If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😃TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Intro To Growing Watermelons 0:49 Tip #1: Big Watermelon Varieties 3:47 Tip #2: How To Hand Pollinate Watermelons 5:29 Tip #3: Earth VS Containers 7:21 Tip #4: Mulching And Compost 8:15 Tip #5: Planting Watermelon Strategy 9:37 Tip #6: Fertilizing Watermelon 11:57 Bonus Watermelon Tip! 14:35 Adventures With Dale
I had no success in growing grass, but I had excellent success in growing watermelon. We had rented a house in Central Florida. The yard was full of these sticker weeds. After two years there I was tired of getting the stickers out of my carpet etc. I found grass seed on clearance, buy one get one, dug up the yard with a handheld claw, and put down the grass seed. What came up in my front yard was watermelon. The year before my husband had engineered a lot of cookouts. My family had partaked in watermelon seed spitting contests off the front porch. I had watermelon growing the rest of the year. We harvested the last one on Christmas Eve. It has become a family story now, about how Mom planted grass and God gave us watermelon. Thank you so much for your videos they are so informative.
This is awesome. I watch all your videos! 2nd year gardener - 1st year growing melons. You've obviously experimented enough with these to have mastered it. Now I'm jumping right to this knowledge. Thank you for sharing this!!!!
I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered it, but I’ve gone from complete failure to pest free, disease free vines that make some good melons. I’m still trying to improve, but I like to share what I’ve learned along the way. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
I'm glad you spoke of hand pollination. Up here in the mountains of Oregon we don't have many bees. I hand pollinate tomatoes and peppers (with an electric toothbrush), melons, cucumbers, squash varieties and tomatillos, with tons of success.
Are you just dipping a clean toothbrush head on the flowers? How does that work, I’ve thought about hand pollination to help my cantaloupe produce a lil more?
@@FadedEbony with a cantaloupe (or any melon) find a female flower (with a bulb directly below it), then find a male flower (with no bulb below it), pluck the male flower off the stem, tear the pedals away so only the center of the male flower is between your fingertips, then rub that directly onto the center of the female flower, lots of little circles. That should do it. If not, the next day pluck another male flower and do it again. When pollinated, the female will close and the fruit will begin growing. I've had good success doing it this way. But sometimes with melons it fails. I'd guess 70% pollination success. This same method works on squash and cucumbers. The only plants I use a toothbrush on is tomato and peppers. Hope this helps.
@@godfatherstabba hey thanks for the tip! This is my second year doing melons, I got a late start this year putting them in the ground, should I wait until the females develop a lil before pollinating them or do you think the sooner the better?
One neat trick is to put a bit of rooting hormone at nodes in the vine. Wrap with a little mound of good dirt. This gives it more roots to get more nutrients.❤
I grow my watermelons on straw, I've found weed fabric causes vines to rot because it's either too slow to drain, or don't drain at all, plus straw provides something for vines to grab on.
I love the format you are using that shows the breakdown of what you are teaching along the side of the video. You do a lot of work and it shows in your excellent presentation. You are becoming very polished and professional. Bravo
this goes against every video ive seen saying to choose 2-4 per plant lol i like it tho man, proving them wrong. Im gonna do half and half. let half my plants produce as many as they want, and half ill keep to 2-4 melons. im curious what the results will be, ill post about it for sure. love your videos man
I’m glad you found it helpful! Believe it or not, I’ve been gardening in some capacity for over 30 years and got my first job on a farm when I was 11, so I’ve been at it longer than my age would have someone think 😆
I wasn't so keen on TMG when I first came across the channel, but after going through a lot of the videos and seeing how thorough he is in his advice and research, and how prolific he post, I can say he's definitely me favourite now
Great video...I just started to grow watermelon from seed in the ground and I have way to many that germinated (8) for my space. The tips on fertilizing every two weeks are great and I will use them in my garden. Thanks again.
You're welcome! I'm sure you're itching for spring! I hear it's been a cold winter in Australia, which is where I'm assuming you're located, but I could be wrong!
Between all the rain we get, the mulch and the compost, you can watch the mushrooms pop up after a thunderstorm. It's amazing to watch. It's the sign of very healthy soil!
Love the guide! Last year I found that it was easier to keep my plants healthier through the rainy season here in Japan using the grow bags, and this year I think I'll try adding your planting in shade trick by placing shade netting over the bags 😊
@@TheMillennialGardener, maybe I should say "end rot" instead. The rotten parts are the ends where the flowers fall off. They don't even touch the ground. But, I believe weed barrier or tarp will help keeping the fruit clean off the ground. Thank you.
Thank you for these great tips. Last year I could not even get my water melon seeds to sprout, very frustrating. The year before I bought one seedling and we harvested one tiny little water melon. I shall persevere. It can only get better. 🙂
It may have been bad seed. Watermelon seed usually germinates within 3 days. They germinate very quickly and like warm temps. If you're trying to germinate watermelon seed when it's still cool out, you need a seedling heat mat. They need a lot of warmth to germinate. They like 80 degree soil temps.
Drought is a watermelon’s best friend. If you can give the plant just enough water to survive well in otherwise hot and dry weather, you can get some killer melons. I live on the Wet Coast, so I can’t grow those drought melons that are mind blowing.
All gardeners should be watching your content. Thanks for sharing your methods, you truely have the best content out there! I'll be staying tuned for the next upload!
