Preparing soil for watermelons with added special ingredient
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- I show you how I amend my clay soil for growing watermelons.
Products I used in the video (affiliate)
Weed barrier ground cover cloth 6' x 300': amzn.to/2WRmoR6
Weed Barrier ground cover cloth 3' or 4' x 300-Feet: amzn.to/3dE6jEA
500-Count 6-Inch Rust-Free Landscape Staples: amzn.to/3bwxM9g
1000-Count 6-Inch Rust-Free Landscape Staples: amzn.to/2JjjQDA
Cub Cadet 18 in. 208cc Rear-Tine Dual-Direction Gas Tiller: amzn.to/2vWo1C6
50-lb All-Purpose Sand: www.lowes.com/...
Check out our Amazon store (affiliate) and help support our channel for free www.amazon.com... - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
When I start a new garden bed that I plan on growing anything in the cucurbitaceae family (watermelon and other melons, pumpkin, gourds, cucumbers, squash, cantaloupe, etc) I do 40% Soil3 Veggie Mix compost, 30% native soil, and 30% sand). I’m a competitive watermelon grower and grew my largest watermelon yet last year (2023), a 313.5 lb Carolina Cross watermelon and won first place! However, I was 37 lbs off the world record, which would be amazing to accomplish! But yeah, sand is amazing for melons, or anything in the Cucurbitaceae family!
Carrots too!
Wow, you are a super energetic one man farmer.
Surely all the watermelon plants will gladly return the favour with a prolific harvest. Thanks for this great video
Thank you 👍
That music is so pretty- that played while you were tilling everything together:)
I dont need music, jùst info , sorry.
It's funny watching a guy do the exact same thing that I do to make tons of food. Good job, Pete. We are getting nailed with rain and wind right now. About another week before I can do the same. As an aside: Carrots love sandy soil as well. Just make sure to keep it moist at all times or the carrots won't do anything substantial.
Thank for the tip 👍
Nice job as always Pete, I planted potatoes , bell peppers, onions and tomatoes about 5 weeks ago and all doing well so far. This is the first time I have tried the weed barrier cloth and staples and can tell you already I am sold. Very few if any weeds or grasses invading the raised beds which in the past were always an epic battle. I used the blow torch method that you recommended and it worked just fine. Thanks for your help !
Thank you 👍
Here in central WI we're called the Central Sand Plains. We basically have a 2 feet of top soil followed by nothing but sand. Years ago I grew a small garden and most the stuff did okay. But the few watermelon plants I had almost took over the garden. They were big and sweet too. Our well water is great too. Its like having a massive Brita filter in our back yard.
👍
My parents grew up in the 30s, in central Nebraska, just on the southeast corner of the sandhills, melons grow like crazy in sandy soil, they'd have so many that what they couldn't sell to the buyers they'd feed to the hogs.
East Texas has always been good for tasty watermelons.
Can't wait to enjoy them this summer with friends and family.
Glad I found this video. I'm in east coast central FL. about to attempt my 1st watermelon grow. We got sand! Cleared a spot recently for a raised bed just for the melons but may just amend the soil as you have done and transplant directly. Thanks for the advice!
Hahaha....that was to funny how you were walking after plowing !
👍🙂
Lol I do this in my garden! I hate packing the dirt back down after tilling it up.
Tbh, that is some beautiful, nice, rich, and fluffy dirt. 💪
👍
You have done so good job for the farming, watermelons
You grow should appreciate you
U r great people cause using machinery for even small work
LOL! I feel you and can sympathize with the 'John Wayne' gait! Seriously, though, thanks for this! This is great for me, as I am preparing to put my watermelon starts in tomorrow!
Watermelons like sand because they want their roots to dig downward quickly. They kinda race the spring rains down to the soil water line, and they prefer to win that race, so sand helps with getting their roots down
OH MY GOODNESS!!! You made this old grandmama laugh, when you were done tilling the soil!!!! Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed it all. lol lol lol lol lol
👍🙂
Ha, at 7:52 when you start walking back from your rototiller, good stuff. You gave my wife and I a good laugh. A big thanks (for the education and the entertainment) from Maine. 😎
great, i have finally saw what i needed, but i still need to see how to water this plant
Thank you, for my long row, I just lay a soaker hose all the way down the row to water it.
Not really secret… I personally use 40% native soil, 20% sand, 40% compost/vermicompost and rock dust! I grow large watermelons, mainly for fun as a hobby, but have entered a few contests. Personal best is 258.7 lbs and was a Carolina Cross variety.
