New Garden-Watermelon Question

We started a garden this past March and it's been doing really well, the weeds have also been doing really well, too, haha. Check out our journals for pics and stuff. My husband does all the work and I take all the pictures/prepare all the food.

Our watermelons have started to come in, and we noticed that on the side that the watermelon is facing the ground, it becomes soft and brownish. Is this normal. Kurt says it's probably a fungus and we may need fungaside (sp?) as there are mushrooms growing in the garden.

Anyway, it's been a real pleasure growing the garden. I loved the bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes the best!

Thanks for any comments,
Monica and Kurt

You could try putting cornmeal around the plant. It will not help that one but might help others that are coming on.......gn

I have my watermelons on straw, to keep them off the actual ground. I have a friend that uses cardboard, and says that works, too. You could probably trellis them if space is an issue, if you make slings to support really large melons. I don't even know if it's related to touching the ground, but I suspect it is. I'm sure you'll get a better answer, once the real farmers see your plight, and I'm interested in the information, too. I would take the affected melons off, tho.
Margo

If it is a problem, put squares of wood, or plastic under the developing melons to keep them from contact with the ground. Never had a problem with watermelons, But often have to do that with cantaloupes and similar melons.

I agree that you have to put something underneath them if soft spots are an issue (usually due to eccess moisture ) but once your fruit starts to develop, you should place it on its bum, not let it rest on its side for the best formed fruits.

I have some melons in a 'trellis' situation. Since i'm new to this, how would I create and use a sling? Any pics or webites?

thanx

Carl

Never done that, but here's what I have read about it. Cut the leg off panty hose and slit it down both sides, leaving an area at the bottom to rest the melon in. Now, use the two "ends" to tie this sling to the trellis.

Great sugestions for slings, I cant grow them here as our seasons are too short, but my old Dad used to grow them in greenhouse and used laies stockings (giving my age away here) also old ladies hairnets were uses, the rot on the one in the pic is because of the contact on the soil, when you water, it collects around the roots etc, and as air cant dry this off fast enough, it is rotting the skin, then the flesh, you will end up attracting birds and insects that will learn to feast off the other ones as they aint long getting a taste for them, the modern way to sling them I guess is to make a little hammock from that plastic pea netting and two canes, then lay your mellons on these, make sure they dont overstretch the stems as they will starve the mellons off water and feed which they need to keep swelling up, Good luck and well done, your doing great, your obviously having fun, thats important too. WeeNel.

Thanks for all the advice! I'll be sure to put them on slings!

My question is this, when is the best time to plant the watermelon seeds? I got some seeds from a watermelon and letting them dry out, I just don"t know when to plant them.

The watermelons I've looked at seem to have around 85-90 day maturity.

You'll have melons in September I guess - should be OK in your climate. I was late planting one of mine as well.

Carl