Watermelon Ideas, Tips & Guides

The record existed until 1976 when Bob Ford of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, USA exhibited a 451 pound specimen at the U.S. Pumpkin Contest in Churchville, PA. Yearly International Competition was revived again in 1979 when Canadian Howard Dill of Windsor, Nova Scotia won his first of four consecutive international pumpkinship titles at the Cornell Contest in Pennsylvania. Mr. Dill’s first world record of 459 pounds came in 1980 which he supassed in 1981 by harvesting a 493.5 pound pumpkin.

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How to Water Watermelons

If you will get the details of watermelon growing stages, you will cultivate it better while avoiding the mistakes, which will result in a guaranteed juicy and bigger fruits!

You can grow any one or all of these pink indoor vines for that beautiful cascading affect that’s full of vibrant hues!

Peperomias can be a great addition to your indoor and outdoor spaces. This low-maintenance and compact housepant genus has many amazing varieties to choose from.

If you are looking for plants that look like famous strings of pearls, we have a few that will surely catch your attention with their similar growing habit and foliage!

The summer before lockdown, I visited Ibiza and stayed at the Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel. My pre-conceived ideas about the island, known famously for its night clubs, were blown away by how beautiful, authentic and calming Ibiza actually is. A hidden gem of beautiful beaches and rolling hills, most of the island is an escape from modern distractions and wonderfully quiet.

Did you know that some of the most delicious and nutritious fruits don’t actually grow on trees? From ground-hugging strawberries to climbing passion fruits, there are many more to discover in this article!

Wish to capture the essence of watermelon in your home all year round? What if we tell you there are specimens with foliage that gives off that iconic watermelon vibe? We kid you not! Here are the most vibrant Plants that Look like Watermelons!

Imagine biting into a slice so sweet, it’s like nature’s own candy—only juicier! Whether you’re a backyard gardener aiming for watermelon glory or a consumer on the hunt for the ultimate fruit indulgence, we’ve curated a list of the most Sweetest Watermelon Varieties to give you the nature’s best! What’s more! We have also included top tips on How to Pick the Sweetest Watermelon!

Is the lack of space stopping you from growing fruits in your garden? We have compiled a List of Fruits That Grow on Vines and will easily thrive around your yard fences, arbors, or pergolas. Some will even thrive in pots and can be trained on trellises.

Orange Watermelons offer a different taste while looking deliciously beautiful! Check out the best types you can grow below!

We all know that pineapples are green from the outside with yellow flesh inside. But What is Pink Pineapple? Well, let’s find out!

I live within walking distance of a Wyevale garden centre, and this year they have been tempting me with some interesting plants. First, there were the framberries – strawberries with a raspberry flavour. I bought two of those, and they’re currently happily resident on the patio until their final spot in the garden is ready for them.

In previous years, my garden plan has revolved around what I want to grow. There are a lot of unusual plants that grow, or might grow, in our climate, and I enjoy trying them out. With my experimental impulses mainly focused on the Hydroponicum, I have been thinking about what we would like to eat from the garden.

String of Watermelon, also popular as String of Melons or Senecio herreianus, is a unique and visually stunning trailing succulent that can be great for small spaces!

No food signifies summer more than watermelon. We’re so sweet on the hot pink (or yellow) fruit that we designed an entire watermelon bar party showcasing the many ways to snack on, sip, and even centerpiece-ify the hydrating produce item.

Read on to learn about the Best watermelon Companion Plants and also the bad ones that will ensure you get the best and juicy fruits!

Warm summer temperatures are here, and sweet South Carolina watermelons will be ripe for harvest soon. If you are looking for a refreshing summer dessert that’s easy to make and full of flavor, then lime and mint infused watermelon sorbet is the recipe for you. Enjoy!

Summer, it’s that time of year for sweet corn, peaches, watermelon, and pond calls! Pond calls are phone calls, emails, texts, etc. with questions that Extension Agents get on any topic related to ponds. It may be about water sampling, fish populations, or excessive weed growth. But it is the concern about harmful algal blooms (HABs) that gets the most notice and rightly so.

