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
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Rating
Which best describes you as a gardener?
38 reviews
- Sharyn G.Verified BuyerRated 1 out of 5 stars9/11/26Not good for hot south sunny garden.
Would be better planted in area without extreme heat.
Which best describes you as a gardener? ExpertBIBotanical Interests9/20/26Hey Sharyn,
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 🌻️
- Roman P.Verified BuyerRated 1 out of 5 stars9/8/26Minnesota Midget
Very poor germination. Only three plants came up. I planted nine. And I replanted those six a second time. So, twelve failures against three successes. A very poor ratio.
Which best describes you as a gardener? ExpertBIBotanical Interests9/16/26Hey Roman
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 🌻️
- Peggy M.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars8/20/26Happy Camper
We have baby cantaloupes......Yea. They are so cute and growing every day. I am anxious to try these baby cantaloupe's.
Which best describes you as a gardener? ExpertBIBotanical Interests8/22/26Hey Peggy,
We're so stoked to hear that your Minnesota Midget Cantaloupes are growing and you've got those adorable baby melons forming! It's awesome that you're watching them develop day by day. We can't wait to hear how they taste once they're ready to harvest. Thanks so much for being part of the growing community! Keep on growing 🌻
- Terri M.WI, United StatesVerified BuyerRated 2 out of 5 stars8/15/26Disappointing
I understood this melon to be small but prolific. I have exactly one. I have not grown cantaloupe before so I don't know how long it takes to ripen but it is taking a long time.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateWho do you grow for? YourselfHow do you prefer to grow? Raised BedBIBotanical Interests8/18/26Hey Terri,
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 🌻️
- BeckyVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars7/30/26Great for GreenStalks!
This is my first year to try cantaloupes and I must say they are doing great so far in my GreenStalk planter. I have several melons growing on each plant and the bumblebees love pollenating it! Two melons have fallen off the vine and are much smaller than they should be but sweet like they say to the rind! Will plant again!
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests7/31/26Hey Becky,
We're so happy to hear about your incredible experience with the Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe Seeds! What an awesome first year growing cantaloupes in your GreenStalk planter - that's such a cool setup! We love that you've got several melons growing on each plant and that the bumblebees are doing their thing pollinating away. And how sweet is it that those smaller melons that fell off the vine are still delivering on that delicious, sweet flavor all the way to the rind? That's exactly what we love to hear! Thanks for sharing your Minnesota Midget growing success with us and for being willing to plant them again! Keep on growing 🌻