I'm getting worried, My watermelon and cantaloupe are small, tennis ball size cantaloupe and marble size watermelon. Should I trim back the vines or pull new flowers to get them going?
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Undersized and nonripening melons usually mean temperatures are too cool or the plants are a bit crowded. At this point in the season, you could try pruning off some of the actual fruits that seems most weak/late; the vine will compensate by providing more energy and resources to the remainder. Good luck!
Actually, you may need to do both; trim veins and remove new flowers.
have you checked if your plants are near the maturity date or do they need more time to grow?
It might be a good idea to check with your county extension office to see if they can offer suggestions as they will know what is happening in your area - 5A.
Pictures would be a big help..
www.gardeningknowhow.com/
You want to conserve the plants energy for producing the best fruits. Trim vines and immature fruits so the remaining ones can grow to their full potential.
Thank you, I did remove small fruit. Now we will see.
It is very hard to get nice size and ripe melons in zone 5a. Melons of any type need lots of full sun and hot weather. Zones 7 and above are preferred to grow melons to full size.
You can clip watermelon vines back slightly, but this can sometimes cause the plant to send out additional runners.
Clipping off some of the developing melons can help the existing fruit become bigger and juicier.
Plastic mulch and floating row covers should be sufficient to trap warm air and keep it near the plants and are imperative for zone 5 watermelon growers.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
