Watermelon Varieties
Watermelons require an extensive and quick grow season , no matter of what variety you choose . register seed or seedling data carefully before purchasing , to be sure it will be possible to grow in your climate . There are many cultivar available , including seeded and seedless types . Red - fleshed watermelons let in Royal Sweet , Oasis , Sugar Baby ( a smaller melon ) , and Fiesta . Yellow - fruited watermelons admit Sunshine and Yellow Baby ( also small ) . Seedless varieties are study intemperate to grow in home garden , but you could essay Triple Sweet , King or Queen of Hearts , or Tiffany among seedless cultivar .
Findwatermelon nutritional information here .
Growing Conditions for Watermelons
Watermelons grow best in locations where there are long cheery days and warm temperatures . Daytime temperatures should be dependably in the LXX and 80s during the growing time of year , with nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 arcdegree . As far as grease acidity , they favor a pH in the 6.0 to 6.8 range for best increase , but will be fine in soils down to a 5.0 pH as well . A sandy , loamy soil rich in nutrients is the good for watermelon , to provide good drain .
Planting Watermelons
Since watermelons are so sensitive to cold , they should not be set out until all danger of icing is passed . In many sphere , this imply you must set about them indoors in the springiness in seed pots . A good time frame to do this is about four weeks before you expect to be able to put them in the ground . Plant seeds with your preferred seed - starting method acting , whether it is peat pots , peat shot , homemade composition board or newspaper mickle , or store - bought ejaculate trays of soil . ejaculate should be embed two in a grass , and slenderize out after germination . pound them into the ground about an inch down and cross with soil . If you are pop out them in the garden , they will flourish best in mound . Add fertilizer when begin seeds to help germination and other emergence .
Watermelon Care
Mulch watermelons , keeping the fruit off the ground as it produce , and helping the plants retain wet . Many gardeners and growers in colder zones use smutty charge plate around watermelons to assist warm up the soil as well as assist as mulch . They are a vining plant , so they need supports like unsloped stakes with string or wire between them . Small “ ice box ” melons can also be grown on trellis with horizontal supports . To keep weeds down , hoe shallowly and regularly around the base of the melon , being sure not to chop any etymon . Be vigilant about pull out weeds that can outcompete the attender melons .
Harvesting Watermelons
It takes some practice to know when a watermelon vine is ready for harvest home . The stem and its nearby tendrils of vine turns brownish and dries up , while the “ terra firma berth , ” or point where the melon vine rests on the stain , turn a cream or white color from its premature green or white-livered . You may hear that a watermelon vine will vocalize ripe by giving a obtuse thump when pink ; this can be an unreliable indicator , so also ascertain the Earth’s surface of the yield , which should change by reversal duller and rougher . The melon should snap off easy from the stem turn , with no tearing or cutting needed . Store find fault , uncut watermelons for up to two weeks at elbow room temperature .
Problems Growing Watermelons
watermelon vine enjoy humid , warm conditions , but these are often also double-dyed for diseases and pests to flourish . Possible pestis include cucumber beetles , aphids , and touch , while disease include fusarium wilt , anthracnose , alternaria leaf spot , and pasty stem blight . Some cultivar are resistant to sealed diseases . you could help forbid early insects by using row covers until the flora begin to bloom , and you also can apply your pick of insect powder to dissuade pests .
Want to learn more about growing watermelon?
mark out these Web sites choose by us for more information on the subject :
Clemson University Cooperative Extension has great information ongrowing watermelons .
The University of Illinois ’ Urban Extension has aguide to growing watermelon vine in your garden .
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