Calcium Nitrate provides 100% water-soluble calcium and calcium, in early stages of watermelon development, is key to maintaining vigorous and healthy plant growth.
What is the best fertilizer for watermelon?
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 you apply calcium nitrate to watermelon?
Adding Nitrogen
Watermelons need 1 lb. of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet or 2 lbs. of calcium nitrate per 100 feet of row. Feed your watermelons nitrogen before the vines start to run and again after fruit has started to develop.
Do watermelon plants need calcium?
Most watermelon rots are not caused by a lack in nutrients, although a calcium deficiency in the soil is a common cause of blossom end rot.
How much calcium nitrate does a watermelon plant produce?
Using 1 to 2 tablespoons per plant of side-dress fertilizer, such as calcium or potassium nitrate, is plenty. It’s important to thoroughly mix in the fertilizer so the watermelon transplants are not burned.
What helps watermelon grow faster?
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.
How do I add calcium to my watermelon plant?
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 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.
How often should calcium nitrate be applied?
Calcium Nitrate Fertilizer Use Recommendations
“Spoon feed” by applying at two week intervals, 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet at a time. Foliar Spray: Mix 2-4 tablespoons per 1 gallon of water and spray leaves.
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.
How do you grow a big watermelon?
To maximize the size of the melons, water the plants at the base in regular, deep-watering sessions that keep the soil moist. Side dress the watermelon plants with fertilizer designed for edible crops or compost tea to feed the plants. The fertilizer encourages growth to get larger melons.
What is the fastest way to add calcium to plants?
Foliar Spray
Commercial foliar calcium sprays are the quickest remedy for acute calcium deficiency, as plants absorb nutrients more efficiently through leaves than through roots. It is often used as a remedy for container plant issues especially for seedlings and transplants.
How do you keep a watermelon plant healthy?
Keep soil moist, but not waterlogged. Water at the vine’s base in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering. Reduce watering once fruit are growing. Dry weather produces the sweetest melon.
What can I use instead of calcium nitrate?
Calcium Nitrate Alternatives
- Limestone. There are two types of lime.
- Micronized Limes. Granulated micronized limes are more expensive due to the additional processing & they are imported.
- Gypsum. Gypsum contains Calcium Sulphate.
- Other Calcium Products. Mainstay Calcium.
What plants benefit from calcium nitrate?
Tomatoes, apples and peppers are examples of crops that may benefit from calcium nitrate applications. When applied early in fruit development, the calcium stabilizes cells so they don’t collapse, causing blossom end rot. Meanwhile, the nitrogen is fueling plant growth.
Is borax good for watermelons?
First, you can spray Boron on watermelon vines, Boron is a mineral that helps to sweeten the fruit – you can make it by mixing a tablespoon of household Borax into a gallon of water. Second, melons really do like sun.
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.
Why do watermelons grow so slow?
Watermelons require hot growing temperatures for the best development. If the outside air temperatures fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night and lower than 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, the growth of the plant slows considerably.
What helps watermelon pollinate?
Natural pollination of watermelons in the field is usually by honeybees that visit the flower to collect pollen and nectar. Bumblebees also are effective pollinators. Hand pollination of watermelon flowers is usually less effective than bee pollination.
Should you water watermelon plants 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.
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).