Watermelon Planting - The Complete Guide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2023
- All About Planting Watermelons! This guy is a bit of a tricky one, not going to lie. Direct seeding is the best approach, but that only works for zone's 10 or higher. In colder climates and certainly here in Canada, we have to transplant.
So today, let's go over everything that I've come to learn in my 12 years trying to grow watermelons. We'll briefly touch on direct seeding, but the bulk of this video will focus on starting seeds early indoors, and then transplanting outside in the garden in the late spring for a mid-summer harvest. If I can grow watermelons in Canada, you can grow them where you live no problem!
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#watermelon #gardening #gardeningtips
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If I plant them in the middle of an area what size area will i need if it's square
I grew directly from an aged compost heap up a 1.8m fence on a trellis. One watermelon required a fabric net on a metal anchor to the fence while four others thankfully grew toward the ground and rested on the ground. All bar one were amazing. It was the most carefree plant I've grown tbh. I just grew a single plant from that location and had a tonne of watermelon flesh to gobble up. A dream come true
So awesome. Compost-grown plants just perform so amazing sometimes!
Peat pots work too. Before planting I pinch small holes in the pot and remove any part that may be above the soil line to prevent wicking water away. Works great!
Thank you for the tips on watermelon planting in a cooler area of the country.
Right on, you gonna give it a try this year?
Oh man so we’re in zone 9b Florida, I direct sowed but in May. Our summers reach to late September and we don’t start seeing true fall till mid of October. Let’s see 😅
Perfect watermelon growing climate!!
Learned a lot thanks from qld Australia 😊
Awesome thank you from Coffs Harbour NSW Australia 🦘
Cheers, thanks so much for watching!
So cool! I went to coffs harbour once to visit with some folks. Cute town. Huybrecths I think the family name was?
TIP: cotton make up removal pads fit well as a quasi-mulch for cups.
You can lift using tweezers to check progress.
You can cut using sterilized scissors to allow the seedling to surface.
I use this method.
ANOTHER TIP: those plastic containers moulded to hold several cupcakes or muffins act as great micro-greenhouse
Thanks for the tips!!
I have some growing on a trellis now!! 2 sugar baby and 2 crimson sweet
Right on! Can't wait until harvest time!
@@TheRipeTomatoFarmsare these Chinese watermelon varieties or American.? And which watermelon varieties are best in taste, size and disease resistant.?
How did you support Melons with trellis? Tryin watermelon for the first time and am trellising...
That’s what I’m growing
5 STARS THANKS
Omg I was making the same mistakes too 😂 Thank you for all the priceless but short suggestions. We appreciate you sharing the good and the fails
Best of luck this year Lisa!
@@TheRipeTomatoFarmswhat that black bag called. I need 1. Where do I buy it?
Thanks for this! I saw this and planted my watermelons yesterday and they still look happy!
I had started them in plastic pots so I did my best to be gentle with them. Filled the planting hole with potting mix like you suggested and then made their perfect shaped hole by filling around a pot and then I could carefully slip them into their perfect holes. Fingers crossed they’ll be happy all season!
Thanks!
It's been a while since you commented this and I'm curious how it worked out for you. I'm planning on trying sugar babies this year
I'm curious too
love that you recap ! wicked important
Perfection,very well illustrated.Thank you.
I have SO many watermelon seedlings! I'm looking forward to this video😁👍
Right on Elizabeth, still in pots? When is planting time for you?
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms still in sprouting tray! JUST germinated. I'm in northern Mass. We had late freeze warnings so that's slowed down moving stuff out to start new seeds.... How I have long enough grow season!
@@sugarmuffin319 Oh yeah, super late start this year hey? Same here...we has snow as late as April, it was ridiculous. Crazy weather every year now. Best of luck anyways! 🙂
@Elizabeth-gt8ik I'm from Mass too..what variety do u plant? ...
Trying Kajari and Golden Jenny for the first time this year, fingers crossed! I live in Eastern Canada and, so far, was pleased with Blacktail Mountain watermelons. They easily ripen by the end of August, despite seedlings not being planted outside before mid-June.
this was lovely! thanks for the complete guide! im growing some Baby Sugars this year not expecting em to go well but ill be ready for next year for sure!
the best watermelon video, and I have been searching!! Thank you!
Going to try! ThanQ! Warm & long climate here 10a FL
Hi Jeff, great video on lots of useful tips & tricks for melons thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Thanks Christine, and thanks for watching! Hope all is well in your garden this spring! 🙂
I live in a hot climate but the tips in this video are invaluable! 🇨🇦
Thanks Maricel, happy to help!
Excellent informational video.
You're doing a great job bud
❤
Very Very helpful 👏🏾 Thanks
Great idea using the paper pots instead of "peat pots" or plantable pots.
