I don't have any answers for you but I searched for this melon and found that someone here had "a ton of these to trade" in 2005. You could search for that thread and email the poster with your questions. They should know a lot about how it grows if not about the container or climate questions. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Member with experience

Thanks a lot! I did see that post, but hadn't thought of emailing the poster. I now have, so we'll see what they say. I also emailed Baker's Creek, where I got the seeds, and they replied with these specs...

Height:
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Spacing:
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun

Âas well as the advice that they probably wouldn't work in containers. Does that seem accurate? Perhaps so, if they really need at least three feet of spacing.

So perhaps I can turn this into a more general question -- does anyone have any recommendations for melon varieties that *can* be grown in containers? And any good advice on how to do so?

Thanks again,
Molly

I've grown the cantaloupe 'Minnesota Midget' in an EarthBox and it worked wonderfully. The melons don't need to be supported ... until it nears harvest otherwise they will just fall to the ground once the stem starts to slip. I've also grown Queen Anne's Pocket (though not in a container) and it is a compact plant with small fruit. I see no reason to not grow it in a pot, I am sure it would be fine. Though you will want to use a trellis whenever you grow a vine in a pot.

Hey, thanks for the encouragement! The information from Baker's Creek did make it sound compact, but also like it needed a lot of room... for roots, I guess.

Did you have a good experience growing it? Is it as fragrant as the descriptions would have one believe? If I'm going through the trouble of growing a non-edible melon, I want it to at least be worthwhile for the scent! ;)

They are fragrant and definitely worth a try. But I would compare the smell to a ripe cantaloupe, not in terms of fragrance but in terms of pungency. Like you can't walk outside and smell the ripe melons but if you put it close to your nose you will smell it. Both times I grew it the plants were really miniscule, like they covered maybe 4 square feet but still had ~4ish melons per plant. They were so small I just kind of forgot about them, which certainly didn't help them grow larger. I suspect you will have better results in a pot as that seems to be the way it always goes. I also think I planted them later than I should have in a kind of 'oh here is a bare spot let me put something there' move. It is a melon though and once they are ripe they don't last long. I think it is more of a novelty kind of plant where you just do it one year to say you have.

Haha, great, that sounds pretty reasonable.
Thanks again!

I grew this pocket melon last season in Virginia. It is certainly edible. A bit like bland honeydew, but still fresh and good tasting. The fragrance was like an entire farmer's market in one little ball! Got my seed from Baker Creek. They also have a melon called Tigger which is red and yellow striped, fragrant and a bit better eating quality. I plan to container both varieties on my balcony this season. They are both lovely and compact plants. Hand pollinate if you do not have lots of bees in your neiborhood.