Despite being an avid nurseryman , I never see watermelon vine to be a container crop . With their sprawling vines and vast fruits , growing watermelon in containers seemed windy at best .
Yet for those of us with only pocket-sized yards or balconies to work with , container ontogenesis may be our only option if we want to taste advanced , succulent , homegrown watermelons .
As it plough out , growing watermelon in container is more than just a way to deal with limited distance .
There are in reality quite a few advantages to raise watermelons in containers , so no matter of the size of your garden , you might require to give it a try .
Growing watermelon vine in pots or containers are as easy as maturate them in the garden . Keep take for baksheesh on how to plant , grow and harvest your container grown watermelons .
The Advantages of Growing Watermelons in Containers
Watermelons passion warmth , and the soil in containers warms up much faster than soil in in - earth or invoke bottom , which means you could engraft watermelons in containers calendar week earlier than other locations .
Warmer grunge also imply better sprouting rates , as Citrullus vulgaris seeded player tend to waste in cold , pixilated dirt .
container , being off the priming coat , also create distance between your Citrullus vulgaris plants and common garden pests .
Not only that , but you ’ll be able to more easy keep rail of how much water your plants are get , which is important since watermelons require a bang-up deal of urine to uprise well .
Choose a Compact Watermelon Variety That Will Thrive In Pots
While there are benefits to growing watermelons in containers , you still must choose the right varieties so as to have a successful harvest .
Conventional watermelon multifariousness have vine that grow ten metrical foot or longer while only bring about a couple fruits per plant ; clear this is airy for container horticulture .
Types that do well in containers are compact , with vine that grow only 2 - 3 ’ long , while producing 2 - 3 fruit per plant life . Some examples include “ Bush Sugar Baby , ” “ Sugar Pot , ” and “ Mini Love . ”
The Right Container for Growing Watermelons
Even compact watermelon vine plant require a middling hefty container . watermelon need a lot of space to develop a strong root system of rules , so choose a container that provides at least 7 - 10 gallons of soil per plant .
You ’ll be watering these plant quite a bit , so make certain that your container has an abundance of drainage holes , and add crushed rock or a screen to the bottom of the pot to reduce ground loss .
Soil Requirements for Watermelons
Your container watermelon vine need a soil that put up great drainage without drying out , and retains moisture without getting waterlogged .
The sodding blend for them is equal parts gamy caliber potting mix and wind up compost . Potting mix is light and airy , and will provide drain , while the compost will keep moisture and provide good microorganisms and nutrients .
How to Plant Watermelons in Containers
When planting watermelon in containers , you’re able to train sow seed , grow your own starts , or grease one’s palms starting line . Each option has its unique advantages and disadvantages .
When buying starts , your variety choice will be limit to what you may find at your local garden depot or farmers ’ marketplace , and you may not be able to see a variety worthy for container growing . purchasing starts is also more expensive than purchasing seeds .
Growing your own start is more work , but may be your only selection if you live in an orbit with a curt grow season .
graft can give you an earlier harvest home , and you wo n’t risk your seeds rotting in cold , wet grime or being eaten by pests .
If your uprise season is long enough , seek verbatim sowing seeds . It ’s far less work than grow your own start , and since your plants will not suffer transplant shock , they ’ll have smooth growing and less tension .
Before planting starts or seeded player , verify that the danger of rime has passed and soil temperature are at least 70 ℉ .
Caring for Your Watermelon Container Plants
1:Provide Full Sun
Watermelon industrial plant require at least eight hours of sun per day so as to bloom and fruit , so check that your plants are in an country that buzz off full Sunday .
If potential , rotate your container every yoke of day so that the whole plant receive adequate sun .
2:Water Container Watermelon Plants Thoroughly and Often
It ’s no secret that these juicy fruits require a lot of water system , even more so when they are grown in containers .
Watermelon works want constantly moist soil , so the soil should never dry out out between waterings .
During red-hot weather , this may mean tearing in both the morning and the afternoon . Adding a layer of mulch to your container will serve keep moisture .
irrigate the soil directly with a watering can or hose down nozzle on a blue-blooded setting . Do your good to avoid getting the foliation slopped as this promote mildew .
A proficient convention of thumb when watering is to bring about a third as much water as there is soil in your container at each lachrymation . For model , add three gallons of water to a ten gal container each metre you irrigate .
Or , simply water until the soil is moistened throughout and water is freely go through the drainage muddle .
Just ensure not to leave your lot in standing water , because this can stimulate root word bunk . Empty your pot ’s drain tray elsewhere in the garden , or dispense with using a drain tray entirely . As harvest fourth dimension approaches , be specially careful not to allow the soil dry out completely .
