How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac OS

How to use Dark Mode on your Mac Dark Mode makes it easier to stay focused on your work, because your content stands out while darkened controls and windows recede into the background. Dark Mode is a dramatic new look that's easy on your eyes and helps you focus on your work. Dummies transforms the hard-to-understand into easy-to-use to enable learners at every level to fuel their pursuit of professional and personal advancement. Sow your watermelon seeds or plant the seedlings in the prepared holes. Water the plants via the drip irrigation once or twice weekly to supply 1 to 2 inches of water per seven day period. Plant watermelon seeds directly in warm soil Watermelon does best when directly sown once soil temperatures reach 70℉. Plant outside 2-3 weeks after your last frost date. Sow 3-4 seeds 1 inch deep, 4-5 feet apart. Lay a drip irrigation hose down each planting row of the watermelon row. If your hose uses emitters, space the emitters so they water the soil at 2-foot intervals. Space the hoses in rows 4 to 6.

How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac Os X
How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac Os X
How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac Os Download

Arizona has long been considered one of the top producing states for watermelon. It’s believed that watermelon originated from the African deserts, so one would think it’s well adapted to a hot, dry climate like Arizona.

For several years, my attempts at growing this wonderful summer fruit failed time and time again. After a few years, my favorite fruit, became my nemesis plant to grow. I kept tinkering with different methods, until I ultimately became successful growing them. Let’s take a look at what works and what doesn’t.

A Proven Winner

First off, there are several common varieties thatreportedly do well in Arizona like Sugar Baby, Congo, Crimson Sweet, andCharleston Gray. I have seen some ofthese varieties do well for others, but they didn’t for me. I tried other varieties with minimal success,until I struck gold with the Desert King Watermelon. With a name like Desert King, it had to be awinner for hot, dry climates. It livesup to the name.

This heirloom varietyhas been an amazing producer and has been my go to variety year afteryear. If you’re new to growingwatermelon in a hot, dry climate start here. I continue to tinker around with other varieties, but I always make sureto grow a crop of Desert King.

Desert King is an orange fleshed variety, but still contains that classic sweet, crisp, watermelon taste. The outer rind is a pale green almost cream colored. Due to the color, it seems to take our scorching desert sun very well. This variety is extremely drought tolerant and wants to produce melons all year long. The fruits are good size ranging from 20-25 pounds. It handles our soil conditions well.

What Not to Do When Growing Watermelon

As I’ve previously mentioned, through the many failed attempts I’ve had trying to grow watermelon, I learned a lot of things along the way. I’ll start with things that should be avoided if you want to ensure a bountiful crop.

Buying Cheap Seeds

Avoid buying poor quality seeds from the big box type stores. In my early days, I went with these types of seeds, and suffered because of it. There are many great places to order heirloom, organic, disease resistant seeds online. I have no affiliation, but am a huge fan of Baker Creek for purchasing seeds. You can save heirloom seeds for future planting. Exchanging seeds with other local gardeners is another great option.

Transplanting

Transplanting is doable, but watermelon plants do best whenseeds are directly sown in the ground or raised bed. Some plants are great to get a head startindoors and plant out when the climate is right, but melons aren’t one ofthose. For whatever reason, when youdisturb the roots it can really stunt the growth process. In hot climates, the growing season isgenerally long enough that you don’t need to worry about starting them indoors.

Planting too Early

In Phoenix, Arizona, since we lack humidity, we tend to havemajor temperature fluxuations from night to day. Temperatures can change 30 to even 40degrees, especially in the cooler times of the year. It’s tempting to try toplant early when the daytime temps start feeling warmer in early February, butthose colder nights will cause the plant to grow extremely slow. I tend to start planting in March as thenight time temps start warming a bit.

Overwatering

Surprisingly, watermelon plants can be fairly drought tolerant. Since a watermelon is made up of mostly water, it’s easy to think that it would need frequent watering. I’m not saying a watermelon doesn’t need or like water, it’s just better to give it a long deep soak, versus short duration’s every day. A lot of new gardeners in our desert have a difficult time figuring out proper watering techniques.

Planting in a Small Space

Watermelon plants are space hogs. I dedicate one of my entire raised beds to this plant and it still ends up growing well outside the box. This can be a great plant to just let roam in a corner section of the yard or even train to trellis. Growing some of the icebox or smaller size watermelons is more ideal if trellising. Even then you may have to utilize something to secure the watermelons from dropping.

