How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Honeydew Melons

When hot summer days arrive, biting into a homegrown melon is one of the best treats. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn how to grow honeydews from seed to harvest.

When it comes to melons, honeydew might not be at the top of everyone’s list. However, don’t count these green melons out if you’ve only eaten them as part of a store-bought fruit salad. Homegrown honeydew has a refreshing juiciness and subtle floral flavor that makes it compete with beloved favorites like watermelon and cantaloupe.

Honeydew melons grow best in warm climates with plenty of sun and space to spread. But with a little planning and care, even gardeners in cooler regions can enjoy these sweet fruits. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow honeydews at home—from seed starting to harvest.
What Are Honeydew Melons?

Honeydew melons are a type of muskmelon known for their smooth, pale rinds and slightly sweet, light green flesh. They lack the musky fragrance found in cantaloupes and other types, but produce similar trailing vines.

While you may be most familiar with the standard honeydew, there are dozens of cultivars with varying skin colors and flavors. All are members of the Cucumis melo species, which also includes cantaloupe and crenshaw types.

Unlike their cantaloupe cousins, honeydews don’t emit a strong aroma when ripe, which is how they earned the name “inodorus,” meaning “without scent.” Because they don’t continue to ripen after harvest, proper timing is key if you want to enjoy the melons at the peak of flavor.

Characteristics
Honeydew melons typically have smooth, slightly waxy skin that ranges from pale green to golden yellow when ripe. The flesh is usually light green, but you’ll also find orange and white-fleshed varieties. The fruit size varies by cultivar, but most of them are between five and ten pounds when mature.

Each plant produces long, trailing vines that sprawl multiple feet in every direction. The vines bear yellow flowers, which turn into melons after they’re properly pollinated.

Native Area
Most historians believe that melons originated in Africa and southwest Asia, with honeydews developing through centuries of cultivation. They made their way to Europe and the Americas through trade and exploration, and became popular in the United States by the early 1900s.

Planting
Most honeydews take around three months to mature, so it’s important to get them in the ground early enough to ensure they can ripen before cool fall days arrive. However, since these heat-loving plants don’t tolerate cold, wait until after the last spring frost to plant.

Honeydews can grow well when directly sown in the garden or transplanted. The best growing method depends on your climate and preferences.
How to Grow

Honeydew melons thrive in full sun, warm temperatures, and fertile soil. Here’s how to keep them happy from seedling to harvest.
Maintenance
Honeydew rarely requires much maintenance beyond the normal watering and weeding. You can trellis these vining plants, but it isn’t necessary.

If you decide to trellis, choose a strong support that can handle the robust vines and heavy melons. Wooden arbors and metal fences are a few options that can work well. Since these crops have tendrils, the plants can attach themselves to the support. However, they may need some help to find the support.

As the fruits grow, you may need to help support them on the trellis. Attaching a net or piece of pantyhose under the melons is one easy way to ensure the melons don’t break from the plants as they become heavier.