"The true southern watermelon is a boon apart, and not to be mentioned with commoner things. It is chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth." So said Mark Twain of his favorite delicacy, and many emphatically agree when they have indulged in that most luscious of home-ripened fruits. Occasionally you will find a truly luscious store-bought watermelon; but generally speaking, home grown is always better.
So how do you grow your own? If you don't have a lot of room, you probably need to look for a good farmer's market or fruit stand. But if you have plenty of gardening space watermelons are not hard to grow. Indeed, if you let the kids eat watermelon outside and spit the seeds, you may find watermelon growing everywhere.
Southern Climates
The best watermelons are grown in the south where summers are long and rain is predictable. For best results choose from the main season varieties; Charleston Gray, Crimson Sweet, Madera, Parker, Sangria, Sunny's Pride, or Sweet Favorite. These are all varieties of red watermelon and mature in 80 to 85 days. The Madera produces an average fruit of 14 to 22 pounds. All the rest produce fruit of 20 to 25 pounds.
Till the ground to remove all weeds, as watermelon plants do not share well. Prepare the soil by adding aged manure and peat. Watermelon plants love rich, loamy, sandy soil that drains well. Space your rows 6 feet apart. Make hills about 3 feet apart. Plant 2 or 3 seeds in each hill, about an inch deep, and water deeply. Keep moist until the seedlings are about one inch tall. When the seedlings are about three inches tall, cull out the weaker ones and keep the best.
Watermelon plants have moderately deep roots. They will benefit from mulching to control weeds, or hoe very shallowly around the hills. They should not need watering unless the weather turns dry for a prolonged period.
Northern Climates
In colder climates the early varieties will stand a better chance of ripening in the shorter growing season. Choose Golden Crown or Sugar Baby for red watermelon, or Yellow Baby or Yellow Doll for yellow watermelon. They mature in 70 to 75 days and yield 6 to 10 pound fruit.
You can stretch your growing season by starting your seeds indoors, about three weeks before the last frost is due. Plant 3 or 4 seeds in small seed pots filled with peat moss or pellets, or potting soil. Keep soil moist but do not over-water. Thin to the two best seedlings when about an inch high. Set pots outdoors to harden before transplanting.
In your garden, till weeds up and prepare your rows in the fall. Add peat to break up the soil, especially if there is a lot of clay. A week before the last expected frost in spring, loosen the soil and cover with black plastic to warm it up faster. Transplant the seedlings through the plastic, two per hill. Do not let them get too tall before transplanting, as they are much more likely to fail. Add fertilizer to the seedlings for a quick start. If needed, water in the mornings until later in the spring. If it is still chilly, a row cover will help keep the temperature moderate.
Dry Climates
In the southwest, melons can be planted in late February. They should be harvested by June to avoid the extreme heat, which will burst the melons. Add aged manure or compost to the sandy soil. Planting in depressions, rather than hills, will allow for regular deep irrigation. Due to the dry climate you should water about once a week, or more in drought conditions.
Seedless Watermelons
There are wonderful varieties of seedless watermelons. Red types include Cotton Candy, Crimson Trio, Jack of Hearts, Nova, Tiffany, and Queen of Hearts. Honey Heart is a yellow melon. They mature in 80 to 85 days and produce melons from 14 to 22 pounds.
Seedless melons are more expensive, harder to start, and cannot self- propagate. You will have much better luck with seedlings from the nursery. Also, they will not bear fruit unless a regular seeded variety is planted next to them for pollination. Mark your seeded plants carefully so they can be separated at harvest. There are benefits to growing seedless melons. Since the plants put no energy into seed production, the vines are more vigorous and the fruit is often markedly sweeter than their seeded counterparts.
Harvesting
It can be difficult to tell when a watermelon is ripe, and they do not ripen well after being picked. Use a combination of the following signs to help you determine the right time.
Light green tendrils on the stem, near the point of the melon's attachment, turn brown and dry. The surface color of the fruit deepens and turns dull. Skin is resistant and slightly rough to the touch. Bottom of the melon where it lies on the soil turns from light green or white to a yellowish color.
Common Problems
Cucumber beetles attack the plants, and ants will destroy the fruit. Surrounding the plants with diatomaceous earth or boric acid powder will kill the pests without the worry of pesticides or chemicals.
High rainfall or over watering, cool weather during ripening, or wilting vines will result in poor quality melons. Row covers will help shield the plants and keep them warm. Dig trenches in between rows to funnel excess rain water away from the plants.
Extremely dry weather may cause the ends to rot before the fruit is ripe. Regular misting may help avoid this, but only mist in the evenings after the sun is down.
Excessive hoeing can disturb the roots and cause wilting. Use mulch or plastic to stop weed growth.
Storage
Watermelons will keep in a dark, cool place at room temperature for about two weeks. Once cut it must be refrigerated and used within a couple of days. There is nothing so refreshing or thirst quenching as fresh, ripe watermelon on a summer day, alone or in a fruit salad. It freezes well, but will turn to mush upon thawing. Fresh or frozen, watermelon makes mouth-watering smoothies with plain or lemon-flavored yogurt, yummy frozen sorbets alone or with other fruits, or a refreshing frozen snack diced and eaten from the freezer.