So happy I came across your account! Your videos and links are so helpful and thorough! I had a quick question Would you recommend these same tips for growing, Cantaloupe and Pumpkins? Thank you
Excellent content…I grow my melons in plastic chicken feed sacks filled with my compost, laid on their sides..2 plants per sack. I knock holes on the bottom side and place the bags on a large pile of compost and cover the pile with straw. Sounds like a lot of work and it is without a tractor. Once my plants are established I typically don’t water them or fertilize but my compost piles have everything a plant needs for entire season.
I grew Sugar Baby watermelons this year however we have had very little rain because of the Texas drought. Luckily, we had a week of rain and they have put out more vigorous shoots even though they were dying back. Thank God the temps went down from 108 to 96
Drought makes for fantastic watermelons if you can keep the vines healthy. I’ve had good luck planting the roots in shade and plants themselves in sun. If you have that luxury, it could help.
I'm in Texas and went through this drought. I planted seeds in field by my woodchip pile. Then tree company covered up most seeds. I didn't water them once and ended up with some nice big tasty watermelons. Feed a bunch to goats and chickens
@@jbuck1975I can confirm. I am in Texas and deliberately removed all my lawn and sprinkler system and put down thick woodchips. I am growing watermelons like crazy. No watering, no fertilizer, no big sprays. All the melons grow great with zero work and input from me. I just finished harvesting all the Kajari melons. Next year I’m also putting in a ton of cantaloupe melons. I am also growing corn this way as well.
Nice fig and persimmon tree..... Maybe a video about those, I like my fig trees but my birds have discovered they are great as well. Being older with different space availability ( lots of space actually) we do some things differently but it is very good advice and ways it can be incorporated into any garden. Lots of good points and even as an old hand, you can always learn listening and watching how others do it. Really appreciate it and the tip on the yellow one you like. Definitely got to plant that one. There are also a lot of other type melons that grow well as well as watermelon types so looking forward to even more of what you know.
I love this guy. I always watch several videos (it's a compulsion) on any perspective plant I will grow and I consistently find his the most helpful and enjoyable. Thanks Milllenial Gardener.
No reason at all. I bought them to build a project, I ran out of time before it got too hot, so they're just sitting there til the winter when it becomes cool enough to take on a building project. They're just sitting there collecting dust.
Those are amazing. As I was watching the beginning of your video I saw how tall and beautiful are your banana trees. What are you doing to look so nice. I am in central Florida and have 4 of them but there grow goes slow. I have sand in my ground but try to add fertilizer and good dirt. Can I add compost to them as well.
That's interesting. You're the second person that asked me that on this video. I guess I'll have to put together a tutorial. The short answer is: 1. Always "chop and drop" the old pseudostems. After the pseudostem has fruited, or if they're killed by freeze, chop them into pieces and spread them around the banana corm. The *BEST* thing to feed a banana is itself. 2. Mulch them heavily all the time. 3. If you have a husband or sons, tell them to pee on the bananas. They absolutely love it. This probably won't work in your front yard, but if you have bananas growing in the back, it makes an enormous difference. 4. Once every 6 weeks, I take a 5 gallon paint bucket, put in 2 tablespoons of potash crystals and dump the bucket on the plants. Bananas go crazy for refined potash supplements. That's about it.
I Plant mushrooms around my cucumber plants.Watermelon plants and tomatoes it helps break down all of the compost,straw, And Aspen wood chips. That I use to cover the ground and plant beds the help retain moisture
@@TheMillennialGardener I got a seedless in the store at Harris Teeter and found about 8 small black seeds in it along with those small white flimsy seeds that probably are not viable. Going to plant them next year and see if they sprout.
I did have success in containers and weed barrier But it took a lot of babysitting in the TX drought last year This year I’ll definitely go in ground using weed barrier
Yummy! Beautiful melons! 👍I tried growing melons in grow bags for the first this earlier year...it's too hot in the south for grow bags in full sun.🥵 I normally grow my melons in totes...I have a second round growing super vwell in totes. I compost in place before planting my seedlings or seeds. I have 2 totes 4 to 5 vines with 7 or so melons right now. This time I'm pruning my vines...one melon per vine. Usually, I do 2 plants per tote and let them go giving me melons for some time. I grow small varieties...suitable for containers.🙂 I do feed them...fish fertilize and this year Miracle-Gro tomato food. Thanks for the great advice.👍I have had great success growing melons in straw bales...the bales hold the moisture really well. The Dale cave...sweet.😃🐕 Maybe a slice of homemade pizza would help his nerves too.😄
This year, the melons in grow bags didn’t do great. I think they’re better geared toward smaller melons like sugar babies. I think next season I’ll just do all my watermelons in ground and do honeydew and kajari melons in the bags only. It hasn’t been as hot this summer as normal, but the last 3 weeks have been pretty rough.
@@TheMillennialGardener We are having a record heatwave...way over 30 days of 100+. I grew Kiss melons and Minnesota Midget cantaloupe in totes earlier this year and they did great. The Kiss melons did well in the grow bags; however, I had to put them under shade cloth. The watermelons did horrible under shade cloth...I learned why from your post. I grow Sugar Baby and Crimson Sweet in the totes. The totes retain moisture fairly well. I didn't mulch them in 109 temps and a daily bit of morning water is all they needed...they never drooped. Your melon patch is great...it's going to be super next year!