Where do you get the wood chips, compost, and manuer from?
Thanks!! This was the second youtube of yours that I watched. I needed guidance with my melons. First time to plant 15:30 Still new at gardening. The soil test is important. After two seasons of griwing very little, I had my soil tested to find out I did not have any NITRGEN! Worked to fix that problem, and this past fall, I grew do.e wonderful vegetables. I'm looking forward to a great harvest this spring.
I also live in southeast Texas. How about the need for shade cloth with the melons?
thats good to hear...watermelon should grow perfectly in my garden..thanks for the tip.
I grew up in Northeast Texas (Kilgore). I remember the clay soil, but it was still better than the gumbo we have here outside of Houston! Loved your video.
GREAT video,loved it Pete!Looking forward for your next video!
Thank you 👍
We grew the famous Washington Parish Watermelons 🍉.
" Where to plant watermelons
Grow watermelon in rich, well-drained soil. Planting watermelons on hills or mounds ensures that roots stay warm and that the soil is well drained. Amend the planting area with compost and well-rotted manure. Where you plan to sow seed or set transplants, dig a hole 1 foot (30 cm) deep and 1 foot wide; fill the hole with rich aged compost and manure mixed with several handfuls of sand-the growing spot will be both moisture retentive and well-draining. Add a handful each of rock phosphate (rich in phosphorus), earthworm castings (all-around nutrient-rich), and Epsom salts (rich in magnesium). Use the soil removed from the hole to build a mound on top and rake it flat. Sow seed or set a transplant there. Watermelon roots commonly grow 8 to
Enjoyed your prep for garden, Hope bounty is great.
Thank you 👍
Texas baby. Use to live there. Cade lakes. Best place to grow up.... for part of your life that is. Now I'm saying Michigan baby! Woohoo! Get your gardens ready people! It's tiiiiimmme!
Looking at your fence I'm guessing you have a lot of deer critters. Same thing here in central Texas before I put up a similar fence.
That was funny after you tilled and acted stick in that walk omg lol
Stuck not stick. Lol
😂👍
Charles Dowding intervention time: GO!
GREAT Video! Where you bought your minerals? Thank you...
Thanks for sharing this great information. Very helpful. I did not know about the sand and melons.
Tilling soil’s like riding a horse all day long! Hehe
Full of great ideas, sparked me into action! Thanks!
Horse manure is why you have a weed problem. No matter how well it is composted, it will always have lots of viable seeds. Hoses have a fast digestive cycle and almost every seed eaten comes out still viable and composting doesn't kill nearly enough of them to make it useable in a garden. For pastures it's fine, gardens are a disater waiting to happen with horse manure.
I wouldn't allow any amount of horse manure on my property. There are better alternatives
Cow & rabbit= weed free!
I do agree that the weed problem does persist due to seeds in the composted manure. Remember the episode where the tomatilloes were sprouting from the mobile chicken hut. Recently, I saw a solution called the PYROWEEDER. Prior to tilling the composted manure under the soil, flame the soil. Even with the short exposure of the flame, the cell walls of the seeds will burst. Therefore, weeds are virtually eliminated.
It makes a great manure tea!
Actually, growing a garden in a newly tilled area of the lawn is a major reason for weeds.
How do I know that?
Because I have seeded our gardens in newly tilled lawn areas for the past 3 years, enlarging the garden each year.
The weeds and grass are UNBELIEVABLE. I have a 30' × 16' plot that has been used 3 years in a row. I planted corn there this year and EVERY 8th inch was consumed with grass and weeds. I just spent 2 weeks carefully weeding in between each row and corn stalk. The grass will grow, and some weeds, wherever there are any fibers of root in the soil. And, weed seed can blow in the wind relentlessly ... like dandelions.
Enjoyed the video and watching you work. You did a lot of had work for owning a tractor but you are somewhat of a perfectionist and that is part of why I like watching and copying your ideas.
Thank you 👍
While sand is preferred by everyone, it’s not sand that they like, it’s that the roots can move a lot easier in it and the more roots, the more established, the faster growth you have since the roots can reach the fertilizer better. I personally use peat moss, black cow compost and all the reg fertilizers they need. Don’t forget the 10-10-10 every other week!
