How to Grow Sweet Watermelons in My Small Garden

Watermelons can be grown in small garden areas.

Watermelons take up a lot of room when they are grown in the garden. If gardening space is at a premium, it is still possible to grow watermelons. Seeds can be started indoors, outdoors or the plants can be purchased at the local greenhouse. Choose a short-season, smaller variety of sweet watermelon, and grow them in containers. Have several containers of sweet watermelon to ensure that the female flowers become pollinated to set fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Container
• Potting soil
• Trellis
• Soft twine, nylon hose or T-shirts
• Water-soluble, all-purpose fertilizer

Instructions

1. Fill a container with an organic potting soil. The container should have a 5-gallon capacity and/or with a 2-foot diameter top. Ensure that the container has drainage holes in the bottom and placed in an area that receives at least six hours of sunlight. Place the container in the permanent growing spot, because once the container is full of soil it becomes heavy and unwieldy.

2. Begin sowing the seeds when all danger of frost has passed. Sow one seed per container. Place the seed on top and in the middle of the container. Push the seed into the soil to a depth that is three times deeper than the seed is long. Cover the seed with soil and firm it in place.

3. Place a trellis behind the watermelon container. Almost any trellis will work as long as it is sturdy, because watermelon fruit is not light in weight.

4. Train the vine to grow on the trellis. Secure the vines to the trellis with soft twine or nylon hose. Tie the vines to the trellis loosely.

5. Watch for forming fruit. When the fruit begins to emerge, support it with a cut of stretchy material such as an old T-shirt or a pair of panty hose. Place the fruit on the material, tying each end of the material to the trellis. The end result will resemble a mini hammock. As the fruit grows, the material will stretch to support the watermelon.

6. Water the container every day when temperatures are less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. water the container twice a day. Keep the plants consistently moist.

7. Feed the plants with an water soluble fertilizer, all-purpose fertilizer every week. Follow the label instructions for application details.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix your own potting soil by combining equal amounts of composted soil, peat moss and perlite.

• According to the University of Illinois, the reason watermelons may not be sweet is because of wilting vines, high rainfall, cool weather or a short growing season in extreme northern areas.

References

• Tropical Permaculture: Growing Watermelons
• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow
• "Melons for the Passionate Grower"; Amy Goldman and Victor Schrager; 2002