#79198
July 7th, 2006 at 09:07 AM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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This is my first year growing watermelons. What started out as a 1/2 day planting project to share with my youngest daughter, has now evolved into a wonderful conversation piece for visitors. It is amazing how easy they are, how long the vines get, and how fast they grow. Here's a pic of one of my hills and one of the wee melons: Anybody else growing watermelons?
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#79199
July 7th, 2006 at 09:49 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
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I am growing Sugar Babys, Crimsons Sweets, Charlston Greys, and Moon and Stars, mine have been very slow to get going, I transplanted around Memorial weekend, there just now getting in gear. I think the temps have being cooler than normal had slowed them down. The moon & stars, have pretty cool foliage, they are full of yellow "spots" like the melons get which are the stars.Yours looks good. Is that a gourd you are growing nearby too?
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#79200
July 7th, 2006 at 10:22 AM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Cool, I'm thinking of planting Crimson Sweets and/or Moon and Stars next year. Think I'm hooked? Yeah, the weather here has been blast furnace hot! That's got to be why the melons are going bonkers right now. The other plant in the lower left corner of the bottom pic is a volunteer that sprung from the compost hill. My best guess is that it's a muskmelon of some kind. It has a small fruit on it, guess I'll know better when it starts to take shape. In the upper right corner is a Big Beef tomato sucker that I planted, and the little wet spot in the upper left corner is a Spacemaster cuke. Given enough free time I will always "shoehorn" in a plant here and there.
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#79201
July 7th, 2006 at 12:03 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
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Hi! Im also growing sugar babies in a raised bed, and I have a few "wee ones" just like in your pic. Im so nervous that they will fall off though!
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#79202
July 7th, 2006 at 12:07 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
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I have at least 3 watermelons growing, they are about 6" long now, don't remember which melon I plated, I think Dixie Queen.
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#79203
July 7th, 2006 at 12:08 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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very impressive garden, hope it all works out for you!! Enjoy it, i know i would !
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#79204
July 7th, 2006 at 03:16 PM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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This was basically a forgotten corner of the property that was just plain old dusty dirt. I mounded up some hills with pure compost, stuck some melon seeds in the top, misted daily and out popped the sprouts. I put a gallon milk jug with a hole in the bottom on each hill, filled the jugs daily, and the rest is history. When I say it has been too easy, I'm really not kidding.
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#79205
July 7th, 2006 at 05:08 PM
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Joined: May 2006
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I am growing Crimson Sweets as well and I have three total (that I know of). I have one that is about 6" in diameter, another is about 2" and one is about the size of the above pic. My vines are going crazy and I'm having to train them to grow down my rows which were originally intended for walking. MrClint, you mention a milk jug with a hole in the bottom on each hill, filled the jugs daily, etc. Filled the jugs with what? Water? New to gardening here and love hearing all of these really cool techniques. By the way, I'm in Fort Worth, Texas so I am definitely in the "blazing hot" weather category.
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#79206
July 8th, 2006 at 06:20 AM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Yes, just water. It may sound funny, but I'm collecting the condensation that drips from the AC unit, and am using it to fill the jugs. I had no idea that my AC unit was pumping out almost 5 gallons of water everyday until I started collecting it. Mitzi and Amigatec, you folks are in prime watermelon growing regions. Got any pics?
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#79207
July 8th, 2006 at 08:02 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
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#79208
July 8th, 2006 at 12:46 PM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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yes, I too am a sugar baby planter...lol I also , like oh so many of you, have the BABY sugar babys starting out...lol.
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#79209
July 19th, 2006 at 06:55 AM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Just thought I would post an update. The Sugar Babys are coming in nicely, and the volunteer ended up being a Honeydew Melon. This one should be ready in a week or two: What a nice surprise this turned out to be:
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#79210
July 19th, 2006 at 07:18 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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Posting pictures of my Watermelon crop. I Have three hills of three. The varieties are Jubilee, Triple Crown and Ultra Cool seedless and Moon&Stars. The seedless are setting like mad. I have up to three per plant and have to clip off new babies daily as I don't think it's good to have that many per plant. The other guys are slow at setting fruit. Just one Jubilee and no Moon&Stars. A new Moon&Star with a giant "moon" spot I went out of my way to self polinate today. I hope it makes it!
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#79211
July 19th, 2006 at 01:28 PM
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Joined: May 2006
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This is my first year gardening and I have a watermelon plant and a canteloupe plant, I am not sure of the names. From reading what everyone is saying, I should cut off extra melons as they grow? My melons are in a tight area (like I said, I'm new!) and I don't think more than 1 or 2 of each can grow at a time. Is the best thing to do is cut some? I have about 4 watermelons starting (sizes vary from 2" to about 4" in diameter) and my canteloupe is not as far along. i think if I get 1 of each this year I will have done great for my first year!
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#79212
July 19th, 2006 at 01:48 PM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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If you would be happy with 1 & 1, then why not just grow 1 & 1? The plant will then focus on ripening its single melon. I'm a go for broke kind of guy, so I would let 'em go crazy and hope for the best. I've got to think that plants know how to manage reproduction on their own. Just an opinion, not any kind of fact.
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#79213
July 29th, 2006 at 03:26 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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I planted watermelons too. I have vines and flowers but not one melon! Does anyone have an idea why there isn't any fruit? We do have plenty of bees to polenate, btw. Sharon M
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#79214
July 29th, 2006 at 04:27 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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What date did you plant them? I planted mine on May 20th and got my first fruit set in the first week of July. Usually the first fruit blossoms don't set as the plant needs to be mature enough.
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#79215
July 30th, 2006 at 11:17 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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I planted them toward the end of May so maybe that is the problem. I'll keep watching them. Thanks for the help!
Sharon
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#79216
August 6th, 2006 at 04:31 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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You were right! We now have one hidden beneath the leaves.
Sharon
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#79217
August 25th, 2006 at 04:10 PM
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Just thought I would share the fruits of my watermelon labors.
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#79218
August 26th, 2006 at 12:46 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Mmmmm!!! Those are making my mouth water! Wish I could just grab that spoon and take that first bite myself!! Great job MrClint!!
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#79219
August 26th, 2006 at 04:21 PM
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Joined: Jul 2005
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#79220
August 31st, 2006 at 04:42 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Woah Woah Woah...your supposed to grow Watermelon on "hills"? I have been growing mine on flat land...in July-their not growing out to the sides...their growing up at the moment...Is this bad?I am pretty sure that once it gets to a certain height they will start going out to the side? I planted 4 Sugar Babies and 2 Texas Giant I beleive is what they were called...(no blossoms or anything yet...)
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#79221
September 7th, 2006 at 11:49 PM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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*MrClint, Gosh, that watermelon looks soooooooooo good!!! I'm impressed... Thanks for sharing this with us.. *Medon/Jon, Have you been feeding your watermelons' anything? Fertilizers or compost? They're heavy feeders, and could use a blast of something... Even a good foliar feed would do some good.. *for making them flower and produce a product.*
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#79222
September 8th, 2006 at 02:41 AM
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Joined: Feb 2006
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I've really enjoyed all of these posts. Have a question: Has anyone ever heard of a spray product that makes a melon stay on the vine? I think I read something about that years ago. These posts were awesome !
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