BEST video ever, thank you ❤
Wow, thank you! Happy meloning!!
Great tips, thank you😊
Cheers, thanks for watching!
I love watermelon...even if I am in zone 4b...will just experiment and have fun..,
I add potassium when starting my plants too get lots of blooms then add calcium when I get tiny watermelon make sure too help with pollination even if the bees are out .
I found sugar baby seedlings in Toronto. Planted in a raised bed with a trellis. Grew great, had a dozen watermelon growing, supported by stocking hammocks. Several got to 6-7" diameter, then the fruit all stopped growing, about mid August and the vines started drying. Cutting them open, and they were only a light pink and very seeded as if it had not grown to their full size. Hoping this year will be better
Dang, I've had that happen with melons too. For me, it was early on in my gardening and it was attributed to over watering and poor drainage.
@TheRipeTomatoFarms omg, that might be it! I thought I might have watered too much. I'm also going to invest in amending the soil next month and switch to a bed where the sun can hit the soil as well as the vines. Thank you!!
Great video
Thanks Marcelle! :-)
Just came across this video . Interesting very interesting
Thanks for checking it out carrie! :-)
Jeff. We'd love short vides, . to show progress with more tips. I don't do twit or fb. You are so helpful. Thanks.
Great Video thanks alot
Your planting skills 10/10
But your videography 💯💯
Thanks for sharing
Jesus loves you ❤
:)....too kind!!
👍🤩thank you Jeff.
Cheers, thanks for watching!
I made every single mistake you mention here, attempting to grow watermelons for the first time. The only thing I got right is that I speed germinated the seeds by cutting open the shell, which causes them to germinate in 1-2 days. At least I have hundreds of seeds, as I saved them from a seeded watermelon from the store when they were on sale last summer.
Omg me too😂
FrozenWolf. Hope the seeds you saved works. I'm zone 6b. Payed some pretty money for seeds and we did everything wrong. I just started more in a paper cup but seeds are so tiny and won't try to cut tips. Looking forward to hear your progress in later videos on Jeff's channel. Best of luck and praying for success.
So hard to find seedy watermelon in stores these days. Not many know there's more nutrients in the seeds than the melons
Great and interesting
Cheers, thanks for watching!
Thank you
Cheers kevin!
I hope my will grow thos year thank you patsy from new jersey❤
Make sure, you slow down your watering routine towards the end! As soon as you start, seeing the yellow spot on the bottom, start watering once a week; more than two. Failure to do so, according to split!
100% agreed! I actually slow my watering down for ALL harvests except leafy greens like lettuce and spinach. Not unique to watermelons...
Thanks for the parameters. I was going to ask, "What do you mean, slow down how much?" . I always understood that active growth helped to repel pests and disease.
When we slow down the watering, are we balancing between increased disease susceptibility and better flavor?
For me it always rains for a week straight right around the harvest window 😒
Yes you don’t want dehydration stress. I agree slow down but not too much. Calcium helps with splitting
Aaah, that's why i never grew any.😮, well, thanks a bunch, this one goes to playlist.
I’m experimenting with yellow’s this year. I grew 44 lb crimson sweets last year.
I’m growing crimson sweet this year too it’s just a starter plant right now, I think I may be watering it too much it’s in the ground. Hope they do good.
Started my Klondike, Crimson Sweets and Charleston Grays several weeks ago and the vines are growing beautifully. Can taste them already.
You said zone 10 can direct sow, but where you are in zone 9 there are not enough long summer months? I am in 9b in Florida, and it is hot most of the year. Zone 9 is not a cold climate like I thought you mentioned @ 6;30 time stamp appx.
Yes, it all depends on length of time.... The growing window in other words. Even within the same zones there will be variation.
I'm in zone 8b/9a. Sounds like you are missing something. For 54 yrs I've direct sown. Never had a failure. There isn't that much variation within a zone to make cooler temps a problem for melons. Cordele GA is the watermelon capital. It's 8b. They don't transplant.@@TheRipeTomatoFarms
Awesome watermelon info! I am planting black tail mountain watermelons this year. I’m in zone 8b puget sound. (Hello neighbor) I will follow your instructions if I can find biodegradable paper cups.
Thanks for the informative video; much appreciated. Now, if you wouldn’t mind adding a video about suckers and pruning I’d be the happiest. I have transplant ground growing watermelons growing a bit nuts in my front yard beds. Headed down across the ditch and grassy easement to the street and all over the beds. We’re not exactly sure what we should or should not keep! Zone 7. Help please!
