The watermelon may be a tender, warm-weather annual. Watermelons along side muskmelons and cantaloupes are sometimes called summer melons. Grow watermelons within the warmest, frost-free time of the year.

Sow watermelon seed within the garden or began transplants 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring.
Start watermelon seed indoors about 6 weeks before transplanting seedlings into the garden. Start seed indoors in 4-inch or larger biodegradable peat or paper pots which will be set wholly into the garden so as to not disturb the roots.
Watermelons require 65 to 90 frost-free days to succeed in harvest.

WHERE TO PLANT WATERMELONS

• Plant watermelons fully sun.
• Watermelons grow best in loose, well-drained, but moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter.
• Add aged compost and aged manure or a billboard organic planting mix to the planting bed before planting. Turn the soil to 12 inches (30cm) deep.
• Melons prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
• Plant watermelons on hills or mounds or on raised rows. Solar heat hitting the soil on a mound or raised row will keep plants and roots warm.
• Create a mound 6 to 12 inches (15-30cm) high and 5 feet (1.5m) across.
• If planting in ground-level beds, warm the soil beforehand of planting by laying black plastic sheeting on the bed fortnight before planting.
  
  

Watermelon seed will germinate in about 10 days at 65°F (18°C), sooner in warmer soil.

WATERMELON PLANTING TIME

• Sow watermelon seed within the garden or began transplants 2 to three weeks after the last average frost date in spring.
• Garden soil temperature should be a minimum of 70°F (21°C) at planting time. Pre-warm the soil by placing black plastic sheeting over the planting bed for 2 weeks before planting.
• To get a start on the season and briefly season regions, start watermelon seed indoors about 6 weeks before transplanting seedlings into the garden; start seed in biodegradable peat or paper pots a minimum of 4 inches (10cm) in diameter which will be set wholly into the garden so as to not disturb roots.
• Watermelon seed will germinate in about 10 days at 65°F (18°C), sooner in warmer soil.
• Watermelons grow best in air temperatures starting from 70° to 90°F (21-32°C).
• Avoid growing watermelon where night temperatures dip below 50°F (10°C); this may cause the fruit to lose flavor.
• If temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C).
• for several days, flowers will drop without setting fruit.
• Watermelons require 65 to 90 frost-free days to succeed in harvest counting on the variability.
• Watermelons will tolerate no frost. In cool or short-season regions, grow smaller varieties that come to reap quickly.

Sow watermelon seed within the garden or began transplants 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring. Start watermelon seed indoors about 6 weeks before transplanting

• PLANTING AND SPACING WATERMELONS
• Sow watermelon seed 1 inch (2.5cm) deep.
• Sow 4 to six melon seeds on a mound or hill.
• Germination will occur in about 10 days when the soil is 70°F (21°C).
• Thin to 2 or 3 strong seedlings on each hill when seedlings have developed three or four true leaves. Cut the thinned seedlings at soil level with scissors so as to not disturb the roots of the remaining seedlings.
• Space mounds or hills 5 to six feet (1.5-1.8m) apart.
• Mounds can home in height from a couple of inches to quite 12 inches (30cm) tall; mounds will allow vines to run away down the slope. you’ll train vines to circle the mound.
• If you’re growing watermelon in rows space plants 4 to five feet apart (1.2-1.5m) and space rows 6 feet (1.8m) apart.
• Grow 2 watermelon plants for every household member.

Support melons growing on a trellis with netting.

GROWING WATERMELONS VERTICALLY

Watermelons are often grown up a trellis.
Use a trellis a minimum of 8 x 8 feet (2.4m) wide or wider. confirm the trellis is well-anchored.
Space plant at the bottom of the trellis 3 to 4 feet (.9-1.2m) apart.
Train vines up the trellis; secure the vines to the trellis with elastic garden tape.
Support melons growing the trellis with netting.
You can also grow watermelons on an A-frame trellis. Lean two trellises together, tie them at the highest , and anchor the bottom of every trellis.

CONTAINER GROWING WATERMELONS

• Watermelons are usually overlarge to grow during a container.
• Select a bush, dwarf- or mini-cultivar to grow during a container.
• Chose a container that’s a minimum of 18 inches wide and deep to grow one watermelon.
• In short-season regions extend the season by starting melons in containers indoors; move them outdoors when the weather has warmed but take care to not pinch or break the vines.

WATERING WATERMELONS

• Watermelons are 95 percent water. They require plentiful regular, even watering for quick growing.
• Give watermelons 1 to 2 inches (2.5.-5cm) of water hebdomadally (1 inch equals 16 gallons/60.5 liters.)
• Keep the soil moist until the fruit reaches full size then stop watering while the fruit ripens.
• Mulch to retain soil moisture. Spread straw or dried chopped leaves around watermelon plants after the soil has warmed. you’ll also lay black plastic sheeting or garden fabric across the planting bed. Cut an x-slot within the fabric to plant.
• Water at the bottom of plants with a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Wetting the foliage will leave plants vulnerable to fungal diseases like powdery or false mildew.
• Keep the soil evenly moist during flowering and fruit development. every week approximately before harvest crop on water; dry soil will help plants concentrate sugars within the fruit.
• If leaves are wilted within the morning, the plants need water. Wilting leaves at the top of the day isn’t uncommon.

