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Pataskala,OH

I want to grow a giant watermelons next year how much space is needed per plant. Also what are the types of disease are they prone to? Do I have to use systemics. Or can I use a contact spray? I want to eat them when they are done growing.

8/12/2009 9:21:37 AM

Pataskala,OH

When do they need to be started in the spring? Do they need a hoophouse?

8/12/2009 9:23:41 AM

formerly RGG

Opinions will vary on this subject.If you are growing just to have eating melons then about 15' apart in each direction would probably work OK.If you wanted a competition melon then it is nearly impossible to give them too much room.Lloyd Bright says they need plenty of space and plenty of sun.Vines can run 50' in one direction so 100' apart would not be out of the question for a fanatic who has unlimited space.Starting times vary by when you want a ripe melon and how cold it gets in the springtime in your area.A lot of growers start indoors under growlights.You have to be careful doing this.Watermelon plants do not transplant easily.This is also probably the longest melon timewise to mature. These take 90 days or more after pollenation sometimes to reach their full growth. This is a extreme plant and although it can be a very good eating melons there are others that grow 100 pounds or more and produce a ripe and sweet tastey melon much sooner.Most people would not grow Carolina Cross if they were not trying to be competitive.

8/12/2009 9:09:27 PM

Pataskala,OH

100 sq ft?

8/12/2009 9:13:32 PM

formerly RGG

A hoophouse would be beneficial in the north. I doubt if many growers in the south use them. One thing for sure though, watermelons are a heat loving plant and will not grow much in cool temperatures.Soil heating cables and black plastic are other ways to help get watermelon plants off to a faster start in cool weather.

8/12/2009 9:14:09 PM

formerly RGG

No 100 foot square.That is 10,000 square feet. That is a VERY extreme example though.

8/12/2009 9:15:51 PM

formerly RGG

Actually I don't know anyone who has that kind of room and the time to care for that big of a space. I'd give it a try though if I had the ability. I think this would go a long way to help a grower produce a world record size melon.

8/12/2009 9:18:39 PM

Pataskala,OH

Are you shure 10,000 sq ft it like my whole yard. And I thought 500 sq ft was alot.

8/12/2009 9:31:10 PM

Pataskala,OH

I forgot the is between ft and like

8/12/2009 9:33:24 PM

formerly RGG

Well, I was talking extreme melon growing. 15' x 15' would be 225 square feet and would certainly grow some nice big melons.This much room could possibly be enough to grow a 200+ pounder with good conditions and a little luck.

8/12/2009 9:58:05 PM

formerly RGG

My whole garden is no where close to 10,000 square feet. This is just a dream for me but perhaps something I would try if I had the opportunity.Next year I am planning to grow 3 or 4 plants on about 3000 square feet. I feel like the more room I can give a plant the better chance it has of growing a competition winner. I also know that experienced growers sometimes grow giants on a lot less square footage than that.So opinions will probably vary.

8/12/2009 10:05:28 PM

formerly RGG

This year I started out with 10 plants in about 2000 square feet. I should have known better. Anyway, it didn't take long for them to be running all over each other and shadeing each other a lot and so I ended up eliminating several plants to give the remaining ones more room.

8/12/2009 10:11:49 PM

Pataskala,OH

Do the watermelon plants root in at each node?

8/13/2009 8:04:35 AM

formerly RGG

They will if you encourage them to. I grow on black plastic so mine are not able to do that. The good news is I have no weeds to worry about and watermelons get most of their needs from the main stump roots anyway.

8/13/2009 9:03:34 AM

formerly RGG

I call my Tennessee Dreamer for a reason. I dream big sometimes and I hope that helps me to do well. Giving a melon 10,000 square feet is something I will surely never be able to do. I suppose that probably no one has ever gone to that extreme to give a vine plenty of room. And certainly very large melons can sometimes be grown in relatively small spaces. I am just saying that if I had the room and the time I would like to give some vines so much room that they would never grow into another plant and I believe that to do this a healthy palnt would probably need about 10,000 square feet. Call me crazy, but I think to grow the biggest melon possible you need the biggest, healthiest vine with sun from sunup until sundown and no weeds or competeing vines shading shading the leaves.

8/13/2009 8:43:53 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Let's be realistic before we scare away potential growers. Melon plants do not grow in a perfect circle. They fan out like a pumpkin plant. I start my rooting circles about 15 feet apart center to center. I let the plants grow south training them the long way.

It takes considerable time for the plant to use up it's alloted space, which is about 20 + feet. I keep the root circle to one side so that I have ready access to the stump for watering and fertilizer. My plants do run into each other, which doesn't seem to cause too much contention for the sun.

I have also been known to plant early season plants like cabbage and broccoli in the plant's path, since those plants are often done before the watermelon even grows to that part of the patch. I always pin my vines to encourage secondary rooting, and root they do.

8/14/2009 11:13:18 AM

Pataskala,OH

I have plenty of room so space is no issue. If I grow them I will on top of black plastic mulch. How big of an area does the soil around the stump have to be good nutrient rich soil? Can the area of good soil be 100-200 sq ft around the stump. Or do I have to ammend the soil under the whole plant? Can I start three plants in the same area and face them diffirent directions?

8/14/2009 11:25:30 AM

formerly RGG

Good soil for 1 - 200 square feet should be plenty. That is more than I have been doing and my plants have been very healthy.I had only one plant last year and gave it lots of room and although watermelon plants do not grow in a perfect circle the overall growth pattern of the plant was somewhat circular.I move vines just a bit to leave places to step so I can get to the stump to water it. If you are growing for something to eat I suppose you might leave 2 plants to a hill. If you want giants grow only one plant to a hill and only one melon to a plant.

8/14/2009 6:28:21 PM

formerly RGG

James,

I"m just saying...... Everyone is looking for an edge. It takes watermelon leaves to grow watermelon fruit. It takes 5 things I koow of for the leaves to make this magic happen. They need CO2 & everyone is on even ground here.They need good warm temperatures as we all know watermelons are a heat loving plant. They need water in the correct amounts and with good grainage. They need nutrients and this is an area where everyone is a little different and those providing the best nutrition to their plants will do better than those providing inferior nutrition. Lastly plant leaves need sunshine to work their magic. We do not grow watermelons in the shade. If it made little difference about the amount of sunshine they receive then perhaps we could grow big watermelons under trees. I haven't grown any record breakers like you have so perhaps I am out of place here. I just believe the more leaves the better, the more sun the better, the less weeds the better and the less competition from other melon plants the better. I think doing everything right will give a person an edge over people who do not. I did not practice what I am saying as I put out 10 plants this year and crowded them way too much. I ended up taking out 4 of these plants to make more room for the others. Nor will I grow just a single plant next year and let it take up my whole garden. I will grow only 2 to 4 plants though and I am hoping the extra room per plant will help me grow larger melons.Lastly we need good genetics. Last year I ordered seed from a catalog and although I gave the plant lots of room and did everything else the best I could I ended up with a 33" long very skinny 96 pound watermelon. This year I was helped by several fellow growers including yourself to get good seed and although I have had a few problems this year it is looking like I will be able to break 200 pounds with at least one of my melons. So once again, thaks everone for the good seeds you sent to me.

8/14/2009 10:04:58 PM

Cleveland,tenn.

TWO years ago I grew a 233# and a 212# on the same plant in a 40x40 area. I am unsure if melons take more room than pumpkins or not. It seems alot easier to amend the soil in a smaller area. Taking care of one plants needs is easier fo me and easier to cross pollinate in a smaller area.More input from anyone out there would be appreciated. GREAT forum, Thanks Kent for the introduction.

10/17/2009 10:42:31 AM