RELATED POST: Smart Strategies to Maximize your Garden Space

Tips for Getting Great Results Growing Watermelon

Over time, I was able to identify some keys for growingwatermelon in my harsh climate. Followingsome proven methods will help increase your probability for success whenattempting to grow watermelon. Here aresome things that have given me consistent results growing in the Arizonadesert.

Feeding

Watermelons are hungry plants. I start by making a large mound of my rabbit manure compost and directly sow the seeds in the mound. This provides a slow steady dose of nutrients throughout the season. I may periodically fertilize with liquid fish emulsion and seaweed, check these out at my recommended products page by clicking here.

It’s extremely important to utilize things like manure or high quality compost for favorable outcomes. Watermelon typically like more Nitrogen when the plant is initially growing then begin utilizing higher Phosphorous and Potassium when flowering. I use this 0-10-10 Fish emulsion during flowering, click here for current pricing. The soil makes all the difference.

RELATED POST: Should I Use Manure for Fruit Trees

Disease Resistance

How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac Os X

Planting disease resistant plants can increase theprobability of success. There are somecommon diseases that affect watermelon plants like mildew, but are lessprevalent when the air remains dry. It’sstill a good idea to get disease resistant seeds.

Water Properly

As previously discussed watering properly is going to help the plant thrive. Using a drip or the hose on a slow drip is very effective. Watering with a spray or getting the leaves frequently wet is when the plant becomes more susceptible to diseases. It’s a good idea to cut back on watering when the melons are close to ripening to allow the fruit to produce the maximum amount of sugar content. A layer of mulch can help keep the soil moist.

Keep it Healthy

Watermelons can be adversely affected by pests like aphids,whiteflies, cucumber beetles, and squash bugs. I’ve found that the healthier the plant, the more it’s able to find offpests. Creating the optimal growingconditions will allow the plant to be strong.

Harvest at the Right Time

It can be a bit of an art form when it comes to harvestingwatermelon. One thing to look for is thecurly tendril growing near the stem. Ifthis has turned brown and dried up, it’s a good indication that the watermelonis ready. Also take a look at theoverall appearance of the watermelon. Ifthe underside where the melon has been resting is a rich creamy color and theoverall appearance of the melon has good color it’s time to harvest.

Final Thoughts

A watermelon plant doesn’t have to be your nemesis, like it was for me. There’s nothing better the enjoying a magnificent watermelon on a hot summer day. Watermelons are made for hot, dry climates. With a basic understanding and following these tips, it can be an easy plant to grow, and you’ll be on your way to harvesting a bountiful crop.

Please comment below on anything that you’ve enjoyed from this post or your experiences growing watermelon in hot, dry climates.

WHEN TO PLANT

A long growing season (at least 3 months of warm weather) is needed to mature and develop sweet watermelons.
In short summer areas, a warm indoor start to growing your watermelons can count towards the long-season requirements.
If you live in the North, starting and growing your watermelon seeds indoors 2-4 weeks before your last frost date will allow you to take advantage of any warm, sunny days outdoors and still be able to bring them in at night or on cooler days.
Planting and growing watermelons too early will cause the plants to develop tendrils or more than four leaves which may cause your plants to have difficulty setting roots once they are transplanted to the garden.
In the warmer southern climates, watermelon seeds can be planted in the garden once soil temperatures have reached a steady 75-80°F.

WHERE TO PLANT

The key to growing a successful watermelon crop is to provide as many sunny, warm days as possible for the growing plants and protect them from cold temperatures. The more warmth the vines receive, the more fruit your plants will produce in the summer
Watermelons require full sun and plenty of heat.
Give your watermelons the sunniest spot available with good air circulation. This will help the plants dry out quickly after a rain to prevent diseases.

