If there is one summer fruit that can brighten up your day delightfully, it’s the watermelon. Watermelons are known favorites for their thirst-quenching, mouth-watering appeal.
They come as sweet treats for hot weather. Not bad to make someone’s day amidst the humidity.
The watermelon is basically a tropical fruit. As such, it grows beautifully in tropical weather.
But people in the West must not worry because they, too, can enjoy the reward of growing their own watermelons.
They just need to know how to grow watermelons the right way and they can learn that and more in this article.
Step 1: Before learning the basics of how to grow watermelons, you must first decide what kind or variety of fruit you would like to concentrate on.
Watermelons come in a variety of sizes. The bigger the watermelon, the bigger space you will need to grow it in, of course.
If you do not have as much space in your garden, you may settle for the bush variety, which requires only 1/3 of the space a full-size oval watermelon would need.
Step 2: As you decide on the garden space to allot for your watermelon, make sure that it is also suitable.
Watermelons need as much sunlight as they can get. This also means that you need to time your planting when the frost is gone.
A space where the maximum amount of sunlight can be enjoyed and where chilly winds are in check is ideal.
Step 3: Dig the soil. Make sure that it is moist, light, and fertile.
Add generous amounts of manure and fertilizers. It is also important that the soil drains well enough.
Step 4: Form hill-like mounds in your planting area.
Keep them at least three feet apart. In the small hill of soil, poke three to four holes and place a seed in each. Flatten the holes.
Step 5: Water your seeds regularly. Make sure that the soil around them is kept moist. In about ten days, sprouts will appear.
Place a protective covering on your watermelon sprout to retain moisture, further enrich the soil, and prevent erosion.
Step 6: As soon as flowers start to bloom, remove the covering to allow bees and other insects to pollinate in them.
This is also the time when you must schedule putting fertilizers at least every three weeks.
Step 7: Watermelons are ready for harvesting depending on the time required according to the variety you grow.
You can also watch a couple of signs like a yellowish underside and the drying of the stem near the fruit’s base.
Your watermelon should be ready for picking if it ceases to grow and if you give it a tap and you get a dull thump.
