CropNeeds attention
Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus (T) Mansf
Temperature
20°C to 30°C
Rainfall
444mm to 857mm per season
Conditions
What it needs
Soil
Light, well-drained, warm soil. It will not stand cold or wet feet.
Water
Water steadily while the vines run and the fruit sets, then ease off as the fruit ripens. Heavy rain near harvest splits fruit and dilutes it.
What you will need
Tick what you already have; Grow carries the rest into the cost working.
Grow holds no supplier listings and no local prices, so it cannot tell you where to buy these or what they cost near you. Ask at your nearest agrodealer or extension office, then put those figures into the planner.
Through the season
Stages
- 01
Land preparation
10 days- Plough
- Make planting stations with manure
- 02
Planting
3 days- Sow into warm, moist soil
- 03
Vine growth
30 days- Weed
- Mulch under the vines
- 04
Flowering and fruit set
25 days- Water steadily
- Do not disturb the flowers — bees are doing the work
- 05
Fruit fill
30 days- Turn fruit occasionally
- Ease off water as they ripen
- 06
Harvest
14 days- Harvest when the ground spot yellows and the tendril dries
Watch for
Common problems
Powdery mildew
- What you will see
- White powder on the leaves, which die back and expose the fruit to sunburn.
- What to do
- Space the vines, avoid overhead watering late in the day, and remove the worst leaves.
Fruit fly
- What you will see
- Sunken punctures and maggots inside ripening fruit.
- What to do
- Bury fallen fruit daily, use traps, and harvest as soon as fruit is ready.
Aphids
- What you will see
- Curled tips and sticky leaves, with mosaic viruses following.
- What to do
- Remove weeds around the plot and encourage natural enemies rather than spraying a flowering crop.
Follow the label for doses, and ask an extension officer or vet before using a chemical you have not used before.