PREPARING THE SOIL

Watermelons prefer well-drained, sandy loam soils with a pH level between 6.0 and 6.5.
Soils with a pH less than 6.0 will produce plants with yellowed foliage and fewer perfect flowers.
Good drainage is critical for preventing disease in your melon plants. If your soil doesn’t drain water well, mix a generous amount of organic matter into the soil before planting.
We recommend mounding your soil into hills. Raised hills improve drainage and help keep the soil temperatures up.
If you water with soaker hoses, mounding up a row (rather than hills) will make watering easier.
Mix in a shovel full of well-aged manure where you’re planning each hill. This is especially important if a spring crop has already been planted in this area and taken nutrients from the soil.
Mound your manure-amended soil into hills about 12” tall and 2’-3’ wide.
Space each hill 4’-6’ apart, depending on how much space your variety needs.
Adding 2-3” of aged manure or compost before planting will give your melons a nutrient boost and improve your soil’s structure.
Although I’m not much of a fan of plastic, it’s almost a necessity when growing watermelons shorter growing season climates. This is something you will need to decide for yourself. Watermelons build up sugar and develop sweetness in their final days of growth so providing the necessary warmth is critical for a growing a good watermelon crop.
Covering your planting area with plastic a couple weeks before transplanting will warm the soil more quickly. Depending on the weather, this can allow you to transplant your seedlings outdoors up to 7 to 10 days earlier than without the use of plastic.
If plastic is left throughout the growing season, it will reduce ground rot in your fruit (fruits rotting from sitting on soil).
Clear plastic mulch will heat the soil up 4-5 degrees warmer but black plastic will prevent weed growth.
Ventilation holes must be made in your plastic mulch to allow oxygen into the soil. If your plastic doesn’t have pre-made ventilation holes and it is still on the roll, you can use a ¾” drill and drill your own ventilation holes through the layers at an 8”x8” spacing.

How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac Os X

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SEEDS

When choosing a watermelon variety, consider how much space the plant requires to spread out. If you have a limited growing area, choose a bush type that is more compact. Some heirloom or more vigorous varieties can take up 100 square feet per plant and only produce 2-3 fruits.

SEEDS AND GERMINATION

Watermelon seeds germinate optimally between 70-90°F. At these temperatures, seeds will germinate within 5-10 days.
At temperatures below 60°F, germination will not occur.

STARTING YOUR WATERMELONS INDOORS

Watermelons don’t survive frost or maintain proper growth at temperatures below 60°F.
In areas with short summers, seeds must be started inside and later transplanted outdoors; be extremely careful not to disturb the roots. Watermelon plants do not thrive well if their roots are disturbed, even when young seedlings.
Plant your seeds in loose potting soil (not seed germinating mix as it contains no nutrients for the developing seedling).
Plant 2 seeds ½” deep per 4” individual pot (I plant 2 seeds in case one seed does not germinate, and as the seeds get older I might add 1 or 2 more just to be sure I get one good plant).
Watermelon seeds remain usable for 5 years after your initial purchase.
Keep planted seeds in a warm, sunny area (such as a south-facing window) where soil temperatures maintain between 70-95°F.
Use bottom heat if necessary to maintain around 75°F soil temperature
Once your seedlings are 2” tall, thin each pot to the one strongest plant by cutting the other seedlings off at soil level.

TRANSPLANTING TO OUTDOORS

Starting your seeds indoors can extend your melon growing season 2 to 4 weeks but melons are particularly sensitive to transplanting. If the roots are disturbed, your plants growth will be stunted.
Vines may not set fruit if they’re chilled when seedlings, so be sure the soil temperatures remain steady at all times and the garden soil has warmed to 70-80°F before transplanting outside.
Planting in cooler soil will also increase the chance of soil-borne root diseases developing.
To prevent disturbing the roots, use peat pots or other bio-degradable planting pots instead of plastic seedling pots. Peat pots will decompose quickly and allow you to plant the pot directly in the garden bed when you transplant the seedlings.
Carefully tear or cut out the bottom of the peat pot before planting in the ground to allow the roots to spread more quickly. Be very careful not to cut the roots.
If the roots are too dense (root bound) at the bottom, don’t cut the bottom out as you may damage the roots.
Transplants should have 2-3 mature leaves and a well-developed root system when they are moved into the garden. Planting seedlings that have developed 4 or more leaves may have difficulty setting roots once transplanted to the garden.
If you covered your soil with plastic to help bring up the soil temperature, you can remove the plastic before planting or leave the plastic down to continue locking in the heat. Cut slits in the plastic every 4 to 6 feet and plant seedlings through the slits.
If you choose to leave the plastic down, be sure to anchor it well. Plastic that is not anchored well can blow off during a windy day, breaking your plants in the process.
If growing watermelon in rows, space seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart within the row. Space rows 5 to 6 feet apart.
In shorter season areas, only plant one plant per hill so it will not compete for nutrients with other vines. In warmer climates, 2-3 plants can be planted per hill.
Jenny’s Tip: We began using a liquid organic leaf spray this past year called Organic Garden Miracle™. It naturally stimulates your watermelon plants to produce more plant sugar, which is the basis for the size/strength of the plant, the number of fruits produced, and the sweetness and flavor of your melons. We have been very impressed with this product!

