There’s nothing worse than spending your money on a juicy watermelon only to open it up and find out that it’s tasteless. The taste of fruits and vegetables that you grow on your own are beyond compare.
Good news is that you don’t have to be a professional gardener or farmer to grow your own watermelons. You don’t even need a lawn or grass! You can grow a mouthwatering watermelons in a container on your patio or balcony.
Here’s How to Grow a Watermelon in a Container:
Step 1) Get a Container
Get yourself a large container. One that holds 5-gallons and is at least 2-feet deep is best. Your watermelon roots will need lots of room to stretch out.
Step 2) Make Sure It Has Drainage
Drill holes in the bottom of your container so that excess water can drain out.
Step 3) Choose Your Soil Wisely
Pour potting soil or a soilless mix into your container. It’s best to avoid using garden or topsoil because that stuff compacts easily and will make it harder for your watermelon to grow.
Step 4) Create a Trellis
Make sure the vines of your watermelon will have space to grow upward. Create a trellis or have another mechanism that you can train the vines to climb up.
Step 5) Remove Unwanted Branches and Vines
Plant your seeds. You’ll want to make sure that only one main vine grows per seed planted. Make sure to pinch off any side branches or vines that start to develop. This will strengthen your main vine, make it healthier, and more bountiful.
Step 6) Hand Pollinate
Hand pollinates your watermelon plants to increase the chances that your fruit will form. This is especially helpful if you don’t have lots of pollinators around, like bees. You can learn how in the video below.
Step 7) Remove Extra Fruit
The nutrients in your soil are divided among the fruits that your plant provides. So, you might want to remove extra fruit from your vine and only grow two or three per vine for larger watermelon varieties, and five to 10 per vine for the smaller varieties to make sure the fruit that is produced is of the highest quality.
Step 8) Create Support
Once your fruit starts growing you’ll want to make sure that it is properly supported so that it doesn’t snap off of the vine. You can use old pantyhose or a T-shirt to create a hammock underneath your fruit to support it.
Step 9) Water Your Melons
You’ll want to water your plant at least once a day when the temperatures are 80 degrees F or below. You can water your plants twice a day if the temperature gets higher than that to prevent your plants from drying out.
Step 10) Fertilize Your Melons
Watermelons go through the nutrients available to them in a container pretty quickly, so you’ll want to use fertilizer. Apply some liquid fertilizer once a week when you water your plants, or if you’re using the granular type once a month.
Before you’ll know it you’ll be growing the most delicious watermelons that you’ve ever eaten!
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