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Western PA

What is the ideal plant size (in sq. ft.) when you want to set a melon ?

6/5/2010 9:49:21 AM

formerly RGG

I think growing Carolina Cross watermelons is a lot more of an art than a science. Personally,I think the bigger the plant the better.I'm not sure you can grow a prize size melon on a small vine. There are probably a lot of other factors that are as important though. For one you wouldn't want to wait until too late in the season to set a melon. I think having the best soil and supplementing with quality fertilize is equally important. Giving your plant plenty of room and keeping it weed free so it can take good advantage of the sun is very important. These plants are delicate and won't live for too many weeks so starting too early or waiting a long time for the vine to grow large may not be the best strategy in the long run. So here's what I think. Start early but not too much so. Give the plants all the room you think they could use. Have a good plan for weed control. Put plenty of good amendments into your soil and have a good nutrition supplementation program. Also, have good control of insect & disease problems. Having a good plan for growth & plant health will surely give you a large vine. As far as I am concerned the larger the plant at pollination time the better. But remember you need to set your melon at the proper time for it to be mature when it is time for the contest you will enter it in when the time comes. These melons will grow for as much as 90 days so you'll not want to wait until 50 days before the contest to set a melon.

6/5/2010 7:48:45 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

I think I replied to the wrong one. Here's what I wrote.

It seems as though you need a certain sized plant to set a nice female flower/fruit. As for square feet, I would say that the plant is only about 1/10th it's projected size at the time I start setting fruit. Maybe 20 to 30 square feet.

I like to see a female fruit around 2.8 to 3.2 Cm at pollination time, and you don't see that until the plants are larger. The problem for me is that the remaining amount of growing season becomes a problem when going with a late set.

6/7/2010 4:46:15 PM