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Post by daylilydude on Jan 4, 2014 22:46:10 GMT -5
has the shortest runners? As you know my garden is not a big one, but I would like to try growing a watermelon... any suggestions?
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jan 5, 2014 13:29:18 GMT -5
There are bush varieties of Sugar Baby (sold by Burpee and others) and Jubilee (sold by Baker Creek). Those spread more like 3'-5' instead of the usual 10'-15' or more. I also saw this in the Territorial catalog: Sugar Pot Watermelon. It supposedly spreads only 12"-18" but makes an 8-10 lb watermelon. Pretty cool, eh? I haven't grown any of these, but I have grown the regular Sugar Baby and its vines are on the compact side (8'-10') for a non-bush watermelon. Also, watermelon vines are pretty flexible. You can always redirect them as they grow so they stay in your designated area. If you let them go where they want they run a long way and leave big open areas (wasted space!). Guide them to use that space, and even a normal watermelon vine can easily be kept in an 8' x 8' or even a 6' x 6' area. It's just more work keeping the vines turned. Smaller watermelons (icebox types) can also be trellised. You need a strong trellis, and you may want to rig slings under the melons to support them as they grow. It also has the benefit of preventing bugs, rots, and some types of critters from ruining your melons.
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swamper
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Post by swamper on Jan 5, 2014 20:58:19 GMT -5
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Post by daylilydude on Jan 6, 2014 18:59:10 GMT -5
Oooo... thank y'all for the suggestions and now I can check these out as I think I have most if not all these catalogs here, and want doesn't work I can always use for trades right
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Post by daylilydude on Mar 20, 2014 20:29:22 GMT -5
Well wifey didn't wait for me, she bought Crimson Sweet watermelon seeds, so I guess now that I have a new to me tiller I'll be adding a small bed just for these... so has anyone grown this variety and willing to share some pointers?
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tomato
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Joined: October 2012
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Post by tomato on Mar 28, 2014 0:12:32 GMT -5
Crimson Sweet is a widely adapted variety that produces small brownish speckled seed in sweet red melons that weigh about 12 to 15 pounds. It is considered a home garden favorite. Unfortunately, it is a sprawler that often has runners 15 to 20 feet long. You will love the melons, but the vines will be a problem.
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desertrat
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Posts: 143
Joined: October 2011
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Post by desertrat on Apr 14, 2014 13:05:39 GMT -5
I grew Yellow Doll melons in my community garden plot a couple of years ago. I harvested over 25 melons from 2 plants in a wide row and they only covered about 10 ft. I did redirect them a bit, the small melons grew on the short rabbit fence I put up so generally speaking I was very pleased with production and they were very sweet and tasty. Unfortunately the mice like them too. They were advertised as "nearly seedless" which wasn't true of the ones I grew. Most were abut the size of a nice cantaloupe, perfect size for 2 or 3.
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mjc26250
Junior Member
Posts: 36
Joined: April 2014
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Post by mjc26250 on Apr 16, 2014 7:40:27 GMT -5
You can trellis watermelons, if you have some way of providing support for the melons...shelves, 'hammocks', ledges, etc...get creative. I've seen melons, watermelons and others, grown on old folding ladders.
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