to its big size, you can expect it to stay cool even after anyone takes it out from the fridge.
Like another type of melons, watermelons are extensively cultivated all around the world. The key producers of this fruit include China, Turkey, Iran, and Brazil.
As an annual plant, watermelon enjoys a wide range of climates even though it thrives in warmer climates, too.
Make sure to grow watermelons in well-draining soil since they cannot withstand mushy conditions. The plant will grow on vines, generating hairy leaves and pale green blossoms throughout July and August.
Fortunately, watermelon is easy to grow and does not require intensive maintenance, making it a perfect addition to any fruit or vegetable garden.
Galia Melon
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Developed in Israel around the 1970s, Galia is a hybrid between a honeydew and cantaloupe. It bears fruit that is round with intense netted rind.
The fruit of Galia hints a sweet and spicy taste, making it exceptional compared to another type of melons.
You will typically find this fruit cultivated in warm climates all around the globe with the southern US, Europe, and South America among the main cultivators.
Galia Melon has a whitish lime green, luscious flesh. You can say that the fruit is ripe when the rind turns to yellow from green.
It is easy to grow the Galia on vines, which spread out along the ground. You can plant it anywhere that experiences a few months of constant warm weather in a row.
To grow this type of melons, sow the seeds right away after the last frost. You should plant it in soil with well drainage and keep the environment moist.
Meanwhile, to boost the sweetness of your fruit and prevent splitting, make sure to decrease watering to a low level around seven days before harvesting the plant.
Furthermore, you can support the vine to grow upward or leave it to trail on the ground. On the other hand, the melon must stay off the floor to avoid rotting.
Sit each melon on a container or simply coat the ground with a layer of straw to do so.
The Galia itself is just one type of melons among more than 20 cultivars from the variety of Reticulatus. Its group also includes Jenny Lind, Persian, and Hami.
Winter Melon
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Benincasa hispida, or commonly called winter melon, is a drought-tolerant plant that has a very long shelf life.
Even though it produces fruit in the summer, you can still enjoy winter melon in the winter. Its waxy skin is the main reason behind its durability.
This feature helps to maintain the inner flesh of winter melon fresh. The waxy skin itself will only build up when the fruit is ripe. Meanwhile, the young produces typically come with a hairy, fuzzy rind.
Winter melon is one type of melons with a dark green exterior that appears like watermelons. While the fruit can be large, weighing over 18 kg, its flesh is pale and seeded.
Furthermore, the flowers of winter are yellow while the leaves are big and broad.
Since the fruit is somewhat bland, people tend to use winter melon as a vegetable in cooking and stir-frying.
In some countries, people also preserve and make this fruit candied. As a result, it has another name of Chinese Pickling Melon.
Not only the fruits but the young and tender foliages of winter melon are also edible. Many people love to steam as a vegetable or add them to stews as well as soups.
The type of melons itself is native to Asia and is now widely cultivated around the world. It typically suits hardiness zone 9 to 11 as well as full sun.
Canary Melon
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Growing up to 24 inches tall and 10 ft long, canary melon is a variety that suits hardiness zone 9 to 12. This plant requires medium moisture and enjoys well-draining soil.
Scientifically known as Cucumis melo var. Inodorus Canary, this plant is a variety of muskmelons. As the name suggests, it comes with brilliant yellow skin, and some people often call the fruit honeydew due to their resemblance.
However, different from a honeydew melon, this variety is much tangier. Meanwhile, its flesh is pale green with a yielding texture once ripe.
Compared to a cantaloupe, the oval-shaped fruits of canary melon are typically larger when mature. Moreover, the plant’s vine is capable to trail or creep, and it generates eye-catching yellow flowers throughout the spring.
You need to wait for around 80 days to enjoy the fruits of canary melon. They will become a tasty addition to the fruit salads and breakfast cuisines of yours.
Since this type of melons has a long shelf life, you can find them in grocery stores throughout the year in many regions around the world.
Armenian Cucumber
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Even though this fruit looks and tastes like a cucumber, it is botanically a melon. People initially grew the plant in the 1400s and cultivated in various regions including Armenia and Egypt.
Growing as an annual vine, Armenian Cucumber is frost tender. During hotter climates, it generates yellow blossoms that will bloom throughout the year or in the colder temperatures of summer.
The vine of Armenian Cucumber also bears unevenly lobed leaves that coats its stems. Meanwhile, the fruits are slender as well as elongated, with whitish green skin and white flesh.
Interestingly, you do not need to peel this type of melons to consume. The fruits taste best when young or when they are around 12 inches in length.
While they can continue to develop up to 36 inches long, the flesh of Armenian Cucumber tends to dry out and turn tough as it ages.
Armenian Cucumber grows best in hardiness zone 7 to 9 as it requires full sun to cultivate properly. Make sure to provide this melon with rich, well-draining soil when planting and keep the water at a medium level.
