OK, I"ve tried doing this a few times. they come up and then they die. I have not had any trouble growing any type of seedling ever. I even tried direct sowing and same thing. they come up, then they die. do watermelons just have different requirements than all the other seedlings? my kids desperately want watermelon plants this year and I said I'd try one more time.
I also got those mini musk melons... are those requirements the same as watermelons?
That's the thought that popped into my head.GardenRN wrote:...
Just noticed you're in maine. Maybe you don't have the heat? They love heat!
Maybe you should try warming the soil before planting. In the area where you want to grow the melons, you might try removing any mulch to expose the soil, and then place glass or clear plastic over that spot for a week or so (or longer if you don't have several sunny days).
Depending on the temps, you might also want to keep some floating row cover over the plants (for a while), to hold in some extra heat.
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applestar
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Describe to us how you go about growing them and under what kind of conditions -- temp, light etc.
Fwiw, like most cucurbits, watermelons dislike their roots crowded or disturbed, and seed should be sown in largish pot -- at least 4" deep minimum, though 6" deep would be better. Extra care is needed when transplanting, but it sounds like your seedlings didn't get that far.
In older and some gardening books, using peat pots is almost always recommended, but I'm sure you've seen the long list and loudly voiced objections to those pots around here. I think larger containers, not starting them too early, and transplanting before the roots come in contact with the container so you can slip out the seedling with buffer soil intact are primary keys to success. That and good watering before and after transplanting.
Other option is to direct sow after warming the garden bed first. ...Oh! Just noticed far merlon has got in ahead of me with details on that
Make sure to choose earlier maturing varieties.
ETA -- and you got a post in ahead of me as well! I really should refrain from writing a novella each time! I'd be most curious to find out how your neighbor grows his/her watermelons and what variety. How do they taste?
Fwiw, like most cucurbits, watermelons dislike their roots crowded or disturbed, and seed should be sown in largish pot -- at least 4" deep minimum, though 6" deep would be better. Extra care is needed when transplanting, but it sounds like your seedlings didn't get that far.
In older and some gardening books, using peat pots is almost always recommended, but I'm sure you've seen the long list and loudly voiced objections to those pots around here. I think larger containers, not starting them too early, and transplanting before the roots come in contact with the container so you can slip out the seedling with buffer soil intact are primary keys to success. That and good watering before and after transplanting.
Other option is to direct sow after warming the garden bed first. ...Oh! Just noticed far merlon has got in ahead of me with details on that
Make sure to choose earlier maturing varieties.
ETA -- and you got a post in ahead of me as well! I really should refrain from writing a novella each time!
I'd be most curious to find out how your neighbor grows his/her watermelons and what variety. How do they taste?maybe my house just isn't warm enough then.
and yes, they never got that far. like I said before, they get an inch tall and then go kaput. but my neighbor grows hers indoors until they're big and then transfers them outside.
I just ordered a variety called: Sugar Baby. the description said that it is early enough to grow anywhere. and it was pinetree seeds and they're local for me so I figured they must grow them.maybe I'm wrong!
so, Iguess this time I should make a mini greenhouse for it and put it under the lights that way and hopefully that will help? they always sprout. but they always die not long after sprouting. I guess heat is the issue then.
and yes, they never got that far. like I said before, they get an inch tall and then go kaput. but my neighbor grows hers indoors until they're big and then transfers them outside.
I just ordered a variety called: Sugar Baby. the description said that it is early enough to grow anywhere. and it was pinetree seeds and they're local for me so I figured they must grow them.maybe I'm wrong!
so, Iguess this time I should make a mini greenhouse for it and put it under the lights that way and hopefully that will help? they always sprout. but they always die not long after sprouting. I guess heat is the issue then.
I'm in Maine also, in Raymond.
Watermelons love heat.
Last year I sowed Sugar Baby seeds directly in my community garden row with their pointy tips down on June 7th. 3 seeds every 6 feet apart (9 seeds).
I placed gallon milk jugs over each group of 3 with the bottoms cut out and the caps removed to gather some heat.
When they germinated, I cut away all but the strongest plant in each place so I had 3 vines.
When the plants were growing up and looking healthy, I removed the gallon jugs.
I got 4 lovely watermelons that were actually larger than expected. A couple got over 10 lbs and the others 7 and 8 lbs. They avg around 7-8 lbs normally. All were sweet and tasty.
The others on the vine that were growing didn't have time to mature before it got too cold again.
I understand that I should have cut the vines off beyond the larger melons that were still green so that they could put energy into maturing the few others I wanted to finish.
This year I intend to take a photo opportunity for my blog to get a step by step of their growth as well as written instructions before planting time. It was a fun experience and the grandkids loved the melons.
I'll be doing it again this year.
Yours probably needed more heat during the cooler weather.
Watermelons love heat.
Last year I sowed Sugar Baby seeds directly in my community garden row with their pointy tips down on June 7th. 3 seeds every 6 feet apart (9 seeds).
I placed gallon milk jugs over each group of 3 with the bottoms cut out and the caps removed to gather some heat.
