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RogueRose
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Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 4:28 pm
Location: Buffalo, NY

Yellowing Watermelons

I've never had much luck with watermelons...the last time I tried to grow them they got big then cracked. I gave up for a year and then after talking to a friend who said I need better drainage and water retention because they were probably getting stressed, I tried again.

The soil is a mixture of cow compost, potting soil, and our local clay. I added grit to help with the drainage issue. I have corn and watermelon growing together - plus a bean here and there (I threw those in last minute because I honestly think they wouldn't grow).

Anyway, not all the vines, but some of them are yellowing a bit and the fruit just forms yellow. Anyone have any idea why? My friend said they might be getting too much water, so I held off watering them. Of course now we're getting torrential downpours.

Do they need some sort of amendment or supplement I can add? I do have one melon that is not yellowing and growing nicely....so not all are like that.

Maybe the corn is blocking them from getting enough sun?

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I think the yellowing baby fruit just didn't get pollinated.
I was hand pollinating mine until the bumblebees picked up their activity.
I'm also finding yellowing leaves -- usually seems to be the oldest and smallest and/or largest. I'm clipping them off along with any suspiciously ailing leaves.

I also just gave them (and the corn and the squash and the tomatoes) some supplemental fertilizer in case they are running low.

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RogueRose
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Posts: 563
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 4:28 pm
Location: Buffalo, NY

applestar wrote:I think the yellowing baby fruit just didn't get pollinated.
I was hand pollinating mine until the bumblebees picked up their activity.
I'm also finding yellowing leaves -- usually seems to be the oldest and smallest and/or largest. I'm clipping them off along with any suspiciously ailing leaves.

I also just gave them (and the corn and the squash and the tomatoes) some supplemental fertilizer in case they are running low.
Thanks applestar. That could be it since they are small and don't seem to be growing. I have been hand-pollinating when I can get into it. Me missing one or two is highly probably. Most of the leaves are healthy except for the yellow ones (which are "older" ones.



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