How to do when watermelon last on the vine and harvested – Gardener Corner

How to do when watermelon last on the vine and harvested

Introduction

Watermelon with the scientific name as Citrullus Lanatus is a species of plant in the Cucurbitaceae family. It features a hard-rind and watery inside that is native to the Southern Africa. Such kind of fruit is in use for the cooling food in the hot summer.

Mystery Vine Thinking Watermelon
Photo credit: paix120 via Foter.com / CC BY

By studies, a watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water. They help refresh, and provide an abundant source of vitamin C. Surprisingly, the white part of the rind which everyone often ignores is the most nutritious. You can get such piece for juice as well as fertilizer.

Despite this popularity, gardeners always find it challenging to grow such plan as well as determine what the time of watermelon last on the vine and harvested. In fact, the haste is always wrong. Gardening requires a step-by-step progress.

Here is more information regarding this nutrient fruit

Climate and soil adaptability

Each plant, from the vegetable to the fruit needs a distinct living environment. And the watermelon is not out of the stream.

Climate

The watermelon originated in the hot weather, for example, a warm, cool and full of the sunshine condition. The suitability enables the plant to produce a lot of flowers and early ripening fruit making the great harvest. Low temperature means the weak growth. It is hard to pollinate and fruit.

Base on the climate requirement, the reasonable temperature index of the environment for sweet watermelon is 70-80˚F for daytime and 65-70˚F for nighttime.

Soil

Despite the system of the deep root, the watermelon shows a low waterlogging tolerance. Only when the flower and fruit are available does the capacity against drought optimize.

There is no strict soil requirement is in need. It may just need the ground with an efficient drainage, light structure, deep cultivation and not too alkaline. The sandy soil near the sea and the alluvial one on the riverbank are ideal for watermelons. The soil must be in the high position and free from shade, wind, and storm.

Plant preparation

This process includes three parts. And here they are.

Choosing seeds

Watermelons vary in size ranging from 1.3 kg to 32 kg with the red or yellow fleshy center parts. The Jubilee, Charleston Gray, and Congo varieties offer large oval fruits while products from Sugar Baby and Ice Box are smaller, spherical.

It is necessary for gardeners to select either sow or graft. In fact, the seeds can only germinate at the temperature of 70˚F. It is why farmers should incubate seeds for weeks till the end of the harsh weather if they live in the areas with the cold climate.

Choosing planting location

A time of at least daily six hours of sun exposure is to the top requirements allowing plants to grow into green vines and occupy a lot of space. Hence, the practical gap among plants is 1.2m × 1.8m.

Plowing

The last section of the preparation is to use a tractor and scrape the soil, crush the large blocks; then remove grasses or place them into the ground. Moreover, such kind of plant prefers the loamy and fertile soil which is easy to drain. If you see many puddles after rain, it means the soil meets the requirement.

With the purpose of making the soil better, planters can take advantage of fertilizers for the topsoil. Moreover, it is essential to make sure that the soil is always in the standard pH from 6.0 to 6.8.

Watermelons on wooden table
Photo credit: Foter.com

Planting process

After reaching an optimal plant from seeds, it is time to boost the watermelon’s growth.

Creating mounds

Using tractors or hoes enables farmers to make soil mounds to sow seeds. The distance between them will be from 1.2 m to 1.8 m, depending on the area of land you have.

A high embankment of each will ensure enough soil to help the roots grow, provide an adequate amount of oxygen for plants as well as preventing water from flooding the roots. It also helps maintain the moisture in the dry weather.

Drilling

  • Create a flat, slightly concave surface at the top of the mound

  • Use a finger or tool to make three to four holes in the soil, each about 2.5 cm deep.

  • Sow from one to four seeds into each hole, then rake and cover the ground so that seeds are well covered and free from moisture around the seed.

Noting sprouts

Seeds will usually germinate and pick up seedlings within 7-10 days, depending on soil temperature and seedling depth. Keep the soil around moist seed during germination; watering the water so that the water can penetrate the small roots forming.

When the seedlings have grown, only hold the two strongest trees, so that the healthy plants have space to grow. Do not let the soil dry; You should water at least once a day.

Reducing the amount of water to irrigate when flowering

After flowering, gardeners should water the plants once every three days if they are dry. However, do not water too much, as watermelon plants have the low water requirements at that time.

Getting rid of grass regularly

Remember to brush the grass around the watermelons, along and in front of the vines.

Harvesting

Such step is not as easy as many people have though. Unless you are careful, an awesome crop is impossible.

Making sure that the melon is ripe

Under the perfect growing conditions, the watermelon will grow to the perfect sweetness within four months in the warm weather. Harvesting melon before ripening will make the melon poorly.

Recognize melon’s ripeness, and you can get. The deep sound means that the melon is ripe. Additionally, flip over the bottom shell, the ripe fruit when has the bottom turned white or yellowish. The dry twigs near the stem are also a sign that the melon is ready for harvest.

Cutting watermelons from vines

Use sharp knife or garden scissors to cut the melon from the vines near the fruit is a promising idea. Freshly picked melons will be in store for about ten days.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, techniques for the watermelon last on the vine and harvested often vary by specific regions and climate. Hope that such information is somehow useful for your harvesting plans and dealing with troubles in the watermelon planting.

James G. Craig
 

James G. Craig is a gardening enthusiast who splits his spare time between growing vegetables, preening his flower gardens, and blogging about his experiences at the Gardener Corner.

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