Last month, I shared my New Year’s resolution to put my green thumb to the test by growing my very own watermelon in 2013. Like last year, when I organized and competed in my first seed-spitting contest, I’ll be providing monthly updates on my progress as I work toward making my resolution a reality.
Since I’m what some might call “gardening challenged,” I’m approaching the task of growing my favorite fruit with a little nervousness. I had a lot of questions about becoming a watermelon farmer, so I spent the better part of a weekend scouring the Internet for answers. Here’s what I learned:
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Should I grow my watermelon from a seed or should I start with a seed that’s already sprouted?
The answer to this question is a combination of both. I’ll start with a seed, which will be grown indoors until it sprouts and then transplanted outdoors when the weather is a little warmer.
When should I plant my seed?
According to the Farmers’ Almanac, gardeners in colder climates (I’m in Pennsylvania) should start seeds indoors in mid- to late March and then transplant the sprout outdoors a few weeks after the season’s last frost (mid-April in my area).
What type of watermelon should I grow?
Since I have a small garden, I’ll more than likely grow a smaller icebox variety of watermelon such as the Sugar Baby, a round, red-fleshed fruit with a very dark green skin. I can also grow a bush type of watermelon like the Garden Baby, but the Sugar Baby will most likely be the watermelon for me.
What sort of care will my watermelon require?
To develop the sweetest, most succulent flesh, watermelons require eight to 10 hours of direct sunlight daily. They prefer a soil rich in organic matter, like compost or rotted manure.
Since watermelons are 95 percent water, they also require plentiful, even regular, watering for quick growing. The soil should be kept moist until the fruit reaches full size and then watering should end until the watermelon ripens. Mulch can be used to help retain soil moisture and prevent weeds, which can steal water and nutrients from the watermelon plant and are especially harmful when the plant is still in the sprout stage.
When will I be able to harvest my watermelon?
Watermelons are ready for harvest in 80 to 90 days for baby bush varieties, and 90 to 100 days or more for the larger varieties.
So there you have some basic questions and answers to help me get started on my watermelon-growing adventure. I’ll provide monthly updates and dive a little deeper into the trials and tribulations of being a watermelon farmer in future entries. In my update next month, I’ll cover the process of planting my Sugar Baby seed and starting the growing process indoors.
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