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 Prepare the soil well ahead of time, adding well-rotted manure and organic amendments. If you use fertilizer, mix it in thoroughly well ahead of time; melons are subject to fertilizer burn. You'll have time in spring to get the bed ready; seeds shouldn't be sown until the soil temperature has reached 75 degrees F. You may even need to start seeds indoors if your growing season is short.
If you're growing in an area that has cool summers, look for a spot in the warmest part of your garden--next to a wall that reflects heat is a good choice. You can also cover the area with clear or black plastic or use row covers to keep the soil warm. A third option is to grow melons in your compost pile--yes, compost pil--as many a gardener has discovered an inadvertent crop sprouting due to the heat and rich soil found there.
In addition to being fussy about growing conditions, melons can be more fussy than most vegetables about how they're planted: They should be grown in hills or raised rows. Hills are really flat-topped mounds, about 4 inches high and 2 to 3 feet in diameter, surrounded by a narrow watering basin. You'll need even larger mounds for watermelons, generally 8 feet in diameter. Space the hills about 4 feet apart for smaller varieties, 8 feet apart for watermelons. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, with four or five seeds per hill. Thin seedlings to two per hill. If setting out seedlings, plant two per hill.
For rows, mound the soil 3 to 5 inches above the garden surface and 12 to 15 inches wide. Add narrow watering troughs along each side of each row. Keep rows 3 to 4 feet apart, wider for watermelons. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, putting two to three seeds every foot, and then thin to one plant per foot. If setting out seedlings, plant every foot.
Once planted, keep the soil moist but not wet near the roots so the plants won't dry out. As the plants grow, fill the watering basins or troughs to keep the soil moist while keeping water away from both the foliage and the fruit. Water deeply if the plants are wilting in the evening after a hot day. Add a water-soluble fertilizer every six weeks during the growing season.
As the fruit develops, place a brick or piece of wood under each one to keep it clean. If you're growing on a trellis, support the fruits, once they reach 2 inches in diameter, in individual slings made of netting or old nylon stockings. As they near full ripeness, protect Crenshaw melons from sunburn by using a shingle or piece of wood as a screen on the southwest side of the plant.
In addition to mildew, melons are subject to a number of pests, including aphids, cucumber beetles, and mites. In all cases, the best defense is keeping the garden debris cleaned up to encourage beneficial insects. Aphids and mites can be hosed off with water or sprayed with an insecticidal soap. Cucumber beetles, which transmit bacterial wilt, can be controlled with parasitic nematodes or a product containing pyrethrins. For mildew, plant resistant varieties; for other varieties, spray with neem, sulfur, or copper soap fungicide.More about gardening with melons:
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