Early Silverline Melon Planting Tips

The Silverline, or Silver Line, melon is a hybrid melon that grows quickly with plenty of round, yellow, one- to two-pound fruits. The thin-skinned melons are similar in texture to a cucumber but sweet in flavor like a pear. It is a favorite of many gardeners and there are a few things you can do to get a bumper crop.

Start Indoors

Melons are warm-weather plants and although they can be planted directly in the garden, they benefit from the extra growing time if they are started indoors six weeks before the last frost. Set the seeds into potting soil in peat pots that can be planted directly into your garden. Grow in a warm and sunny place until the temperature warms to about 60 degrees outside.

Black Plastic

Commercial growers start their seeds indoors and then move them outside to plant in holes set in sheets of black plastic. The plastic will eliminate any weeds, reduce water evaporation as well as warm the soil by several degrees.

Row Covers

If you really want your melons to get off to a good start, set up row covers over the plants until the night temperatures are a warm 70 degrees. The melons really like the warmth and will grow slowly without the help of row covers if planted during the early summer.

Drip Irrigation

Water is the main ingredient in a melon and it is water that will keep it growing rapidly and with plump fruits, especially in combination with row covers and black plastic. Set up black drip irrigation hoses to run along the rows of melons, under the plastic and water the melons every day.