This is my first year growing watermelons. What started out as a 1/2 day planting project to share with my youngest daughter, has now evolved into a wonderful conversation piece for visitors. It is amazing how easy they are, how long the vines get, and how fast they grow.

Here's a pic of one of my hills and one of the wee melons:





Anybody else growing watermelons?

* * * *
According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

Cool, I'm thinking of planting Crimson Sweets and/or Moon and Stars next year. Think I'm hooked?

Yeah, the weather here has been blast furnace hot! That's got to be why the melons are going bonkers right now.

The other plant in the lower left corner of the bottom pic is a volunteer that sprung from the compost hill. My best guess is that it's a muskmelon of some kind. It has a small fruit on it, guess I'll know better when it starts to take shape.

In the upper right corner is a Big Beef tomato sucker that I planted, and the little wet spot in the upper left corner is a Spacemaster cuke. Given enough free time I will always "shoehorn" in a plant here and there.

* * * *
According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

I have at least 3 watermelons growing, they are about 6" long now, don't remember which melon I plated, I think Dixie Queen.

* * * *


One OS to rule them, one OS to find them:
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie.

This was basically a forgotten corner of the property that was just plain old dusty dirt. I mounded up some hills with pure compost, stuck some melon seeds in the top, misted daily and out popped the sprouts. I put a gallon milk jug with a hole in the bottom on each hill, filled the jugs daily, and the rest is history. When I say it has been too easy, I'm really not kidding.

* * * *
According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

Yes, just water. It may sound funny, but I'm collecting the condensation that drips from the AC unit, and am using it to fill the jugs. I had no idea that my AC unit was pumping out almost 5 gallons of water everyday until I started collecting it.

Mitzi and Amigatec, you folks are in prime watermelon growing regions. Got any pics?

* * * *
According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

yes, I too am a sugar baby planter...lol I also , like oh so many of you, have the BABY sugar babys starting out...lol.

Posting pictures of my Watermelon crop.

I Have three hills of three. The varieties are Jubilee, Triple Crown and Ultra Cool seedless and Moon&Stars.

The seedless are setting like mad. I have up to three per plant and have to clip off new babies daily as I don't think it's good to have that many per plant.

The other guys are slow at setting fruit. Just one Jubilee and no Moon&Stars.





A new Moon&Star with a giant "moon" spot I went out of my way to self polinate today. I hope it makes it!

If you would be happy with 1 & 1, then why not just grow 1 & 1? The plant will then focus on ripening its single melon.

I'm a go for broke kind of guy, so I would let 'em go crazy and hope for the best. I've got to think that plants know how to manage reproduction on their own. Just an opinion, not any kind of fact.

* * * *
According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

What date did you plant them?

I planted mine on May 20th and got my first fruit set in the first week of July.

Usually the first fruit blossoms don't set as the plant needs to be mature enough.

You were right! We now have one hidden beneath the leaves.

Sharon

Mmmmm!!! Those are making my mouth water! Wish I could just grab that spoon and take that first bite myself!!
Great job MrClint!!

* * * *

Woah Woah Woah...your supposed to grow Watermelon on "hills"?

I have been growing mine on flat land...in July-their not growing out to the sides...their growing up at the moment...Is this bad?I am pretty sure that once it gets to a certain height they will start going out to the side?

I planted 4 Sugar Babies and 2 Texas Giant I beleive is what they were called...(no blossoms or anything yet...)

* * * *
-Jon Boyenga

I've really enjoyed all of these posts.
Have a question: Has anyone ever heard of a spray product that makes a melon stay on the vine?
I think I read something about that years ago.
These posts were awesome !

* * * *

There are a number of ways to determine ripeness in a melon:

* Dried tendril and/or leaves closest to the melon.
* Dull not shiney rind.
* Yellow or creme color on the resting spot. It shouldn't be white.
* Ridges and dips on the rind where the stripes appear.
* Thump test. The thump test I use is the same one I use in the supermarket. You want a "punk" sound and not a "pink" sound. The former being more hollow.

* * * *
According to my calculations, the problem doesn't exist.

You've all gotten me in such a watermelon mood that I caved in and bought a store one yesterday.
Really good, but sure makes me wonder what a real homegrown watermelon would taste like.
Does refrigerating one ruin it, like refrigerating tomatoes does? Or, is the melon even better chilled?

* * * *

Agreed! Chilling brings out the sweetness. I went ahead and harvested the first of three watermelons last night. After drawing faces on it like a pumpkin, I cut it open. Yech! Tasted very veggie like and it certainly was not ready

There's always next year!

* * * *
Tomacco

That coffee was so strong, it swallowed the cream...
http://s98.photobucket.com/albums/l268/Tomacco1/

I found out what that spray is for melons that fall off. It's blossom set. Saw it in the Burpee site.
Anyone tried it?

* * * *