Watermelons, Specialty and Regular

General Fruit Growing
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I’ve got a row of mini seedless watermelons growing this year (Ocelot from Johnny’s), and they’re fantastic. The one I cut very prematurely today was clearly not yet ripe, but sweet and fine-textured all the way through so I was able to enjoy eating it anyway.

Given the size of the fruits I’m getting and how many fruits per plant (I counted eight developing well on one, plus more flowers coming on) I’m considering revisiting a trellis system for these minis. Has anyone tried this? It seems like it would be a big space saver, since the vines are pretty sprawling, but with traditional massive watermelons there are weight/support issues. And of course, trellising would make weed suppression simpler.

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If you want to suppress weeds, get a 15 foot wide strip of commercial greenhouse landscape fabric and put it down. Cut holes in the center of the strip about 8 feet apart to set out seedlings. Get some #9 wire (about the size of clothes hanger wire) and cut pieces a foot long, bend into a U, and use them as stakes beside each seedling to hold the landscape fabric down. Ground Cover

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that’s what i did on my 4’ x12’ raised bed and my 2 4’ x8’ raised beds for my strawberries. so much easier to maintain and it heats the soil up nicely to spur growth. got mine stapled down. just pull it back in the spring to amend, then staple it back.

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