Hearts of Gold Rockmelon

Cucumis melo var. reticulatus

Also known as: Hearts of Gold Muskmelon, Improved Hoodoo


A classic American heirloom rockmelon with round-to-slightly-oval fruit around 1.5–2kg, wrapped in the heavy grey-tan netting of a proper muskmelon. Cut open, the flesh is a deep salmon-orange, thick to the small central cavity, and full of the sweet, aromatic perfume that gave the muskmelon its name. Vigorous, generous, and one of the most beloved home-garden melons of the twentieth century — still hard to beat for flavour a hundred years on. Sprawling to semi-trailing vine — needs room but less than a watermelon.

Days to harvest 85–95 days from transplant
Fruit size Round to slightly oval fruit, 1.5–2kg
Sowing depth 2cm
Germination 6–10 days at soil temperature 21–30°C
Spacing 60–90cm between plants, rows 1.5m apart
Aspect Full sun; deep, well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost at both ends of the season — sow after last frost, harvest before first frost

Growing notes

A warm, sunny position with well-drained soil suits it best. Rockmelons want heat, room, and steady moisture through fruit set, and reward being watched closely at harvest — a day or two either side of ripeness makes the difference between a good melon and a great one.

Soil preparation: Deeply worked beds with generous well-rotted compost and aged manure. Melons are heavy feeders — build the bed before sowing and top-dress as the vine takes off.

Sowing method: Sow 2–3 seeds per station 60–90cm apart, either direct into warm soil or into large pots for transplant, then thin to the strongest seedling per station.

Support: Usually left to trail along the ground with fruit resting on straw to keep the underside clean. Can be trellised for cleaner harvest, with slings supporting the ripening fruit.

Containers: Suits a large pot of 40L or more with a sturdy trellis and fruit slings. Keep water and feed consistent, as pots dry out faster than beds and melons are thirsty croppers through fruit set.

Watering & feeding: Deep, consistent watering at the base through vine growth and fruit set. Overhead watering invites mildew. Ease off water as fruit approaches ripeness — a drier finish concentrates sugars and lifts flavour. Side-dress with well-rotted manure or a balanced liquid feed once flowering starts.

Harvest: Rockmelons ripen best on the vine and give a clear signal when they're ready — the stem develops a fracture ring where it meets the fruit and the melon separates from the vine with only the gentlest tug. This "full slip" stage is when flavour and aroma peak. The netting will have deepened to a warm grey-tan and the whole fruit will carry the muskmelon perfume.

Timing: First ripe fruit around 85–95 days from transplant.

Key features

  • Deep salmon-orange flesh with a small seed cavity
  • Rich, aromatic old-fashioned muskmelon flavour
  • Heavily netted grey-tan rind
  • Reliable, generous cropper on a manageable vine
  • Well-adapted to home gardens in a warm summer
  • A century-old heirloom still in wide cultivation

Short season tips


Sow indoors in seedling pots 3–4 weeks before your last frost and transplant carefully — melons resent root disturbance, so use larger pots and minimise handling. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, plant out from mid-November once soil is reliably warm. Black weed mat under the vine warms the soil and buys extra ripening days at the tail end of the season. Aromatic flavour depends on a warm finish — a cool, wet late summer can leave fruit ripe but underwhelming.

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

Annual

  • Corn, bush beans, radish, nasturtium, marigold, oregano
  • Potatoes, other Cucumis melo varieties within cross-pollination distance if saving seed

Developed by Roland Morrill of Benton Harbor, Michigan in the 1890s and introduced to the American seed trade in 1914 — quickly becoming one of the standard home-garden muskmelons and holding that place through most of the twentieth century. Now well over a century old and still valued for the same qualities that made it famous: deep colour, small seed cavity, and the kind of perfumed, sweet flavour that reminds gardeners why muskmelons were named for their scent.