How To Grow Watermelons
How to Grow Watermelons
There are many advantages to growing your own watermelons. You as the grower get to decide the variety you want to grow. If you are looking to grow a large 60 plus pound watermelon, you can. If you want to grow a disease resistant heirloom with a great taste you can. Maybe you would like to grow a small, extra sweet variety, well you are the grower so you get to choose. Have you ever scene a yellow or orange flesh watermelon? Not in the stores most likely but they do exist and if you would like you can grow some in your garden. You can also choose what you use for insect and disease control, you may wish to take a more natural approach than what is commonly used on watermelons you purchase. You will also get to decide the time when you plant your watermelons, which will determine when you harvest. You may opt to plant early and harvest in mid – June or plant later and harvest in September, this is of course is limited only by your regions growing season.
Within about three months of watering, fertilizing and taking care of your watermelons, you?ll be able to harvest and enjoy them.
Here are the basic steps of watermelon growing.
1.)Decide what type of watermelon you want to grow. You can choose varieties that produce fruit 5 lbs or as much as 200 lbs. In general the larger the fruit, the longer it will take the vine to produce from seed to harvest. Smaller varieties producing fruit 10 lbs or less can harvest in as little as 70 days. Larger fruit varieties will usually harvest in 90 or more days. For purchasing your seeds, there are many reputable seed companies with great watermelon seed selections, you can find online or in garden centers and shops. Seed companies can also provide you with information about how many fruits you can expect per plant for the variety you are choosing to grow.
2.)Add plenty of compost (without walnut tree leaves included) and organic matter to the soil that you will grow in. The soil should drain well and have a balanced pH in the 6 to 8 range.
3.)Grow in the sunniest place you can. Watermelons thrive in full sun and heat. Typically warmer climates with a longer growing season (time between the last and first frost of the season) fare very well in producing watermelons. Climates where the growing season is much shorter can still produce a great watermelon crop, but planting time should be chosen carefully to avoid frosts. Frost of any kind will kill watermelon plants and ruin fruit.
4.)Plant in soil after the last frost in your area. You may directly sow your seeds or plant indoors in small pots to transplant later. When starting seeds, add water to the seed planting then cover with soil. In clayey soils, which are prone to drying out in the sun if you cover your seed with soil then add water, the soil will harden and require you to water constantly to keep the soil moist allowing for germination. A minimum temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit is needed for germination to occur, but avoid temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit as seedlings could burn up. If transplanting, take care to avoid damaging roots and use plenty of water.
5.)Watermelons are vining crops and need plenty of space to grow in. Hills which contain smaller sized fruit vines (10 lbs and less) will probably get by with 80 square feet, but for hills with larger fruit vines (15 lbs and more) it is best to allow 110 or more square feet. Hills should not contain more than 3 plants. Ultimately, the more space you allow for the plants the better.
6.)Watermelon plants should be fed with a fertilizer balanced in Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash. Read all fertilizer application recommendations to avoid over feeding the plant. Minimizing fertilizer applications high in nitrogen during pollination time will encourage fruit setting. After the watermelon fruit sets have occurred resume regular fertilizer applications.
7.)Plan to water your plants often, they are over 80% water and so to produce a large full yield, lots of water is needed. Try to avoid getting plant leaves wet as heat and humidity can provide a breeding ground for bacteria to live and introduce disease to your plants.
8.)Apply one or more good fungicides throughout the season to minimize disease in your plants. Maintaining plant health early in the season will greatly improve your chances of having a full, disease free harvest. Once disease has developed, it can be very difficult to stop it from killing your plants and destroying your harvest. The old adage here is true, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? Fungicides which are copper or sulfur based are a good natural choice.
9.)Use multiple means to control insect pests. This is called integrated pest management. Bugs are difficult to control but using several effective methods is the best way to ensure your crop is protected. The two biggest insect pests for watermelons are cucumber beetles and squash bugs. These insects not only take nutrients from the plant, but also can carry disease and introduce it as they are feeding on plants and fruit. Applications of Neem oil, Garlic Barrier, and Diatomaceous Earth are natural pesticides that should provide good control. Always read and follow pesticide handling instructions. Hand picking of and crushing these insects is also quite effective. In the Sources section below, take a look at, ?Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Insect Pests? so you can correctly identify these pests.
10.)Harvesting your watermelons. This part of the growing process can be somewhat tricky for most people. You want to avoid pulling your watermelons too early and too late. If you harvest too early, your watermelon will not be fully ripened and watermelons cannot ripen once off the vine. If your pick too late, your melon will become overly ripe and lack the fresh, juicy taste. To properly recognize this window it?s necessary to ensure your melon plant has grown the full number of days to harvest listed on the seed packet. One indicator that your watermelon has fully ripened is that its stem and tendrils around the vine will begin to dry up and turn brown. Also the underside of the melon will begin to turn a pale yellow or an off white color. The watermelon skin should not be soft but fully hardened, if you press it, it should not flex. Thumping or tapping the melon is somewhat less accurate, but often if you hear a hollow thud sound then your melon is ready.
Have a great season growing and harvesting your watermelons this year.
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Sources:
Watch Your Garden Grow, University of Illinois Extension
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/watermelon1.html
How to Grow Watermelon, The Gardener?s Network
http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/watermel.htm
Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Insect Pests, Clemson Cooperative Ext.
Randall P. Griffin, Ext. Entomologist, Rev. by Joey Williamson, Horticulture Ext. Agent
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2207.html
Written by NCfriend
Engineer, Horticulturalist, Writer
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