Everything I Wish I Knew About Watermelons As a Beginning Gardener

[@MIgardener]

blight has got our tomatoes as you could see. It's just not a good year for tomatoes. Oh well! What would you like to see us try? -Luke

[@2500hdx]

Here in ohio it's been one of the best years for tomatos.

[@mcgritty8842]

@@2500hdxcongrats? 😂 🍪

[@MIgardener]

@@2500hdx It has rained here more in July than all of June, July, and August on average. If you didn't et the rain, it would be an amazing year for tomatoes.

[@michellechartrand5667]

Same here in Missouri. Lots of rain and my tomatoes have blight.

[@did_I_hurt_your_fee_fees]

I just lost an entire bed of Ukraine Purples and Amish Paste Tomatoes. The plants just stopped growing, leaves all curled or died and the blossoms were all black inside when the flower opened. Weird. Thanks for this video. I just started some Sugar Baby Watermelons and I didn't realize they don't root where the vine touches or that they needed heavy fertilizing. Thank you!

[@Cowtownmama1951]

Wow! Didn’t know that about them being a heavy feeder

[@Zenlatin]

Yep, explains a lot

[@JK_341]

just harvested my first blacktail mountain watermelon last week, nothin' beats it!

[@cherylnorise57]

Hi, I picked my crimson red 2 weeks ago. It wasn't ready. I watched this video and I picked my watermelon today. It had the scratches, tendrils dried on each end and the color on the other side that was touching the ground, had color and lines. I cut it, it was kinda pink and black seeds. Sweet and juicy. I took half to my mom and the other half is all mine. So, thank you is what I was getting to. Have an awesome day

[@RoscheetaMonique]

Thank you so much! Another one I wish I knew before I planted my melons. I was out of sugar baby seeds. I planted cantaloupe, black Diamond, Crimson sweet and orangeglo

[@SilverSaabArc]

Minnesota Midget was a game changer for me. Minnesota has an even shorter growing season than we do, so I tried them and fell in love with the personal size!

[@florencepayne8274]

Washington state zone 8 here and I’m growing Blacktail watermelon for the first time. They are doing great so far 👏🏽🎉

[@laurastewart8528]

I set an empty gallon milk jug with a hole in the bottom by each melon stem. Makes watering easy!

[@jamiehopkins630]

Now we need a video on knowing the right time to pick them. I can grow vines and fruit like crazy, but in 5 years I've only gotten 1 watermelon that wasn't light pink and watery with no flavor or overripe and super grainy.

[@TrustGod_365]

Yes, that would make a good video topic.

[@henreedee]

Wait till the little cuticle by the melon stem fully dries out. Then it should be exactly ripe for picking

[@firequeen2194]

@@henreedeethanks!

[@jswhosoever4533]

You have to be patient! Wait until the tendril closest to the melon is completely brown and dried before you pick it😊

[@jamiehopkins630]

@@henreedee I trued that and they overrippened and split.

[@jackzampella5758]

Luke, this is my second year growing cantaloupe and honeydew melons. I grow both on a trellis and support them with old T shirts. My first year ( last year ) I did ok. This year I fertilized heavily and water at the plant root. I have 4 cantaloupe plants with 17 cantaloupes growing and 4 honeydew plants with 15 melons growing. We have had lot's of sun and heat . It was in the mid 90's by mid June. Next year I'm going to try watermelons. Hopefully I will do as well. 😊😋

[@dadaveda]

I have grown Blacktail Mountain watermelons in Central Illinois. Got nice sized personal melons

[@Cocreatewithus]

I was wondering about the fertilizer with watermelons and cucurbits in general just today. I used Trifecta when I transplanted, and everything looks fantastic. Getting great production. But, the leaves are yellowing. Curious because i heavily fed them when i planted them and Trifecta is supposed to be a once and done. But you said you follow up with a second dose, and i JUST got my new shipment of it today (great customer support! Thanks for the assistance!). So, I'll do a follow up dose this evening, im sure they will love it. ❤

[@cet765]

I guess I have been blessed this year! Never grew watermelons or other melons before this year. This year I grabbed one container of watermelons from a big box store. Only found Black Diamond watermelon plants. Planted it in my largest pot that I had available using a Fox Farm potting mix. Forgot to add any fertilizer. Watered it. Monitored the soil moisture, watering when indicated. Finally remembered to fertilize when I saw all the leaves beginning to yellow. I trellised as many of the vines as I could. I had 5 watermelon fruits forming. 3 were up on the trellis, so I supported them using little woven hammock type supports. 2 melons on the ground. I couldn't wait and when I thought one on the ground was ready for picking, I picked it. I should have waited. The little pigtail trendle was brown and dry, so I thought it was ready. Tons of black seeds. Little bit of red juicy watermelon "meat". It was really not ripe, but I sampled the red "meat" part. Oh, it would have been so good if I only waited! Live and learn! I have another 4 melons to hopefully ripen. I am discovering that I underestimate the amount of water it needs. So I probably not going to have the best outcome this year. But if it took MiGardener a few years of growing them before getting some, I have been truly blessed to have gotten this far my very first time and being somewhat inexperienced in gardening to boot! Thank you for sharing you knowledge, experience, and videos!