FEEDING WATERMELONS

• Prepare planting beds with aged compost and aged manure or a billboard organic planting mix. Turn the soil to 12 inches (30cm) deep.
• Add several inches of aged manure across planting beds the autumn before planting.
• Side dres’s watermelons with compost or manure tea or a dilute solution of fish emulsion every 2 to three weeks during the season.
• Watermelons are often side dressed with a good organic like 10-10-10 early within the season but once flowers and fruit appear, reduce nitrogen and increase phosphorus and potassium; use a 5-10-10 fertilizer.

COMPANION PLANTS FOR WATERMELONS

• Plant watermelons with corn, radish, beans, and nasturtiums.

WATERMELON POLLINATION

• Watermelon plants produce both male and feminine flowers.
• Male flowers appear every week or two beforehand of the feminine flowers. Male flowers attract bees that are needed for pollination once female flowers appear.
• Female flowers will have alittle bulge at the stem end of the flower. This bulge is an embryonic fruit.
• Some male flowers will die and drop before female flowers set fruit.
• You can hand pollinate watermelon flowers using an artist’s brush. Rub the comb within the male flower to gather pollen then rub the comb within the center of the feminine flower to transfer the pollen.
• You can attract bees to your garden by planting flowering herbs like dill, borage, and lavender nearby.
• Watermelon on wood to soak up sun

Set the growing watermelon on a tile or wood. this may keep the melon off the bottom and help it stay warm,

CARING FOR WATERMELONS

• Encourage watermelon plants to line three or four fruits at an equivalent time; if a plant sets one fruit early, pinch it bent to encourage the plant to develop several fruits at an equivalent time. One fruit off to a start can suppress all further fruiting on the vine until that fruit matures.
• Cultivate carefully around vines until they cover the bottom and smother out competing weeds.
• Mulch around watermelons with straw, dry chopped leaves or set down black plastic or garden fabric. Mulch will keep down weeds and conserve soil moisture.
• For sprawling watermelons, place a tile, wooden shingle, or a bit of plastic under each melon to stay the fruit clean and dry and to store solar heat which can help ripen fruit.
• About 50 days before the primarily expected autumn frost, remove all new blossoms from a plant; this may allow the plant to concentrate its energy into the event and ripening of fruit already on the plant.
• More tips: the way to Grow Watermelon for the Best Flavor.
• Early within the season cover plants with a floating row cover. this may keep insects away and hold warm air around plants. Once plants begin to flower, remove the row cover during the day in order that bees can get to the flowers.

WATERMELON PESTS

• Aphids and spotted and striped cucumber beetles will attack melons.
• Hose away aphids with a blast of water or pinch out infested foliage.
• Hand-pick and destroy cucumber beetles promptly; they will transmit cucumber bacterial wilt to melons. you’ll also control cucumber beetles by spraying insecticidal soap, neem oil, or dusting with kaolin.

WATERMELON DISEASES

• Watermelons are vulnerable to anthracnose, Alternaria leaf spot, bacterial wilt, and powdery and false mildew.
• Planting disease-resistant varieties once they are available and maintaining the overall cleanliness and health of your garden will help hamper the incidence of disease.
• Do not handle the vines once they are wet; this will spread fungal diseases.
• If a plant does become infected remove it before it can spread the disease to healthy plants.
• Bacterial wilt which is spread by cucumber beetles can cause watermelon plants to suddenly wilt and die even as they start to supply fruit. Control cucumber beetles as soon as they seem.
• Anthracnose may be a soil-borne fungal disease that will cause leaf spots, leaf drop, wilting, and sometimes death. Keep the garden clean and plant disease-resistant varieties. Remove diseased plants from the garden immediately.
• Powdery mildew and other fungal diseases are often prevented and slowed by spray-misting plants with compost tea or an answer of 1-part skimmed milk and 9-parts water.
• Growing watermelon to reap

Limit water for every week beforehand of the harvest to concentrate sweetness.

HARVESTING WATERMELONS

• Watermelons are going to be ready for harvest 65 to 90 days after sowing counting on the variability.
• When watermelons are able to harvest vine tendrils will begin to show brown and die out. If the tendrils are green the melon isn’t ripe.
• A ripe watermelon will make a dull hollow sound when thumped.
• The soil-side of a watermelon will turn from white to straw when the fruit is prepared for harvest.
• Ripe melons will have a sweet aroma at the stem end.
• Limit water for every week beforehand of the harvest to concentrate sweetness.
• Watermelons on one plant will all be ready for harvest over a two-week period.
• Use a pointy knife or garden pruner to chop the watermelon far away from the vine.
• Watermelons don’t still ripen off the vine.

STORING AND PRESERVING WATERMELONS

• Watermelons will confine the refrigerator for up to every week if not cut or sliced, but sweetness and flavor may diminish.
• A cut watermelon will confine the refrigerator for about 4 days. Wrap the melon tightly in plastic to stop cold burn or dehydration.
• It takes about 12 hours to relax an outsized watermelon.
• Watermelons are often kept during a cool, moderately moist place for two to three weeks without refrigeration.
• Melon flesh are often frozen and rinds are often pickled.

ABOUT WATERMELONS

• The watermelon is a long-trailing annual plant.
• Watermelons can be solid green or striped green and white.
• Watermelons can be oval, oblong, and round.
• Fruits can weigh from 10 or 15 pounds to more than 100 pounds. Fruits are commonly 30 pounds or more.
• The watermelon has a thick, solid rind with sweet, succulent flesh that can be pink, red, yellow, orange, or grayish-white.
• Male and female flowers appear on the same vine.
• Botanical name: Citrullus vulgaris
• Origin: Tropical Africa