Article Detail
27 Apr
Summer is here and u can see watermelons everywhere. That’s right it’s the right time to grow your own melons too. Watermelons are a tasty summer fruit that you can grow at home in your backyard or in a pot. All you need are a few simple tools, some space and some patience, and you'll have delicious watermelons of your own in no time.
- Sow the seeds. Collect seeds from your fruit if don’t have a seed packet with you. Let it dry up a bit before sowing it in the soil. A spot that gets lots of direct sunlight throughout the day & a pot or grow bags in the size of a bucket is recommended.
- Water each week while the plants grow. While watermelon plants are in the initial growing stages, they need plenty of water. Make sure they get 1 to 2 inches per week.
- Shoots start to show up within a week’s time. If you have many shoots in the same pot, transfer some of it to another big pot to give each plant enough space to grow its roots.
- Time to give support. Soon the watermelon vine will outgrow the pot. For those with limited space you can grow melons vertically by giving a trellis or a teepee frame. As the vine grows, train it up the support. Your balcony grills also helps as support.
- Yellow flowers start to appear. You will find two types of flowers the male & the female (one with the fruit underneath). Hand pollinating melon plants may be unnecessary, but for some gardeners, like those who garden on high balconies or in high pollution areas, hand pollination for melons is essential in order to get fruit.
- Melons start to mature. Melons loose the female flower & start growing in size. Let them be until the vine can handle their weight.
- Another support. Once the melons start to grow and pull the vine down we need to give the fruit some external support. Make a hammock out of a stretchable material for the melons to rest on.