Rob Last reports, “Crops are generally doing well in the area, with strawberries coming off with good volumes. On the whole, row covers, or icing protected 97% of the susceptible flowers leading to 1-2% losses of flowers. The damaged flowers can increase grey mold pressure in the crops so, maintaining both sanitation and fungicide applications to strawberries will be crucial. As berries ripen, sanitation also becomes essential for reducing pest pressure from sap beetles. In some crops, where row covers were utilized, we see spider mite populations increasing and a few active thrips feeding on both flowers and berries. Other fruit crops in the area, such as blackberries and blueberries, look very good with low levels of damage from the freeze event last weekend. Peaches in the area are being thinned, with scouting being maintained for scale and plum curculio. Early planted watermelons did suffer from the frost in places, leading to 10-15% plant loss and hence the need to replant in a few areas. Other crops are moving slowly away from the injuries. Luckily a lot of crops were not beginning to vine and survived the worst of the damage. These plants are stressed, so care will be needed with any applications as well as scouting for pest and disease issues. Conversely, Cantaloupes in the area were direct seeded and have survived unscathed.”

Zack Snipes reports, “It’s hot and humid in the Lowcountry. Fall tomato and watermelons are in the ground and enjoyed a week of mostly dry weather. Okra and sunchokes, aka Jerusalem artichokes, are loving this heat. Except for those crops, there aren’t too many crops in the ground right now.  I am seeing lots of summer cover crops. I love the idea of using a mixed species of cover crop. One reason is that it spreads out the risk that one of the species in the mix won’t germinate or be eaten by deer. So by using multiple species, you can almost guarantee that something will be there covering the soil. Multi-species mixes also provide different benefits to the farm. Cowpeas may fix nitrogen while sorghum X Sudan hybrids may be a deer deterrent and shade out weeds.”

Homeowners have had to combat root-knot nematodes for as long as home vegetable gardens have existed. Nematodes are microscopic worms in the soil in high numbers that can cause damage to susceptible plants. Traditionally, the vegetables most affected were beans, watermelons, cucumbers, and especially three grower favorites: tomatoes, sweetpotatoes, and okra. Although there are many types of nematodes in the soil, root-knot nematodes are some of the most common and cause the large galls or knots you see on the roots of susceptible plants

Rob Last reports, “Fall cucurbit crops, including cantaloupes and watermelons, are ripening and approaching harvest. Disease pressure from powdery mildew and gummy stem blight has really increased significantly over the last week. Maintaining a tight spray program will be key to managing diseases. As we look forward to strawberry planting, the land is being prepared. If you plan to fumigate, ensure the plant back interval between fumigation application and planting is maintained. A good test can be to plant some lettuce seed in the treated area. When lettuce germinates, the risk of damage from fumigation is reduced. Finally, on any remaining fall plantings, consider using a labeled pre-emergent herbicide to help with weed management. Once the crop and weeds emerge, options are drastically reduced.

Rob Last reports, “We are progressing well with preparations for strawberry planting. Some plants are due to be delivered this week. Remember, if fumigants have been used, check to ensure the products have dissipated to prevent damage to the transplants. The same is true to make sure planting restrictions on any pre-emergence herbicides applications are observed. Always refer to the label. Finally, remember to check your plants carefully for pest and disease inoculum from the nursery. Planting any disease or pest-infected plants will lead to a more challenging growing season. If you require any help, please reach to Extension Agents.”

Rob Last reports, “Insect and disease activity is increasing in the area, across a broad range of crops. In cucurbits, we are seeing powdery mildew and gummy stem blight in watermelon. Remember to keep spray intervals tight. Loopers are also being found in the area, and applications to manage rind worms will be beneficial as we rapidly approach harvest. Fusarium wilt of watermelons is showing up in many fields. At this stage, there is no effective treatment; however, soil temperatures are likely to reduce the incidence of new infections. Tomatoes and peppers are developing well with Southern blight and bacterial wilt in evidence. Spider mites are very active right now. Blackberries are just coming to harvest with good flavor and quality. Remember to scout your crops regularly to ensure timely applications can be made.”

