Kenny: Cut off those deformed critters as soon as you see them. The plant is just wasting sugar on them.

On my soil, I only water when the melons start wilting during midday. If I wait any longer, the plants start to lose leaves. So check them during the heat of the day and don't water unless they have started to wilt. If you have good soil, you shouldn't have to water much in your area.

The Fruitnut

I have a Summer Flavor #420 watermelon that set on 2 initial fruits. These are just now starting to brown on the tendril and now it is setting on another crop of fruits so I water it anyway as it is kinda dry here. I have had sweet fruits with good varieties regardless of watering. The 420 is the most vigorous grower of all varieties I have raised. It may not be #1 in taste, but it isn't too bad.

I have one little one that isn't growing very fast and is deformed, so I'll chop him of tonight. Is there any specific way to do that or should I just pinch it of at the start of the stem?
And if I stop watering, will this effect my cantalope that are just now starting to set fruit???

What is the "Days to Maturity" length? I had great success using drip irrigation and cutting off the water in the last 2 weeks of their growing season but ya gotta know how long they need to grow. If they wilt mid-day, water them a little. I also checked the underside for yellowing and the nearest leaf and tendril should be dying or at least waning. It takes practice but by cutting back on the water, it really sweetens them up. Black plastic mulch is a must because you can better control the amount of water. Too much rain at the end of the season can thwart your efforts and with black plastic, most of the rain will run off.

dethride,
I think the plastic is something I am going to have to do next year. I have learned ALOT this year (being my first year or growing watermelons). I am using a drip hose, basically homemade, but hey, it has worked this year. I just moved into this home and will be doing more next year. Thanks for all the answers, and any further advice is MORE THAN WELCOMED!!!!!

Kenny

The theory is that a near ripe melon will get sweeter when water starved as this concentrates the sugars within. But the double blade of this sweetness sword is that there are always younger thirsty melons on the same vines that need water to grow. Watering (or heavy rain) just before ripening can also cause melons to split open.

I've never had the splitting open problem....probably because I don't let them get bone dry to begin with. I have had sweet melons without drying them out. Course I try to grow the sweeter ones to begin with.

I have to agree with Wayne the more you starve your watermelon from water the smaller the fruit will be and the less taster it would be. Plants naturally make their own sugars, with the right amount of water and sun the tastier and more delious they will become. Watermellons are almost pure water inside the weight comes from the water and the taste comes from it own photosynthesis. So I encourage you if your looking for taste and weight your best option would be to water it as much as possible, by using drip hoses or watering the plant and not the leaves or the fruit, keeping the soil moist and wet and using the right fertilizer will make a huge difference. Well good luck with it but be careful to underwater your melons beacuse they may dry out, and taste like rind.

I started planting on black plastic about 3 years ago, I will never plant a meleon without black plastic again. Seems to reduce weeding, and watering, and increase heat in spring. I water every day (a little) from the time I plant to harvest, bigger melons seem to have more sugar, I cut off watering a little near the end close to harvest, they will crack when you cut them if you do not stop watering, but the flavor is not affected. The other trick is play the law of odds and plant more than you need, you will alway get some excellent ones, and a few culls. Nobody turns down watermelons when offered use the extras for this...

jledvin I totally agree with you about the black plastic. I was wondering what breed of watermelon you grow, and what is the average weight of your watermelons? I was also curious what zone are you in? and what is the soil like there? Could you tell me more about your techniques like the fertilizers you use to how often you water? I use a 10/10/10 fertilizer. I am new to this, being that its only my second year growing watermelon. I hope next year will be better season that this year. I sure could use some tips if you have any, beacuse the fair is comming soon and I would sure like to win but it doesnt look good.