How long does it take for watermelon to start producing fruit?

It takes the shortest amount of time to mature, about 70 to 75 days. A main-season watermelon is larger and takes longer to ripen, usually 80 to 90 days. Seedless watermelons are an interesting exercise in plant genetics.

How long does it take for watermelons to grow from flower?

Once a small watermelon reaches the size of a golf ball you can be sure it has been successfully pollinated and it will grow into a full size watermelon in 30-40 days. It takes 6 or 7 weeks after the first flower appears on the watermelon plant until mature watermelons grow and are ready for harvest.

How many watermelons do you get per plant?

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 often should you water a watermelon plant?

1 to 2 inches
While melon plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. 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.

What month is the best time to plant watermelon?

• Plant watermelon from late spring to early summer, once soil temperatures reach 70° F or above.
• Space watermelon 3 to 5 feet apart in nutrient-rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

How do I know when my watermelon is done growing?

Answer: Harvest watermelons when the underside or belly of the fruit turns from a greenish white to buttery yellow or cream. This color change is especially pronounced on the dark green skinned varieties. In addition, the fruit tends to lose its slick appearance on top and becomes dull when ripe.

How do you speed up the growth of a 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.

Does watermelon need a lot of sun?

Watermelons need a location that receives 8 to 10 hours of sunlight per day. Work plenty of compost or organic slow-release fertilizer into the top few inches of soil. Mound the soil into small hills spaced 8′ to 10′ apart, less for compact varieties.

What is the best month to plant watermelon?

Do you water watermelon everyday?

They require plentiful regular, even watering for quick growing. Give watermelons 1 to 2 inches (2.5. -5cm) of water every week (1 inch equals 16 gallons/60.5 liters.) Keep the soil moist until the fruit reaches full size then stop watering while the fruit ripens.

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 do you protect watermelon from pests?

How to Keep Bugs Off Watermelons

1. Avoid planting the watermelons too early in the season when the soil is cold.
2. Use floating row covers to keep the soil warm and to protect the plants from green peach aphids (Myzus persicae), a common watermelon pest.
3. Prevent additional watermelon stresses, such as infertile, dry soil.

How long does it take for a watermelon to produce fruit?

Watermelons are popular garden plants commonly grown for the large, sweet fruit they produce. A watermelon takes between 70 and 85 days to grow from seed to maturity, depending on the variety.

When is a watermelon ripe and ready to pick?

This part is simple. The watermelon you planted will be ready about 80 or so days after you plant it from seed. This means, around day 75 or so, depending on how the season was, you can start watching for ripe watermelon. How to pick a ripe watermelon will come to you; you just have to be patient.

How much cold can watermelon plants take?

Watermelons can withstand temperatures down to 33 degrees Fahrenheit, but when hit by frost, watermelon plants will be killed. Do not plant watermelons outside until the danger of frost has passed in your area.

When to harvest your watermelons?

– Sow watermelon seed in the garden or set out transplants 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring. – Start watermelon seed indoors about 6 weeks before transplanting seedlings into the garden. – Watermelons require 65 to 90 frost-free days to reach harvest.