The sweet, juicy fruit of a cantaloupe is a welcome addition to any breakfast plate. The melon can be used as part of a fruit salad, or you can simply use a spoon to dig into a slice and eat your way down to the rind.

Cantaloupes can be a challenging crop to grow in the cooler climates of the north, since they require a few months of sustained heat. However, it's not impossible to get a yield of delicious melons at the end of the summer.

You'll need to wait until temperatures have heated up a bit before starting a cantaloupe crop in your garden. The gardening company Bonnie Plants recommends planting when the soil temperature is higher than 70 degrees. You can also start earlier if you a dark ground cover to heat up the ground.

If you're growing from seed instead of transplanting seedlings into the garden, you'll have a better chance of success if you start the plants indoors. The seed company Burpee recommends using biodegradable pots that can easily be transplanted, planting two or three seeds to a pot about three or four weeks before the last frost of the season.

Cantaloupes can be particular about the soil, so make sure the growing medium will support the plant. The University of Minnesota Extension says the soil should be well-drained and have a slightly acidic pH level that doesn't fall below 6.0.

Amend the soil with compost or other organic material. The Old Farmer's Almanac says raised rows are ideal, since they drain well and are better at retaining heat. Choose an area with full sunlight.

If transplanting seedlings started indoors, thin them out to the single strongest plant per pot. The University of Minnesota Extension says seeds directly planted in the garden should be planted in groups of two or three, spaced about 18 to 24 inches apart, and covered with half an inch of soil.

Seedlings will appear within a week or two of sowing. Once they are an inch or two high, thin them out so that only the strongest plant in each group remains.

Cantaloupe vines will need some room to ramble. Bonnie Plants says the plants should ideally be about 36 to 42 inches apart.

If you want to conserve space in the garden, you can train the plant to climb a trellis or wire fencing. However, this structure should be oriented toward the sun and large enough to support the vines; eight feet tall by 20 feet wide is ideal.

Cantaloupe need plenty of moisture during their initial growth. The Old Farmer's Almanac recommends that the plants receive one to two inches of water per week.

The plant may benefit from fertilizing when the vines appear. The University of Maryland Extension recommends a starter fertilizer when transplanting cantaloupe and a balanced one after the fruit begins to appear.

Vines will produce male and female flowers, and the female flowers will begin to set fruit once they are pollinated. When you spot these fruits, reduce the amount of watering to help create a sweeter product. The University of Minnesota Extension says too much water, especially as the fruit ripens, can cause the cantaloupe to split open.

Squash bugs, vine borers, aphids, and cucumber beetles can attack cantaloupe. Bonnie Plants says floating row covers can help keep pests at bay, while aphids can be treated with insecticidal soap. While pyrethrum-based insecticide can be effective in fighting beetles, it should only be applied at dusk to avoid harming bees.

The plant can also be affected by diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and leaf spot. Ensure proper air circulation to reduce the chance for these diseases, and use fungicide to treat any fungal issues.

Fruit will be fairly vulnerable while it is ripening. Bonnie Plants recommends using flower pots, mulch, or other methods to keep cantaloupes from touching the ground, where they are more likely to be damaged by rot or insects. You can also cover the fruit with boxes or other barriers to keep animals from eating the fruit.

If multiple cantaloupes are growing on a single vine, the sugars will be divided among the fruit and the crop will have a blander taste. You may want to prune the plant so each vine only supports one fruit.

Cantaloupe will offer some visual clues on when it is ready to harvest. The University of Minnesota says the background color of the fruit will change from green to yellow, and the tendrils on the stem will turn brown.

The fruit will also produce a notable musky aroma when it's ready to harvest. The Old Farmer's Almanac says a crack in the stem near the fruit is a sign that the fruit is ready to be picked. It can be removed easily if it is ripe, but will fall off on its own if it's overripe.

While cantaloupes can be refrigerated, they should be eaten soon after harvest. Burpee says the fruit will start to lose its flavor during storage.