If you want to cheat a little and just grow for more food, a new super thrive will help. Don’t use if over 2 years old. It does funny things to your plants. I moved to an area that had a watermelon festival every year and the things they tell me I have to do to have a giant harvest is INSANE!!! Some grow them in sand ALONE! Farmers of course, but damn!!! Those guys are fancy!!!
Use organic chemistry to help break up clay into a fine sandy mixture!
I use garden gypsum. That plus compost did wonders in top 8 inches of my soil.
I still have very heavy clay below that, but I am working on that year by year.
👍
Tufenuff83 How much gypsum. The application rates rates on the bags usually give directions for lawns. Any rough idea what is a therapeutic dose?.
@@vonmajor
I really don't measure.
I add some and wait about a week or 2.
Add some more and mix it into the top soil. It isn't an instant fix, but usually by next season the soil is good and not very clay like.
I didn't add enough to a new section and it is still kinda clayish.
Tufenuff83 thanks. Need to add more to my East Kansas soil.
I live in East Texas too. Thanks.
Great! Now I have to see how this turned out.
i like watermelons
While everybody else is planting we’ve still got a week or so in Illinois!
ultimateguitarwizard tsk tsk tsk
Great idea to separate the different types of melons.
So, you're just going to lay the drip line on top? I put it underneath the weed barrier last year. Does it matter?
this is really helpful thankyou !
Try some Epsom salt also it should make your watermelons more sweet.
👍
Thanks brotha, just what i was looking for.
We have had great results from the ( M10 Sand (Granite Sand/Dust)
get it at home sores for leveling.
What watermelon and melon varieties did you plant? What is the ration on the amendments used?
About time you trade in that walk behind tiller and get the tiller attachment for your tractor....
Best way plant melon hills put in cattle manure when set vines runners, start fruit come back with cotton seed meal feed melon fruit Drip line water plant early day by 9cut off then about 7pm turn on at 10 pm shut off grow sweet heavy melons
Yeah I'd say they love sand. I had a ripe one harvested right off the beach. Wasnt too sweet but still a watermelon 😋
I love those chickens and roosters! Thank for sharing my friend, I am trying to grow melons too! I hope they turn out alright!
I got sandy soil. I do notice that melons do good in it. (I do ad lots of compost though)
Any good cover crop options if we prefer not to till?
I enjoyed watching your video, looking forward for your new videos, can’t wait to see the watermelons, My three thumbs up 👍👍👍
Thank you so much!
I like your videos bud I subscribed I love your tractor man I have a sawmill going to get mine soon god bless from ga
Awesome! Thank you!
This was educational and fun! 🙏 thank you
Very new to homesteading. With one watermelon growing to very large sizes, are we supposed to plant that many in a row? I honestly don't know and would have spaced them out 3-6 ft. with my lack of knowledge.
If you're doing one row like I am, then 12 inches apart is good. If you're doing multiple rows, then space the rows at least 6ft apart and space the water melon two to three feet apart.
@@petebeasttexashomesteading Thank you! Looks like a single row is the way to do it then.
Awsome preparation
Thanks
I love how derailed and informative your video is. Thank you for being thorough and sharing? Can you tell me what kind of camera and just as important… what Microphone are you using it sounds awesome and picks up nicely even from afar off. …. East Texas Baby!!!! Hahaha
Thanks, the microphone is the Comica wireless microphone CVM-WM100 plus model. The camera is the Canon EOS M50.
Sorry I think at that time I was using my Canon Vixia HF G20 camcorder which I don't think they make anymore. I now use the Canon eos M50 with a Deity shotgun microphone.
Can you substitute the weed barrier for burlap?
You said 4 different type of melons? Does cross pollinating do or it doesnt matter? Learning here!?😊
@@DANDY1 No it doesn't really matter.
Loved this video 💛💛💛💛
Which potting mix do I use to grow watermelon in buckets?
Link here for follow along videos , Mr Pete??))
Have you ever thought about doing heavy mulching the garden no tilling method ?
I've tried the BTE method and it does not work here. When wood chips break down, it uses nitrogen for that process and all my plants stopped growing and stunted. plus I had so many bugs living in it and on the plants that it devastated all my plants.
There must be a easier way of mixing the ground up without the machine your using it looks like it's not good for your back Sir would it be easier to mix it and then dump it? Could a speaker and some music do it?
Waterproof speakers which maybe could last being underground?
Then the weed control roll could keep it down?
River Sand is the best soil for melons.
