Home Garden Joy

Watermelon in the Home Garden

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Photo credit: Kumar, Morguefile.com license

Growing watermelon in the home garden is fun, and I think most gardeners with enough space should try it at least once. That said…my own watermelon growing wasn’t very productive.
Watermelon should be planted on a sunny hillside (if possible) after the frost free date. They need rich, well-drained soil and plenty of moisture. They also need a lot of room, about 20 feet or more per plant. The vines stretch way out, and the watermelons develop along the vines. My sister grew watermelons on Long Island along a chain link fence next to her driveway with good success; the plants used the fence for support, and she saved space that way!
I prefer planting seeds. Watermelon need about 80 hot days to develop properly, so here in Virginia, seeds are fine. In more northern climates, you may want to purchase plants at the garden center. “Moon and Stars” is the variety I grew, and I liked it a lot; it has yellow dots on the watermelon skin that looks like moon and stars! There are many, many types to try in the garden. Some even have yellow flesh inside the rind, which looks pretty but I don’t know what it tastes like.
 

Smaller varieties, that is, those that produce smaller fruits, are probably best for the home garden. Watermelon plants need a lot of warm, sunny days and water during their growing period. However, when the fruits begin to mature, withholding water from them increases their sweetness. A little boron added to the soil when they’re setting fruit also increases the sweetness.
 

Cucumber beetles are the worst pests for watermelons, and that’s one of the main reasons I no longer grow them. The other reason was that all of the watermelons matured at once. We love watermelon during the hot summer months, but there’s only so much you can eat, and it doesn’t store well. So we’ll keep buying it from the store or the farmer’s market.
Still, I’m glad I grew it, at least once.  Because my husband left these one day on the kitchen counter:
 

The one and only time I grew watermelon….and this greeted me one morning.

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  1. Jo

    Never been all that fond of watermelon, too many pips. I do enjoy the seedless variety but prefer canteloupes and other similar melons.