Watermelon root rot is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Monosporascus cannonballus.
Why are my watermelon plants rotting?
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.
How do you fix watermelon rot?
The most common causes of blossom end rot are low soil pH and improper watering. To treat blossom end rot, keep a consistent watering schedule, mulch around your plants, and add calcium to the soil by using a foliage spray such as calcium nitrate.
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 long does it take a watermelon to rot?
A whole one should keep good quality for about a week in the pantry. If you need more time, you get between 10 and 14 days if you refrigerate it. Once you cut it up, the timer starts ticking. The fruit should retain freshness for about 3 to 5 days.
How do I add calcium to my watermelon plants?
A recommended preventive measure is a solution of 2 tablespoons of calcium chloride in 1 gallon of water sprayed on the foliage and fruit of watermelons at least twice during the growing season at one-week intervals beginning when the flowers start blooming. Premixed solutions are also sold.
How often should I water my watermelon?
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 add calcium to my soil?
How to Raise Calcium in Soil. Adding lime to the soil in autumn is the easiest answer to how to raise calcium in the soil. Eggshells in your compost will also add calcium to soil. Some gardeners plant eggshells along with their tomato seedlings to add calcium to soil and prevent blossom end rot.
How do you prevent watermelon disease?
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 fertilizer is good for watermelon?
When fertilizing watermelon plants, use nitrogen based fertilizer at the onset. Once the plant begins flowering, however, switch to feeding the watermelon a phosphorus and potassium based fertilizer. Watermelons require ample potassium and phosphorus for optimal melon production.
Should I water my watermelon plant every day?
Watering 1–2 times each week works best for healthy watermelon plants. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist at all times—not too dry and not too wet. Give your young watermelon vines 2 inches (5 cm) of water every week. Decrease water to 1 inch (2.5 cm) weekly once fruit sets on the vines.
When should I stop watering my 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.
Can watermelon get too much sun?
Watermelons require full sun for proper growth. For full sun, choose a location where watermelons receive eight to 10 hours of direct sunlight. The plants need sun to remain healthy and productive. Choose a garden location where trees, buildings or other structures do not block the sun and shade the plants.
What to put under watermelons while growing?
In order to grow great watermelons, you’ll need to put a barrier between the watermelons and the ground. This is to reduce the risk of rot and disease. Good ground barriers are straw, or even cardboard.
What soil is best for watermelons?
sandy loam soils
Melons grow best on well-drained, sandy loam soils, with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Soils with a pH less than 6.0 will produce plants with yellow foliage that set few or no fruit.
How do you treat 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.
Are eggshells good for watermelon plants?
Many foods you eat, from celery to egg shells, can go into a compost pile or bin to create food scrap compost. Naturally, the food scraps have high nutrient levels perfect for a growing watermelon.
Which fertilizer is rich in calcium?
B Fertilizers
The most important sources of fertilizer Ca are (1) calcium carbonate (CaCO3) marketed as chalk, ground chalk, screened chalk, or ground limestone, (2) calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) sold as hydrated lime or slaked lime, and (3) calcium oxide (CaO) marketed as burnt or quick lime (Cooke, 1972).
How can I add calcium to my soil naturally?
Eggshells: Eggshells are a slower way to add calcium to soil than bone meal, as they have to break down for the calcium to become available for use by plants. You can can add eggshells to the soil when planting seedlings, or you can add eggshells to compost then add the compost to soil when it’s ready, or you.
Can you use Epsom salt on watermelons?
For sweeter watermelons and cantaloupes when the plant starts vining and again when small 1-inch melons appear, spray with 6 1/2 tablespoons Epsom salts and 3 1/2 tablespoons borax in 5 gallons of water.
How do I make my watermelon sweeter when growing?
Heat brings out melons’ sweetness, so make sure to plant them in a location that warms up early in spring and stays hot through the end of September. The south side of a fence or wall is ideal as the structure will absorb heat and light from the sun and reflect it back onto the melons.