Watermelon Fail

[lesa]

Wow, Rick! What zone are you in??? Those were some big melons!

 

[catjac1975]

One thing I have tried in other crop failures is the addition of Greensand. It is just what it sounds like. Green sand. It is an organic soil enhancer. It contains micronutrients that is lacking in tired soil. It is only needed every 5 years or so. Especially if you do not use enough compost. It is not too expensive and should be available at a good grain or farm store. You can buy it online but shipping will be expensive. I always figure if it doesn't hurt it's worth a try. Another trick I use for melons squash etc. is to make tents of plastic. A cheap row tunnel. I can plant things earlier. Buy the time others are planting seed I have giant plants. I put a soaker hose in the tent row so it doesn't have to be removed to water. I remove once or twice for weeding and completely remove in late spring.

I could never grow melons like Rick's in my climate.

 

[epeloquin]

I am in 5b/6a area and I have had trouble too. However, I had a muckmelon spontaneously sprout from my compost heap in early September and by very early October I had softball sized fruit. There was not enough time for them to mature but if I had planted them earlier they would have. The seeds were from a northern variety melon. Baker Creek Heirlooms have lots of varieties of watermelons and other melons that do well in shorter growing seasons.

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