Watermelon Update

The watermelons have proved to be disappointing.  Granted, they were not planted at the right time so they have been trying to produce in this extreme heat.

This little guy grew to the size of a ping pong ball and then one night, when I was too lazy to spray the deer/rabbit repellent, it was a snack for a deer.  The plants haven't produced a female flower since.

So much for the first try at growing watermelons.  Lesson learned....plant in March!

Watermelons

This was Lovey's idea.  That's not saying I didn't like it.  And honestly, anytime Lovey shows any interest in growing things it pleases me.  I really want him to like gardening; especially on the fruit and vegetable end of it.

 
Lovey brought this sachet of watermelon seeds home one day.  So, it became my mission to learn how to plant a watermelon patch.


 
I selected a space for the hill that you are supposed to build for the vines.  The hills should be two feet wide and one foot deep, or high.  With some good landscape soil and mushroom compost I made a hill that was five feet long.

Yes, I agree; it looks like I have buried the family pet.


 
I think the watermelons are going to be fairly small because the seeds are quite tiny.


 
 I pushed the seeds in about 1/2 inch deep into the soil.

I covered the hill with a little mulch and watered it in good.  I'll add more mulch once the seeds germinate and I thin them out.  Nature was good to us and we had a wonderful six hour rain the day after I planted the seeds.  I planted around 25 seeds in the hill.  Once the seedlings reach a height of about 6 inches I'll thin them out to about 6 plants for this size of hill.

I'll be back when we have seedlings!