Hi, I LOVE your videos, and have personally learned so much from you. Thank you! I can't find the link to the black woven tarp you're using under the watermelons though, so I'm going to wish for the best and buy whatever my local store has.
Wow! That’s amazing 🤩. I would love to grow melons in my backyard, but my soil is clay and has lots of roots. I don’t know where these roots came from. Can I still grow things despite the condition of the soil?
I think so. I'm growing this watermelon in between my fig and persimmon tree, so there are a lot of roots. Still, the plant is thriving. Worst case, you can grow it in a 20, 25 or 30 gallon grow bag or another large container. You could simply start multiple transplants, plant a few in ground, a few in containers and then see how they perform.
Love your show, boss. I live in the Durham area and am a new gardener. it looks like you're growing your vines on top of a stack of cattle panels on top of weed barrier? I'm sure this is a crazy stupid question, but what is the thinking? could I use one panel to maybe make a low arched trellis and get these to grow on top so I could grow shade tolerant crops under?
Hi ! Do you pinche the vine of the water melon and if so whow many times ? I would like a vedeo on that so that we can see how to do it . Thank you for all the explanations 😊
Great video and many great tips too!!!! Its my first year growing watermelons. Your Leelanau Sweetglo plant is AMAZING and the melons are huge too--everyone loves large melons! :) I live in Western PA and I'm not sure a shade cloth is needed, even though we've been having hotter summers lately. I did purchase a 40% (%90) shade cloth since I found them on sale and very cheap, but how would I determine if one would be needed for my "garden" (growing in various Pots and Earth Boxes, which I highly recommend you try. They water plants from the bottom, are easy to fill and you can't over water your plants, They work really great for Tomato plants, and I'm sure for others too.) Due to my location, what do you think about a shade cloth--I'm growing various types of Tomato's, watermelon, Beans, and some hot peppers (for the type at the moment)? Do you think a shade cloth would be useful for me? It seems to me that since my growing season is so short, I'm always wanting more sun & for a longer time than I get. Have you ever considered selling, or doing a giveaway for, some of the Leelanau Sweetglo seeds from your grown melons? I also didn't see them listed below in the list of items you've purchased. Thanks for the great video and I love your pooch, Dale!
On watermelon plants which product would be best after fruit set…. Jacks all purpose or Blossom Booster. My watermelon are currently the size of cantaloupe and don’t seem to be growing anymore. I was using all organic up until now.
Open tea bag; cup oatmeal; warm water, compost from kitchen or organic bought, mix worm casting as option, makes fantastic 1/2 gal. Miracle Home Grown.
That's going to be subjective, and it'll probably vary by region. What does well here may not do well elsewhere. My personal favorite has been Leelanau Sweetglo.
@@TheMillennialGardenerI sowed watermelon seeds with cucumber seeds in small lawn. Would you prefer to sow and grow multiple vegetables along with watermelons in the small land soil.? Hope you understand my question.!
No. They’re cattle panel I bought last year that I wanted to build an arch with, but it got too hot, so I left them in a pile til it cools back down. They’re just sitting there doing nothing, so I’m covering up the eyesore with the vines 😂
hi dear i've been growing watermelon for years now, i do make large watermelons. my only problem is i only get one watermelon per plant.. even if they're pollinated so what i'm i doing wrong?? is it the soil is it lacking something, really need your input on this matter thanks
Blossom end rot is rarely caused by lack of calcium. It's almost always a problem with irrigation. See this video: th-cam.com/video/7Uu8O-SF3ls/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lxJUb1WZZ7iHPUzF
I am in the Wilmington area, and I was wondering if you knew where I might get some starter plants for the orange watermelon you showed here. I have a couple of watermelon seeds started, but I would love to try these. Is there anywhere local to find them (or to get seeds...I think I still have time)?
You're correct growing melons in pots don't result like growing in the ground . Here in nc the summer's have been so wet in the last few years that the watermelons are splitting open from so much water or they're taste less lacking sugar because of so much water.
This summer has been so erratic. We had such dry weather from March into early June. Then, we got a few huge late June rains and nearly 8 inches of rain in July. Now, we're dry again with only 0.70 inches of rain all August, which is usually our *wettest* month. I find the dry-to-wet fluctuation is what causes the bursting. When the weather is dry and you get a sudden downpour, the fruits explode. I had one of my melons burst on me, because we finally got a 0.62" storm on Friday. It couldn't handle the sudden rainfall after so much dry weather.
Hey, I thought sure you would mention the cattle panels you have under your vines.. which I am certain you place there to keep the vines up off of the hot weed barrier cloth.. but you forgot to say it... I get it but others may not... Thanks for all the tips.
I have 1 plant and with 2 vines but the moment I fertilized 1 melon, the other female flowers died and the growth of my vines are stumped. I'm using a 15-15-15 fertilizer but I don't have the land, only a balcony. What do you recommend? The current watermelon that is growing is about 1 week old and a bit bigger than a baseball
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you! I had that happen to me this year and thought it was a great plan. But then I noticed a cucumber growing in a fence that became too large for the hole! Yikes. Had to break cucumber in half to get it out. 😞. I’m so glad that my watermelon didn’t become stuck too!
Thanks so much for this video! Question though, how many main vines do you grow off of one plant? Do you cut back / prune the other vines? I have one plant with 4 main vines growing out now, wondering if it’s too much? Thanks for the help.
