When are cantaloupe ready to be picked? Can they take a frost?
This article should be of some help to you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/cantaloupe/harvesting-cantaloupe.htm
These melons cannot take frost.
I started my first vegetable garden this summer - it was a small raised garden. I was excited that I actually got a few veggies from it. I do not have a very good green thumb. I planted cantaloupe, cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, and watermelon. Everything grew except the watermelon. My veggies are done producing and I am wondering what to do with the veggie leaves and corn stalks. Throw them out or should I put them on the soil- like compost or something? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
This article will help you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/fall-garden-clean-up.htm
I planted two cantaloupe plants, but one died and the other is thriving with a lot of blooms but no indication yet of achieving fruit. Do I need more than one plant for it to produce fruit? I've never planted this before, so am at a loss.
No, you do not need to have another plant. It is likely a pollination issue, which can be remedied with hand pollination. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/melons/hand-pollinating-melons.htm
Why would my cantaloupe be splitting before they are ready to be picked off the vine?
This can happen as a result of an over abundance in moisture while ripening. Overripe melons may also experience this. For the most part, this doesn't pose a significant problem provided that it's not cracked to the point of attracting ants.
My cantaloupes are splitting open. What causes this and what can I do about it? Thanks, Bonnie
This is caused by uneven watering. This can happen when you have long periods of dry followed by a big rainfall. The plant is so thirsty that it sucks up water faster than it can grow and the fruit splits. To avoid this, make sure to water evenly and often. Mulching plants helps as well, and a drip system with a timer is also a great way to avoid this.
How do you get larger fruit? I'm getting fruit but they are the size of softballs. Thanks.
Use a higher phosphorous fertilizer early in the season. This will result in more flowers, which brings more fruit. Then, once fruit starts to develop, use a higher nitrogen fertilizer, as this will result in larger fruit.
My Cantaloupe vines were doing fine. I had 4 melons that grew to about baseball size, then the leaves on the vines starting near
the roots started wilting and dying, which worked its way up the vine until the whole vine and melons were dried up and dead. WHY???
It sounds like you had a vine borer. They mostly affect squash plants, but they can affect melons as well. This article will explain how to fend them off in the future:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/squash-pests-identifying-and-preventing-squash-vine-borer.htm