How to Grow Honeydew Melon (Tembikai Susu) in Malaysia
How to grow honeydew melon in Malaysia: rain shelter, ground or trellis with slings, pruning, hand pollination, mildew, fruit cracking and when to harvest.
- Difficulty
- Harder
- Days to harvest
- 75–90 days
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
Honeydew melon (tembikai susu) can be grown in lowland Malaysia — it loves heat and sun and is usually ready about 75–90 days after sowing. But it is fussier than watermelon: melon leaves pick up mildew quickly in our humidity, and heavy rain on ripening fruit causes cracking and bland, watery flesh. That is why most local commercial melons are grown under rain shelters. At home, grow it on the ground with a thick mulch, or up a strong trellis with each fruit held in a sling. The one key tip: keep rain off the plant if you can, and keep watering even, cutting back in the last week before harvest.
Quick facts
| Item | Honeydew |
|---|---|
| Sun | Full sun, 8 hours or more |
| Sowing depth | 1.5–2 cm |
| Germination | 4–8 days |
| Spacing | On the ground 1 m between plants; on a trellis 50–60 cm |
| Days to harvest | About 75–90 days from sowing; roughly 40–50 days after pollination |
| Container | At least 40 L per plant, or plant in the ground |
| Support | Ground with mulch, or strong trellis with fruit slings |
Choosing a spot and growing method
Melons need the sunniest, airiest spot you have. Shade and still air invite mildew.
On the ground: lay a thick mulch of straw, dried grass, rice husk or plastic sheet and let the vines spread over it. Plant on a slight mound so water drains away. This method is simple but leaves and fruit are closer to wet soil, so diseases are more common in rainy months.
On a trellis (the usual method under rain shelters): build a strong frame 1.5–2 m tall. Train a single main stem up a string or pole. When each fruit reaches about tennis-ball size, hold it in a sling made of mesh bag, netting or cloth tied to the frame, so the weight does not tear the stem.
Rain shelter: a clear plastic roof over the trellis, open on the sides for airflow, makes honeydew far more reliable. A covered car porch with strong sun from one side can also work.
Containers: one plant per 40 L or larger tub or polybag, trained up a trellis. Check the weight your balcony can carry:
Soil and potting mix
Use a loose, rich, very well-drained mix:
- 2 parts sandy garden soil or potting mix
- 1 part compost
- 1 part burnt rice husk (sekam bakar) or cocopeat
Mix in a balanced granular fertilizer at the label rate. Do not plant where cucumber, watermelon or other melons grew recently.
How to sow honeydew step by step
- Sow in cups or directly. Sow one seed per deep cup, or 2 seeds per spot directly. Melons dislike root disturbance.
- Sow 1.5–2 cm deep, seed on its side, and cover.
- Keep warm and only lightly moist. Seeds rot in soggy mix. Seedlings appear in 4–8 days.
- Keep one strong seedling per spot.
- Transplant early, at 2–3 true leaves (about 10–14 days), keeping the root ball intact. Water well and shade lightly for 2 days.
Rock Melon Seeds
Sweet honeydew for sunny yards — best on a strong trellis with slings, ideally under a rain shelter.
Pruning and training on a trellis
Pruning keeps the plant airy and puts energy into one good fruit:
- Remove all side shoots from the bottom of the stem up to about the 8th–10th leaf.
- Allow side shoots from about leaves 9 to 13 to carry the female flowers. On each, keep the flower and one or two leaves beyond it, then pinch the tip.
- Remove other side shoots above that zone.
- Pinch out the main stem tip when it reaches the top of the trellis, usually at around 25 leaves.
- Keep 1 fruit per plant (2 for small-fruited types). Choose the best-shaped fruit at egg size and remove the rest.
On the ground you can prune less: keep the main vine and 2–3 side vines, and limit each plant to 2–3 fruits.
Watering in hot and rainy weather
- Water in the morning at the base, never over the leaves — wet foliage is the main route for mildew.
- Fruit swelling: steady, generous water. Do not let the soil dry out.
- Last 7 days before harvest: reduce watering to improve sweetness.
- Rainy weather: cracking happens when a nearly ripe fruit suddenly takes in a lot of water after heavy rain. Keep moisture as even as possible, mulch well, drain the ground, and use a rain shelter in the final weeks. Time sowing so that harvest falls in a drier spell — the calendar avoids the wettest months.
Feeding
- At planting: compost plus balanced granular fertilizer.
- Vine growth: balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks at the label rate.
- From fruit set: switch to a formula with more potassium (K) than nitrogen (N) for size and sweetness, and keep a steady supply of calcium (even watering helps uptake).
Flowering and hand pollination
Honeydew has male flowers (on thin stalks, usually first and more numerous) and female flowers with a tiny round fruit behind the petals. Bees do the work in open gardens, but under shelters, on high-rise balconies or after rain, hand pollination is much more reliable.
- Pollinate in the morning, 7–10 am, on freshly opened flowers.
- Pick a male flower, remove its petals and dab the pollen onto the centre of the female flower.
- Pollinate several female flowers on the chosen side shoots on the same day, then keep the best fruit.
- Label the date — honeydew is usually ready about 40–50 days later, depending on variety.
Common pests and diseases in Malaysia
- Downy mildew. Yellow, angular patches on top of leaves with grey-purple fuzz underneath. The most common problem in wet weather. Keep leaves dry, prune for airflow, remove affected leaves early and use a rain shelter.
- Powdery mildew. White powdery spots on leaves. Remove badly affected leaves and improve airflow; neem oil sprays in the evening can help slow it.
- Gummy stem blight. Cracked, oozing lesions on stems near the base. Keep the base dry and avoid wounding stems.
- Fruit flies. Wrap young fruits in paper or mesh bags after fruit set.
- Red pumpkin beetle, aphids, thrips and whiteflies. Hand-pick beetles in the morning; spray neem oil for sap-suckers and remove virus-affected plants.
- Fruit rot on the ground. Keep fruits on dry mulch or a tile.
More organic options:
Harvesting
Honeydew does not slip off the vine like rock melon, so look for these signs together:
- The skin changes from green-white to creamy white or pale yellow, often with a slightly waxy or sticky feel.
- The blossom end (opposite the stem) gives slightly when pressed.
- A sweet melon smell near the blossom end.
- About 40–50 days have passed since pollination.
Cut the stem with shears. Honeydew can sit at room temperature for a few days to soften slightly before chilling.
FAQ
Is honeydew harder than watermelon? Yes, mainly because of mildew and cracking in our rain. A rain shelter makes the biggest difference.
Why did my young melons drop off? They were not pollinated, or the plant was stressed. Hand-pollinate in the morning and keep watering even.
Can I grow honeydew in a pot on a balcony? Yes, in a 40 L or larger container on a strong trellis with slings, in full sun. Keep one fruit per plant.
Why is my honeydew not sweet? Too much water or rain near harvest, too little sun, too many fruits, or picking too early.