I have sweet and early Cantaloupe and I am wondering if I am suppose to pinch off the shoots the same way that I do the cucumbers. (nothing in the arm pits). Since they are in pots, I started them early and they already have 5 leaves and are beginning to have shoots growing in their pits. This is my first time with cantaloupe. How do you all handle your container melons?

Container melons, assuming a large proper sized container is used do fine. The mistake most make is trying to use far too small a container. But Sweet and Early isn't a container variety. It produces huge multiple foot long vines that run all over the place so can't say how well it would do in a container unless it was something like a 1/2 whiskey barrel set in a space where the vines were free to run all over around it.

Dave

It is your choice of course but while I don't think it is dumb to ask and I don't know the source of the information you have been given, I should point out and most gardeners grow their cukes vertically on some sort of trellis - myself included - rather than just let them run across the ground and develop rot.

But pruning the lateral vines sure isn't a common practice. They are naturally great climbers if left alone. It would weaken the primary vines, encourage vine breakage, stresses the plant, eliminate much of the pollination required by eliminating so much of the productive bloom area, reduce photosynthesis for the plant's energy, and reduces production.

Good luck with all your efforts.

Dave