Search
Latest topics
» Happy Birthday!!by sanderson Yesterday at 1:15 pm
» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by cyclonegardener Yesterday at 8:56 am
» Zucchini Cobbler
by sanderson 7/25/2024, 11:38 pm
» Vertical Zucchini
by sanderson 7/25/2024, 11:34 pm
» What are you eating from your garden today?
by OhioGardener 7/23/2024, 8:25 am
» N&C Midwest—July 2024
by Scorpio Rising 7/22/2024, 1:33 pm
» Starbucks for coffee grounds!
by OhioGardener 7/20/2024, 11:02 am
» Cover Crops to Kill Nematodes
by dstack 7/18/2024, 5:43 pm
» Hi from Lapeer Michigan
by Scorpio Rising 7/18/2024, 10:49 am
» Mel's Mix
by OhioGardener 7/16/2024, 1:40 pm
» Baker Creek Heirloom Whole Seed Catalog Pre-Order
by OhioGardener 7/11/2024, 4:00 pm
» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener 7/11/2024, 1:01 pm
» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 7/9/2024, 2:23 pm
» Wasabi Radish
by markqz 7/8/2024, 10:14 pm
» Check out your local (seed) library !
by OhioGardener 7/8/2024, 11:45 am
» YIKES! I'm hosting uninvited guests in my squash...
by tappingmom 7/3/2024, 9:43 am
» Baked Eggplant
by OhioGardener 7/2/2024, 7:45 am
» N&C Midwest—June 2024
by nrstooge 7/1/2024, 7:48 am
» Epic Gardening "Master Class on Square Food Gardening"
by sanderson 6/26/2024, 10:03 pm
» Growing Tomatoes in 6" of soil?
by sanderson 6/25/2024, 4:21 pm
» Frequency/amount to water
by OhioGardener 6/22/2024, 5:34 pm
» Rhubarb Tom Collins
by DonP 6/19/2024, 2:10 pm
» Change email address
by sanderson 6/19/2024, 2:00 am
» Howdy from San Diego, CA
by sanderson 6/19/2024, 12:49 am
» Getting Started
by Turan 6/18/2024, 12:58 pm
» Turan's Garden Western Mountains and Plains
by Scorpio Rising 6/18/2024, 11:49 am
» Question about replenishing squares after harvest
by SMEDLEY BUTLER 6/17/2024, 12:14 am
» My NWA garden
by Guinevere 6/13/2024, 11:13 am
» creating grids
by plantoid 6/13/2024, 6:42 am
» SFG jOURNEY-What's Hiding in your organic fertilizer
by has55 6/13/2024, 12:40 am
Google
watermelon and pumpkins
5 posters
watermelon and pumpkins
I've got 2 'taki gem' miniature variety of watermelon exactly like my avatar that were fertilized and growing fast. Now I'm scared that something will eat them. Also have 1/2 dozen large size pumpkins that are volunteers in one of the compost heaps. Last year I tried so hard to grow pumpkins, this year they came along in the heap without trying. Gotta love gardening and its surprises.
llama momma
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4921
Join date : 2010-08-20
Location : Central Ohio zone 6a
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
Last year I had bowling ball size watermelons and larger than softball size cantaloupe. This year all of them are baseball sized and the cantaloupe are ripening and dropping off the vine. About 4 bites worth and not very sweet, but it could be because I had not yet started slowing down the water.
But I have 3 proper sized pumpkins, something I've never grown before. When do you decide they are ripe and pick them? One has turned solid orange and the skin can't be pierced with my thumbnail. I seems awfully early though.
Kay
But I have 3 proper sized pumpkins, something I've never grown before. When do you decide they are ripe and pick them? One has turned solid orange and the skin can't be pierced with my thumbnail. I seems awfully early though.
Kay
A WEED IS A FLOWER GROWING IN THE WRONG PLACE
Elizabeth City, NC
Click for weather forecast
walshevak
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4374
Join date : 2010-10-17
Age : 81
Location : wilmington, nc zone 8
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
Kaye - Your harvest question is pretty much my dilemma too. I don't know the answer cause I have no experience. Maybe call your local extension service.
Last year was my first attempt. When I tried to grow Atlantic Giant pumpkins the fruit was little plus svb problem and injected bT. Then everything died despite extra watering in extreme heat and using shade cloth. So I didn't get to nurse it along to experience a harvest.
The pumpkin volunteers this year are unknown composted varieties from a village display plus the A. Giants that died last year. Today there are some bowling ball size ones similar to yours and a couple are even bigger that are ripening to orange beautifully. Yet for this area they are not suppose to be ready till October. There is one very large green one and I don't know what to make of this. I seem to recall at some point you purposely stop watering. The info I had is online somewhere. I'll keep looking and send you a pm if I find it. Please let me know what you find too.
Last year was my first attempt. When I tried to grow Atlantic Giant pumpkins the fruit was little plus svb problem and injected bT. Then everything died despite extra watering in extreme heat and using shade cloth. So I didn't get to nurse it along to experience a harvest.
The pumpkin volunteers this year are unknown composted varieties from a village display plus the A. Giants that died last year. Today there are some bowling ball size ones similar to yours and a couple are even bigger that are ripening to orange beautifully. Yet for this area they are not suppose to be ready till October. There is one very large green one and I don't know what to make of this. I seem to recall at some point you purposely stop watering. The info I had is online somewhere. I'll keep looking and send you a pm if I find it. Please let me know what you find too.
llama momma
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4921
Join date : 2010-08-20
Location : Central Ohio zone 6a
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
llama momma - please post your findings publicly. I'm a sfg newbie and I have watermelons and cantaloupe plants but no experience. I was unaware you're supposed to slow down on the watering. Thx!
grownsunshine- Posts : 255
Join date : 2013-05-22
Location : So Cal: Zone 10a
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
This looks to be a nice site! But it doesn't address the water withholding issue. Hmm, I'll keep searching. You can google when do I withhold water from pumpkins, I'm getting lots of hits with many opinions....hmmm
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/growing.htm
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/growing.htm
Last edited by llama momma on 7/24/2013, 2:07 am; edited 1 time in total
llama momma
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4921
Join date : 2010-08-20
Location : Central Ohio zone 6a
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
Yes you should cut back on watering for the last week or so before you harvest so that it will concentrate the sweetness but keep an eye on your vines and don't let them wilt/die and then resume watering schedule after you harvest if there is still more small fruit on the vine that you want to continue growing. Here are some links that should help you out.
GROWING PUMPKINS
Video-How to harvest pumpkins
GROWING WATERMELONS
Watermelon
Video-How to tell if a watermelon is ripe
GROWING CANTALOUPE AND HONEYDEW MELONS
Cantaloupe
Video-How to tell when your homegrown cantaloupes are ripe
Hope this helps!!!
GROWING PUMPKINS
Video-How to harvest pumpkins
GROWING WATERMELONS
Watermelon
Video-How to tell if a watermelon is ripe
GROWING CANTALOUPE AND HONEYDEW MELONS
Cantaloupe
Video-How to tell when your homegrown cantaloupes are ripe
Hope this helps!!!
Last edited by TxGramma on 7/24/2013, 1:46 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Adding a link)
TxGramma- Posts : 199
Join date : 2013-05-27
Age : 57
Location : Texas 9A
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
Thank you both!!!
grownsunshine- Posts : 255
Join date : 2013-05-22
Location : So Cal: Zone 10a
Re: watermelon and pumpkins
On Facebook today. I didn't know that Halloween pumpkins aren't good for pies. http://foodtank.com/news/2016/10/how-does-it-grow-tells-the-truth-about-pumpkins
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum