Lurking in the Shadows
I’ve been admiring the size of the watermelon vines I have planted in the biggest pot you’ve ever seen on my back patio area. The vines are starting to overtake everything else growing in the post around them.
Last week I noticed a small melon lurking in the shadows. I’m hoping the weather warms up enough for it to ripen. I put it up on a black plastic flower pot, I’ve heard that helps with ripening.
This is my first year growing watermelons, I saw them at the greenhouse and I figured for $1.15 I’d see how they grew in my gardens.
Anyone have any great tips for growing melons or do you just enjoy eating the ones someone else grows?
Filed under Edible | Comments (8)
Not that I am an expert, but based on my experiences:
1) Water, a lot. Melons seem to be water hogs.
2) Patience – I always seem to get in a hurry and harvest the first one early and its wasted.
What kind of melons are those?
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I stay away from melons most years. We usually don’t get enough heat to make it worthwhile for the space they need.
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One year we dug up the garden in the summer, and found a bunch of soft-ball sized watermelons from the previous season hiding in the dirt. We cut them open, and surprisingly they were still good (and delicious). It was pretty weird.
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Melons are way too hard to grow in my current climate, but previously when I was living and gardening in sunny/warm central Washington – I used to grow them every year. Good draining soil well amended soil. lots of irrigation, and a couple of side dressings of a balanced fertilizer blend throughout the growing season. Lots of heat and a long summer growing season.
Lucious abundance of melons was the result. Sadly, I am missing htose last (and most crucial) element s of heat and a long summer growing season.
to KitsapFG's comment
I would just have to echo the tip: patience. I picked on this week and it tasted great but it was just slightly early. The rest of the vine was beginning to look iffy so I took it early. It was good, it was mostly ripe but could have gone a few days longer. ‘Moon and Stars’ heirloom. Saved seeds!
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Watermelons have such interesting leaves. I keep hope the heat that we have had the last few days will stay for the rest of summer for my melons. I like this area you have set up, the pots and gravel look great.
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I love the way the play hide and seek. I just found a new one hiding in the vine today.
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Mmmmm..I love to grow my own. We have actually eaten about 4 watermelons so far from the garden…and just this afternoon I picked 5 cantaloupes. I cant wait to cut into one and see how it tastes….if the smell is any indication then they will be super YUM.
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