Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Watermelons
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Planting
When to Plant Watermelons
- In cool climates with short growing seasons, start seeds indoors 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost date. Plan to transplant seedlings into the garden about 2 weeks after that date or when the soil has warmed to at least 65°F (18°C).
- In warmer climates with long growing seasons, sow seeds directly outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after your last frost date, as long as the soil temperature has warmed to at least 65°F (18°C).
- Young watermelon plants can also be bought from nurseries. Plant these after there is no longer a chance of frost; they are very tender. Watch the local forecast and err on the side of caution! Consider laying black plastic over your planting area to warm the soil even more.
- Tip: Starting with young plants can result in an earlier harvest (usually up to 2 weeks earlier), so consider buying young plants, particularly if you live in a cooler climate.
Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site
- Amend soil with aged manure, seaweed, and/or compost before planting. Watermelons are heavy feeders, meaning they need soil that is fertile and has a high nutrient level. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
- Watermelons do best in loamy, somewhat sandy, well-drained soil. They can struggle in soil that contains too much clay and doesn’t drain well.
- Watermelons prefer a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.5 (“slightly acidic to neutral”).
- Watermelons need A LOT of space—up to 20 square feet per plant. Their vines need room to sprawl, so plant them in a place where they won’t crowd out other crops.
- Growing the vines in raised rows, known as hills, ensures good drainage and will hold the sun’s heat longer.
- Plan to space the plants 2-3 feet apart in a 5-foot-wide hill.
- If you’re growing in traditional rows, space them at least 6 feet apart.
How to Plant Watermelons
- Sow seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep outdoors or 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in seed-starting pots indoors.
- Tip: To allow for more root growth, use larger starting pots than you would for most seeds. Also, consider using compostable pots that can be cut away or planted directly in the garden, as this will minimize the risk of damaging seedlings’ tender roots during transplanting.
- If direct seeding outdoors, sow 4 to 6 seeds per hill, eventually thinning to 2 to 3 seedlings.
Transplanting Seedlings
- Handle watermelon seedlings with extreme care when you transplant. Their roots are very fragile, so try not to disturb the soil when removing them from pots.
- After transplanting, cover the plants with row covers to keep pests at bay. Remember to remove the row covers when you see both male and female flowers on the vine, as pollinators will need to access the flowers.
- Find even more tips for planting melons in your home garden.
Growing
Watering Watermelons
- Watering is very important—from planting until fruit begins to form. While melon plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of water per week.
- Keep soil moist, but not waterlogged. Water at the vine’s base in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering. Reduce watering once fruit are growing. Dry weather produces the sweetest melon.
Fertilizing
- If you choose to fertilize (and many do), make sure it delivers more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium, as this will encourage leaf and vine growth. However, after flowering begins, use a fertilizer with less nitrogen to instead encourage flowers and fruit. We like to use a seaweed-based fertilizer.
Flowering and Fruiting
- Vines produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant. They often begin producing male flowers several weeks before the females appear. Do not be concerned if the male flowers fall off. The female flowers (which have a swollen bulb at the base) will stay on the vine and bear fruit.
- Blossoms require pollination to set fruit, so be kind to the bees! Learn how to support pollinators in your garden.
- As the fruit is ripening, prevent rotting by gently lifting it and putting cardboard or straw between the fruit and the soil.
General Watermelon Care Tips
- Mulching with black plastic or straw around the plants will serve multiple purposes: it will warm the soil, hinder weed growth, and keep developing fruits off the soil.
- Pruning generally isn’t necessary for watermelon plants, but vine productivity may be improved if you do not allow lateral (side) vines to grow and stick to the main vine. When the plant is young, just cut off the end buds as they form (before the side shoots become vines). You can also pinch off some blossoms to focus the energy on fewer melons (though it’s challenging to kill off a potential fruit).
- ‘Sugar Baby’: 80 days to maturity. Produces 10-pound melons with bright red flesh. This variety of smaller fruit can be planted just 4 feet apart.
- ‘Sweet Beauty’: 80 days to maturity. A 2004 All-America Selection. Bears 6-pound, oblong melons with red flesh.
- ‘Golden Midget’: 70 days to maturity. Bears petite, yellow-skinned 3-pound melons with pink flesh. Good for Northern gardeners.
Catherine Boeckmann
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Last year I had a patch of watermelon. It did not do well because it didn't get watered. This year, the area where the watermelon grew is thick with plants that look like watermelon plants but I did not think they regrew. I know we did not have much of a winter so I was wondering if it is possible that these are watermelon plants--or, just weeds that look like watermelon. Any advice?
These are weeds. Watermelons’ biggest issue is actually weed control and it’s important to pull the weeds so that your watermelon is not forced to compete for necessary water and nutrients. Perennial grasses that grow in the watermelon patch can be difficult to control so you need to stay on top of them. Before you plant, dig up all weeds with a hoe. You can’t do this later or you’ll damage the vines of the melon. Also, put mulch between the plants to keep the weeds down. Finally, plant multiple melons far apart so you can get between the plants to weed easily.
In his name the most high.
I am very grateful with your writing and I find it very useful not to only me, but to all nation. But my only problem is where can I get such hybrid seed in Nigeria. God bless u
now my watermelon is a bigger stems,when i cut a weeks
pls send me the details on how to plant water melon
I sprayed malasol on my watermelon garden 10days ago, because there were flies, ants, works and other insects on the leaves and fruit and some watermelon began to rot.
Now I want to know if it is safe to eat those that are ripe and others still growing?
We would recommend that you contact the manufacturer of Malasol. If you still have the container, check the directions—it may have a number that you can call. Malasol is made by Efekto, which is based in South Africa.
You can find more information about Malasol here: http://www.efekto.co.za/shop/protection/garden-protection/garden-protection-insecticides/malasol/
Contact info here: http://www.efekto.co.za/contact/
Good luck!
i am growing my watermelon inside and i want FRUIT but i also dont want bees flying everywhere so can you tell me how to pollinate it your self?
Watermelons have male and female flowers. The male flowers have a stamen in the center with a sort of wavy anther at the top which holds the yellow powdery pollen. Female flowers have a center piece, the top of which is called a stigma; you should see a small swelling at the base of the flower where the fruit will form once pollinated (males do not have this—they have just plain straight stems). Select a male flower whose anther is full of mature yellow pollen. Dab a small, dry paintbrush (or a cotton swab) against the anther to get some pollen onto the brush. Then brush the paintbrush against the stigma of a female flower that is fully open and at peak. Some gardeners instead like to snip off the male flower, remove its petals (male only), and then dust pollen onto the female flower directly with the male flower; one male flower can pollinate about 3 or 4 female flowers. Keep in mind that male flowers sometimes open a little earlier in the growing season than female flowers. Also, each female flower is open for only one day, so you need to keep an eye out for them. Hand pollinate in the morning for best success. Good luck!
frist of all ,I tell to you great thanks !I hope you are well or be young in your life ...
I am samir from india county , we cultivation as large scale since 2015 , in my farm house the groundwater in some salt ,or it not compare such as rain water ..
we growing local veraity of watermelon In jun or julai because in that day rainning start ,
but as I get some idea ,if I make ready fruits in hot summer .
so I have perchage suger baby watermelon seeds , how I germinate it before planting , if I take in water for up to 30 hours ???
here is now weather is 10 to 27 °C .
now I can planting outdoor directly or indoir because after one month temperature will it low 22 or high is 40
plz advise me because its very important for me , my whatsapp ++919649655002 thanks
