Watermelon Growing Mistakes! Breaking All The Rules

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

What’s your favorite watermelon variety to grow?

[@MrOldclunker]

I have raised Moon and Stars but I don't find them to have the best flavor. Carolina Cross has a good flavor and is a little more resistant to fungus and insects.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@MrOldclunker Nice! That will be the next one I try

[@johnliberty3647]

I do not have a favorite but I want to try growing Ezekiel’s land race watermelons when the seeds are available

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@johnliberty3647 I want to try those too

[@valeriesanchez3074]

Kaho and royal golden

[@futurefolk9919]

So this is my fourth year trying to grow sugar baby melons. I finally got a decent sized melon - almost 6lbs! Last year I trellised them and they did pretty good This year I let those puppies do their do. Letting the vines go where they wanted has beena success. I've only fertilized once since planting (I think a 7-6-9) kept them watered, and left them alone. I did put down a layer of compost and Cyprus mulch at beginning of season. I'm going to say this step helped. Happy gardening and many blessings to all💞 .

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I like the idea of the cypress mulch. That would help with the bugs for sure. Thanks for the tips 💚

[@davidjslack]

Congratulations! David the Good has been touting growing a bunch of watermelon varieties and saving the cross bred seed varieties. Repeat the process and you’ll have your very own heirloom variety specifically bred for your microclimate and soil.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I need to look into that. I heard him mention that but I haven’t had a chance to dig into it deeper. I love the idea, for sure.

[@ziggybender9125]

Best watermelon growing tip is to cover the ground with black plastic mesh tarp, the way it absorbs the suns heat mimics the way the sand absorbs heat where the melons originate from, it makes them grow faster and better.

[@terryfink6222]

I spray my watermelons with neem oil once a week and it helps with fungus and pest and it’s all natural

[@betzzy1489]

I love all your videos. You show all of us the good, the bad, and the ugly, of gardening in Florida. I’m a bit south of you, in Broward County, and it has been a brutal summer. I group mainly in grow bags and I have them on raised tables because of the iguanas, I’m on a lake so the Iguanas devour my plants. For some reason all my cherry tomatoes are still hanging on. It’s my first time growing eggplants they are just now setting flowers I’m not sure if they will have fruit but that’s okay they are such a pretty plant. I’m on a small lot in South Florida and I was thinking of trying compost next season and I was wondering if you could recommend a good compost Tumbler that I can use. I don’t have much space so I thinking that a Tumbler would work for my space. Thank you very much and keep up the good work 🤟.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thank you so much for your kind words 💚 I’m so glad you are enjoying. I love my compost tumblers. These are the ones I use. Compost Tumblers - amzn.to/3JrkQnh

[@chaselex]

I’m also in Broward, is now a bad time to sow my watermelon / musk melon seeds directly in the garden. New to the annuals. Any help would be great!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@chaselex now is a good time for starting seeds for melons. I don’t think you get frosts where you are but if you do, aim for varieties with a days to harvest before your first expected frost date.

[@chaselex]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I appreciate the quick response. I’ll be sowing in my seeds today during the afternoon rain.

[@chaselex]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I’m fertilizing with as in my and worm castings with a fresh layer of mulch that I made in my chipper from avocado, sapodilla, mango and ackee trimmings

[@tomaitoe]

I loved this! I was so invested in you finally getting a great homegrown melon. 🤣

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Me too! The fun part of this year was a random cantaloupe started growing and we loved them so much that I now have a new type of melon to grow!

[@tomaitoe]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a That's amazing! I saw someone else mentioned starting your own landrace of melons. Sounds like you're already on your way!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@tomaitoe yes. I was so excited especially with how tasty they were

[@tammystoddard2830]

I’m having my best year for melons this year. I used the neighbor’s composted horse manure.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

What varieties are you growing? I’m always on the look out for new ones

[@tammystoddard2830]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a Sugar Baby and Petite Yellow but I haven’t harvested any Petite Yellow yet. It’s my first year for those.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@tammystoddard2830 let me know how it goes. I’m a sucker for different colors

[@exploringgames948]

The second (orange) watermelon was HUGE :O they looked pretty good tbh, I think ill try watermelons next year, I planted some earlier this year but they didnt germinate. The worry when cutting is always funny xD Thanks for the tips n tricks :)

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Oh my gosh. Cutting into them is stressful 🤣😂😳

[@lindapedersen-hylka7170]