The weed barrier is linked in my Amazon Storefront. If you expand the video description, you'll find the link to the store under the table of contents. It's listed under GARDEN ACCESSORIES.
You certainly could, but that will also block bees. Watermelons require pollination from the male flowers to the female flowers, so if you're going to cover watermelon, you'll have to manually hand pollinate by moving pollen from male flowers to the female flowers.
Love your videos! Quick question, is the panel on top of the fabric to help the vines grab onto? Also do you recommend fabric for pumpkins? Thanks again!
No. They're old cattle panel I never got a chance to install before the heat got too intense. They serve no purpose. The problem with growing squashes like pumpkin on weed barrier is squashes will root along the vine, so while there are advantages to growing pumpkin, zucchini and other squash on weed barrier, it'll prevent rooting along the vines, so if a vine borer gets into the vine, it can kill the entire plant since there won't be rooting taking place along the vines.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much. The only reason I ask is because the wind is crazy strong and my watermelons were planted on bare ground and they didn't have anything to grab on. the wind would blow the vines in all directions breaking some of them. Any suggestions?
QUESTION:: I planted my watermelon crimson sweet 45 days ago but its been extremely hot here in Florida had some days over 100 degrees i got male flowers no females plants are good and healthy probably 8 foot long vines is the heat a factor!
Oh that's no problem at all. Simply move the vines out of the way, put a tarp down, secure the tarp either with a few heavy rocks or bricks or garden staples so it doesn't blow away, and move the watermelon vines on top of the tarp. Since watermelon vines don't root into the ground, you can move them as you wish as they grow and sprawl.
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😃TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Intro To Growing Watermelons
0:49 Tip #1: Big Watermelon Varieties
3:47 Tip #2: How To Hand Pollinate Watermelons
5:29 Tip #3: Earth VS Containers
7:21 Tip #4: Mulching And Compost
8:15 Tip #5: Planting Watermelon Strategy
9:37 Tip #6: Fertilizing Watermelon
11:57 Bonus Watermelon Tip!
14:35 Adventures With Dale
Did you explain the purpose of the cattle panels?
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@@elizabethblane201 Also curious.
Pleas look at message about homophathic
@@wirelesscaller7518 ??? Sorry. I feel dumb but ???
I had no success in growing grass, but I had excellent success in growing watermelon.
We had rented a house in Central Florida. The yard was full of these sticker weeds. After two years there I was tired of getting the stickers out of my carpet etc. I found grass seed on clearance, buy one get one, dug up the yard with a handheld claw, and put down the grass seed. What came up in my front yard was watermelon. The year before my husband had engineered a lot of cookouts. My family had partaked in watermelon seed spitting contests off the front porch. I had watermelon growing the rest of the year. We harvested the last one on Christmas Eve. It has become a family story now, about how Mom planted grass and God gave us watermelon. Thank you so much for your videos they are so informative.
Awesome!
That’s hilarious - God is good and funny!
That's an amazing and hilarious story!
thats a great family story lol i love it
This is awesome. I watch all your videos! 2nd year gardener - 1st year growing melons. You've obviously experimented enough with these to have mastered it. Now I'm jumping right to this knowledge. Thank you for sharing this!!!!
I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered it, but I’ve gone from complete failure to pest free, disease free vines that make some good melons. I’m still trying to improve, but I like to share what I’ve learned along the way. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
I'm glad you spoke of hand pollination. Up here in the mountains of Oregon we don't have many bees. I hand pollinate tomatoes and peppers (with an electric toothbrush), melons, cucumbers, squash varieties and tomatillos, with tons of success.
Are you just dipping a clean toothbrush head on the flowers? How does that work, I’ve thought about hand pollination to help my cantaloupe produce a lil more?
@@FadedEbony with a cantaloupe (or any melon) find a female flower (with a bulb directly below it), then find a male flower (with no bulb below it), pluck the male flower off the stem, tear the pedals away so only the center of the male flower is between your fingertips, then rub that directly onto the center of the female flower, lots of little circles. That should do it. If not, the next day pluck another male flower and do it again. When pollinated, the female will close and the fruit will begin growing.
I've had good success doing it this way. But sometimes with melons it fails. I'd guess 70% pollination success.
This same method works on squash and cucumbers.
The only plants I use a toothbrush on is tomato and peppers.
Hope this helps.
@@godfatherstabba hey thanks for the tip! This is my second year doing melons, I got a late start this year putting them in the ground, should I wait until the females develop a lil before pollinating them or do you think the sooner the better?
One neat trick is to put a bit of rooting hormone at nodes in the vine. Wrap with a little mound of good dirt. This gives it more roots to get more nutrients.❤
I love your videos. You are articulate and straight forward. No extra fluff. Thank you!
Thank you! I’m glad the videos are helpful! Thanks for watching 😊
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I grow my watermelons on straw, I've found weed fabric causes vines to rot because it's either too slow to drain, or don't drain at all, plus straw provides something for vines to grab on.
I use straw for most things and I love it!
🤔 _Straw???_ Next year _...next year._
I love the format you are using that shows the breakdown of what you are teaching along the side of the video. You do a lot of work and it shows in your excellent presentation. You are becoming very polished and professional. Bravo
Thank you! I appreciate that. I've tried to get better at producing these videos and fitting information into shorter, more organized videos.
