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Location

Message

Date Posted

The North Coast

What foliar diseases are typical with giant watermelons, and what do you folks use to suppress them?

12/10/2013 6:33:00 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

In my first competitive season of growing giant watermelon, I grew a 105 in 150 sq feet using a rotation of eagle 20, daconil and alliette just as I do for the pumpkins and had no disease problems. Jim

12/11/2013 5:57:02 PM

The North Coast

Good job Jim, that rotation is effective. What I like about melons is that the leaves are much more durable than pumpkin and fruit failure is rare (splitting). Look forward to what you bring to the scales next year.

12/11/2013 7:31:01 PM

Bethlehem CT

Nate it depends on the year. I have had anthracnose and downy mildew among others I am sure but I have never sent anything out to a lab to confirm anything. If we have a dry summer, the melons have very few problems. In a wet year It can be bad. I think Daconil and mancozeb are still some of the best all purpose fungicides. Agri-fos is labeled for gummy stem blight suppression. I am wondering if you could use the agri fos early on to cut back on GSB in the grafts. Maybe even mist the grafts with it instead of pure water? If nothing else it will give the plants a nice shot of phosphorous.

12/12/2013 7:57:33 AM

sevierville, Tn

I have used all of the above except eagle20. I have never had powdery mildery on melons, pumpkins yes, but not melons(knock wood). Last year i mixed Daconil and mancozeb for good results. Just don't use the same thing twice in a row.

12/12/2013 12:19:43 PM

Valencia Spain

i think in spain they put sulfur in tights and then they shake it above the plants and also do the same for tomatoes

watermelons like it, cantelopes dont

12/12/2013 1:33:12 PM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

I think BM is spot on. I also had GSB this year and was thinking the same thing about early app. of Agri Fos to keep it at bay.

12/12/2013 3:59:13 PM

The North Coast

This is a great conversation...thanks for all the input...lets keep it going.

12/12/2013 4:10:09 PM

Bethlehem CT

I have a question for Chris. Chris when you cut your 350.5 melon off or pruned vines on it during the season did you notice if the sap was clear or was it more of a brown color?

12/13/2013 8:08:35 AM

sevierville, Tn

sap was the same on the 350 & 240 as all the other plants

12/14/2013 6:14:39 AM

Bethlehem CT

So it was clear? The reason I ask is because I noticed all my grafts had a brown sap when the vines were cut. Maybe the 350 was clean of GSB.

12/14/2013 8:57:54 AM

sevierville, Tn

yes John, all sap was clear, guess i wasn't clear ! LOL

12/16/2013 10:42:16 PM

Bethlehem CT

Thanks Chris. It sounds like the 350 may have been free of graft/seed born Gummy stem blight. Once again congratulations on such a great year. Even just a couple of years ago I would not have believed that a 350 Pounder was even possible.

12/18/2013 8:10:40 AM