COVER CROPS

To protect your young plants from wind damage, which can retard growth and reduce the amount of fruit the vine will set, place hot caps, plastic tunnels, or a row cover over the plants the first 2-3 weeks until the plants have a chance to better establish themselves.
The use of one of these coverings will also protect your plants from cooler air temperatures and early insect pests.
Remove the covering within 2-3 weeks to avoid high temperature plant injury and to allow bees and other pollinators easy access to the flowers.

DIRECT PLANTING (Planting seed directly into garden bed)

Follow the above instructions for preparing your soil and forming hills. Once your hills are formed and amended with well-aged manure or compost, plant the seeds ½” – 1” deep, sowing six seeds per hill.
When your watermelon plants have reached 2” tall, thin seedlings to 2-3 plants per hill by leaving the healthiest and most vigorous seedlings and cutting the remaining plants off at soil level.
If planting in rows, plant 2 to 3 seeds together (a couple inches apart) every 18 to 24 inches within the row.
Don’t pull weeds up by hand. Hand-pulling could disturb the root systems of the other plants and pull them out of the soil.

MULCH

How To Grow A Watermelon From The Ground Mac Os Download

Applying 2-3” of mulch around the plant will conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth.
Organic mulches like wood chips or straw can also be used when growing watermelons, but do not apply organic mulches until soils are warmer than 75ºF.
Applying organic mulches too early keeps the soil cool, resulting in slow growth and shallow rooting.

WEEDING

The roots of melons grow close to the surface of the soil, so it’s important not to cultivate too deeply or too close to the plants. Cultivate just deeply enough to cut the weeds off below the surface of the soil.
Continue cultivating until the vines begin to spread between the rows; then pull large weeds by hand.

WATERING

Regular deep-watering is especially crucial during the first 3 to 4 weeks that watermelon vines are growing in your garden.
Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are the best way to give watermelons a steady supply of moisture.
Water deeply and infrequently (1-2 times per week); provide a total of 1-2 inches of water per week.
Cut back on the water once the plants have started to set fruit; over watering will dilute the melon’s sugars, causing it to be less flavorful and lose sweetness. Too much water could also stress the plant and cause less fruit to develop.
There is very little benefit in a light watering that just dampens the soil’s surface. Deep, infrequent, but consistent watering is extremely important especially in the last 2 weeks of growth.
Excessive watering at this stage can cause the fruit to split.

COMPANION PLANTING AND ROTATION CONSIDERATIONS

Watermelon doesn’t allow much room for companions, and does best when it can sprawl out freely without competing for nutrients with other plants.
You can try planting Marigolds or Nasturtiums in the area which deter beetles, or Oregano which provides general pest protection but it is likely the vines will smother them if planted too close. They need to be in their own pot or raised bed, out of the reach of the encroaching vines.
Because watermelons are in a different class than muskmelons (cantaloupe) and both require the same care, they’re good companions. Watermelons and muskmelons share the same nutrient requirements and have the same watering needs; and because they are in a different class, their seeds won’t cross-pollinate.

WHEN TO HARVEST

Ripe watermelon doesn’t slip from the vine when it is ripe, so it takes a little more know-how to tell when a watermelon is ready to pick.
Use this combination of indicators to check for ripeness:
a. tendrils near the fruit stem have become brown and dry;
b. the fruit surface is rough to the touch and the fruit color is dull;
c. the bottom of the watermelon (where it lies on the soil) has changed from a light green to a yellowish color;
d. look for black sap spots. These are caused by bees extracting the juice from the melon. If there are several beads of hard black sugars, you know you’ve got a sweet melon.

PREVENTATIVE AND NATURAL SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PEST AND PROBLEMS

The use of row covers will help prevent infestations of most pests (see Row Covers, Hot Caps, & Plastic Tunnels)

Striped and Spotted Cucumber Beetles

These pests spread bacterial wilt throughout your crop when they feed; they tend to attack around the time the plants begin flowering.Note: Male flowers will appear first, at leaf joints on the main stem and female flowers will appear. About one week later, female flowers will develop off of secondary side-shoots.
Your best defense against these pests is to cover your plants with row covers until flowering. The covers must be removed once the female flowers appear so that the bees can access the plants for pollination.
A severe infestation can be controlled with pyrethrins; the pyrethrins are a pair of natural organic compounds that have potent insecticidal activity.