I love the man and his gardening techniques. His delivery of information is A -1!!!!!!
this goes against every video ive seen saying to choose 2-4 per plant lol i like it tho man, proving them wrong. Im gonna do half and half. let half my plants produce as many as they want, and half ill keep to 2-4 melons. im curious what the results will be, ill post about it for sure. love your videos man
Excellent video, fantastic tips, this Gen x gardener is still learning, so young dogs can teach old dogs new tricks, thanks!
I’m glad you found it helpful! Believe it or not, I’ve been gardening in some capacity for over 30 years and got my first job on a farm when I was 11, so I’ve been at it longer than my age would have someone think 😆
Great information! I was thinking about trying to grow watermelon, but had no idea how. Thank you for posting! Have a blessed day 😊
I'm glad it could be helpful! They're fun to grow.
Great info! I grew watermelon in zone 7b but they didn't do well this year. I will definitely use your pointers next year
They definitely like the hot weather. They're one of the few plants that love heat waves. Glad the video was helpful!
whens the best time to plant watermelon seed?
I wasn't so keen on TMG when I first came across the channel, but after going through a lot of the videos and seeing how thorough he is in his advice and research, and how prolific he post, I can say he's definitely me favourite now
Great video...I just started to grow watermelon from seed in the ground and I have way to many that germinated (8) for my space. The tips on fertilizing every two weeks are great and I will use them in my garden. Thanks again.
Incredibly helpful video. I will definitely implement these tips come summer. Many thanks from the southern hemisphere.
You're welcome! I'm sure you're itching for spring! I hear it's been a cold winter in Australia, which is where I'm assuming you're located, but I could be wrong!
This is exactly how I do mine, straw fish and everything, that fish emulsion is amazing it has mushrooms growing in every hole
Between all the rain we get, the mulch and the compost, you can watch the mushrooms pop up after a thunderstorm. It's amazing to watch. It's the sign of very healthy soil!
Great tips! Question --- What role does the cattle fencing play beside keeping the vines and fruit off the ground?
No answer it seems
I'm thinking for the little tenicles on the vines to attach to.
Love the guide! Last year I found that it was easier to keep my plants healthier through the rainy season here in Japan using the grow bags, and this year I think I'll try adding your planting in shade trick by placing shade netting over the bags 😊
Awesome. Thank you. I've tried growing watermelon for the first time and I got 3 watermelons with rot bottom on all of them.
I think growing on the weed barrier (or some kind of tarp) will help fix the rot issue. Getting the melons off the ground helps immensely.
@@TheMillennialGardener, maybe I should say "end rot" instead. The rotten parts are the ends where the flowers fall off. They don't even touch the ground. But, I believe weed barrier or tarp will help keeping the fruit clean off the ground. Thank you.
@@thavylor mine have it and they are growing vertically, not touching anything
Thank you for these great tips. Last year I could not even get my water melon seeds to sprout, very frustrating. The year before I bought one seedling and we harvested one tiny little water melon. I shall persevere. It can only get better. 🙂
It may have been bad seed. Watermelon seed usually germinates within 3 days. They germinate very quickly and like warm temps. If you're trying to germinate watermelon seed when it's still cool out, you need a seedling heat mat. They need a lot of warmth to germinate. They like 80 degree soil temps.
Thank you I love farming and gardening♥️🌱
Another fantastic video! I am planting my watermelon seeds this week. Wish me luck 😃
How did it go?
Melons are the one crop I have been successful with. Sugar babies, crenshaw and Korean Melon have. THRIVED in the Texas heat along my drip hose line.🍉
Drought is a watermelon’s best friend. If you can give the plant just enough water to survive well in otherwise hot and dry weather, you can get some killer melons. I live on the Wet Coast, so I can’t grow those drought melons that are mind blowing.
All gardeners should be watching your content. Thanks for sharing your methods, you truely have the best content out there! I'll be staying tuned for the next upload!
Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words and your support. I'm glad the videos are valuable.
So happy I came across your account!
Your videos and links are so helpful and thorough!
I had a quick question
Would you recommend these same tips for growing, Cantaloupe and Pumpkins?
Thank you
I have 18 “Moon & Stars” Heritage plants started and I think I may have over done it.
Excellent content…I grow my melons in plastic chicken feed sacks filled with my compost, laid on their sides..2 plants per sack. I knock holes on the bottom side and place the bags on a large pile of compost and cover the pile with straw. Sounds like a lot of work and it is without a tractor. Once my plants are established I typically don’t water them or fertilize but my compost piles have everything a plant needs for entire season.
I grew Sugar Baby watermelons this year however we have had very little rain because of the Texas drought. Luckily, we had a week of rain and they have put out more vigorous shoots even though they were dying back. Thank God the temps went down from 108 to 96
Drought makes for fantastic watermelons if you can keep the vines healthy. I’ve had good luck planting the roots in shade and plants themselves in sun. If you have that luxury, it could help.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks! I have kept up with watering so the vines are still nice and green with a ton of flowers.
I'm in Texas and went through this drought.
I planted seeds in field by my woodchip pile. Then tree company covered up most seeds.
I didn't water them once and ended up with some nice big tasty watermelons.
