Basics
- Ease of Growing
- Moderate
- Grown as
- Annual
- Days to Maturity
- 75-100 (Spring/Summer)
- Growing Habit
- Vine
- Hardiness
- Very Tender
Melons can't tolerate cold weather.
- Crops
- Spring Transplant, Summer
- Growing Season
- Long
- Cultivar Type
- -
- Growing Conditions
- Warm, Hot, Long days
Melons must have hot (ideally 90Ż F) sunny weather if they are to make the sugar needed to produce sweet fruits. In cooler areas you need to give them as much sun and heat as possible. They should also be sheltered from cool winds.
I must emphasize that if Melons don't get enough heat they won't taste very good (even if they successfully produce fruit.)
- Outdoor Growing Temp
- 65°F - 95°F
- Min Outdoor Soil Temp
- 70°F
Melons need warm weather, so don’t plant them until all danger of frost is past and the soil temperature is at least 70˚ F.
- Start Indoors
- Yes
- Start Outdoors
- Yes
- Light
- Sun: min. 6 hours daily (Warm, Hot)
Watermelon is a desert plant and needs full sun.
- Water
- Moderate
Watermelons need to produce a lot of leaves to make enough sugar to produce sweet fruit. To do this they need a constant supply of water. The best way to water them is with a drip system or soaker hose, as they don't like having wet leaves (this encourages fungus disease).
- Feeder
- Heavy
Not surprisingly for such a large and vigorous plant, watermelons are fairly hungry feeders. Melons don't need a lot of nitrogen as it encourages leaf growth at the expense of fruit. They do like phosphorus (give them colloidal phosphate) and potassium (wood ashes), as well as boron and magnesium.
- Suitability
- High heat, Needs lots of space
- Small Gardens?
- No
- Containers?
- No
Most Watermelons are too big to comfortably grow in containers, but a few of the smaller cultivars will work if the container is big enough (at least 18" wide and deep and preferably bigger). This is sometimes done in cool climates, where the plants are grown in greenhouses.
When growing such large plants in containers you have to be particularly attentive to watering. You will probably need to support them too.
- Attracts beneficial insects?
- No
- Color
- Fruit Size
- - "
- Plant Height
- 18.0 - 24.0"
- Plant Diameter
- 60.0 - 72.0"
- Hardiness Zone
- 4-11
- Disease Resistance
- Taste Profile
- Rotation Group
- Fruits: Solanaceae + Cucurbits