FRUIT Watermelon Kalahari 3″ sqpt
$0.00
A rare find personal-size seedless watermelon. Firm and crisp reddish-pink flesh. A prolific producer of mostly 8-count fruit which avg. 3–5 lb. Attractive tiger-striped rind. Excellent shelf life.
Note: Pollination is also the secret to growing successful watermelons. Plant marigolds next to your watermelon to not only draw in beneficial insects, but to grow a bright-colored garden that wins over any eye.
Note; You must plant a pollinator watermelon “Ace” and/or a seeded open pollinated watermelon “Sugar Baby” with a seedless watermelon to supply the pollen necessary for fruit production.
85 days
$0.00
$0.00
Melon Growing Tips
Melons can be a challenging but rewarding crop to grow. A warm season crop, melons grow best in hot, sunny locations with warm soil. We carry a number of ice box-sized watermelon varieties as well as a couple varieties of cantaloupe. Melons are a refreshing summertime snack that can be enjoyed sliced, in fruit salads, or used in homemade smoothies or sorbets.
Planting
- Melons require well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Prior to planting, prepare the soil by incorporating a good quality compost and a balanced fertilizer.
- Soil that is too acidic (pH below 6.0) may cause the plants to turn yellow and set few, if any, fruit.
- *Note: If growing a seedless variety, a pollinizer is required. This can be either a second open-pollinated variety such as ‘sugar baby’ or a special pollinizer variety which are planted alongside the seedless variety to supply the pollen needed for pollination and fruit set.
- Seedless watermelons are a hybrid triploid watermelon which has been bred from a cross between a normal diploid parent (2 sets of chromosomes) and a tetraploid parent (4 sets of chromosomes). The resulting triploid plant (3 sets of chromosomes) can set fruit as long as pollination occurs, but the fruit will not contain seeds.
- Wait to plant melons into the garden until the soil is warm (above 65 degrees) and nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees, usually after Memorial Day.
- Installing plastic mulch or low tunnels (row covers supported by hoops) over the planting site prior to planting can help warm up the soil more quickly, which may allow for earlier planting.
- Plants should be spaced 18 to 24” apart in rows 5 feet apart to allow room for the vines to grow.
- We sell our melon transplants in peat pots which can be planted directly into the garden so that the roots do not have to be disturbed. Make sure that the peat pot is thoroughly moistened prior to planting.
- The rim of the pot that sticks above the soil should be carefully removed or completely buried when planting. If left exposed, it can wick moisture out of the rest of the pot causing the soil around the seedling to dry out too quickly.
- Small-fruited varieties may also be trained on a trellis to save space in the garden. Use strips of fabric to help support fruit as they begin to enlarge.
Watering
- Melons require 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Drip irrigation is an effective and efficient way to irrigate vegetable crops because the water is delivered directly to the soil where it will be taken up by the roots. Drip irrigation also keeps water off of the foliage which will reduce the risk of disease development.
- Gradually decrease watering as the fruit begins to mature to prevent them from splitting open and to improve the flavor.
Maintenance
- Keep the planting well weeded. Using mulch, such as cocoa mulch, straw, untreated dry grass clippings or shredded leaves will suppress weed growth and help retain soil moisture. Wait to apply mulch until the soil has warmed up since these types of mulches can slow warming at first.
- Stressed plants will not produce enough sugar, resulting in fruits that aren’t as sweet. Make sure to provide adequate water and nutrients throughout the growing season and keep watch for insect and disease problems.
Harvesting
- Cantaloupe:
- Cantaloupes take about 35 to 45 days to mature after flowering, depending on temperatures.
- As the fruit matures, the netting on the surface gets more coarse and rough, and begins to turn from green to yellow and becomes less shiny.
- The tendrils on the stem begin to dry and turn brown.
- When the fruit is ready it will break from the vine easily when twisted.
- The melons do not ripen all at once, so make sure to harvest each individually when they are ready.
- Cantaloupes will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- Watermelon:
- As watermelons begin to reach maturity, the tendrils on the stem near the fruit begin to dry and turn brown, and the leaf that is closest to the fruit will turn yellow.
- The surface of the fruit will become rough and the color will become dull.
- On the bottom of the watermelon, the spot where it has been touching the soil will turn from green to yellow.
- Watermelons do not “slip” from the vine when they are ready like cantaloupe.
- Best eaten the day they are picked. Can be refrigerated for only a day or two because they are more sensitive to the cold than cantaloupe.