Summertime is upon us, and here in South Carolina, that means garden-fresh tomatoes, sweet corn, and watermelon until our bellies ache. However, if we haven’t planned a vegetable garden like THIS, where can we find all of this delicious produce? During the summer season, farmers markets can be found sprouting up throughout the state, where shoppers can buy in-season, nutritious produce while supporting local farmers. To help make the most out of your next farmers market trip, explore the following tips:

Rob Last reports, “As we see temperatures increase, strawberry flowering is reducing. Plants are still heavy with fruit, so managing diseases such as anthracnose and botrytis through fungicides and sanitation are key. Pests and diseases in cucurbits are currently low. With watermelon and cantaloupes, a gap in fungicide protection of 7 days can lead to disease. Given the increased chances of rainfall, we are increasing protection against gummy stem blight. Cucurbit downy mildew is active in South Georgia, so any cucumber growers should be prepared to apply fungicides. Some additional rainfall in the area would be most welcome.”

Rob Last reports, “The first of this season’s strawberries are coming to market with good quality. Growers still need to be very mindful of spider mites. Populations are around in the area but are variable. As we get into harvest season, gray mold management will be critical, so sanitation and appropriate fungicide applications will be needed. Otherwise, preparations for watermelon planting and some early cantaloupes have been sown. Damage assessments on later variety peaches will continue.”

Rob Last reports, “Fall watermelons are looking good. There is some disease around, so fungicide applications remain crucial. I am finding whiteflies in a few crops too. As we move into Fall, with increasing numbers of misty mornings, scouting for diseases is going to be very important. Mists will increase periods of leaf wetness exacerbating disease pressures in crops. Scouting enables us to make timely applications. Thoughts are turning to planting Fall crops, and I urge everyone to check transplants carefully to minimize the risk of bringing infected plants into the fields, storing problems for the rest of the crop cycle.”

Rob Last reports, “Disease pressure is likely to continue to increase given the recent welcome rainfall. Gummy stem blight can be found in cucurbit fields along with downy mildew in cucumbers and watermelons. Maintain vigilance and regular applications to manage these diseases. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant all look good, with evidence of sunscald in most crops. Again, bacterial spot and fungal diseases are likely to increase in these crops too.”

Zack Snipes reports, “The recent rains have yet again made fields sloppy and hard to harvest. Most of our tomato crop is about finished, as are zucchini and cukes. We have had an unusually high amount of southern stem blight in tomatoes this year. We are seeing some increased worm pressure (armyworms and fruitworms) in fields that are still producing. We have planted some acreage of fall watermelon and are getting other fields ready for the fall season. Many growers are painting black plastic white to reduce the heat held in the beds. If re-using spring drip tape and plastic, it is a good idea to flush irrigation lines and pulse irrigate beds with a liquid phosphorous product before planting your fall crop.”

Congratulations to Sidi Limehouse of Rosebank Farms for winning the SC Big Melon Contest at the Edisto REC Field Day this past Thursday. Sidi weighed in a 124-pound melon. This was the inaugural SC Big Melon Contest, and we hope to keep this event going for years to come. So start preparing for next year’s contest. Sidi says, “I would like some good competition next year.”

Rob Last reports, “Sweet potatoes in the area are coming to harvest along with fall watermelons, squash, and zucchini. Diseases are present in the cucurbits, particularly downy mildew in cucumbers and gummy stem blight in watermelons. Please remember to keep fungicide applications up to date until the last harvest. As our thoughts turn to fall cropping, I am finding imported cabbageworm and diamondback moth on transplants. Remember to rotate the modes of action of insecticides to get good control. Where brassica will be transplanted, carefully consider an application of herbicide. The herbicides will make life easier but choose carefully based on your rotation and expected following crop.”

Rob Last reports, “It has been another variable week in the low country with 1.6” of rainfall recorded and wide temperature variations. The rain has been beneficial in establishing cucurbit crops, both cantaloupes from seed and watermelon transplants. Early planted watermelons, planted under plastic covers, have had covers removed and are approaching vine run. At this point, managing gummy stem blight and preventing bacterial fruit blotch will be critical. Many growers are busily transplanting watermelons. Again, disease management begins now. As per the Watermelon Fungicide Guide Land Grant Press Publication 1001, Chlorothalonil effectively prevents many foliar diseases. If bacterial fruit blotch is a concern, I recommend switching to a mancozeb application with fixed copper. Mixing fixed copper and Chlorothalonil will lead to phytotoxicity. In strawberry crops, we see increasing levels of botrytis (gray mold) allied to the wet weather and water-soaked berries, leading to a source of inoculum. Blueberries are coming to harvest with excellent quality and volume.”