While not as many of our customers choose to grow watermelon because of the space and sun requirements, there is a lot of satisfaction that comes from growing your own sweet and juicy watermelon. Here are some tips to successfully grow watermelon.
- Wait until soil is very warm. We even recommend covering the ground with black plastic to speed up the soil warming process in the spring.
- Especially for smaller urban gardens, choose a smaller variety of watermelon like sugar baby
- Prepare the planting area with a soil that is well draining and very rich in organic matter. We like using worm castings to boost up the organic content in the soil.
- Feed mid-season with a liquid or granular fertilizer, or supplement more worm castings.
- Water regularly, but avoid overhead watering that gets the leaves wet. Drip irrigation underneath a row cover is especially useful in this situation.
- Give plants plenty of space to spread out and hope for a very warm and hot summer.
Cover Image by Jennie Faber, used under its Creative Commons license.
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