Hi Jeff. Time I just need more of it. Lol. I didn't start my watermelon. I'm in zone 6. It's not 65 over night we haven't really had any Temps above 52, I believe. I'll check, but the problem lies with if I was to start them today, would it be long enough given that they grow for me. Our summers have been lasting ghee at the end of September. I guess rewatch the video again. I don't like bothering you for answer to what may be dumb questions or something you said in your video. So I'm going to run out for some paper cups. And I guess start them with my fingers crossed. I would appreciate it if you had any suggestions. Thanks so much, Jeff. You're one of a kind. Love and God bless❤
Watermelon need a lot of potassium too help with bloom nitrogen helps with leaf production you want blooms also remove side shoots after you get a few watermelon on one vine it helps aid the watermelon too get bigger fruit instead of putting energy into leaves and a bunch of small watermelon.
Definitely...it just gobbles the potassium!
good
I have a couple watermelons grown in my compost bin on my deck. It is growing so well & much better than any I have ever planted on purpose. I haven’t done anything special for them besides adding my normal scraps…I’ve just let them be. So I’ve been hesitant to transplant them🤦🏽♀️. Thinking I may have to start a new compost bin so I can see what happens with them.
that was some wicked editing at 5:50, well at 5:38 through 5:50
Might wanna try honeydew melons as well
Yes I am, this is the second try but I’m in a cooler area, last try it only got to just about fill my hand. This year I’m trying from a seed. Lol
Hey Jeff . They're the baby oh I forget you mentioned them in the video. I should have taken notes. I usually do. I have to check now ..... Bush Sugar babies. . Thanks again
I have over 30 tendersweet orange watermelon seedlings growing now Rey use this info to help thank you
I plan on using a 80L grow bag sitting in a large plastic tub so I get subirrigation and less bugs.
It will be trellised on cattle panel with pantyhose wrapping the fruits and tied to the trellis for support.
I plan on using reconditioned potting soil, amended with chopped fall leaves, Azomite, bone meal, and a little soil sulfur.
Later I will fertilize with Alaska Fish Fertilizer.
Will get first 1/2 to 2/3rd day of sunlight (first part of the day) and shady after that.
Watermelons need constant moisture. Around 3 gallons of water per day.
So subirrigation method should work satisfactorily.
Can you address care points for us ( or me 😋)?
I’m in Florida. I’m trying to research bugs now, as my leaves has little holes in them.
What points to fertilize? Equal parts at early stage, then higher KP 2x before fruiting?
Thank you!! Love following your channel
I wish I had seen this before I started watermelon seeds in red Solo cups. Ran out of room hung a 2 liter soda bottle with craft wire on the side of my shelf. It sprouted before the cups.
edited. I just started more seeds in paper cups. Hi Jeff. We did nothing you did. I got the paper cups still in the wrapper. . Zone 6b and it's 90 degrees manipulation. Governor called a state of emergency. Praying for the best. Our first time for full spectrum and watermelon. Not looking good in a bucket 2's larger than popular sizes. I start few seeds in a cup, just incase I need backup plant. Thank you
It's currently mid Autumn here, and now my melon plants are deciding to fruit up 😅
Sidney BC resident here! Thanks for your amazing videos! When did you transplant your watermelon seedlings this year? I feel like it's still too cold out now!
Have read the seed packet and count back wards. I'm zone 6b and will probably have to use cloth when it gets colder for them to finish ripening. We did a row cover DIY and extended our season last fall for bush beans. It was t 10 degrees warmer in it. Also. Wrapped a potted bell pepper and had peppers in November. Paper chip clips to keep it closed.
After the June July drought we had a downpour today of heavy and drizzly rain. My sugar babies are blooming in big pots outdoors but ready to get moved into the greenhouse should monsoon season continue or with the onslaught of colder nights....i might haul them in tonight to keep them doing well. Flowering with no fruit set yet. East coast of vancouver island Cowichan. Thanks Jeff
Hi Jeff! Can I do the wet paper towel trick in ziplock bag or not? Thank you, take care 😊👩🌾👍
Would you plant cantaloup the same way and can you plant them together?
How long you let the cups soak in tun when seeding before you dump out the extra water? Or do you dump the water at all?
Transplanted sweetheart variety in 7b while night time temps were in the 50F's and direct sowed some in the greenhouse in 5 gallon grow bags.. Never was good at following the rules, guess we'll see if they produce
It's me again thanking you. First time watermelon for us. In the bucket we plan to trellis
Question. . How can we tell when it's ripe. I read comments about yellow spot to slow down watering but it won't have the yellow on the bottom like on the ground.
Before I watched this video today i planted some watermelon seedlings in plastic solo cups, not thinking of the genius paper cup method do you think i still would be able to transplant into a bigger pot?
what do you recommend for fertilizer?
thnx
Hello Joe, from Springfield, Missouri like to video does this videos would you consider it rotating to cantaloupe or honeydew the same way?
Exactly! In fact, just planting canteloupe today!
What type of mulch did you use? Is it treated mulch?
Man I needed this vid! But what ended up being the secret thing with the tendrils? I don't think I caught that.
