Hales Best Jumbo, Cantaloupe Seeds

Key Attributes

Sun
Sun: Full Sun
Packet
Packet: 30 Seeds
Days To Maturity (# Days)
Days To Maturity (# Days): 85
Botanical Name
Botanical Name: Cucumis melo

Hales Best Jumbo, Cantaloupe Seeds

Hale's Best Jumbo cantaloupe is a distinguished heirloom variety known for its exceptional size and sweet, flavorful fruit. Developed in the early 20th century by Hale Brothers Seed Company in the United States, this variety has become a favorite among gardeners for its impressive attributes and reliable performance. The cantaloupe features a rough, netted orange rind and a vibrant, deep orange flesh that is both juicy and aromatic. Renowned for its rich, sweet flavor with a hint of muskiness, Hale's Best Jumbo is ideal for fresh eating and making refreshing summer desserts. The plants typically grow to a sprawling size, covering a large area with their vigorous vines, and they generally require about 80 to 90 days to mature. They produce large, round fruit that can weigh between 4 to 6 pounds each. The plants thrive in warm climates with full sun and well-drained soil, and they benefit from ample space to spread. With its outstanding flavor, substantial size, and ease of growth, Hale's Best Jumbo cantaloupe remains a cherished choice for both home gardeners and melon enthusiasts.
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Key Attributes

Sun
Sun: Full Sun
Packet
Packet: 30 Seeds
Days To Maturity (# Days)
Days To Maturity (# Days): 85
Botanical Name
Botanical Name: Cucumis melo

Product Details

Weight

0.008

Depth

0.15

Height

4.5

Width

3.25

Plant Height

12-18"

Botanical Name

Cucumis melo

Seed Type

Seed

Additional Characteristics

Best Tasting Vegetables,Cheap Seeds

Seeds Per Gram

32

Seeds Per Pound

14,400

Row Spacing

6'

Packet

30 Seeds

Sow Depth

1/2"

Seeds Per Ounce

900

Breed

Open-pollinated

Sun

Full Sun

Types

CANTALOUPE (MUSKMELON)

Maturity

Main Season

Fruit Weight

4-6 lbs

Growing Conditions

Drought Tolerant

Life Cycle

Annual

Sow Method

Direct Sow

Plant Spacing

18"

Categories

Melon

Germination

5,6,7,8,9,10

Days To Maturity (# Days)

85

Heirloom

Heirloom

Seeds Per Acre

1 lb

Components

Growing Instructions

    Learning Download: How to Grow Melons

Melons provide a sweet and colorful addition to summer meals, and they can be grown in the home garden. In addition to the typical cantaloupe and honeydew melons, gardeners can grow other varieties such as banana melons.

Before Planting: A light, well-drained soil with a pH of 7.0 and a southern exposure is ideal. Good soil moisture is important in early stages of growth and during pollination when fruits are setting.

Planting: For direct seeding, sow 1-2 weeks after last frost when soil is warm, above 70°F, 3 seeds every 18″, 1/2″ deep, thinning to 1 plant/spot. Space rows 6′ apart. For transplanting, sow indoors in 3 weeks before last frost and transplanting outside. Plant 2-3 seeds per or pot, about 1/4″ deep. Keep temperature 80-90°F until germination. Handle young plants carefully and never let the soil dry out. Grow seedlings at 75°F. Reduce water and temperature for a week to harden seedlings. When the weather is frost-free, warm, and settled, transplant 2-3′ apart in rows 6′ apart or thin to 1 plant/pot or cell with scissors and transplant 18″ apart. Even hardened melon seedlings are tender. Do not disturb roots when transplanting, and water thoroughly.

Watering: Melons need a steady supply of water, and soil needs to be damped but not flooded, approximately 1 inch a week.

Fertilizer: Prior to planting, mix aged manure and compost into the soil. Melons are heavy feeders, so fertilize at planting and throughout the growing season with a 5-5-5 or 10-10-10 granular fertilizer. Do not let the granules come in contact with the plant.

Days to Maturity: A ripe melon should be very easy to remove from the vine. For a cantaloupe, the netting pattern on the melon becomes more visible and a crack appears at the base of the stem when it was ripe. For a honeydew, the color becomes creamy. Most melon varieties are ready for harvest when the gray-green color begins to change to pale yellow and when a light tug separates the fruit from the vine. Some melon types, like honeydew, Charentais, canary, Spanish, and Crenshaw are overripe by the time the stem can be tugged from the fruit. (See each variety for days to maturity)

Harvesting: Melons must be cut from the vine.  All melons should be stored at 90% relative humidity. Store ripe melons at 40-45°F for 7-14 days.

Tips: Cut off watering 1 week before harvest. This will give a more flavorful, concentrated melon. Over watering before harvest can cause bland taste.

AVG. Direct Seeding Rate: 30 seeds/10′, 100 seeds/50′ 1M/500′, 15M/acre at 3 seeds every 18″ in rows 6′ apart.

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Our Seed Promise

"Agriculture and seeds" provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.

The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, to genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems, and ultimately to healthy people and communities.

To learn more about the "Safe Seed Pledge" please visit www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org.