Did I make a mistake?

[Themacmum]

I built a 4 x 4 raised bed today to try my hand at growing a few edible things. I bought 2 cantaloupe plants and 4 bell peppers. I had read the tags that said plant x amount away and thought I would be fine with that many in that area. But now that I'm reading more about cantaloupes I think I made a mistake. Can I fix it? Does it need to be fixed?

http://imgur.com/IK4emO3 - picture of my bed and how it's set up

 

[marlingardener]

Cantaloupe can be trellised. You'll need a very sturdy trellis and tie the vines to it since cantaloupe doesn't have tendrils to attach itself. You'll also need something expandable (do you have a source of panty hose?) to put the young fruit in and tie to the trellis so the fruit doesn't fall off the vine.
A 4'x4' bed would support four mature bell pepper plants. You still have time to build another bed and move the cantaloupe!

 

[Chuck]

As marlingardener said just build a trellis for the melons and let them grow up that. You will still have plenty of room for the peppers. But where are the tomatoes? You need another bed or large containers for them. It is sacrilegious and against the law to not have tomatoes.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Or--- for your melons, plant them on the corners and move the vines to climb down off out of the area to no mans land. Or you could make shift some landing spot for them out of the planting area. When I play with growing melons, I let them run a muck in an open area.

 

[headfullofbees]

I built a 4 x 4 raised bed today to try my hand at growing a few edible things. I bought 2 cantaloupe plants and 4 bell peppers. I had read the tags that said plant x amount away and thought I would be fine with that many in that area. But now that I'm reading more about cantaloupes I think I made a mistake. Can I fix it? Does it need to be fixed?

http://imgur.com/IK4emO3 - picture of my bed and how it's set up

It needs to be fixed asap, as it's important to trellis your melons correctly.
In your photo, which direction is South?

 

[Themacmum]

As marlingardener said just build a trellis for the melons and let them grow up that. You will still have plenty of room for the peppers. But where are the tomatoes? You need another bed or large containers for them. It is sacrilegious and against the law to not have tomatoes.

No tomatoes yet. Everything I've read about growing in my area says no tomatoes in summer and we are fast approaching summer. I will plant them much later this year though!

 

[Themacmum]

Or--- for your melons, plant them on the corners and move the vines to climb down off out of the area to no mans land. Or you could make shift some landing spot for them out of the planting area. When I play with growing melons, I let them run a muck in an open area.

That's the option I was just about to ask about. Could I just let them climb out of the planter into the yard and grow there? It's tucked away in the corner of my yard that won't be bothered if it kinda runs amok.

 

[Themacmum]

It needs to be fixed asap, as it's important to trellis your melons correctly.
In your photo, which direction is South?

I was facing due north when I took the photo.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

That's the option I was just about to ask about. Could I just let them climb out of the planter into the yard and grow there? It's tucked away in the corner of my yard that won't be bothered if it kinda runs amok.

As long as you give the vines a little support that are dropping out of the box, they will be fine. Like I said, some graduated steps, even just logs to drop down on before they run a muck on the flat land outside the box. And as they grow the vines closer to the main rooting does get thicker and stronger.
Just thinking --one of those stacking pellets, angle it upward, attach it somehow, rope, just enough for the vine to grown down on.

 

[marlingardener]

Esther, a pallet for a trellis is a great idea! Easy to make stationary with two T-bar fence supports, lots of places to attach the vines, and sturdy. Brilliant!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Esther, a pallet for a trellis is a great idea! Easy to make stationary with two T-bar fence supports, lots of places to attach the vines, and sturdy. Brilliant!

and you can find them FREE.

 

[Themacmum]

Pallets I can do! I even know a great source for free.

 

[Chuck]

No tomatoes yet. Everything I've read about growing in my area says no tomatoes in summer and we are fast approaching summer. I will plant them much later this year though!

You can grow cherrys and the salad types but not the larger slicer varieties

 

[headfullofbees]

I was facing due north when I took the photo.

That's what I was hoping you would say.
Put your trellis against the Northern edge.
Move your melons so that they are both 12" from the Northern edge; one 12" from the Eastern edge, one 12" from the Western, and train both, as they grow, onto your trellis. Thus their roots will have room, they won't shade your peppers, and the fence will act as a windbreak whilst they get growing.
Your peppers: plant one in the SW corner, one in the SE, 6" in from either edge, remember the foliage can overhang the edges of the bed, but there'll be enough room for the roots.
Plant the other two peppers 18" from the Southern edge, diagonally from the other two peppers, and there should be roughly 15"-16" each between all four.

 

[Corzhens]

For beginners, I don't think your planting is that bad. I would suggest that you let it be and it will crawl anyway. When the cantaloupe vines become long then you can position it properly, away from each other. And as a suggestion in one comment here, you can add a trellis so the cantaloupe will not be touching the ground. We have cantaloupe plants here, that's actually my project which is in our backyard. There are yellow flowers already but no fruit bud yet. When a fruit appears, I would post the picture here.