Honeydew Melon
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This type of melons cultivates on an annual vine and is cold tender. It is one of the most popular commercial fruits due to its refreshing, mild flavor.
Not only cultivated commercially, but many gardeners love to make it a good addition to their home gardens.
Honeydew melons offer a soft, waxy rind that can be either green or yellow. The fruit typically ripens at the end of summer or the beginning of fall, following its blooming period on summer days.
The flesh of honeydews is watery and pale green. You can consume this melon raw or dried. Its seeds are even edible since they are somewhat tasty.
While you can eat the seeds of honeydews uncooked, it is also possible to roast them before consumption. Aside from being low in calories, this type of melons is also rich in Vitamin B and C.
Before growing this plant, keep in mind that there are mainly two types of honeydew melon. The first comes with green flesh, while another one is orange-fleshed.
Planting honeydew is very simple, so it generally will not cause any difficulty. Simply find a spot where the melon can receive a few months of warm temperatures each year to succeed.
This self-fertile plant requires full sun and constantly damp soil. Consider pairing honeydews with corn or sunflowers to let them grow more perfectly.
Snap Melon
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Cucumis melo Momordica or commonly known as snap melons are native to Asia. This plant is a kind of annual trailing vine that can grow up to 60 inches long.
Since this type of melons is frost tender, you can only grow it outdoors, especially in a frost-free climate.
If you want to grow a snap melon in a container, consider keeping it in a greenhouse during the cold winter to let the plant survive.
Snap Melon is a self-fertile plant, so you can count on insects to help with its pollination.
Furthermore, you do not need to grow more than one vine when planning to make the melon producing some fruits.
The fruit of snap melons itself has an oval shape and tender skin, while the taste of its flesh is rather sour.
In addition to daily consumption, people tend to use this fruit as herbal medicine since it can give relief for minor burns and cuts.
Casaba Melon
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When you are searching for photos of different types of melons, this cultivar is probably catching your attention due to its bright yellow skin.
As one of the muskmelon varieties, Casaba Melon has a close connection to honeydews and cantaloupes. However, this fruit does not come with a noticeable aroma or sweet taste like its cousins.
Thanks to its exceptional appearance, it is easy to identify Casaba Melon from its exterior. The fruit is round and features a distinct point at one end.
Casaba Melon has an intense ridged rind that runs in stripes on a brilliant yellow skin. This characteristic aids to protect its squashy inner flesh and allow the fruit to live a long shelf.
This type of melons is native to Kasaba, Turkey. You need to grow it in an area that has a long hot summer for the best growth.
Due to this requirement, Casaba Melon will be more appropriate for any gardener who stays in reliably warm climates.
Gac Melon
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Momordica cochinchinensis or commonly known as Gac Melon is another cultivar that comes with an exceptional look.
Gac melons have a red or dark orange, spiked rind. Even though the inner fruit consists of two parts, both of them are edible.
Since this type of melons does not give a tasty flavor, many tend to use it in cooking rather than eating raw.
It is safe to say that its bland taste is similar to an avocado. You can add a Gac melon into your stew, soup, or curry recipes.
Interestingly, Gac melon is a fast-growing plant that can generate flowers just around two months after planting.
The vine of this melon can grow up to 18 meters that typically produces 40 to 60 fruits every season.
Honey Globe Melon
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Native to Southeast Asia, this melon has a round shape and sweet-tasting flavor. The sugar content on Honey Globe may reach around 20%, making it one of the most sugary melons out there.
Unlike another type of melons, Honey Globe has an unusually short harvesting period. As a result, it is hard to come by and typically costs a high price tag.
When mature, Honey Globe Melon can weigh around 4.5 kg. The fruit comes with a thick rind and white, juicy flesh.
Different from other melons, this cultivar does not fall from its vine when ripe. Thus, you have to cut the fruit from the plant for harvesting.
To cultivate Honey Globe Melon properly, make sure to provide the plant with well-draining soil, a medium amount of water, and full sun.
Santa Claus Melon
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This one of the cultivars acquires their melon names due to something related to how they develop.
Many believe that Santa Claus Melon can last until Christmas since it has an extended shelf life of about a half year.
A dark green outer rind identifies fruits produced by Christmas Melon. Meanwhile, its flesh is green-white like another type of melons.
From South America, people in the Europe and US typically import this melon. Interestingly, you only need to wait for around 100 days to enjoy the fruits after planting.
Besides, the taste of Santa Claus melon is comparable to honeydews, as it is rather sweet and mild.
Final Thought
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With many varieties available, melon can be a good choice if you are looking for something worth growing in your home garden.
Aside from the list mentioned above, you can also find another type of melons like Crenshaw, a hybrid variety of this fruit that has a medium to large size.