in the past I have had great luck with just broadcasting the seed from the melons I acquired at the farmstands through out the previous summer and sown it that way.
One year I had watermelon coming our of my ears...a first since we gave them a place in the garden to take over.
Other years, not so lucky. The luck ran out with the floodage from the rains and other issues here.
So ok, how are you doing them, what are ya growing? whats good whats bad?
We will grow Sangria again. People love, we love it! Many people ask us for it & won't buy any other melons.
As for growing it. They are started in individual pots, 2½ sq. About 6 weeks after seeding, we hand set them on green plastic mulch. Best time for setting out is May 29. We cultivate between the rows of plastic twice. Just as the runners are getting off the plastic, we send the crew through to hand pull any weeds. About August 10, we start looking for ripe melons. Labor day most will be ripe & the vines drop exposing the hundreds of melons.
Sangria are so sweet, they do not have a long shelf life. About 6 weeks of selling is it. They get very sugary when they get overripe.
Bernie
I love a sweet melon. I do not like those small 2 serving puny melons. I like the big oblongs! It lasts a week. Can never figure out why the puny ones are so expensive. There is nothing too them. Dont know what variety they are.
I dont like the seedless ones either! There is just something about watermelon with seeds! Guess it reminds me of the old days when we would have pituy contests at picnics as kids!
Stores around here dont carry anything but puny melons. I can usually get a good oblong though at the farmers market. The big box store melons are not as good around here.. but then that is my opinion!
Bernie, is Sangria a hybrid? I'm looking for a nice OP variety.
Store melons are terrible. Seedless are a close second. We have tried them many times & they never have flavor.
Sangria is hybrid.
We tried one called Big Stripe from Willette seeds in Texas. It was almost as good as Sangria. Sangria is an Allsweet type, so any Allsweet is usually a good melon.
Bernie
I got some Stars & stripe watermelon seeds from randbponder is a trade and will be growing them this year. My first year growing melons in about 10 years. Just did not have the room til now. The last time I grew melons, I grew them in tires. I placed two tires in a stack and filled with planter mix and grew melons. They did well. I also grew zucchini and tomatoes in tires. Saved me digging with my bad back. Mary
I'm growing Georgia Rattlesnake, Kolb's Gem and I'll probably find one more I can't live without.
Lisa
I raise the seedlings in 3 and 4 inch pots and set out in about 23 days from sowing.
I like Sangria too along with Rojo Grande, Raspa, AU Aweet Scarlet and Sweet Slice Plus [seedless].
The biggest challenge for me is finding disease free soil that is suitable for great watermelons.
Hi Indy!
I bought some puny plants (Crimson Sweet) at the supermarket with little expectation - they did great! Since only I eat them in my household, 9 or 10 melons is all I need. They were good and sweet, especially the later ones. We did little to them, just water and mulch.
I like a melon that is grown carefree, no chems, no mulch just broadcast to the plot. No fuss no muss!
Lo0ts 'o luck Blossombuddy
Thanks Indy!
Two years ago I did a nice plot just as I described in planting.. man I had tasty watermelons all summer to late fall.
We grew moon and stars this year and it was awesome. Even when it was picked a little early it was much sweeter than anything in any store. All we did is water and weed it a little bit. It definately rambles all over though.
