I always plant out doubles. Yes, each plant will never reach it's full capacity, because of competition for soil nutrients, BUT, the two together will act like two stems on one plant. So the net result is the productivity of one plant. So why do it? Because if one plant croaks you don't have a hill with nothing on it. Works every time. I always plant three seeds per cup. If three germinate, one gets removed. I keep the two that come up furthest apart.

Hi Carol, what melon problems have you had in the past?

Better question would be what didn't I have? Mildew, fruitworms, fusarium, what looked like anthracnose - never got any fruit that made it to maturity. But to be fair, I only tried a few times many years ago, when I still had a lot to learn.

So I guess I'll leave them be and see what happens.

Yeah they can have their issues for sure, I'm having to rotate mine this year due to something killing off young transplants for the past 2 Springs. I'm sure you follow the basics of full sun (8 hours best) and fertile soil. To be honest I've never had much luck with Sugar Baby, only the Big full size WMs do best for me for some reason. VgQn has tried to get me to grow smaller melons (hernia worries, nyuk). I have tried a few smaller varieties but each one had very poor production.

Have you ever tried Mickey Lee watermelons? They're supposed to be good for FL, developed @ UF, I believe...

Texas has an interesting mix of soils and some that have produced crops like cotton extraordinarily well don't grow melons well at all. Lots of commercial growers where ground is favorable. Growers have tried starting transplants in order to have melons a week or two before competitors but it just doesn't work. Melons send out long roots to reach ample moisture and those roots are deformed by container. By the time container started plants recover from shock plants from seed that went in ground same day pass them and begin producing days earlier. On ideal soil plants grouped in 3s about 6" apart produce maximum pounds per acre. Even though weather is dry and hot (often 100f + for weeks) very little ground is irrigated (remember the long roots). I suggest you try a few hills direct seeded to compare with transplants. Good luck

Every watermelon grower has their own routine which works well for them. When it comes to planting WMs I too will plant double seedlings as mentioned above but once established in their hill I'll remove the weaker of the two plants and allow the strongest 1 to grow. If planted in a hill I'll leave 2 plants (thinned from 4) which are spaced about a 12" apart in the hill. The hills are spaced about 6 feet apart.