I'm not growing watermelons, nor do I plan to, lol. I did watch the whole video & I'm glad I did. You pointed out other things like fungus issues, fertilizing & certain bugs. Going to look at those videos now. As always, great video & thanks again. I like the quote you gave to someone " Practice Makes Progress". I have been getting better each year I garden down here. Each time I fail I usually figure out where I went wrong & then the next time I'm that much better.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I love that saying. Especially in Florida gardening because it’s impossible to be perfect but making progress is so satisfying and I always learn so much. Glad the video was helpful with other things even if watermelons are not your thing 💚

[@Christopher-xd5in]

I went to coastal library and they have a seed catalog. The pack indicated sugar baby can be planted now while the larger variety , crimson sweet goes in January. Coincidentally, I checked my garden and three out of five seeded spots have sprouted. I made weed tea fertilizer and yeast amendment, so I've been trying to grow healthy soil. Fingers crossed however failure is only opportunity for growth, one way or another. Thanks for the tips.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Sugar babies are pretty quick so you can probably get a good harvest before winter arrives

[@MrOldclunker]

When I was a kid, Mr. Jake, our neighbor, raised acres of melons of all types, cantaloupes, musk melons and watermelons . He showed us how to tell when to pick melons. You can put a dry grass stem on the melon and it will turn itself inline with the watermelon, stem to end. But the buttery bottom color was dead on the money. But we were picking hundreds of melons and the straw method was easier when stepping through the plants.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Really? That interesting. I’ve never heard that one before. I’ll give it a shot. Thank you

[@liamthompson9090]

Well done, Mai'a--you did it! I was afraid that, if the watermelon 🍉 wasn't ripe, you would have went berserk with that big knife! 😂 For all the advantages that Florida gardeners have, there are just some things that are tough to grow in the state. That's why, if Florida gardeners want to grow watermelons the easy way, they should move to Nebraska. 😂🌽 No kidding, the watermelons grow themselves there, without any help required.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Haha! I did go a little crazy when I picked a few unripe. Didn’t get it on camera, thankfully 😂 i did get to learn about the right time to pick them this season and a few new varieties so I’m calling it a win! Practice makes progress

[@tinagriffith500]

You are correct I live in Nebraska.

[@oreopaksun2512]

Whooo Hoo! Congratulations! That is so many years of trying to get fruit from an annual plant! I will not complain when watermelon prices go through the roof, because that was a lot of work! Funny that the best looking vine also produced the best! I guess that's the variety, Moon and Stars, IF I decide to try watermelon again. Thanks for all the tips and tricks. I'm saving this video for when I decide to grow this Florida Unicorn crop.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

My pleasure lady. That video really helped me learn when to harvest them.

[@heatherstubbs5372]

Tenacious. 😊 My vine looked great this year but my melons are getting big then they go mushy. Frustrating 😢

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That happened to a few of mine too. Some kind of bug, I suspect.

[@tamela.lyanka]

Thank you. I've had a similar journey and I'm now coming on my 5th year. I'm going to try the hydrogen pyroxide.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I’m trying again this year. I’ll never give up 💚

[@angelicapacheco7176]

I'm trying watermelon for the first time this year! Crimson sweet. Started the seeds early may and have a couple little melons growing now. I hope I get at least one! Thanks for the tips! Love that you tried so many kinds lol

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I love trying different varieties. You never know what will work best. Crimson sweet should work well for you. It was my fastest one

[@tiadrumgold4702]

Great information. I'm in Florida and look forward to watermelon.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Good luck 🍀

[@2021-j2d]

Gotta admire your determination. If I’m honest I’d prob try something else that I enjoy that is easier. That said learning from you I may try watermelon later too.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I’ve been told that I’m stubborn from my family 🤣

[@scottcrowley2061]

Nice! Thank you.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

My pleasure 💚

[@scottcrowley2061]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I will try Moon and stars, bought some last night.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@scottcrowley2061I’m growing them again this summer too. Already have 3 growing

[@G.W.H.]

Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing your experience!!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

My pleasure!!

[@bFORCe2003]

Did you prune the watermelon? they grow suckers just like tomatoes.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I did but not always consistently. Sometimes the vines were so long, I couldn’t find where they started or ended 😂

[@champagnegardening5182]

I'm going to try again next year.

