Customer Service Hours
Mon-Fri 8-4 MST
Features
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Native
Africa, Asia, Australia, West Pacific Islands
Life Cycle
Annual
Plant Height
Vine
Further Information
Plant Characteristics
Good for Containers
Growing Conditions
Frost Sensitive
Plant Resistance
Fusarium Wilt Resistant
About Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe/Muskmelon Melon Seeds
Cucumis melo
4" round fruits with fine, dense netting and golden-yellow flesh, high sugar content, edible to the rind. 'Minnesota Midget' was developed in 1948 by the University of Minnesota at St. Paul.
Planting Melon
Days to Maturity
60–70 days
Plant Spacing
2–3 seeds per mound
Light Required
Full sun
Plant Height
Vine
Planting Depth
¼"
Coverage & Planting Details
| Coverage | This packet sows up to 17 mounds. |
|---|---|
| Row Spacing | 24"–36" apart |
| Seed Depth | ¼" |
| Seed Spacing | 2–3 seeds per mound |
| Thinning | Thin to 1 plant per mound |
| Germination | 5–10 days |
| Start Indoors | 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. |
| Direct Sow | RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 70°–90°F. |
| Growing & Harvesting | Harvesting at the right time is very important with melons. Commercial growers harvest before melons are ripe, forcing them to ripen off the vine, but, 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? These indicators: 1) The color between the surface netting is brown, not green. 2) A ripe melon will have a pleasant, fruity aroma at the blossom end. 3) A crack will form on the stem right near the point of attachment. This is called the "slip stage". Harvest when the stem end turns yellow and vines easily "slip" away when the fruit is gently twisted. If it is somewhat difficult to detach the fruit from the vine, the melon is not ready yet. Do not allow to over-ripen. |
Find Your Frost Date & Grow Zone
Average First Frost Date
October 19
Average Last Frost Date
May 19
Your Hardiness Zone is
5b
Send Your Recommendation
Total 5 star reviews: 22 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 3 Total 1 star reviews: 3
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Rating
Which best describes you as a gardener?
29 reviews
- Jasmine J.Rated 5 out of 5 stars6/6/26Fave
These were the first melons I grew and they did very very well. I really enjoyed the size and flavor. So did the little hands doing a fruit "dissection" at daycare.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests6/10/26Hey Jasmine,
What a wonderful first melon growing experience with our Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe Seeds! We love that both you and the little ones at daycare enjoyed the perfect size and flavor. The fact that they made such great subjects for fruit "dissection" activities makes us smile - getting kids excited about fresh, homegrown produce is the best! Thanks for sharing your Minnesota Midget success with us! Keep on growing 🌻️
- Angel ArringtonRated 5 out of 5 stars6/5/265 Stars
I planted these seeds in the same raised bed as my watermelon seeds and they sprouted at the same time. It took 2 days!!! 10/10
- SusanRated 5 out of 5 stars2/10/265 Stars
Great... already started indoors to go out into the greenhouse in mid march. Took 4 days to germinate.
- AKDVerified BuyerRated 1 out of 5 stars10/23/25Only three seeds sprouted
Only three seeds sprouted and none were successful enough to even attempt to fruit. I am an experienced gardener based in DC, and nothing I tried worked. I tried starting inside and outside in several rounds and with very little success. Very disappointed.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests10/29/25Hey there,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Shenell J.Rated 5 out of 5 stars3/27/255 Stars
I’ve been happy with my purchases so far since 2022.