Feed a bunch to goats and chickens
@@jbuck1975I can confirm. I am in Texas and deliberately removed all my lawn and sprinkler system and put down thick woodchips. I am growing watermelons like crazy. No watering, no fertilizer, no big sprays. All the melons grow great with zero work and input from me. I just finished harvesting all the Kajari melons. Next year I’m also putting in a ton of cantaloupe melons. I am also growing corn this way as well.
I happen to live on the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan. It was interesting to see this, as I had no idea we had our own variety.
We grow our watermelons in our finishing compost. They go nuts and are so delicious! Great video!!
Nice fig and persimmon tree..... Maybe a video about those, I like my fig trees but my birds have discovered they are great as well. Being older with different space availability ( lots of space actually) we do some things differently but it is very good advice and ways it can be incorporated into any garden. Lots of good points and even as an old hand, you can always learn listening and watching how others do it. Really appreciate it and the tip on the yellow one you like. Definitely got to plant that one. There are also a lot of other type melons that grow well as well as watermelon types so looking forward to even more of what you know.
I love this guy. I always watch several videos (it's a compulsion) on any perspective plant I will grow and I consistently find his the most helpful and enjoyable. Thanks Milllenial Gardener.
But seriously, if it weren't for this man, my watermelons would not be the size they are. This guy is amazing, thank you for everything.
I am living in Jamaica, how can I get the weed protector
Thanks so much for sharing how many days it’s ready to pick
I have some of the Leelanau seeds so this makes me hopeful for next year! Thanks for the video!
You're welcome! It's a stellar variety.
Great tips! I think I will try this next year. What are the cattle panels under the vine for?
No reason at all. I bought them to build a project, I ran out of time before it got too hot, so they're just sitting there til the winter when it becomes cool enough to take on a building project. They're just sitting there collecting dust.
Great informative, no nonsense vid. Thanks!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Great videos man. It motivated me to start my small garden
Those are amazing. As I was watching the beginning of your video I saw how tall and beautiful are your banana trees. What are you doing to look so nice. I am in central Florida and have 4 of them but there grow goes slow. I have sand in my ground but try to add fertilizer and good dirt. Can I add compost to them as well.
That's interesting. You're the second person that asked me that on this video. I guess I'll have to put together a tutorial. The short answer is:
1. Always "chop and drop" the old pseudostems. After the pseudostem has fruited, or if they're killed by freeze, chop them into pieces and spread them around the banana corm. The *BEST* thing to feed a banana is itself.
2. Mulch them heavily all the time.
3. If you have a husband or sons, tell them to pee on the bananas. They absolutely love it. This probably won't work in your front yard, but if you have bananas growing in the back, it makes an enormous difference.
4. Once every 6 weeks, I take a 5 gallon paint bucket, put in 2 tablespoons of potash crystals and dump the bucket on the plants. Bananas go crazy for refined potash supplements.
That's about it.
Quick question! When the vine gets too long do you just prune it back normally?
I Plant mushrooms around my cucumber plants.Watermelon plants and tomatoes it helps break down all of the compost,straw, And Aspen wood chips.
That I use to cover the ground and plant beds the help retain moisture
Your yard looks incredible. I just started the vid.
Very good tips Sir! I am leaning towards growing some sugar baby bush watermelons 🍉 up here in Lynden, WA. Wish me luck 👊🏻🌻👊🏻
We love black diamond melon. Mostly large & very sweet. I've started saving seeds because there aren't very many places to get the seeds.
I’m not familiar with that one. There are so many out there to try. Next year, I want to try a seedless variety, but seeds are like $1 each 😂
@@TheMillennialGardener I got a seedless in the store at Harris Teeter and found about 8 small black seeds in it along with those small white flimsy seeds that probably are not viable. Going to plant them next year and see if they sprout.
My black diamond watermelons had the most growth last season. Tons of seeds as well. Also, crimson yellow and jubilee but not as productive.
Thanks for the great video! Thanks for sharing!
I did have success in containers and weed barrier
But it took a lot of babysitting in the TX drought last year
This year I’ll definitely go in ground using weed barrier
Great video, thank you. What is the cattle panel they are growing on used for?
Thank you, great video.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thanks again for the great tips today very useful.
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!
Is there a reason to have your melons growing on a cattle panel? Does it help support the melon? Have your melons ever grown around the wires?
I grew mine on cattle panels last season. Just protect them as they grow. I use netting bags which expand as they grow.
Yummy! Beautiful melons! 👍I tried growing melons in grow bags for the first this earlier year...it's too hot in the south for grow bags in full sun.🥵
I normally grow my melons in totes...I have a second round growing super vwell in totes. I compost in place before planting my seedlings or seeds. I have 2 totes 4 to 5 vines with 7 or so melons right now. This time I'm pruning my vines...one melon per vine. Usually, I do 2 plants per tote and let them go giving me melons for some time. I grow small varieties...suitable for containers.🙂
I do feed them...fish fertilize and this year Miracle-Gro tomato food.
Thanks for the great advice.👍I have had great success growing melons in straw bales...the bales hold the moisture really well.
The Dale cave...sweet.😃🐕 Maybe a slice of homemade pizza would help his nerves too.😄
🙏♥️🌹🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌹♥️🙏
This year, the melons in grow bags didn’t do great. I think they’re better geared toward smaller melons like sugar babies. I think next season I’ll just do all my watermelons in ground and do honeydew and kajari melons in the bags only. It hasn’t been as hot this summer as normal, but the last 3 weeks have been pretty rough.
