This year I am planning to grow melons for the first time. (Minnesota Midget and Blacktail Mountain). Since I will be growing them in homemade earthboxes (then up a trellis), I need to know what kind of fertilizer to put in the container.
I just need a general idea of the three numbers to look for, because then I can find the right granules to make the fert strip in the boxes.
Also any info on pH preferences melons may have would be helpful, because I can add lime if needed.
Oh, and while I am at it... I have read that melons shouldn't be watered as the fruit is getting ripe. Do you think the self-watering earthboxes are going to be a problem? They will have constant access to water, and the theory is they will take up whatever they need. Any theories on whether that will make them less sweet?
Thanks very much.
Melon Growers: Which fertilizer?
There are a few earth box growers around here that might have learned by experience what kind of soil mix is good and about how much fertilizer is needed at what times.
Beyond that information watermelons like about a ph of 6 and cantaloupes are happy with 6.8 to 7.0 ph.
As far as fertilizer numbers....watermelons like a 5-10-10 when young and a later feeding with more nitrogen. I like to spray the foliage with a seaweed extract or something simular for micro nutrients.
As far as watering goes...a little less at ripening time is good, but don't start that too soon as melons are highly water.
Scout -- I use one cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer and my potting mix is 6.5 which seems fine. The tricky part growing in an EB or HEB is the water allowance when the fruit is large and you want to cut back on water to sweeten the melons. I give them some water but do not fill the EB to capacity. At this time I water from the top and give them about a quart per plant just enough to do the job and prevent heavy wilting. Farmerdill can add more to this!
Not really Plant, You are the EB expert. I plant in the ground, but your advice correlates nicely with the way I grow them in the ground.
Farmer --- I learned all this from your teachings and am very grateful to you for all of your advice!
Thanks to each of you -- exactly what I needed to know. TPlant, thanks for the specific HEB info. I suspected I might need to water from the top to keep it just this side of wilting.
Melons fascinate me! Especially the fact that they were originally grown in the desert. How they survived there much less produced is just short of miraculous...
GardenScout -- How are your melons doing? Hope you did real well? Can you take a few minutes and share your experience with us whether it be good or bad? Every bit helps!!
Hi TPlant,
I don't have a very exciting melon update. I decided to just plant them in the ground, and I built some great ladder trellises to train them on. But I got the seeds in late (around May 28), so the seedlings are just sitting there. They germinated in less than a week, and are just now unfurling their true leaves.
So I have this prime real estate in full sun with great tellises, but just some baby seedlings. It actually just looks like a big bald spot in the garden. I have great hope for them though.