Do you think the roots push the bottom of the cup out once the glue gets wet?
I have 3 minilove watermelon plants growing in the same 3L pot in my polytunnel, based in the UK. They're coming along nicely and have been in there 1 month now. First time growing them and I didn't realise transplanting would be an issue until watching your video. Now i'm worried how I'll get them out now without causing too much transplant shock when moving into their own grow bags later this month when the weather picks up 😅
Would adding microrhyzomes to soil ease transplant shock??
WOnt the cups block root growth? they cant possibly break down into the soil that fast?
Will this also work using peat pots or pellets?
What is the mulch that you use? It looks like straw that is chopped up.
Hello, does mulching help with gnats?
Hi Jeff, what date did you plant the seeds in the cups? Thanks! 🙂
You can cup them and keep them inside from later winter. Like 2 weeks before spring...so early March is good. Check your zone though
🪴🍉🪴🍉🪴🍉THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR GARDENING VIDEOS!!!😃👍🏽🙋🏽🔥🙏🏽👑✝️📖🔥🕊️
I just bought some watermelon plant from the store but idk if I can thin out the watermelon plants there are 6 growing out of this 5 gallon container I’m afraid if i separated them now if it will kill them since I see the roots pretty intertwine with each other 😢
Fist time growing watermelon for experiment just threw it in the gound 4 days later it germinated lol. The tested with good soil and natural ground bad soil it all germinated. This was 4 weeks ago still growing... I live in Phx i guess we can grow watermelon all year around i don't know. It's hot here except during the winter temperature can get down to 30F at night but still 75-85 durning the day. Hope i get some harvest of my watermelon lol 🍉
Right on, keep us updated!
Updates: it didn't make it, it grew to 5 inches and died. I am sure it didn't get full sun and not sure if it gets enough water or I watered too much. I am going to try again with Sugar baby this time. That last ones I sow was Dimond black or something like that lol
does melons need prunning ? thank you
😊
What if our nighttime temps always go below 65 degrees? When do we transplant? I live in zone 5 and just started seeds.
I just wait until it gets warmer then...
Can I use the pollen from one cucurbit to another, like from a squash to a watermelon? I don't plan on keeping seeds, I just want watermelon this year haha.I have very little pollinators in my area. I have to hand pollinate almost everything and watermelon flowers are so tiny. Love the video!
Even ants pollenate. lol. Some hornets or wasps do it. Sad to know so many are spraying pollinators. Early flowering plants attract them that are blooming here. Zone 6b. I did not think I could save seeds until I tried.
Only one watermelon variety to another. Sweet melons, cucumbers, squashes are all different species and won't cross-pollinate.
We’re do you get the mesh buckets
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Hi, I am younger gardener who have allotment, I already got melon grew, and put in the greenhouse which is easy but I am currently learning but if it's mistake - i can fix the mistake next time :) but may i ask.. why covering around with straws? i am newbie at garden since almost 2 years its hobby for me
I think I have the sweet dawn leggy seedlings but a bit worried they are growing very slow. It’s been 30 days since I planted them and about 2 weeks since I transplanted the seedlings to my outdoor greenhouse. Still have less that 6 sets of leaves . The summer has been a bit wishy washy here in the uk. I have made sure my soil/compost is fertilised and we’ll watered. HELP!! #beginnergardener
At 5:45 you say youre zone 9. How is that a short growing season? I thought you were like zone 3 in Canada?
Yup, but actual warm enough temperatures safe for watermelon plants are 3 months, tops. Still could get snow in April here and once September hits, night time lows drop like crazy. There's ZERO commercial watermelon growers here for a reason...
Have you had any luck with cowpots or similar biodegradable pots? Or does this just work with cups?
I've used paper towel rolls and newspaper pots as well....paper cups were just easier for the video... :-)
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms
What about peat pots or root trainers?
what month is best to grow watermellon
Hi......If the nightime lows are not consistently above 18-degrees celsius, will it be better to grow them under row cover or a layer of plastic?
It definitely won't hurt...they are tropical after all.
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Thanks...Do you suggest a layer of row cover as well, to protect from insects? For both row cover and plastic, best to wait until they are pollinated?
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Missing out on the direct sunlight will not be an issue, if they are covered? The extra heat is more important, especially here in Toronto, Canada?
Ive never had transplant issues with watermelon or cantaloupe...is this really a thing?
I am waiting for the temperature to change in California. It has been in the 50s at night and now it looks like is going to be raining next week. I guess I will continue to wait :(
Are seeded watermelons more nutritious and sweeter than the seedless types?
❤
First time growing Sugar baby watermelons and my first tiny melon that finally came up is turning yellow, I water twice a week and they are in the ground, why? I’m in zone 8 temps are in the high 80’s now.