Watermelon

Watermelon Culture: After all danger of frost and when the soil temperature reaches 60°F, sow 5-6 seeds 2-3" apart in hills 6-8' apart each way. Thin to 2 or 3 plants per hill. For an even earlier crop, sow 3 to 5 seeds in a peat pot in early May and plant out in early June. This should give you melons two weeks earlier than when directly sown. Day to maturity are listed from time of transplant.

Why Grow Hybrid Watermelons? Hybrid watermelons are well-shaped and uniform. The flesh texture is always crisp and without fiber (this is what makes for outstanding flavor), and built-in disease tolerance means hybrid watermelons give a continuous production and more fruit.

Please read: Watermelon Fruit Blotch: WFB has caused severe damage to some commercial crops. The source is a bacterium that can come from weeds, soil, surplus fruit shipped from infected areas, insects neighboring plants and seed. Because of this disease, we limit purchases to small quantities for personal use only. A release must be signed by customers purchasing larger quantities.

Harvest Tip: Harvest watermelon when the tendril on the stem nearest the fruit dries up and turns brown, or when the spot on the watermelon in contact with the soil turns from white to creamy yellow.