[@camicri4263]

Thank you Luke! I have been watching you since you were a teenager gardening in your parents garden.❤

[@bekahpellegrino5143]

Agreed. I started with watermelon and it has been a learning curve! I've currently got crimson sweet growing in Wisconsin and have my first female flower. I hope this is the year! This is my 3rd year trying, and the first time I've gotten to the female flower stage.

[@zacharyhines3343]

Hi were in Wisconsin are you? I am half way between Stevens Point and Appleton. My Watermelon are just starting to form but it seems like all the female flowers are turning brown and dyeing really quickly. I have Kaho, Sugar Baby, Black tail mOuntain, and Moon and Stars.

[@jenniferhoy7544]

I’m growing Dixie queen and black diamond on cattle panels. So far so good. In central PA. Love your seeds and channel!!

[@nadinelara2939]

In central Texas, grew watermelon from seeds we got from a melon purchased and ate from a grocery store one that was really big and sweet, but don't know the variety. My 1st year growing this year, planted 9 plants & we are solid sand. Already have harvested & eaten 4 with biggest one being 34 lbs. Have 2 waiting on counter to eat and have 3 more almost ready. Once harvested, I fertilized and now have 7 more starting to grow already about 10-12 inches long for a 2nd harvest. I use a Bloom Booster fertilizer about every 2 weeks. This is my 2nd year gardening, and learning new things all the time!!!

[@Zofficinale]

I have tried growing ice box watermelons and the vines did root in certain places on the vine

[@sharibc3597]

2nd year trying to grow black diamond watermelons. Last years wasn’t bad but they just were not very sweet! Layered in fertilizer before planting and so far they’re doing great! Blooms coming on nicely. I may work a bit of the trifecta in to the soil once I see fruit.

[@curiouscitizen4098]

2nd year for Minnesota Midget melons. They are so sweet and just right for one person! They climb our trellis just fine with no support.

[@suzistumpo9532]

Growing for the first time this year and hoping for the best. I didn't have room in the garden so trying in grow bags... so not sure how that will end up but don't know until you try. We've got Crimson Sweet, Cal Sweet and Edisto 47. I used a "regular" fertilizer to start (very low numbers but wanted to get rid of the rest of what we had) and I've used trifecta 3 times since. Since we're in the bags we're watering a lot as they were drying out quick and since we watered so much, it seemed like the nutrients would be washing away faster... so made sense to try it like that. Ours are about 5" (ish) in diameter right now and we're still hoping for goodness! Fingers crossed!!!

[@diannemiller4754]

I agree cantaloupe grow better here in Michigan than watermelon 😊Thanks for sharing Luke

[@MIgardener]

They do just seem to produce so much better for some reason.

[@TrustGod_365]

Good to know!

[@stephanygates6491]

Growing Sugar Baby for the first time - I have a 5" fruit and some tiny possibilities. Also sprouted seeds from regular store bought watermelon. We'll see! 🙂

[@kettleredberry]

So glad you told the truth about the watermelon you were eating. For a second I thought my plants were so far behind!!😂

[@mkessler5648]

I am growing Icebox watermelons this year in GroBuckets, because they have a water indicator. I was shocked to find out that I have to give them up to two gallons per day of water. I know I wouldn't have been successful without the indicators.

[@terrivance8750]

Thank you, Luke.😊

[@Jeannie3Wishes]

This is my first year in AR growing watermelon, honey dew and cantaloupes. My vines are flowering but not fruiting.. my cucumber and zucchini in the box garden are doing great! I'm having a hard time maintaining weeds as well

[@gpashh]

Thinking about sending you watermelons and cantaloupe every year from TX for free, going to look into shipping prices. Organic only. You deserve it after all the information that you put out. Grateful!

[@UpperPacker]

I love your idea of growing the smaller watermelons in the more northern regions i'm in North Idaho, and it's almost impossible to bring a large melon to completion of growth by end of season. Thanks!! 🍉

[@vickiesaewert5552]

Thanks for the help, this year I am growing a lot more fruit so this really helped.

