The vine crops — cantaloupes (muskmelons), cucumbers, watermelons, squash and pumpkins — belong to the Cucurbitaceae family.
Is watermelon a vine fruit?
Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, is a vining annual plant in the family Cucurbitaceae grown for its fleshy fruit. Watermelon vines are thin, grooved and covered in tiny hairs. Vines are branching and possess deeply lobed pinnate leaves.
Which type of crop is watermelon?
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties.
What is a vine crop?
The cucurbits, or vine crops, include such favorites as cucumbers, squash, melons and pumpkins.
How many watermelons make a vine?
2-4 fruits
How Many Watermelons per Plant? Healthy watermelon vines produce 2-4 fruits per plant. The vines produce both male and female flowers. Both are needed to set fruit and there are fewer female flowers compared to male, about one female for every seven males.
How do watermelon vines grow?
Watermelon vines bear male and female flowers. Don’t be alarmed when some of the male flowers, which appear first, fall off shortly after they open; they are followed by female blossoms about a week later. The female flowers, which have a small swelling at the base of the flower, stay on the vine to bear fruit.
How long does a watermelon vine grow?
A vine of about 1 foot long grows out and large lobed leaves begin to form. This runner will continue to grow until it reaches about 12 feet in length. About one month after a watermelon plant sends out its first vine, several more vines will begin to grow.
What family is watermelon in?
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a member of the Cucurbitaceae plant family. The latter contains a number of familiar garden vegetables including cucumber, squash, pumpkin and musk melon. Members of this family are monecious, meaning they bear separate male and female flowers on the same plant.
How would you describe watermelon?
the large, roundish or elongated fruit of a trailing vine, Citrullus lanata, of the gourd family, having a hard, green rind and a sweet, juicy, usually pink or red pulp.
Why watermelon is called watermelon?
How did the watermelon get its common name? The C. lanatus produces a fruit that is about 93% water, making it the majority of it water, hence the name “water” melon. The “melon” part came from the fact that the fruit is large and round and has a sweet, pulpy flesh.
What type of plants are vines?
vine, Plant whose stem requires support and that climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground, or the stem of such a plant. Examples include bittersweet, most grapes, some honeysuckles, ivy, lianas, and melons.
What fruits and vegetables grow on a vine?
Some of the following climbing vegetables can also be grown during cooler weather and can be planted in spring or fall.
- Tomatoes. Tomato plants are one of the favorite trellis vegetables of gardeners everywhere.
- Peas.
- Cucumbers.
- Squash.
- Pumpkins.
- Scarlet Runner Beans.
- Chayote.
- Malabar Spinach.
How many types of vines are there?
There are over 2,500 species of vines from about 90 families [liana distribution]. They range from small, indiscrete vines that grow against the tree to giant lianas thick as trees that seemingly hang in the middle of the forest independent of trees. Some of the larger woody lianas may exceed 3,000 feet in length.
Can you cut back watermelon vines?
So, to curtail the size, it is indeed possible to prune the plant. Beyond reining in the size, there are other reasons for watermelon trimming. Pruning watermelons promotes healthier vines and increases fruit size. Look for irregular or rotting fruit to prune from the plant.
How long does a watermelon plant live?
3-4 months
How many watermelons per plant? About 2 to 3 melons can be obtained per plant in its single lifespan of 3-4 months. Usually, gardeners purposely keep only one watermelon per plant to harvest big sized fruits.
Do watermelon plants keep producing?
A healthy and robust watermelon vine is capable of producing two to four fruits per plant. Watermelons produce both male and female flowers. The female flowers are bulbous at the bottom and remain on the vine to produce fruits after the male flowers have fallen off.
Do watermelon vines climb?
As the vines, which should be about two feet apart, begin to run, send them up a sturdy trellis. You will need to tie the runners to the trellis, since watermelons are not natural climbers. Cllimbing is learned behavior. Watermelons don’t climb by habit, but once shown the way they can rise with the best.
Is watermelon a seed?
Its seeds are super-rich in various nutrients. These seeds have a low-calorie count and are rich in micronutrients like zinc, magnesium, potassium, etc. Watermelon seeds boost immunity and heart health and help to control blood sugar levels, thereby occupying a prominent place in the Diabetes Food Chart.
Do watermelons need a lot of water?
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 long does it take for watermelon to produce fruit?
Watermelons are long-period crops. For growing outdoors, they need on average 100 to 120 days from seeding to harvesting. However, if you are planning to grow watermelon from seed, there are some facts you need to know. First, watermelon seeds require at least 18 °C (65 °F) soil temperature in order to germinate.
How do you tell the difference between a male and female watermelon flower?
The fruit is found in the ovaries (beneath the flower sepals) from the pistillate flowers. The female flower is easy to recognize. Its swollen base looks like a tiny watermelon. Vines usually produce 10 times more male flowers than female.