The Watermelon is catalogued to be both a fruit as well as a plant from a vine-like herb that originates from Southern Africa. Most watermelons have a green surface with a pink juicy flesh which can sometimes red, orange, yellow depending on the type of watermelon or even green if it is not yet fully grown. The fruit is considered to be very tasty, refreshing and is normally eaten at any time of the day because it is not heavy on the belly and it has a pleasant refreshing flavor. Watermelon produces Vitamin C, as well as beta carotene and lycopene. As a substitute for always having to buy watermelon from the supermarket, you can plant your own watermelon. Even though it might be more difficult but the rewards for producing a successful produce is even bigger.
Required Tools:
Spade
Fork
Required Materials:
Water
Watermelon seeds
Manure
Fertilizer
Bone meal
Fertile sand
Bone meal
Instructions are as follows:
1. First find a location that gets a lot of sunshine. The area should provide proper air circulation and also be guarded from chilly winds during windy times like during the spring and fall.
2. The site should be prepared by excavating up the area using the garden gears like the spade and fork. Then insert plenty of organic matter such as well drained manure and fertile loam within the earth in order to setup the right circumstances that the watermelon seeds require to grow properly.
3. Watermelon seeds can be bought at a nursery or a farm house. The seeds is supposed to be sown after both air and soil temperatures have reached to about 65 degrees about two to three weeks following the last frost if you live in a cold atmosphere.
The seeds can be planted right into the garden which is better for growing melons during a time when the fruit has adequate time to fully develop. Watermelons don’t grow very well after being transplanted from a pot so it is not advised.
4. Dig a hole in the soil around one foot deep and about two feet in breadth and a around a shovel full of compost and a trowel or two of bone meal. Dig each hole so that they have lots of space between each other. They should be anywhere from three feet for small bush types to 12 feet separate for giant ramblers.
5. During the growth periods, apply thick amounts of organic mulch to hold in the right amount of moisture and deter weeds and keep the melons fresh while they grow. You can also utilize a black plastic mulch with slits cut for the plants, and this will contain the heat better than any other soil sheeting.
You can also cover the plants with floating sheets to keep the air warm and give the young plants an inch of water each week.
6. When the flower starts to appear, then take off all the covers so that air can circulate and pollination can occur for the bees and other pests. Manure should also be used every three weeks to start the germination.
7. The melon fruit should be left for around a month after being planted so that they can full blossom, and then they can taken up.
Tips and Warnings
*If you are very specific about the acidity of the earth where the watermelons will be planted, you can examine it with an acidity test kit. Watermelons flourish best in soil that has near neutral PH but can also endure in acidity going up to 5.5.
*Grow only one kind of watermelon if you need to keep some of the seeds for the next year, all watermelons cross-pollinate freely.
* Persons who plant watermelon crops must revolve their crops each year with plant disease resistance varieties to drive away insects such as cucumber beetles which transmit the disease. You can also sow radishes within your melon patch to deter these problems. Watermelons are especially vulnerable to fusarium which are mostly found within northern regions.
Here’s more tips on how to plant watermelons.