FACT SHEET 1-Water Melon growing.pdf - Nabuur

Soil preparation and planting
Watermelons are deep-rooted, so before seeding, the soil should be deep-ploughed to at least one foot
deep. Watermelon is normally grown from seed by direct seeding in wet warm soil. The planting should
be done immediately after the beginning of the first rains.
Spacing and depth
Watermelon vines require considerable space. Plant seeds one inch (3-5cm) deep holes, spaced 6 feet (1.2
to 2m) apart. Allow 7 to 10 feet (2 to 2.5m) between rows. After the seedlings are established, thin them
and leave the best three plants per hole. Single transplants should be 2 to 3 feet apart and double
transplants 4 to 5 feet apart in the rows.
Watering
Always plant seeds into moist soil. Do not irrigate until after germination or the seeds will rot. The
highest yields and quality are achieved by maintaining the plants free of water stress from establishment
to final harvest.
• Fully wet the soil profile in the plant row at or before planting.
• After planting, allow roots to grow out into the moist soil profile, encouraging a large root system.
During this time, water only when required to stop the plant going into water stress, and then water to
fully rewet the soil profile.
• Avoid frequent short watering.
• After flowering, water when soil approach the refill point and water to field capacity until the end of
harvest.
Care
Watermelons should be kept free from weeds by shallow hoeing and cultivation. The plants have
moderately deep roots and watering is seldom necessary unless the weather turns dry for a prolonged
period.
Extended periods of extremely dry weather when the melons were maturing can cause watermelons to
rotting on the ends. This may be aggravated by continued deep hoeing or close cultivation. Mulching the
plants helps to reduce this problem.
Crop management to improve sugar content
In order to enhance the sugar content of the water melon:
• Plants should be maintained free of water stress from first flower until the end of harvest, including
through the harvest period.
• Root health is critical in producing fruit with high sugars. It is critical to start the crop cycle with a
fully wetted soil profile, then water to field capacity when the soil moisture content falls to a
predetermined refill point.
• Fruit soluble solids can be improved by removing small fruit that will not be harvested about seven
days before the start of harvest
• Plants should be kept supplied with sufficient N, P, K and Ca in balanced applications so that plants
don’t run out of nutrients before harvest.
• Fruit load controls vegetative plant growth.
• High N applications – more than 100 kg/ha N – do not reduce flowering or fruit set.
• Growing locations which provide long sunny days with maximum temperature below 37oC and cool
nights provide the best conditions for sugar accumulation in the fruit.
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