Help with baby watermelon?

wayne123 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 06 Jun 2010 Posts: 5

I have 5 Baby water melon plants in my green house and i have a few questions about them.

1. Do they need to be staked up as part of the plant has a stem that seems to want's to climb with small vine that wants to cling to stuff?

2. Does anybody know roughly how many i will get of 1 plant and how big will they be?

3. When will i no when they are ready to be picked?

Hope i have explained it enough and you understand it.
Thanks

michael brenock · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:26 pm Post subject:

the melons can be grown without supports but are better with some supports, canes and wire so that the fruit is above ground level. Allow 2-3 main shoots to develop and remove any surplus shoots including side shoots. Feed with a liquid feed as fruit is developing. You can expect 6 to 10 fruits per plant. it is ready for harvesting when it stops growing and changes colour to a yellow or brown colour. it is really ripe when the stem end starts to wither and the fruit begins to go soft at that end.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)