Needed: tips on watermelons

My first year in growing watermelons in the raised bed. Trying Oh So Sweet by Seed Savers Exchange and so far, so good. Right now I have one melon fruit set on. I have two hills and about four plants per hill. Do I just let the vines do their thing? Do I trim a bit? Do I try to limit the number of fruit? Do I keep watering the same (about 1-2 inches of water a week) or do I cut back? Fertilizer? Want some tips on what to do now to maximize this opportunity. Thanks!

Bump

I hope someone with a little more watermelon experience sees this! Good luck!

I have a watermelon question as well lol. This is my first year with a garden. How do I know when they're ready? I've only got one fruit so far (but have hand pollinated a second one!), but the one that's on the vine is kind of oddly shaped and doesn't seem to have grown much recently... is there some way to tell?

i read where, you should have a "yellow" spot on the bottom of the melon where it was laying on the ground, and also the tendrils (those curly thingies) right above the melon should be brown. Apparently, watermelons don't ripen once they're picked. We did this last year, and it worked! I am definitely not a watermelon pro, but that's what I learned. Hope it helps!

Are they growing on a trellis or on the ground?

landarch wrote:Are they growing on a trellis or on the ground?

Mine are on the ground.

Cyclone gardener:
This is my 1st time trying Sugar Baby Watermelons also. I only have 2 plants per hill since I have them growing on a trellis. I read that watermelons like alot of water but don't let the soil be soggy (I don't see that a problem in the SFG box with Mels). My watermelons luckily have been pollinating themselves so far. I did read that if you are growing vines on the ground, when the melons or pumpkins form to put a paper plate under the melon. So far the vines don't seem to spread as much as my cucumber or pumpkin vines. Since I am hanging them on a trellis I will have to "sling" them. The only problem I am having with my melons is that I found one of them with a tiny hole near the bottom and don't know why.
I am thinking that I should sling them since they might keep any bugs/culprits from them.
Does anyone have any ideas?
I hope this helps a bit.

Dunkinjean wrote:Cyclone gardener:
This is my 1st time trying Sugar Baby Watermelons also. I only have 2 plants per hill since I have them growing on a trellis. I read that watermelons like alot of water but don't let the soil be soggy (I don't see that a problem in the SFG box with Mels). My watermelons luckily have been pollinating themselves so far. I did read that if you are growing vines on the ground, when the melons or pumpkins form to put a paper plate under the melon. So far the vines don't seem to spread as much as my cucumber or pumpkin vines. Since I am hanging them on a trellis I will have to "sling" them. The only problem I am having with my melons is that I found one of them with a tiny hole near the bottom and don't know why.
I am thinking that I should sling them since they might keep any bugs/culprits from them.
Does anyone have any ideas?
I hope this helps a bit.

Walshevek hs some great pics of watermelons in panty hose slings. I also read somewhere that if you slide them into panty hose it helps keep bugs away from the melons.

Thanks!

I pulled the largest one before leaving town just cause I wanted to see if it was any good. It turned out to be mostly ripe and was very tasty, Sadly, the rest are still hanging on the trellis.

But my son lost all his baby melons. Something bored into them and others just dropped off the vines. Squirrels also got the cantaloupes.

Kay

walshevak wrote:I pulled the largest one before leaving town just cause I wanted to see if it was any good. It turned out to be mostly ripe and was very tasty, Sadly, the rest are still hanging on the trellis.

But my son lost all his baby melons. Something bored into them and others just dropped off the vines. Squirrels also got the cantaloupes.

Kay

Oh no Kay, that's too bad, I forgot you got called away from home.