Watermelon

[melaniepur]

I have a watermelon plant about 4 inches high and I have no idea what to do with it. Anyone have experience growing watermelons?

[jasmine]

I've often given melon growing a thought but I think they would have to be grown in a greenhouse here Mel and we don't have one. You might be able to grow them outdoors where you are but I'm not sure. I found the following...

Once the seedlings have two true leaves it is time to plant them out in a cold greenhouse into grow bags or preferably directly into well prepared ground with lots of organic matter in the soil.
Create some support, this can be a single line of string tied to the supports in the greenhouse roof and secured in the ground with a peg next to the base of the melon. As the melon starts to grow you should tied the strongest shoot to the support and pinch out the side shoots which grow from the main stem. Once the stem has reached the top of the support pinch out the leading shoot. This will make the plant concentrate on the formation of fruits.

Watering holds the key to successful melon growing. You need to water so that the plant never gets wet. Over watering can cause the fruit to split so try to keep the moist constantly moist but not wet.

Once the flowers have formed you should take a small paintbrush and lightly brush each flower in turn to aid pollination. This job is best carried out mid day when the humidity is high. After 2 or 3 days you should remove the male flowers (the females have a miniature melon growing behind the flower)

As soon as the fruits reach the size of tennis balls you need to use string nets to support them. As the summer progresses and the fruits reach full size remove a few leaves to allow the fruit to ripen.

Feeding is simple once a week feed with a liquid tomato fertiliser once the fruit starts to grow.

Greenhouse conditions in high summer need to be kept humid on the hottest days by watering the path early in the morning or by standing a bucket of water in the greenhouse.

[melaniepur]

thank you! I noticed a strong shoot today!!! (I think it is a shoot lol)

[maggyd]

Well thats enlightning isnt it I always thought that they grew along the ground but that sounds as if they are very much like growing cucumbers until they get bigger that is when they need nets! I suppose they are from the same family though.

Good luck with them Mel we.d love to see them once they get going.

[Biggles]

I have grown Watermelons but only in the Greenhouse. They were lovely but only grew to the size of a small football.
As Maggs has said they need similar conditions to cucumbers and need support with nets. They grow upwards and need lots of watering (but dont over water) and dont allow them to dry out.

Jasmine has given the correct instrutions-

I got about 3 to a plant!