Watermelons like a good feeding to produce the best fruits. So with not much fertilization on your melons, they could use some boughten help. Composted materials and such are great for the soil, but tend to take a while to benefit the plants much. I would suggest something like Garden Tone and/or 10-10-10 put in a circle around the plants about 4 inches away and 3 inches deep. Later, liquid applications of nutrients every three weeks for a while would be good.

Heavy mulches might not be good unless your soil is very warm as watermelons like warm soil. I like one plant rather than a clump of 2 or 3 plants per "hill". I don't ever recall melons being watery for me even with watering at harvest time....likely either variety or over-ripeness?

Thanks Wayne,

I'll probably go with the fert recommendation and skip the composted manure. I'll probably still cover the area with the compost I have on hand. The leaf mulch can go down when it really heats up, which it will too soon I'm afraid.

Watery was probably not the right word. These were Sugar Babies and they were mushier than other watermelons I've had. Could be that they were overripe, but as I said I have a bad habit of over watering.

Your bad habit of overwatering is particularly bad with watermelons. They really do not need any water the last month (like most tree-growing fruits). They have an extensive root system, and they need to sugar up. If you have the flexibility, give them their own bed or rather, their own irrigation channel. They do need water in June and July. I usually put them at the end of the beds with drip, and bend back the dripline when they are close to full size.