[@janicemoyer854]

You crack me up! Thanks for sharing.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

🤣🤣🤣

[@kishorvadgama6641]

Very nice 👍

[@ellenconforti5693]

The last time i grew watermelons successfully the day i wrnt home from work i was ready to pick them. The raccoons split open every single one. They ate the insides and left the pieces of rinds all over. That was about 10 years ago. My garden back then was in ground. This coming January i think i will try again with the Moon & Stars variety you said you liked. I am hoping that i can sneak them in between some of the other plsnts and maybe they won't notice them. Maybe i can mask the smell with some herbsvor Pinesol on some rags. My gardens are mostly raised so i think you got me ready to try again It is heartbreaking to see all the work you put into something only to see it destroyed. So i ferl your pain. Very good info. Thanks Ellen Florida Gardener ( your neighbor in Citrus County). Zone 9a

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thank you Ellen! Try the pot trick too. Maybe having it in a deep pot might mask the scent a little or at least make it harder on them. The herbs is a great idea. I like to spread my dogs hair throughout the garden when the squirrels get to greedy and that helps a bit

[@marilynearl6887]

This is my second year trying sugar baby watermelon. I thought it would be easier with a smaller varety both years failed to produce much . This year with 4 plant 1 sugar baby and last year got 4 so it has been worse this year than last. So next year I will try a different varety. I will try the one that did best for you. Can you tell me we’re you got the seeds from.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Sugar babies didn’t do well for me either. Check out MIGardener. I got most of my seeds from him and he has the Moon and Star variety

[@marilynearl6887]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a thankyou

[@johnliberty3647]

I use BT when dealing with pickle worm but I often avoid it and lose a season of cucumbers before I resort to using even organic pesticides. Give the predator insects a year to find the pickle worm infestation. Yarrow is a plant that attracts wasps which may eat the pickle worm. David the good put old mail boxes around his garden which encouraged 🐝 wasps to nest in them. Not 100% sure if they kill pickle worms but they kill similar pests.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I might do that approach this year. I’ve hesitated from not spraying because I was growing longer season veggies like melons and winter squash but I think I’m going to take a break for a year on those.

[@johnliberty3647]

My general rule with spraying is that if I do not need a plant for survival food I let nature take it. Keep growing it the next year and see if predators moved into the garden. You being more suburban or urban might not have that luxury but I can leave a garden area sloopy enough to house predators. You taking an interest in Florida natives might create good habitats for eco balance.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@johnliberty3647 I like that perspective. Good reminder that the good bugs will come if you give them a little time and if it’s not for survival, it really is the way to go in the long run.

[@kathleenmurray7423]

Very impressive. Your persistence is admirable. My favorite variety will be whatever is on sale at the grocery. I love watermelon but there is a limit as to how much I am willing to baby a plant. My native tomatoes and squash do great. With very little assistance. Is there such a thing as a native Floridian melon?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That is a really good question. It would definitely make my life easier if there is. I’ll research that. Thanks for the idea 💚

[@normaschramm8277]

Hello. I’m so sorry watermelons are so difficult to grow in your area. I grow crimson sweet and other varieties on our little market farm. I too needed to learn when to pick your melon. Yellow belly is is one of the things to look for, but the most important is waiting for the tendril to fully turn brown or dry. I always fertilize with compost before planting and start my seedlings indoors and move out to the field after the frost has past. Don’t give up! It can frustrating. Since you grow them in raised beds perhaps when it rains too much you could cover them. Otherwise they love the sun.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thanks for all the tips. I actually had an awesome harvest this year and finally figured out the right time to harvest after so many years.

[@lauramac4846]

So there’s hope! I’ve struggled with watermelon here in south Florida bc of all the rain. I’m going to follow your process. What month were they finally ready to harvest?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

A couple were ready in May but most came ready in June

[@jeremymorrissette2398]

Gotta wait till the stem turns brown as well as the tendril I thought

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

Put them bad boys on ice !!! I’m on my first year going through all your struggles !!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Watermelons are hard!

[@2021-j2d]

T, do you use the Neem in the spray bottle like from Amazon and do you just spray the leaves?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I have used it in the past and I do purchase from Amazon in the spray bottle or the concentrated one. I try to only use it as a last resort because it’s tough on the plants. Yes, spray the leaves after the sun goes down

[@Christopher-xd5in]

Im attempting sugar baby bush. First time.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Good luck. You can do it!

[@nothingincommon]

I've been trying for many years. Haven't grown a ripe melon yet 😢

[@KimNguyen-mb6dq]

Yellow water melon but I have a question, does bugs or birds eat it because I’m in florida and the birds eat the TOMATO 😂😂😂

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

No, thankfully but worms like to burrow into it so I usually place them in pots to help deter them.

[@KimNguyen-mb6dq]

Ok thank you so much

[@سالمابوغالب]

البطيخ يزرع في الارض لنفسه فقط لنحصل علا ثمره

[@sonnyamoran7383]

Now you know why I just don't bother. Too much for one chance. They aren't as sweet with so much rain. And they can burst.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

They are definitely a struggle for sure. Such divas!