@@TheMillennialGardener We are having a record heatwave...way over 30 days of 100+. I grew Kiss melons and Minnesota Midget cantaloupe in totes earlier this year and they did great. The Kiss melons did well in the grow bags; however, I had to put them under shade cloth. The watermelons did horrible under shade cloth...I learned why from your post.
I grow Sugar Baby and Crimson Sweet in the totes. The totes retain moisture fairly well. I didn't mulch them in 109 temps and a daily bit of morning water is all they needed...they never drooped.
Your melon patch is great...it's going to be super next year!
Hi, I LOVE your videos, and have personally learned so much from you. Thank you! I can't find the link to the black woven tarp you're using under the watermelons though, so I'm going to wish for the best and buy whatever my local store has.
i'm enjoying your videos thank you
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Wow! That’s amazing 🤩. I would love to grow melons in my backyard, but my soil is clay and has lots of roots. I don’t know where these roots came from. Can I still grow things despite the condition of the soil?
I am growing a smaller variety of watermelon in a 7.5 gallon bucket and it's done pretty good
I think so. I'm growing this watermelon in between my fig and persimmon tree, so there are a lot of roots. Still, the plant is thriving. Worst case, you can grow it in a 20, 25 or 30 gallon grow bag or another large container. You could simply start multiple transplants, plant a few in ground, a few in containers and then see how they perform.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you😊
We have soil that's full of clay, and we did 45 gallon grow bags. Not the same, but they did ok.
What if you prune some of the vines that are not producers? Love your videos.
I never prune my watermelon vines. I can't say if it makes a difference.
Love your show, boss. I live in the Durham area and am a new gardener. it looks like you're growing your vines on top of a stack of cattle panels on top of weed barrier? I'm sure this is a crazy stupid question, but what is the thinking? could I use one panel to maybe make a low arched trellis and get these to grow on top so I could grow shade tolerant crops under?
Awesome video, thanks !
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
I need me some BIG waternelons to overtake my lawn!! Looking out in Australia 4 big varieties!!😍
Hi ! Do you pinche the vine of the water melon and if so whow many times ? I would like a vedeo on that so that we can see how to do it . Thank you for all the explanations 😊
Great video and many great tips too!!!! Its my first year growing watermelons. Your Leelanau Sweetglo plant is AMAZING and the melons are huge too--everyone loves large melons! :) I live in Western PA and I'm not sure a shade cloth is needed, even though we've been having hotter summers lately. I did purchase a 40% (%90) shade cloth since I found them on sale and very cheap, but how would I determine if one would be needed for my "garden" (growing in various Pots and Earth Boxes, which I highly recommend you try. They water plants from the bottom, are easy to fill and you can't over water your plants, They work really great for Tomato plants, and I'm sure for others too.) Due to my location, what do you think about a shade cloth--I'm growing various types of Tomato's, watermelon, Beans, and some hot peppers (for the type at the moment)? Do you think a shade cloth would be useful for me? It seems to me that since my growing season is so short, I'm always wanting more sun & for a longer time than I get. Have you ever considered selling, or doing a giveaway for, some of the Leelanau Sweetglo seeds from your grown melons? I also didn't see them listed below in the list of items you've purchased. Thanks for the great video and I love your pooch, Dale!
great video thanks for the tips , 👍
Can you explain the grid system laid out on the weed barrier? Is it to allow the tendrils something to grab onto?
where did you get those seeds from
Baker Creek.
Great video! What's the purpose of the metal trellis on top of the weed barrier?
On watermelon plants which product would be best after fruit set…. Jacks all purpose or Blossom Booster. My watermelon are currently the size of cantaloupe and don’t seem to be growing anymore. I was using all organic up until now.
Can you alternate the fertilizers granulated one week and liquid another week?
Open tea bag; cup oatmeal; warm water, compost from kitchen or organic bought, mix worm casting as option, makes fantastic 1/2 gal. Miracle Home Grown.
For shade for roots. How bout shade clothe tent? I’m out on no shade property.
Very interesting thanks for sharing
Great info bro yhanks so much
I'm curious about the Stock panels under the vine. Any reason for that?
When you grow several melons, where do you store them to keep them cool?
Can you recommend the best watermelon variety for taste rather than size? Thank you, I love your channel.
That's going to be subjective, and it'll probably vary by region. What does well here may not do well elsewhere. My personal favorite has been Leelanau Sweetglo.
@@TheMillennialGardener
Thank you
If you look into JADAM style farming you can use cuttings and melon as a ferment to make your own fertilizer.
Excellent info, thanks.
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!
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Another great video. What is the reason for the cattle panel on the ground??
I was going to build an arch, but I never got around to it. I'll do something with it one day.
@@TheMillennialGardenerI sowed watermelon seeds with cucumber seeds in small lawn. Would you prefer to sow and grow multiple vegetables along with watermelons in the small land soil.? Hope you understand my question.!
Hi. I'm from South Australia. I was just wondering if the mesh you have under the vines on the weed mat is essential?