Great video, thanks fir shareing
Good idea
Where should I get the soil tested? You forgot to put the link
Yeah, Pete;...You forgot the link for the soil test.
did the "weeds" affect yield.?
Thanks for this video 😊.
Can i use black sand from the beach? cheers from new zealand
I didn't see why not as long as the sand is natural.
i got 2 watermelons from my garden and i grow them in my garden
Are you still planting watermelon and cantaloupe like this?
This year we didn't plant any water melon but yes we will still plant this way because of our clay soil here.
I'd be doing it backwards or is the ground to soft n you'll sink in?
Did you plant a seed in each hole?
Correct
Sweet Pete! Are y’all going to grow 🥜? My peanuts are starting to pop up my okras getting bigger, still waiting on my melons to come up. What variety’s of melons did y’all grow?
Haven't gown any peanuts before but might in the future. I'm growing an ancient watermelon from baker creek and two other varieties that were given to me by friends, one is big and oblong shaped and the other is a dark green shell and round, I'll have to find out from them what type they are. I'm also growing two types of cantaloupes, one is green cantaloupe and the other is your more traditional hybrid yellow cantaloupe.
One sounds like the sugar baby variety. The other one sounds like a Charleston.
Where's U'r, farm? I love growing, Watermelons.
Why not go to a landscape or building supply store & buy sand in bulk? Would it be cheaper buying in bulk than buying in plastic bags?
I only needed a small amount.
Which area in east Texas?. I am from the Athens area.
Hey. Glad I stumbled into your channel. Love gardening too but you have a virtual farm. Love that mahindra!!! Looks like your wife is a filipina?? Mine too. All 4’-11”
The sand and clay doesn't make cement?
Sand and clay alone yes, but remember that I have tons of compost and manure mixed in too.
Is it possible to grow watermelon in shaded areas?
Probably won't do as well but you will get some as long as it warm enough.
Good job also very informative with step by step instructions. Question how are your fruit trees doing?
Thank you, I've lost all my figs this winter from the few nights of cold we had and some apricot and cherry trees maybe because of too much rain. 🙁
Howdy Pete! lol!
Howdy 🙂
Ride em Cowboy with that rototiller !!!!!
Manure is no secret!
Cucurbits don't like wet feet. Sand makes great drainage.
Hello, I just found your channel and I love your passion, and also the way you teach. I started growing my own veggies last year and I love it. I'm a new grower and have tons to learn. My question is, if I'm putting compost and manure in my old gardening soil, do I need to add Azomite and Fertilizer? Also the minerals your using, is it something we can buy in the store's?
Thank you, Azomite minerals can be purchased at most nurseries. I would suggest adding both Azomite and fertilizer in the beginning of the year and just add organic fertilizer through out the year after that. You can search at there website for the closest place to buy Azomite. azomite.com/azomite-home-page/where-to-buy-azomite-trace-mineral-products/
Hello pete new to your channel, so what kind of manure do you use? Is it from your own animals, i tend to use rabbit for my plants
I get local composted horse manure delivered to me. I'm working on a compost pile now using hay, leaves and chicken manure.
I want rabbits - they’re on the list.
What kind of sand did you use?
I think it was regular play sand.
Dehydrated not g vertical? Too hot?
Very thorough thanks!
-N
Thank you
"Watermelon roots commonly grow 8 to 10 or more inches deep; the hole and mound become a reservoir of moisture and nutrients."
Awesome video always well produced..can't wait to see the melons 🍈❤️
Thank you, me too 🙂
Pete: where are you getting your composted horse manure? I live in the Jacksonville, TX area and I’m not having any luck finding composted horse manure, cow manure or chicken litter in my area. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
The guy I get it from is out of Lukin, not sure how far he will go but you can call him "Jarrod Wood dirt work" 936-676-5232 tell him Pete the guy on TH-cam told you to call him.
Thanks Pete. I’ll give him a call, but my guess is that if he’s coming out of Lufkin, probably won’t be cost effective to have him come to Jacksonville. Thanks for the info though. Really enjoy your channel.
Because watermelons don't like a lot of water. That is why they like the sand. It helps the excess water drain away rather than drowning them
Love the propane hole idea and love your video.enjoyed listening and learning thanks
what did mama corn say to baby corn weres pop corn
thanks for the video.. but it would make too much sense to just put all those barriers together and only have to cut one extra for the remaining open space... or leave it as you did and not even add extra barrier