A common root pest of many home garden crops, including watermelon, is the root knot nematode. This pest feeds on roots, causing negative effects for the entire plant. As they feed and mature in the roots, the nematodes restrict the plant’s water and nutrient uptake.
What does Epsom salt do for watermelons?
Flat, tasteless melons can be due to a lack of magnesium or boron in the soil. It has been found that such fruits can be sweetened by giving them a dose of Epsom salts and borax. For home garden use, use about 6 1/2 tablespoons of Epsom salts and 3 1/2 tablespoons of household borax, all added to five gallons of water.
What do Overwatered watermelons look like?
If rainfall is heavy, watermelons may swell too quickly for the plant to keep up with the extra water content. When this happens, the rind of the watermelon may split or burst as a result of the excess water building up inside of it. Once this has happened, the watermelon is ruined.
How do you control the watermelon virus?
Control insecticide use in order not to affect beneficial insects. Control ant populations that protect aphids with sticky bands. Check weeds and alfalfa in and around the fields. Use plastic mulches that repel aphids to reduce losses due to the disease.
Why are my watermelons rotting on the end?
Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium in the developing fruit. This may be due to a lack of calcium uptake from the soil or to extreme fluctuations in water supply. Incidence of blossom-end rot is also increased where there is a low ratio of calcium to certain other nutrients such as potassium and nitrogen.
Should you water watermelon everyday?
Watermelons do not need water every single day. Only consider watering your watermelons daily when temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C). Watering 1–2 times per week works well as long as temperatures are below 90°F. Try to keep the soil moist to a depth of 12 inches (30 cm) at all times.
What’s the best fertilizer for watermelons?
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.
When should you stop watering watermelon plants?
For the sweetest flavor, stop watering your watermelons two weeks before harvest. The dryer soil causes the sugars to concentrate in the melon, giving it an even sweeter flavor.
Is Miracle Gro good for watermelons?
Miracle Grow is a commonly used fertilizer that can often be a great thing for your watermelon plants.
When should I stop watering watermelon?
If it’s wet, let it dry out for a few days and check again. Stop watering the plants altogether about 10 days before you harvest the melons. This will allow the sugars in the fruit to concentrate and the flesh to stay crisp. This makes for much better tasting watermelon.
What to spray on watermelons for bugs?
Insecticides Insecticides used in watermelon are: abamectin, esfenvalerate, diazinon, dimethoate, carbofuran, dicofol, methomyl, permethrin, carbaryl, endosulfan, imidacloprid, bifenthrin, beta-cyfluthrin, thiamethoxam, spiromesifin, fenpropathrin, dinotefuran, spintor, vydate, and fulfill.
How do I know if a watermelon has a virus?
The symptoms of infection can vary depending on the species of the host, the cultivar, environmental factors and strains of the virus, but the main symptoms to look for are mottling and mosaic.
What are some potential problems with watermelon?
Watermelon Fruit Diseases
- Bacterial Fruit Blotch.
- Anthracnose.
- Bacterial Rind Necrosis.
- Belly Rot.
- Diplodia Stem-End Rot.
- Pimples.
- Blossom End Rot.
- Bottle Neck.
How do you fix blossom end rot on a watermelon?
What do I do about blossom end rot?
- If you have been in very dry conditions, provide consistent irrigation at a rate of 1 inch per week.
- If your ph is off, add dolomitic lime at 5 pounds per 100 sf to raise the ph one point in loam soil.
- If there isn’t enough calcium, add dolomitic lime.
How do you fix blossom end rot?
Treatment. If you notice some of your fruits developing blossom end rot, it is unfortunately non-reversible on the affected fruit. You will have to remove the affected fruit and fix your plant’s calcium levels so the next round of fruit will grow healthy.
How do you stop melon rot?
Elevate the fruit above the soil to prevent bottom rot. Use a fluffy layer of straw or wood chips under the fruit to increase airflow and reduce contact with the soil. Or try melon and squash cradles that elevate the fruit above the ground to prevent rot and promote even ripening.
Should you turn watermelons as they grow?
Yes! We always recommend you rotate crops in your garden as much as possible to prevent diseases and pests. Watermelons should not come after or before any other melons, and if possible, any other members of the cucurbit family (winter squash, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, pumpkins).
Should you prune watermelon vines?
Pruning watermelons promotes healthier vines and increases fruit size. Look for irregular or rotting fruit to prune from the plant. Removing the less than perfect melons will enable the plant to focus energy towards growing bigger, healthier, juicier melons.
What does watering 2 inches mean?
Editor: Since pots and pans vary in sizes, covering something with two inches of water means there should be two inches of water covering the top of the food, not that there are exactly two inches of water in the pot. This means that there is plenty of water to keep the food completely covered in water as it cooks.
How often should watermelon be watered?
Typically, watermelon plants need 1-2 inches of water per week so that the soil stays moist but not wet. If you’re not getting enough rain each week, make sure you give your plants an extra drink.
How do I grow a bigger watermelon?
To maximize the size of the melon, water the plants regularly in deep water sessions that keep the soil moist. Side dress the Watermelon plants with fertilizer prepared for edible crops or fertilizer tea to feed the plants. Fertilizer encourages growth to produce large melons.