When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 70°–90°F.

When to Start Inside: Recommended for short-season areas. 2 to 4 weeks before transplanting within 2 weeks after your average last frost date. Sow into biodegradable pots that can be directly planted in the ground; roots are sensitive to disturbance.

Days to Emerge: 5–10 days

Seed Depth: ¼"

Seed Spacing: 2–3 seeds per mound

Row Spacing: 4'–6' apart

Thinning: Thin to 1 plant per mound

Harvesting: Harvesting at the right time is very important with melons. Fruits should be picked when fully ripe. Commercial growers harvest before melons are ripe, forcing them to ripen off the vine. This is unfortunate since the last few days of ripening on the vine put a lot of sugars into the melon; bottom line is that melons taste significantly better when vine-ripened. How do you know when melons are ripe? The best way to determine ripeness is when the rind loses the grey-green color and turns yellow-white. 'Papaya Dew' does not "slip" when ripe like some other melons; cut from vine, rather than pulling or twisting, to avoid damaging plant and fruit.