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Location

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Folkston

I'm having what I think to be an issue with my Congo melons. I will get a female flower with a watermelon baby under it and it will grow for a few days. After a few days, the watermelon looks like it is trying to force itself into the ground, and it crushes the flower (which I thought the flower needed to stay open to get pollinated in order to help the watermelon grow). It starts growing upwards or parallel to the ground, then the vine grows down into the ground. We have been getting an unusual amount of heavy rainfall the past week or 2, and when I say unusual, it usually rains once every 3-4 weeks and just a sprinkle, and it has rained heavy monsoon rains every day for almost 2 weeks now with little respite. Is it normal for watermelons to grow towards the ground? And seem to be crushing the flower and stopping its growth? Do I need an elevated platform to let them grow up? Please help D:

6/16/2017 10:07:45 AM

Corryton, TN

Everything sounds quite normal. The female can only be pollinated the first day(morning). If it rained during the morning of pollination it may abort. If you want to adjust her go ahead but be gentle.

6/16/2017 12:18:08 PM