Growing your own food at home is an exciting process. You can watch your crops grow from seedling to fruit, producing a ton of healthy, organically grown food for months to come. Some crops, like melons, require a little more support to grow comfortably and to reach peak ripeness.
One home gardener, Niki Mumey (@thenikimumey), shared a TikTok video teaching other home gardeners a DIY hack she uses to make her own melon cradles for her garden.
@thenikimumey So many great ideas come from the tik tok community! Follow us on our gardening Journey!! ❤️ #garden #gardenhack ♬ original sound - Niki Mumey 💕
The scoop
All you need is a pair of stretchy tights and a pair of scissors. Cut the tights in half so you have two melon cradles. In the middle of each of the legs, cut a little slit on the top layer and extend the cut so it creates an opening big enough to put your melon through.
To assemble the cradle, tie one end of the tights to a sturdy support, like a melon cage or a garden fence. Slip your melon into the slit opening and grab the other end of the tights to tie to the melon cage or garden fence, creating a DIY melon hammock.
Mumey suggests tying the second end high enough so that the melon doesn't keep falling down due to its growing weight.
How it's helping
Melons grow on hearty vines that like to climb up structures — whether that be a trellis or a melon cage. These vines support the weight of the growing melons until they reach peak ripeness. However, when the melons get too heavy for the vines, they pull on and can detach from the vines prematurely, producing spoiled fruit when they fall to the ground.
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Young, small cantaloupe melons, for example, can weigh only a few pounds in their early growth stage, while mature melons can weigh up to about eight pounds, depending on the variety.
Melon hammocks provide extra support for growing melons, allowing them to reach full maturity before they become victims of gravity. These cradles also help keep melons off the ground, avoiding excess ground moisture, which can lead to melon rot and disease.
Mumey's DIY melon cradle shows that you can find garden solutions from common household items, costing you next to nothing to support your growing crops.
Gardening is a great way to boost one's mental health while providing healthy and organic food for your family.
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Not enough time ⏳ You can also reduce weekly trips to the grocery store, which often sell mass-produced produce that may be grown with pesticides. When you grow your own food at home, you know exactly what went into growing your food, ensuring your food is healthy and chemical-free.
What everyone's saying
Many gardeners were pleased to learn this hack, excited to try it out on the melons in their home gardens.
"Great idea! Gonna try it," one commenter said.
"That's genius," another user commented.
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