I will echo rodger there. Small varieties of watermelon tend to produce more fruits than larger fruited varieties So much DEPENDS on fertility and vine vigor and continuing health of the roots and foliage. Disease can be a teriffic factor on production. For watermelons I let the small fruited varieties do their thing...produce 4 to 7 fruits....same for cantaloupes that produce 5 to 10 fruits.

For large watermelons I have found that usually [not always] it is better to get one super melon or 2 nice ones than 3, 4, or 5 fair to poor fruits. Occasionly an extra healthy watermelon plant will raise a second family.

That's exactly the info I was looking for, guys! Thanks so much!

Just out of curiosity, why do you plant them in hills? So the vines spread out like spokes on a wheel? And do they literally mean to mound up the dirt? If so, why? And how high of a hill?

Do the vines root along the way? Or do I only need to make sure the hill itself has good compost?

Since they're so juicy, what are there water needs? Is once a week enough? I've heard to lay off watering when almost ripe so the flavor is more intense.

Roughly what length should I expect vines to grow? 10'? 20'? Again, I know varieties differ... just need a ball park idea of how to plan.
Thanks for your help!!

Raised areas whether they be hills, beds, or slightly elevated row areas provide warmer and dryer conditions in the early going when conditions are often...chilly and wet which are definitely not what melons like.

Cantaloupes spread out about 6 to 8 feet while watermelons go more like 10 feet or a bit more.

Watermelons do root a bit along the way if they get covered a bit with dirt at that point. I would say that mostly they don't root out on the vines under average conditions. Concentrating feeding near the starting center of the plant is good but it is good to fertilize further out either at planting time or when the vines are beginning to run. Compost is good but in most soils compost alone might not be optium.

Melons like water. I don't try to starve them for water at harvest as I usually have immature fruits growing at that time also. And I believe I get some very sweet melons.

Can you plant them near the potatoes and onions and let the melons grow over them?

I was reading a very old article about growing melons, and they said that you should pinch out the growing point on the primary vines. This encourages growth of lateral vines, which produce most of the female flowers, and therefore melons. Any informed opinions on this?

I would not plant melons where they would grow over or into potatoes, especially into onions.
On pruning out the main vine. In my observations the main crop of melons is produced from the main vine so if you cut this out it will it will produce from the laterals. Whether the laterals produce anymore female blooms is irrelevant you need 5 to 1 male to female ratio to get good pollination so the more male the better. The melon vine will produce dozens of female blooms and dozens will pollinate if pollinaters are present but only a small few will grow to maturity depending on the overal health of the plant. I would never prune my vines. The only time I would do this is if a vine was growing where it shouldn't but in that case I would redirect it. But I would cut out a lateral branch since this is not where the main crop will produce or where the most availble nutrient flow is. Another reason people may prune vines is to limit vine growth and number of fruit so that the fruit that is produced will be extra large. This is done a lot for competion growing especially in pumpkins. I grow to eat and not produce something that won't even fit into the fridge. So I would never recommend prunning. Rodger

I mostly agree with rodger concerning vine pruning. The best fruits are mainly produced on the larger main vine. I don't mind extra large fruits as I think on average they are more developed in flavor, texture, and sweetness...,. Uh, I don't want the small secondary robbing fruits.

Is it bad to coil your vines? I have a first time garden that is very small 4' x 8' so I have been coiling the vines so they don't grow over the other plants. The only watermelon I have been able to keep growing (about 5" around) split out at the bottom? Oh, and how often do you fertilize? I would appreciate any suggestions! :)

Grow 1-2 watermelon per vine to maximize size. Do not pinch off the end of the vine. Instead, pinch off the female flowers. Pinching off the end of the vine limits leaf growth which the watermelon needs to develop fully.
Coiling is a bad idea. It makes the leaves too dense and disease will flourish. They need to breathe.
Planting in hills does two things: Helps warm the soil and provides good drainage.
Withholding water for the last couple weeks does intensify the watermelon flavor.

Whenever you fertilize, don't fertilize with nitrogen near the end of your harvest (it seems to be able to take taste out of the fruit). Using monopotassium phosphate near the end doesn't seem to hurt the flavor, however, and the phosphorus may even encourage faster ripening. It seems to me that nitrogen should primarily be used earlier on, if at all (before the fruit gets very big). Phosphorus and potassium can probably be used any time without significant repercussions to the plants (although maybe to the water supply), so long as you don't use too much.

You might try forgoing the fertilizer (or using it very sparingly) and saving your seeds every year to replant the next. According to what I've read, they should become better-adapted to your climate and soil, and get used to having less fertilizer. That's not to say they won't need nutrients, but they in theory should be better at utilizing what is available. You might also consider creating landraces. If you move around a lot, though, this might not be the best option.

Hoping to grow a couple watermelon plants this season and hopefully it will be successful. Mounds, nitrogen no go potassium ok near the end of growing time and withhold water last week or two to intensify flavor...going to give this a try

My first time growing watermelons and I have a few on my vines. As I read this I have read a couple of times about with holding water the last couple of weeks. How do I know when that is? I have read that I harvest when the vine on the end of the melon turns brown, is that correct? One more question, for now. I live in Las Vegas, NV, recently I have had two melons split. I water twice a day, 4 and 7 AM for 10 minutes each, would my splitting be from to much water or excessive heat? Thanks for the help.

Splitting is almost always caused by too much water.

Dave

I just picked my melons and the vines look super healthy and have flowers. It’s the end of August here in Northern California and I wonder if I should pull the plants out or leave them? do they have enough time to produce another crop? I don’t see new fruit formed yet.

I wouldn't count on it, but it's a possibility.

I'm in southern CA and harvested early aug, and they had a 2nd round they're about bowling ball sized again within a month and probably ready to pick in a few more weeks, so definitely let them try and get more rounds. I cut back the old vines that were not doing too well anymore and a lot of new fines sprouted from near the main base and flowered immediately. I left some main vines with lost most of its leaves, but after the pruning, they also started new strong growth at their ends, and flowering. I'd prefer to cut long old vines to get new fresh vines closer to the base. If you cut too much it may die. The vines had about 4-6 sugar babies the first round, about 2 per plant the 2nd round, and flowering for a third round right now. I started around feb/march/april.