I ’ve had interracial result with growing watermelon vine in Florida . However , some of my problems had to do with timing and my own underestimation of how large these plant actually grow .
The best time to plant watermelon in Florida is in the other leap and once again in the early decline . Florida has an ideal climate for uprise watermelon and is a leading manufacturer of the yield .
There are a telephone number of varieties of watermelon vine that mature well in Florida . Read on to come up out about the dissimilar varieties as well as how much space you should give these guys and exactly when you should set .
When To Plant Watermelon In Florida
The engagement will shift , reckon on where you endure . North , primal and south Florida will all have more or less unlike planting times .
Watermelon flourish when temperatures are around 80 ° fluorine . The plant can care temperatures around 90 ° F but you might notice less yield production when temperatures are on a regular basis this high .
temperature below 50 ° F may result in decreased yield tone . Melons that are grow in grim temperatures ordinarily have much less flavor .
watermelon vine take anywhere from 65 - 90 days to produces fruit . apply the dates above as a rule of thumb and your unspoiled sagaciousness to ascertain the best planting escort .
Best Varieties of Watermelon To Grow In Florida
There are a number of dissimilar watermelon vine varieties that will grow in Florida . the fruits on these plants can range anywhere from 6 - 50 pound according toUF .
There are declamatory change of Citrullus vulgaris and also smaller miscellany , in both fruit product and outgrowth riding habit . the size of your growing country may confine you in which variety you select .
Watermelon Varieties
Another right matter to keep in head is where you are going to lay in your melons when they are harvested . I run into a fridge space job the last time I glean mine , my electric refrigerator does n’t really have infinite for 2 20 pound melons !
Best Location For Watermelon
Watermelons need plenty of space , sunshine , and water . plant can really distribute . I gravely underestimated the size of these plant the first time I grew them . The vines can spread out to be over 7 feet long .
I had a 12 - base garden layer and one plant spread the entire length .
[ endeavor to find picutre of garden bed at Jos ]
Plant seeds in an area that receives at least 8 hour of cheerfulness every day .
watermelon vine are n’t super particular plants when it comes to soil . The only affair that you need to do is to check that that it is well - draining . The plants do n’t do well when grown in sloppy and mucky grunge .
I ’ve always had estimable fortune with a soil commixture that looks something like this :
you’re able to most of these things at your local nursery . The coco coir can be exchange with peat moss . The mykos is n’t 100 % necessary but I have note good results with it .
This grime mixture is reasonably good at retain piddle , but a nice compact layer of mulch is a must . Watermelons are thirsty plants and you require to make certain that they get a boozing frequently .
Planting Watermelon
watermelon do n’t do the skilful when they are transplanted . It ’s a good idea to implant your seed direct into the garden . I ’m not say that you ca n’t graft watermelons , because you may , but you must be very easy with them .
Each multifariousness will have slightly different outer space necessity , mark the seminal fluid bundle for those . But a general rule of pollex for growing watermelons is to plant germ 36 inches apart and give a row spacing of 7 to 8 feet .
Fertilizing Watermelon
watermelon , like tomato , are harvest for their fruits . They are unlike collard greens or kale , which are harvested for their leafy greens .
fruit plants do good from fertilizers that are focused on phosphoric , while plant whose main focal point is leaf growth benefit from N focused fertilizer .
The 3 numbers pool that you see on bags of fertiliser are the N(nitrogen)- P(phosphorus)- K(Potassium ) value . Nitrogen promotes green leafy growth , Phosphorous kick upstairs sound root exploitation and bloom yield and potassium is a good overall health booster .
Watermelon Pests And Diseases
The most common pestilence that I ran into when growing watermelons was aphid . They are tiny little light-green / chickenhearted microbe that live on the undersides of leafage .
They thrust the plant with their tiny little oral cavity and glide by diseases and virus to the plant . Aphids experience on a watermelon plant
If you see ants crawl on your plants this is a sign that aphids may be nearby . The emmet care to farm aphid in orderliness to eat angelical honeydew melon that the bugs secrete .
Any easy manner to handle aphids is by spray your plant life with neem oil ( check price on Amazon ) . There are plenty of pesticides that contain neem oil colour . I attempt to forfend those , but 100 % neem vegetable oil is good and a great pest hindrance .
You may also run into a few caterpillars , cabbage looper and armyworms . An effective way to control any kind of worm or caterpillar is the economic consumption ofB.t .
Harvesting Watermelons
From the fourth dimension you imbed your source until you reap your melon vine , you could expect to wait about 60 - 90 days .
regrettably , there is no sure - firing direction of tell when a watermelon is entirely ripe . There are a few things that you may look for though that will give you a well idea .
First , check out the bottom of the fruit . The blot where it ’s been laying on the ground should be a courteous prosperous yellow when ripe . It will be a pale milklike color when unripe .
Also , look at the tendril skinny to the melon vine . When that shrink up and plow brown that is another sign that the melon may be ripe .
you may gestate to get anywhere from 2 - 4 watermelon per industrial plant .
Do You Need To Prune Watermelon?
Below is a good video on how to properly crop a watermelon vine . This can salve you some blank when get your plants .
However , you do n’t want to prune too heavily before fruit set . Watermelons make both male and female peak and they need both so as to set fruit .
So if you snip your plant life off too early you may not have enough flowers for the necessary pollenation to pass off .
