Watermelon

Planting Watermelon and General Gardening Information for piedmont NC

What you will need to create a Community Garden:

• Area– Pick a spot outside with, at minimum of 6 to 8 hours or more of direct sunlight. It’s better to have morning sunlight and shade in the afternoon sun. This prevents damage to the plant from the sun.

• Soil– You need a well-drained soil (potting soil/mix) with a compost of some sort.

Important Growing Information

• Planting Months-
  • Sow seeds inside late March through Mid-April. Check your seed package for exact time for that specific variety.
  • Transplant outside Mid-April through June.

• Sowing Seeds and Transplanting–
  • Sow seed indoors, there are many ways to do this but I will give you a brief description:
    • You need a seed starting soil, seed tray with lid, and heating pad/or grow light.
    • I would soak the seeds in water and put them in a dark place for 24 hours before sowing.
    • Put soil in trays then bury 1 to 2 seeds per hole an ½ inch deep.
    • Water soil until moist but not soaking.         
    • Set tray on heating pad or under grow light.
    • Soil temperature should be 75 to 85 degrees.
    • Place lid on top of tray and make sure there are vent holes in the lid for air circulation.
    • Continue to keep soil moist throughout the germination process.
    • Once the seed germinates (emerges from soil) they will need sunlight or a grow light. They will need 6 to 8 hours of daily light. Also, remove the lid from your tray.
    • Before transplanting outside make sure the plants have 2 to 3 true leaves on it and no more than 4 weeks old.
    • Make sure you put the plants outside make sure the average daily temperature is above 65°F consistently (after the last frost of the season) and they must be hardened.

• Hardening Process-
• Gradual Exposure:
• Day 1-2: Place the seedlings outdoors for a couple of hours in a shady, protected spot.
• Day 3-5: Gradually increase the amount of sunlight the plants receive each day, working up to 6 hours of direct sunlight.
• Days 8-10 (or until transplanting): Continue to increase sun exposure until the plants can tolerate full sun for the entire day.
• Watering: 
• Reduce the frequency of watering during hardening off, but don’t let the plants wilt. This encourages deeper root growth.
• Monitoring:
• Regularly check your seedlings for signs of stress like wilting, leaf discoloration, or sunburn. Bring them indoors or protect them with row covers if temperatures drop below their minimum tolerance levels or if strong winds are forecast.
• Transplanting:
• Once your seedlings are hardened off (typically 7-14 days), transplant them into your garden or container. Choose a cloudy day if possible to reduce heat stress. Water the plants well after transplanting. 

• Transplanting outside–
  • Dig a hole and mix fertilizer in the bottom of the hole. Do it on a cloudy day or evening (avoid direct sunlight). Then water well.
  • Spacing should be 6 to 8 ft apart, but check your seed packet for exact distance. Spacing depends on variety.

• Watering–
  • Water 2 to 3 times a week.
  • They like moist soil.
  • Always check soil with the full length of your finger before watering.
  • On 90°F plus days check soil, it can dry out quickly.
  • Water in the morning around 7am or before. This is preferred but you can water in the evening when sunlight is not directly on the plants.
  • Taper off watering about two weeks before harvesting to sweeten up your watermelon.

• Fertilizing–
  • Get a good all-purpose fertilizer or any you prefer. Read instruction for how much and apply every 2-3 weeks. Make sure you water it.

• Pruning–
  • You can prune if your vines are going rampant. After the main vine gets over 8-10 ft you can trim back the main vine.
  • Rule of thumb you should have 1-2 watermelons per plant to maximize fruit and prune the other melons that grow on the vine.
  • Make sure the vine is completely dry before pruning to cut back on disease.  
  • You may also want to sanitize your pruning tools with soap and water to prevent the spread of diseases from plant to plant. (Example-if you know there is powdery mildew on the leaf of one plant and not the other. Prune the non-diseased first then diseased one, after finished sanitize your tools.)

• Harvesting–
  • Check the package for when to harvest based on the type of watermelon planted.
  • Signs to know your watermelon is ready to be harvested: 1. The tendril (pig tail) is brown and dried up. 2. The yellow ground spot, the part of the watermelon that is on the ground should be creamy, buttery yellow color. If the spot is white or still green it’s not ready. 3. When the watermelon is ripe it should not be shiny it should be matte and dull in color. 4. The thump test, this is also super tricky. Thump the watermelon and if it sounds like a deep hollow thud its ready.
  • When the melon is ready cut about ½ inch away from the melon.

Varieties of squash that grow well in NC:

• Good Varieties of Watermelon –
  • Seeded: Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby, Jubilee
  • Seedless: Fascination, Obsession, Majestic
  • Specialty: Sunshine, Ledmon

• Note: But you can choose any variety you would like, just make sure that this is a variety that would grow well in North Carolina (growing zones)

Common Problems and Possible Solutions:

• Diseases–
  • Gummy Stem Blight: 
    • This is the most prevalent threats in this area. Causes water-soaked, dark brown spots on the leaves and dry cankers on the main stem that excude a sticky, amber-colored sap.
  • Downy Mildew: 
    • Another fungal disease favored by high humidity. It presents as yellowing or brown spots on the leaves, especially on the undersides.
  • Viruses: 
    • Several viruses can infect squash plants, such as Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV), and Watermelon Mosaic Virus (WMV). Symptoms include distorted leaves with mosaic patterns and mottled or malformed fruits.
  • Fusarium Wilt:
    • A fungus that attacks the root. Signs are sudden wilting of a single vine or one side of the plant during a hot afternoon. Which eventually kills the whole plant.

• Treatments for Diseases–
  • There are a lot of different ways to fix and prevent some of these diseases, it is based on what you would prefer.  
    • For fungal diseases you can use neem oil or a copper fungicide.
    • For viruses you should try to get rid of that plant before possible spread to other plants.
• Bugs–
  • Squash Bugs: 
    • These bugs are small, grayish brown, with a flat back and orange to orange-brown stripes on the edges of the abdomen and underside.
    • They use a straw-like mouth to pierce the surface of the plant and suck out sap, which can cause wilting and plant death.
  • Rindworms and Caterpillars: 
    • These bugs mainly feed on foliage but eventually moves to the rind making swallow scars in your fruit.
  • Cucumber Beetles: 
    • Both striped and spotted cucumber beetles can affect squash plants. Adults feed on foliage and flowers, and in high numbers, they may also feed on stems and fruit.
    • More significantly, these beetles can transmit the bacteria that causes bacterial wilt, a disease that can cause plants to wilt and die prematurely.
  • Aphids:
    • These are small insects that feed on plant sap, and in large numbers can cause stunted growth and misshapen leaves. They can also transmit viruses.

• Treatments for Bugs –
• Insecticides
• Make sure you get the sprays that are for elidable plants. Also, READ THE DIRECTIONS on the spray carefully.
• Natural treatments
• Neem oil, Insecticidal soap, Vinegar spray, Diatomaceous Earth.