Cantaloupe 'Hale's Best'

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water often. Keep in mind when planting that Hale's Best is thought of as tender, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside.

Sow in spring and summer.

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 2.97 inches (7.62 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Hale's Best is a tender plant.

“Cantaloupe should have a yellowish orange color and be just slightly soft ONLY on the stem end. This end should also be a rounded small cavity with no pieces of stem left. This would mean it was picked before it was ripe. There may be some bleaching on the skin where the melon was laying on the soil, and that is okay, but it shouldn’t be green or have dark, soft spots.

Cantaloupes are ripe when they pull off the vine with ease…no pulling should be necessary. You’ll want to watch the fruit carefully and harvest daily once they start to ripen. Some people “thump” their melons and listen for a hollow sound which means they are ripe. You can also look for the base of the stem to look cracked, which is a sign it will pull off easily. Refrigerate melons immediately after harvesting." ¹

About 80-95 days to harvest.

This variety tends to be ready for harvesting by late summer.

Hales Best

Hale’s Best Original, Hales Best Jumbo #936, Hales Jumbo, Hales Best Jumbo Muskmelon, Hale’s Best Spanspek

¹ MyPatriotSupply on Hales Best Jumbo Cantaloupe