Watermelon Help
I have planted watermelon for the last 3 years. Every year, I never get any. They die when they are seedlings. What always happens is I transplant them when they are young. They do nothing for about a week, and then they get cracks going verticaly up and down the stem. Many people think this is because of animals or bugs. I check for bugs night and day, and spray the plants with bug killer. I don't think animals are the problem either, because the leaves are ok and the cracks are too small. If anyone can offer some advice, it would be a great help!
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lillgardnr
- Senior Member
- Posts: 168
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:12 pm
- Location: El Dorado, CA.
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lillgardnr
- Senior Member
- Posts: 168
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:12 pm
- Location: El Dorado, CA.
how often do you water? do you water in the mornings or evenings? thats definitely a head scratcher 
Last edited by lillgardnr on Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm wondering if you are watering at the wrong time. I understand that squashes are finicky creatures (growing honeydew melons myself) and like alot of water. I think it maybe a problem similar to tomatoes where the skin splits. Ultimately the plant doesnt get enough water at the right time, they dry during the day, are given water at night and grow. the skins don't expand with the internal growth and ultimately crack. I'm thinking at night the plant absorbs the water because it needs it, fueling the internal growth of fluids and cracks the stems?krist wrote:I water only in the evening, every day that it's sunny and hot.
I water my plants in the morning, at around 5:30-6am (I'm getting old don't you know - probably a bladder thing
) with a good soaking taking into account the morning dew. This allows the early morning sun and heat to gently dry the leaves removing the chance of sunscald. By 8 or 9am everyone is dry and has enough water for the day. (Incidently I also have an in ground soaker hose that goes of for about 1 minute between the hours of 12pm and 3pm, hourly, to ensure that plants are getting water in the heat of the day. My melons are flourishing, but I'm still waiting for the female flowers to populate so I can pollinate with the males)