[@andreagrowsthings]

This is so helpful! I’ve not had great luck with watermelon in the past - think I’ve only tried twice. But, trying again this year and have some cute watermelon growing. 🥰 I didn’t think about fertilizing them now 🤦‍♀️ so will get on that. 😊

[@jennb7162]

In a previous video you suggested supplementing with blood meal. Have you changed your mind on that? Thank you for always teaching! 💚

[@casualgardeningwithdustin]

I've been watching your channel and getting jealous because most of my crops are behind yours due to an obscenely late frost. Not my melons. :) This is my first year attempting water melons and yet somehow they're ahead of yours. I'm not going to pretend to know more about growing melons than you. But I'm sure as heck going to appreciate this.

[@carlsouthard6735]

thank you

[@harunlisic]

For me, in the first 7 days of fruit set, the melon grew like crazy fast, it reached like the size of a handball, a little smaller maybe, and now almost 2-3 weeks later, it doesn't look like it's growing, at least compared to how fast it grew the first week, do you think there's still a chance for it to grow bigger or that's about it?

[@comanchebattles]

First year doing a big garden but we have almost our whole yard covered. So I've been here, there, and everywhere at KZbin University learning. Our melons just started forming and I'm curious about pruning. To do, or not to do, and if so when and where?

[@mattrobinson6594]

i bought your trifecta fertilizer a couple years ago and love it. my watermelons and cantaloupes have never tasted better. i have to order more for next year because i have run out. if im smart ill double my order.

[@dawnclements4520]

Thank you for this video. It would be nice to see a video on diseases. I’m fairly new to gardening and my watermelons start out with black spots that turn into “scars”.

[@Dreamzz101]

crazy I have no problem growing melons but cantaloupe on the other hand I have been trying for 3yrs now.. last yr I got a baseball sized one but trying again this yr

[@lindaarnold3091]

Thank you Luke this was helpful!

[@IAMGiftbearer]

I'm growing Lemon drop, Early Girl, and one other larger variety, as well as Charentais, Canary Melon, and Honeydew. My watermelon is about the same size as yours right now on the Early Girl. and one of the Lemon Drop plants. I'm growing the two smaller watermelon types on a cattle panel and the other on the ground on landscape fabric.

[@missourigirl4101]

Great info Luke! I love the trifecta. So helpful n

[@bobert59]

planted a bush sugar baby but it got eaten up by mites i think just as it was setting fruit. set out a hale's best next and its trying to set fruit right now, haven't seen any pest pressure yet.

[@Brown_Skittle]

In Australia we call Cantaloupe, Rockmelons

[@NYGardenLife]

Beautiful watermelon!

[@dustin3213]

Believe it or not a few of my watermelon plants put down advantitious roots. Also had a watermelon growing in clay, when I pulled it up it only had a thick, single taproot for it's root system. Them plants will do some funny things 😅

[@bloodorangemoon]

Sigh of relief when he said it was a prop melon 😅 I was panicking over the thought he hadn’t washed it before cutting it straight from the garden 😂 😮‍💨

[@leikamorgan865]

Lol my first year growing watermelon was in a small container and I grew a 8lbs watermelon, it's been 3 years and I've been trying to grow them in my raised beds and I'm yet to get a decent size watermelon. So next year I'm going back to containers

[@floydbertagnolli944]

I live near San Francisco California. My pumpkins are fully orange. Doesn’t look like they’re getting any bigger. I want to use them for Halloween. Should I leave them connected to the vine or should I harvest them and store them somewhere?

[@josephconroy8531]

zinc boron and one other trace

[@lauriecampbell1586]

I have watermelon volunteers this year. I guess the compost didn't get hot enough last year.

[@roccoconte2960]

Watermelon very diffacult for me in Mass. But eastern muskmelon no problem.

[@debbiep7419]

I'm growing sugar baby watermelon, 2 kinds of honeydew and 2 of cantaloupe. My problem is knowing when to harvest them. I lost most of one cantaloupe variety when they got overripe and split. But I'm afraid to harvest the others too soon as I have a small garden and only a few melons.

[@Larrabjl]

What if you covered a part of the vine with dirt would that cause roots to grow?

[@MIgardener]

I mention late in the video about this exact question.

[@orionx79]

I was gonna say i got them but there not ready yet, my roommate took his out and it was 95% white just red patches, he still ate it. I'm guessing 2-4 week on my sugar baby.

[@zhippidydoodah]

Mine are still just flowering. :(

[@orionx79]

@@zhippidydoodah i still got flowers too. Out 4 plant i had 4 growing now 3. We get lots of flyers around our garden because we got so much. Flowers thru out the year but im still trying to find more good late flowers and the squirrels i feed found my tulip bulbs waiting for fall. :(

[@michelemarble6799]

Luke my husband accidentally hit one of my my watermelons with a weed whacker and cut it 1/4 -1/2 if an inch deep. Do you think I can save it. I am in a zone 4-5 so no time to have the plant grow a new melon. What do you think?