When they germinated, I cut away all but the strongest plant in each place so I had 3 vines.
When the plants were growing up and looking healthy, I removed the gallon jugs.
I got 4 lovely watermelons that were actually larger than expected. A couple got over 10 lbs and the others 7 and 8 lbs. They avg around 7-8 lbs normally. All were sweet and tasty.
The others on the vine that were growing didn't have time to mature before it got too cold again.
I understand that I should have cut the vines off beyond the larger melons that were still green so that they could put energy into maturing the few others I wanted to finish.
This year I intend to take a photo opportunity for my blog to get a step by step of their growth as well as written instructions before planting time. It was a fun experience and the grandkids loved the melons.
I'll be doing it again this year.
Yours probably needed more heat during the cooler weather.
Last edited by quiltbea on Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm trying to post a picture of my largest Sugar Baby which was 14lbs.
[img]https://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n191/quiltbea/09-01-10WatermelonsugarBabyweighsover14lbsFromRCGarden.jpg[/img]
I don't know why my pics are always so small, but you get the idea, I'm sure. This was soooo sweet and tasty. It was the first harvested on Sept 1st and devoured quickly.
[img]https://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n191/quiltbea/09-01-10WatermelonsugarBabyweighsover14lbsFromRCGarden.jpg[/img]
I don't know why my pics are always so small, but you get the idea, I'm sure. This was soooo sweet and tasty. It was the first harvested on Sept 1st and devoured quickly.
I'm not far from you, so this is good news. I will definitely take your tips. so, at some point I should cut the vine to stop growing and let it focus on ripening the fruit?applestar,
Yes they are thumbnails because the instructions were to go to photobucket and that site makes your pix into thumbnails.
Is there another site I should use to post my photos so they'll be larger?
Sheesh,
Once you have a couple of fruits forming on the vine, you can cut off any more vines on that same plant that try to produce new fruits so the energy can go to growing those already there. That's what I've read this spring and which I was not aware of til reading same.
Yes they are thumbnails because the instructions were to go to photobucket and that site makes your pix into thumbnails.
Is there another site I should use to post my photos so they'll be larger?
Sheesh,
Once you have a couple of fruits forming on the vine, you can cut off any more vines on that same plant that try to produce new fruits so the energy can go to growing those already there. That's what I've read this spring and which I was not aware of til reading same.
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DoubleDogFarm
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Looking at you photobucket, photo album, all your pictures are small. They all seem to be about 100 x 75. As far as I know, Photobucket doesn't change the image size when uploading. What size is the original picture on your computer? It also could be a camera setting.
I have about 800 picture on Photobucket.
Eric
I have about 800 picture on Photobucket.
Eric
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applestar
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Your camera/phone automatically creates thumbnails. When photo files are uploaded to the computer, they're saved in a different directory/folder from the actual photo files. When uploading to Photobucket, if you accidentally choose the thumbnail directory/folder, you'll end up with the little files. The file sizes (as in Kbytes) are smaller too so that's another way to spot them.
Otherwise, Photobucket DOES have the option to specify/limit photo file size you upload. It's not very likely but you *may*have it set to the smallest size.
Sorry this is all very OT, but it may be helpful.
Otherwise, Photobucket DOES have the option to specify/limit photo file size you upload. It's not very likely but you *may*have it set to the smallest size.
Sorry this is all very OT, but it may be helpful.
applestar,
I'm testing a photo that was larger that I unloaded into Photobucket.
Here it is:
They still come out small and this was over 1024 KBytes which I changed it to in photobucket. I guess I'm still doing something wrong.
[img][img]https://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n191/quiltbea/09-03-10RCGWatermelonsSugarBabies758and15lbsfrttoback.jpg[/img][/img]
Sheesh,
here are three others I harvested last year from the Sugar Baby watermelon vines. They were all very tasty, ranging from 7 1/2 lbs to 15 lbs.
I'm testing a photo that was larger that I unloaded into Photobucket.
Here it is:
They still come out small and this was over 1024 KBytes which I changed it to in photobucket. I guess I'm still doing something wrong.
[img][img]https://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n191/quiltbea/09-03-10RCGWatermelonsSugarBabies758and15lbsfrttoback.jpg[/img][/img]
Sheesh,
here are three others I harvested last year from the Sugar Baby watermelon vines. They were all very tasty, ranging from 7 1/2 lbs to 15 lbs.
applestar,
After I download my photo at Photobucket,
I click on the box underneath that states Img. It will say 'copied' in the box.
I come here and from the list across the top I click on Img.
It will put the letters IMG in my post and then I click on Edit above and then Paste and the picture jumps into the post.
What am I doning wrong?
quiltbea
I'm off to bed. My mind is too tired right now and I have to rise early tomorrow.
After I download my photo at Photobucket,
I click on the box underneath that states Img. It will say 'copied' in the box.
I come here and from the list across the top I click on Img.
It will put the letters IMG in my post and then I click on Edit above and then Paste and the picture jumps into the post.
What am I doning wrong?
quiltbea
I'm off to bed. My mind is too tired right now and I have to rise early tomorrow.