Melon Aphids

Aphids are tiny pear-shaped insects with long antennae that suck sap from the plant, causing the leaves to become distorted and drop.
A strong spray of water can often knock the insects off your plants. Crushing several cloves of garlic into a spray bottle filled with water and spraying mixture on the plants can often deter these pests.
Insecticidal soap, pyrethrins, and neem oil are also effective organic insecticides for heavy infestations.

Squash Vine Borers

Squash vine borers are 1” long white caterpillars. They bore through the stem of the plant and may be unnoticeable to the gardener until the vine begins to wilt.
In April (in the South) and in late June or early July (in the North), keep a lookout for an orange and black wasp-like moth. This is an adult borer which lays eggs at the base of the stem during this time. The tiny orange and red eggs are laid just below the surface of the soil. Remove and crush any eggs you can find.
As the season progresses, keep an eye for entry holes at the base of the stems. If the hole is surrounded by yellow droppings that resembles sawdust, cut a slit in the stem and remove any larvae. An injection of Bt can also be used (Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, is a soil-dwelling bacterium, frequently used as an organic alternative to chemical pesticides).

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Vine crops that have recently been transplanted or that have been direct-seeded outside and recently germinated have been known to suddenly wilt and die.
Most often this occurs when you have a stretch of 4 or more days of rainy, or overcast weather with no protection over your plants to retain heat.
If soil temperature drops down below 60°F, the plant roots stop absorbing water from the soil.
When the sun does reappear, water evaporates from the leaves faster than the roots absorb water, which results in sudden wilting and death.
To prevent this from happening, keep your plants protected when cool wet weather is predicted with the use of row covers or hot caps.
In humid climates, watering the roots directly rather than soaking the leaves helps prevent many common foliar diseases.

DISEASE

Most diseases can be avoided by following these rules:
Choose varieties resistant to common diseases such as powdery mildew.
Wait until the soil has warmed to a minimum of 70°F before planting seeds or transplants and keep soil temperatures consistently warm throughout the entire plant cycle.
Keep seeds and seedling beds moist but not water-logged.
If starting indoors, plant seeds in 4” peat pots or larger to lessen root disturbance and allow more room for roots to develop properly.
Transplant seedlings once they have 2-3 true leaves.
Avoid over-applying Nitrogen (such as animal manure). Too much nitrogen, especially during fruit set, can encourage “hollow heart” and bland flavor.
Provide good air movement around plants by keeping weeds under control and planting with proper spacing .

POWDERY MILDEW

Damage can include brown spots, tattered holes in leaves, sunken brown lesions on vines, and rotted fruit.
Powdery mildew infections are usually caused by warm, humid conditions (68-81°F), or the plant being damp too long from rain or overhead watering.
In warm, dry conditions, new spores are produced in leaf spots and can easily spread disease by being blown by the wind and infecting other leaves.
To avoid these diseases do not grow melons in an area where any member of the squash family (cucumbers, gourds, winter squash, pumpkins) has been grown for 3 years or more.
Reduce moisture on leaves by providing plants with proper space, controlling weeds, and using drip irrigation or a soaker hose instead of sprinkler irrigation.
Apply a natural fungicide when a single spot of powdery mildew is spotted.
Sulfur products can be applied to both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves.
Remove severely infected plants and any debris from the garden.
Plant disease resistant varieties whenever available. Resistance is virus specific and it is necessary to first determine which mosaic virus is common in your area. A reputable seed company in your part of the country will have this information. If not, ask your county extension.
Purchase clean seed from a reputable supplier. If saving seeds, do not collect seed from infected plants.
Control weeds within and around the planting area. Especially perennial weeds that can carry the virus from one season to the next.
Control aphids and cucumber beetles early on to keep populations low.
If disease appears in a few plants, bury or dispose these plants to prevent further spread of the disease.
Wash hands and tools after working with infected plants.

STORAGE

Watermelons will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, but not only will flavor and sweetness diminish, so will nutrition levels.
The best way to store a watermelon is at a room temperature of 50-60°F, such as a basement.
Watermelons will last up to 2-3 weeks and retain their flavor, sweetness and nutrition.
Melon flesh can be frozen (think watermelon smoothie) and rinds can be pickled.

You can leave a question or comment.