Growing watermelon?

[GrantsKat]

Does anybody know anything about growing watermelon?? My hubby planted a bunch of seeds and they just started growing.....he also started some in some moist papertowels and they just started sprouting roots!! Yay!!
Im clueless on how much sunlight they need, we live in central florida, so its really hot!!
Any help would be appreciated

 

[suziquzie]

Full sun, and LOTS of water while they are growing, slack off a little when they get bigger.
I've only ever eaten 1 single watermelon I grew myself. The first time the cable guy stepped on ALL but one of them... jerk.
Last year I tried again and my then 3 year old would pick them as soon as they were tennis ball sized and either play ball with them or carry them around as "pets".
Giving myself the year off this year..... I have a 2 year old who would most likely do the same as last year!!

 

[larry_stewart]

They will love your heat and humidity. The more sun the better. Make sure u keep them watered. They grow on a vine, and can take up a decent amount of space as they grow along the ground, so keep this in mind when/where u plant them. Ive tried them up here a few times with little success. The best melon I ever got was a canteloupe that sprouted and grew from the compost pile, I didnt even plant it myself
A few years ago, I bought special seeds, i bough special fertilizer, I bought plants from a nursery and got nothing. The neighbor directly across the street from me , with absolutely no gardening experience at all, planted a few seeds from a watermelon they ate for lunch, and he must have gotten 2 dozen melons that year, go figure

 

[larry_stewart]

Ahh, but i did do something a little differnt this year. My daughter learned a song in school, something about " down by the bay, where the watermelons grow..."

Well, after years of hearing this song, I finally got into my kayak ( watermelon plant, miracle grow soil and a gallon of water in hand) and headed out to an isolated island in, where else, the bay. I planted the melon, and i now go back 2 times a week to water it. Since it is on an island in the middle of the bay, it gets as much, if not more sunlight than anywhere else. I just hope no one else finds my little garden by the bay My daughter got a kick out of me doing this

 

[suziquzie]

Where on Long Island are you Larry?
I know people on Shelter Island..... bet you could grow melons-o-rama out there!

 

[GrantsKat]

Wow thanks for the quick response!! lol
Well the hubby informed me that there are about 40 plants growing, apparently he and my boys(5, 3 & 2) just kind of threw them out there after eating some watermelon!! I guess he didnt think they would grow

I guess as they get bigger we will have to space them out?

oh by the way my Dad lived on LI...Middle Island, Brentwood, Sayville

 

[suziquzie]

My mom is from there... Bethpage, Plainview, Hicksville.
I grew up in the Bronx, but visited "the island" alot.
My grandma had a great garden there. I should move back.

 

[GrantsKat]

LOL Larry.....my boys have that book!!!!

 

[larry_stewart]

Im on the north shore of the island , about 1/2 between NYC and Montauk Point. Im in Port Jefferson. It would probably take me about 45 minutes by car to get to the ferry that goes to shelter island. Im always going out east, though , to take advantage of the local farms, farm stands, pies, nurseries.......even locally grown melons ( at least someone around here knows how to grow a melon)

 

[larry_stewart]

I grew up in Plainview , may parents still live there. MY brother is now in Melville and sister in Dix Hills.

 

[GrantsKat]

Small world... I grew up in Queens but also went the the island on the weekends to visit all the family there.

My sister and her family lives in Pt jeff

 

[larry_stewart]

Technically, I live in Mount Sinai ( next to port jeff) but no one ever knows where that is, and my mailing adress ( do to political crap) is port jeff, but the title is Mt sinai bla bla bla . As long as my house is still in the same place when i get home, i dont care. And both my grandmothers lived in queens, one in bayside, the other in flushing.

 

[suziquzie]

MMMMMm I can smell the saltwater now!!
Better than corn.....

 

[GrillingFool]

Another reason to eat watermelon:
It is reported to have Viagra-like qualities!

 

[GrantsKat]

well now....I think I will make my hubby keep all 40 plants in tip-top shape!

 

[attie]

well now....I think I will make my hubby keep all 40 plants in tip-top shape!

You could end up with 200-300 melons in three months time with that many plants Kathe. One way to tell when they're ready to pick is to find that curly whisker growing from the vine on the opposite side to the melon, when that dies off the melon should be ripe.

Enjoy

 

[GrantsKat]

Thanks attie!
I think if we have an abundance we may just set up a stand for my little boys to sell them or even better donate to the the nearest food shelter.

Its still early I will have to see how well they grow.