Category: Fruits

Because seedless watermelon are not self-pollinating, pollenizers, or diploid watermelon crops, must be included in production to provide pollen, which is then transferred by bees to flowers of seedless melons. How do seedless watermelons pollinate? To fertilize seedless watermelon, pollen must be transferred from viable male flowers in standard or special pollinizer seeded types to […]

Management: Because watermelon varieties and hybrids are all susceptible to powdery mildew, fungicide sprays are required to control this disease. Preventive spray programs with fungicides can be effective, but the fungus readily develops fungicide resistance, often within a single season. What is the best fungicide for watermelon? The best fungicides are Flint Extra, Cabrio, mancozeb, […]

You will want to transplant your watermelon seedlings when they have at least two sets of true leaves. Be very careful with the roots—they resent being disturbed. Space them about 2 feet apart in rows that are 6 to 8 feet apart, or plant them in threes on hills. What happens if you plant watermelon […]

They won’t get any sweeter if you leave them on the vine – in fact, leaving the harvest too late can mean flavorless fruit. Water as needed – About one week before the harvest date for the species you are growing, only water just enough to keep the vines from wilting. How long can a […]

Choosing the best fertilizer for watermelon is the key to a quality harvest. BEST OVERALL: Dr. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Espoma Garden Tone 3-4-4 Plant Food. PREMIUM PICK: Organic Plant Magic Super Premium Plant Food. BEST ORGANIC: Jobe’s Organics Granular Fertilizer. BEST LIQUID: Neptune’s Harvest Hydrolyzed Fish Fertilizer. How do I increase the yield […]

Healthy watermelon vines produce 2-4 fruits per plant. The vines produce both male and female flowers. How many watermelon seeds are in a hole? If sowing watermelon seeds directly, place four to six seeds in a one-inch hole at the top of a mound—once the seeds begin to sprout, they can be thinned back to […]

Inside a composter, it can take as little as five to seven days for watermelon to become unrecognizable. In a landfill, watermelon decomposition can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to years, especially if the fruit gets buried and the environment becomes anaerobic. Can watermelon decompose? If you have a whole watermelon, consider composting […]

Watermelon features a highly branching taproot extending up to 1 m deep into the soil. Some 15 or more lateral roots branch from the main root. The stem is a long, trailing vine reaching 5 m and more in length, highly branched; forming secondary side shoots which, in turn, branch out. Does a watermelon have […]

They are sweet and crisp and very juicy. Their flesh runs from pale pink to deep red. What is this? These small watermelons are seedless and perfect for storing and eating when there are just one or two of you who plan to indulge. Do smaller watermelons taste better? During our tastings we learned that […]

Over the years, the only deterrent we have found that works is putting a tomato cage over the watermelons as they start to grow. The coyotes have yet to figure out how to move the cages and the melons can’t be pulled through the wire. We manage to save a few watermelons each year using […]

A man cleaves watermelon by the toothpick and it looks as if melon was broken by applying force. This video is viral on social media. Actually, there is external pressure in the rind from formation, the toothpick fractures the pressure, flicking it exploits the fracture, just like tempered glass, ceramic pots, etc. What’s the best […]

Water pressure within the fruit can build up when it gets too hot, causing the melons to split open. One way to help alleviate splitting is by adding straw mulch, which will help retain moisture in the soil and insulate plants. Adding shade covers during excessively hot periods may help too. Why do my watermelons […]

The phenomenon of “foaming” watermelon has been reported in Hong Kong as well as in other places. Experts in this area considered that when a watermelon becomes over-matured and/or is fermenting, the pressure inside the watermelon increases and this may result in the “foaming” phenomenon. How do you know if a watermelon is bad? If […]

A lack of calcium ultimately causes rapidly developing cells in fruits to collapse on themselves, turning the blossom end of the watermelon into a black, leathery lesion. Blossom rot in watermelons is caused by a lack of calcium, but simply adding more calcium isn’t going to help the situation. How do you fix blossom end […]

Watermelon rind necrosis is characterized by the presence of a corky, red to brown layer of dead tissue that occurs on the inside of the rind of affected fruit but that does not extend into the fruit flesh. Early stages of rind necrosis can be noticed as small discolored water soaked areas in the rind. […]

Return it! If you get an unripe or over-ripe melon home, take it back and get another one or your money back. I called 4 local grocery stores today (Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee, Fareway and Dahls) and they all said they would refund or replace the melon. It is best if you have your receipt with you. […]

All Kroger Co. Family of Stores can accept returns of items purchased at any Kroger Company family of stores location within a 30-day window of purchase. Can you return fruit to Kroger? Kroger will accept the return of bad produce if the customer is dissatisfied. Returns are allowed for a refund, exchange, or a Kroger […]

A lack of calcium ultimately causes rapidly developing cells in fruits to collapse on themselves, turning the blossom end of the watermelon into a black, leathery lesion. Blossom rot in watermelons is caused by a lack of calcium, but simply adding more calcium isn’t going to help the situation. How do I keep my watermelons […]

Many times nitrogen is used for the quick-growing of watermelon. If this nitrogen goes into your body, it can be very harmful as it is considered to be a toxic element. Artificial dyes such as lead chromate, methanol yellow, red are often used to give melon an excellent red colour. What do they inject in […]

If “foaming” is observed in a watermelon, it is possible that the watermelon is already starting to rot. For the sake of prudence, the CFS advises the public not to eat a watermelon which is “foaming” and shows dubious quality (e.g. off odour). Can I eat fizzy watermelon? Though the sealed container has prevented the […]