No. They’re cattle panel I bought last year that I wanted to build an arch with, but it got too hot, so I left them in a pile til it cools back down. They’re just sitting there doing nothing, so I’m covering up the eyesore with the vines 😂
hi dear i've been growing watermelon for years now, i do make large watermelons. my only problem is i only get one watermelon per plant.. even if they're pollinated so what i'm i doing wrong?? is it the soil is it lacking something, really need your input on this matter thanks
How do you manage blossom end rot? Seems like heavy calcium supplementation is crucial for watermelons
Blossom end rot is rarely caused by lack of calcium. It's almost always a problem with irrigation. See this video: th-cam.com/video/7Uu8O-SF3ls/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lxJUb1WZZ7iHPUzF
I am in the Wilmington area, and I was wondering if you knew where I might get some starter plants for the orange watermelon you showed here. I have a couple of watermelon seeds started, but I would love to try these. Is there anywhere local to find them (or to get seeds...I think I still have time)?
What is the purpose of the cattle panel I’m seeing and is it laying directly on the weed barrier?
What are your thoughts on pruning the veins?
You're correct growing melons in pots don't result like growing in the ground . Here in nc the summer's have been so wet in the last few years that the watermelons are splitting open from so much water or they're taste less lacking sugar because of so much water.
This summer has been so erratic. We had such dry weather from March into early June. Then, we got a few huge late June rains and nearly 8 inches of rain in July. Now, we're dry again with only 0.70 inches of rain all August, which is usually our *wettest* month. I find the dry-to-wet fluctuation is what causes the bursting. When the weather is dry and you get a sudden downpour, the fruits explode. I had one of my melons burst on me, because we finally got a 0.62" storm on Friday. It couldn't handle the sudden rainfall after so much dry weather.
There's a lady that grows hers in garden grow bags... She does a great job and they taste really delicious!
Hey, I thought sure you would mention the cattle panels you have under your vines.. which I am certain you place there to keep the vines up off of the hot weed barrier cloth.. but you forgot to say it... I get it but others may not... Thanks for all the tips.
Info on panels is probably in the video he referenced about in depth weed barrier info.
I read a comment where he said they served zero purpose. Just didn't move them out the way.
I have 1 plant and with 2 vines but the moment I fertilized 1 melon, the other female flowers died and the growth of my vines are stumped. I'm using a 15-15-15 fertilizer but I don't have the land, only a balcony. What do you recommend?
The current watermelon that is growing is about 1 week old and a bit bigger than a baseball
You can reduce vine stress by using lighter colored bags (black is worst) and tarps that dont heat up as much in direct sunlight.
If growing on the weed barrier do you have to have trellis underneath or is it ok just to have the leaves on the barrier?
Does the weed barrior work like melon cradles? Or is that why you have the metal cage under the plant
It looks like my toddler water melons start to get a tiny bit of root rot. What can I do to save them?
Did you plan on the watermelons sitting on the wire fencing or was that an accident!.?
They’re leftover cattle panels that I didn’t get around to using before it got too hot. They don’t serve any purpose.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you! I had that happen to me this year and thought it was a great plan. But then I noticed a cucumber growing in a fence that became too large for the hole! Yikes. Had to break cucumber in half to get it out. 😞. I’m so glad that my watermelon didn’t become stuck too!
Thanks so much for this video! Question though, how many main vines do you grow off of one plant? Do you cut back / prune the other vines? I have one plant with 4 main vines growing out now, wondering if it’s too much? Thanks for the help.
what is the weed barrier you use please, I do not see the link
The weed barrier is linked in my Amazon Storefront. If you expand the video description, you'll find the link to the store under the table of contents. It's listed under GARDEN ACCESSORIES.
Hi...Would you use insect netting to protect from the cucumber beetle?
You certainly could, but that will also block bees. Watermelons require pollination from the male flowers to the female flowers, so if you're going to cover watermelon, you'll have to manually hand pollinate by moving pollen from male flowers to the female flowers.
Love your videos! Quick question, is the panel on top of the fabric to help the vines grab onto? Also do you recommend fabric for pumpkins? Thanks again!
No. They're old cattle panel I never got a chance to install before the heat got too intense. They serve no purpose. The problem with growing squashes like pumpkin on weed barrier is squashes will root along the vine, so while there are advantages to growing pumpkin, zucchini and other squash on weed barrier, it'll prevent rooting along the vines, so if a vine borer gets into the vine, it can kill the entire plant since there won't be rooting taking place along the vines.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much. The only reason I ask is because the wind is crazy strong and my watermelons were planted on bare ground and they didn't have anything to grab on. the wind would blow the vines in all directions breaking some of them. Any suggestions?
Netting them to reduce wind brushing?
Is there a reason you have them growing on top of cattle panel, in addition to the weed barrier fabric?
I am going to use the cattle panel for a project, and I need a place to store it. It's just sitting there for later.
@@TheMillennialGardener Gotcha. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on some secret watermelon growing hack. Thanks!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!
Growing on the black tarp is making the plants a lot hotter during the day. Thats why lots of farms use white. The black is good for weed control
QUESTION:: I planted my watermelon crimson sweet 45 days ago but its been extremely hot here in Florida had some days over 100 degrees i got male flowers no females plants are good and healthy probably 8 foot long vines is the heat a factor!
My watermelon plant had already taken root in my soil without the weed barrier what shall I do?
Oh that's no problem at all. Simply move the vines out of the way, put a tarp down, secure the tarp either with a few heavy rocks or bricks or garden staples so it doesn't blow away, and move the watermelon vines on top of the tarp. Since watermelon vines don't root into the ground, you can move them as you wish as they grow and sprawl.