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Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Its not a personal problem or a sensory euphoria, but me watermelon isn't showing very many females. Any ideas to get female blossoms to show up?

6/22/2017 8:34:55 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

How big is your plant ?
Has it been hot there ?
I always see males before females.
You could feed it a bloom booster.

6/22/2017 8:50:04 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Has about 250 feet of vine
Temps in WI are hot, no cold, no hot, etc....
Plenty of males, very, very few females.....none on the last 8 feet of main vine though.
Bloom booster tried a week ago, hasn't changed course of plant/flower development.
Thanks for your contemplation

6/22/2017 9:09:26 PM

SW Ohio

In a good year, I will get maybe 3 shots at a pollination on the main. There have been some awful big melons grown on finger vines. Are you getting no females period or none on the main?

6/22/2017 9:33:24 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Hey Sue, I've had 4 females (2 early on main, 2 on finger vine) on plant one and only 2 on the other.
Currently I notice no new females, we had a stretch of upper 90's/low 100's heat index with intense sunlight, but the last 3 days have been reasonable. Cold front moving in so temps will be watched to see if cooler weather may help.

6/22/2017 10:06:27 PM

Grant, AL

Did you use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer when you added your soil amendments? Too much nitrogen can cause good foliage growth but less fruit.

6/22/2017 10:24:37 PM

Mn

Cornhusk when did you start your watermelons. I definitely need to start mine sooner from now on.

6/23/2017 12:00:55 AM

SW Ohio

John have you had a lot of rain? I know a few growers this year are experiencing problems with lack of females. They are getting heavy rains.

6/23/2017 8:31:18 AM

sevierville, Tn

finger vines will work fine, set those also as they may be better than no or poor females on the main. I have a plant doing the same this year. Other than bloom boster, not much else you can do.

6/23/2017 10:00:31 PM

Bowdon, GA

Lots of rain here. The entire space for each plant is filled in and only 2 pollinations.

6/23/2017 10:52:37 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Sue,
My melons have had luxurious watering, so I stopped completely four days ago. That "drought stress" plus this "cold front" I think helped as there's a tiny female forming on both plant's growing main tips! I'll have to bend the main a bit to keep the potential melons in the patch, but there's hope.

6/26/2017 7:57:25 PM

SW Ohio

Well lets blame it on the rain then! I dont have anything big enough to pollinate yet. So I cant crab about it. YET :)~

Hooray for the ladies! My 296.5 was a "last chance" at a pollination. Maybe this is a good sign!

6/26/2017 8:54:16 PM

Partlow,Va

This is good info for a newbie melonhead like me. Thanks all! I'm going to let things dry out some here now and look for some females.

6/27/2017 10:39:35 PM