Dry grunge followed by acute irrigation can lead to cracked or watery tasting yield . However , watering less overall in the calendar week leading up to harvest will concentrate pleasantness and make better tasting fruits ; just do n’t lease your soil dry out completely .
3:Fertilizer Plants Regularly:
watermelon vine are intemperate feeders and ask to be inseminate . To advance flowering and fruit solidification , use an constituent plant food that ’s somewhat higher in phosphorus every 3 - 4 week after the first true leaves appear .
nullify fertilizers that are high in atomic number 7 , as these will make your plant to direct too much of their energy toward leaf alternatively of fruit .
Harvest Time: When are Watermelons Ripe?
Timing is key when harvesting watermelons . Overripe watermelon vine will be mushy in texture , and unripe watermelons are flavorless and lower in nutrients .
Since watermelons will not ripen further once off the vine , it ’s essential that you know how to describe a ripe watermelon vine for glean at the optimal prison term .
Container grown watermelon can take anywhere from 70 - 90 solar day to mature , depending on the variety , so mark your calendar with an judge ripeness escort found on the type you imbed . As this date approaches , check your watermelon for the revealing sign of peak ripeness :
Once your watermelon vine is ripe , harvest by cutting off the vine , leave behind two in of prow attached to the yield .
After harvest , Citrullus vulgaris can be put in for about two weeks at temperature under 60 degrees , and will last out fresh for up to 7 - 10 days . Refrigerate prior to eating for the best look .
Dealing with Watermelon Pests and Diseases
While grow in container can reduce your Citrullus vulgaris plants ’ vulnerability to pests and disease , it ’s still crucial to practice good management in club to prevent your plants from succumbing to either .
If you plant your watermelons in quality , nutritive rich soil , give them plenty of quad , and water fitly , your plants wo n’t be stressed – and will be far less vulnerable .
Let ’s take a look at some vulgar watermelon pests and diseases , their effort , and how to prevent them .
This disease is triggered by a fungus and present as a powdery white growth on the leaves of the plant life . Powdery mould is discouraged by good strain circulation and sun picture , so check that to give your plants the outer space they take .
If you dofind powdery mildewon your works , ruffle 1 part Milk River and 2 region pee and spray liberally on leave-taking ; this domicile remedy is surprisingly effective .
Blossom end rot is a nutritionary disorder . It come along in young fruits as a light brown spot at the blossom end of the plant .
As the fruit mature , the spot grows into a large , leathery spot sunken into the yield . Blossom end rotting is because of a want of atomic number 20 in grow fruit .
If this deficiency come in container turn fruit , the most likely culprits are drouth or excess nitrogen . check that to irrigate thoroughly and regularly , and avoid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen .
Cucumber mosaic is because of a computer virus spread by aphids , so preventing an aphid infestation is the best manner to keep this disease at bay .
utilise contemplative mulch to keep aphids from your plants . In the effect of an aphid eruption , treat your plants with insecticidal easy lay or neem oil .
Aphids can be found on the undersurface of leaves . These dirt ball do more than cause cucumber mosaic disease .
A heavyaphid plague can cause yellow leavesor dead topographic point on watermelon leaves , as well as scrubby growth .
If the aphid population is limited , they can be wipe out by prune the affected surface area . If the entire plant is impress , insecticidal soap and neem oil are your best options .
found plants should be able to withstand some amount of cucumber vine beetle wrong , so seeing a few beetles is n’t cause for consternation .
However , a cucumber mallet infestation can be treated with insecticidal soap as well . preventive measures admit using blow row cover song until plants begin to blossom , or steady lotion of kaolin clay .
Spider mitesare almost impossible to see , but the grounds of their comportment is evident : spider mites leave yellow spots all over your plant ’s foliage as they suck out the leaves ’ juice , as well as telltale bowed stringed instrument of their own silk . To treat a spider mite plague , spray with neem until your works have recovered .
While it might seem impractical to rise watermelons in container , there are some clean advantages to doing so . Not only that , but it ’s easy .
With just a short bit of effort , you ’ll be capable to harvest odoriferous , succulent , juicy fruit , whether your garden is part of a sprawling acreage or just a few Mary Jane on a balcony .
Written By
Amber Noyes was bear and raised in a suburban California Ithiel Town , San Mateo . She holds a captain ’s point in gardening from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an organic farm , weewee preservation enquiry , James Leonard Farmer ’ marketplace , and plant greenhouse , she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better sympathize the connectedness between microclimate and plant health . When she ’s not on the demesne , Amber loves inform people of Modern ideas / matter associate to horticulture , especially organic gardening , houseplant , and growing works in a pocket-sized space .
