growing cantaloupes

Hi everyone!! I live in fredericksburg, va, and I have a couple of questions about growing cantaloupes in this area. Is there a cantaloupe variety that has good production, disease resistant and does not take 90 days to harvest? What cantaloupe variety grows well in this region? Is it ok to plant cucumber and cantaloupe within 5 feet or so of each other? Any recommendations or advice on this issue will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much.
Conor

Ok, my questions may be stupid, but I know that there are some gardeners out there who know some information about growing cantaloupes. Will someone please help me out?
Thank you.
Conor

I'm sure someone will be along soon to answer your questions, I have no experience with them.

cw, maybe asking this question in the vegetable forum would work better.

You'll need to plant cukes and cantalopes a good distance apart as they will cross breed.
We always grew Hales Best cantalopes.
Good luck
Vickie

Vickie, Is 5-6 feet apart a good distance?

Not really. I'd plant them clear across the garden from each other with something in between. At least 20 feet.
Vickie

I've always used Hearts of Gold which does say it takes 90 days to mature, however, mine are usually ready in about 75. They are real sweet and I've never had any problems with disease. As for cross pollination, the only time that's a worry is if you plan to save seeds. I've planted various types of melons, squash, and cucumbers next to each other with no problems but I don't save seeds.

Just for infomation, the cucumelon/cantacumber is a myth like the Jackolope. True cucumber ( Cucumis sativus) do not cross with cantalopes (Cucumis melo). The Armenian cucumber is actually a melon (cucumis melo). They share disease and insects to some extent, but cross pollination is not a concern.

My favorite were always the musk melons, more meaty, heavier flavor, I think there is a cuke virus that cantaloupes are able to get, and will also affect your tomatoes. Like pumpkins, we always grew them with the corn or beans as long as they could get to enuff water and sun..

My experience with growing cantaloupes is they would rot before they would ripen all the way. Occasionally I would get a decent one but finally gave up. I've heard/read that you can make little nests out of straw. But never tried it.

We prop melons up off the ground; I use the little baskets that cherry tomatoes and strawberries come in.

I prop my melons too cathy4. They do tend to rot and, down here, I've had fire ants and some type of worm bore into them from the bottom and eat out the inside. Hubby cut a bunch of squares from some scrap lumber to put under mine and it works good too. Love your basket idea but I don't get too many of those because I grow all my tomatoes, etc.

Last year I went out to pick a melon that I missed propping. From the top it looked perfect. When I touched it, it collapsed, the inside had been completely eaten out to the skin.

I remember the fire ants loving cantelopes. Thank heavens we don't have any fire ants up here. I remember when we first moved up here i'd go around kicking ant beds to make sure they were'nt fire ants. LOL