Covering Cantaloupes at Night

We live northeast of Spokane, Washington in zone 5. When should I put the cover on my cantaloupes? It has been hot during the days, but now it is in the high 70s and cooling off at night to in the 40s.
Thank you.

By Betty G.

Answers: Covering Cantaloupes at Night

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By 09/15/2011

Your local weather forecast will tell you when there is a chance of frost. 32 degrees is the freezing point. You shouldn't have to worry about covering anything until the weather forecasts say it will be that cold. Even then it will depend on how long the temperature stays that cold.

Here in southeast SD it got down to 32 degrees about 6AM this morning, but didn't stay that cold long enough to be considered a hard freeze. Today it only got up to about 60 degrees. When did you plant them? It seems to me like they should already be harvested. Here in South Dakota, the home grown melons of any type were being sold in roadside stands and stores for more than two weeks.