[@LordJesusChrist1968]

I think you need a New Weed whacker operator just saying🤣

[@GardenFreshHomestead]

Watermelon doesn't like heat waves like 40+ degrees, I had one last summer that busted and that was a sugar baby watermelon.

[@minivandreamin1789]

So what do you do about pests? They have pretty much killed my melons. I have tried so many things but ants, slugs, squash bugs are all a huge problem in my melon bed. I feel like I’m definitely losing the battle.

[@henreedee]

I grow marigold near my melons to deter pests. You can also make some homemade sprays that are plant safe and reduce pests.

[@qkranarchist3015]

It's ALWAYS watermelon season from the river to the sea. 🍉

[@mercurybard9794]

For melons growing on the ground, do you just let them rest on the dirt as they grow?

[@tompowers1308]

I can never get a fruit to set, I have no problem with cantaloupe but watermelons? I'm always just a flower farmer

[@sociopathmercenary]

I love to cut up watermelon and put it in the fridge with a splash of Chambord

[@RobinGardens]

I'm growing Kamari, Sugar Baby and Kaho. Kamari has PM so I'm worried about it coming to fruition.

[@kesleyderrick6867]

How can i help get rid of worms on my watermelon ? Is there anything i can spray on them to keep away worms

[@TinaAnn527]

I have a sugar baby that doesn’t seem large enough, but the tendril is dry! I also have it on a trellis so there is no field spot to help me. When do I pick?? I’m so nervous to harvest too soon, but that dry tendril is throwing me off! Thanks to anyone that can help me!

[@henreedee]

How large is the sugar baby? At a certain point you'll notice it won't get any larger. I think mine were getting to ~7" diameter last year

[@thisiswhatmakesmesmile]

Can we get Trifecta+ in Australia?

[@justbychance7012]

If the water is city water and it's got chemicals in it will it go into the watermelon

[@marklieberman1527]

Not any more than with any other plant in your garden

[@nickhayley]

Id love to see a comparison between home made compost grown watermelons with synthetic ferts. At the end of the day, the biggest problem with synthetics is that many people OVER apply and end up creating local environmental hazards where fertiliser leeches into waterways causing algal blooms etc. The power of many people doing the wrong thing can be devastating. You cant over apply compost.

[@LordJesusChrist1968]

well first off don't listen to the so called pros who think they know everything. Don't listen to NO body on YT. Let me tell you what I did ... I dumped a load of wood chips and spread them into a big square look'n garden. June2, this year, I planted from seeds and got 3 crimson sweet plants that grew. it started out with only 5 watermelons growing thinking that is it these 5 watermelons are about 25 lbs. Now I have about 40 watermelons growing from the size of a chicken egg to a hot air balloon (LoL🤣). it's amazing no fertilizer or harsh induce chemicals ALL Natural. This is my story(Truth) and im sticking with it. God is Good☺

[@JodieJensen]

Do you ever prune your melons and cucumbers??

[@rogana5158able]

I like rock melon

[@vickieboudwin7781]

I am growing charleston grey water melons

[@spadl9529]

I picked two varieties that are bigger but I'm hoping for multiple melons so they stay smaller

[@fields-n-feathers]

Squash Bugs are SO BAD here. I hope you have some garden-changing advice for East Tennessee.🙏🏼🧡Well, I guess not. Overall, I think my SOIL needs to be more full of the NUTRIENTS they NEED and MAYBE that will help deter the varmit bugs.

[@kevinbossick8374]

Wear some gloves, and when watering, and they climb upwards, squash them. You have to do it regularly, but it has helped mine.

[@islandhopper753]

Have you ever grown the larger sized watermelon 🍉?🤔

[@lisahill2727]

how to keep the deer from nabbin the melons!?

[@Mittenman313]

I have one watermelon the size of a quarter haha, I don't think it's going to make it to maturity.

[@diannemiller4754]

I hear him fine

[@DanlowMusic]

Eat away! Ignore the haters! Thanks for this video. I'm trying to grow watermelon here in Western WA and I may have got them going too late. But I'm giving it a shot still. But was curious about what fertilizer to use and how often to hit it.

[@mcgritty8842]

The haters don’t get enough water, so they get bitter like cucumbers. 🤣 😂❤

[@LordJesusChrist1968]

Don't use any fertilizer

[@defiancealex6611]

Blight got my cucumbers and my watermelon died off and I have no clue why

[@amandaalford1980]

Thank you for not using the knife as a fork LOL

[@MIgardener]

haha I thought about it for a second

[@anti-socialdistancingchamp6258]

Tip #1 Keep you chickens away from them.

[@victoradams4420]

You sure do have some nice mellons

[@phillippinter7518]

Melons are Not nearly 97% water. They are about 90% water. I have done nutrition research for years but you don't need that to just look at some data tables.