Dixie Queen Watermelon

Watermelon Germination Guide

• Watermelon seeds can be started indoors or direct sown into your garden.

• If starting indoors, select the soil and container in which to start your seeds. For soil, use a seed starting mix for the best results. You may also use a soil-less potting mix, which is cheaper and widely available at most garden centers. For the container, use cell packs or a small pot three to four inches tall to start your seeds.

• Fill your container with pre-moistened potting mix to within 1 1/2 inch of the top.

• Place a single seed on top of the soil near the center of the pot, one seed per pot.

• Cover the seeds with about 1 inch layer of potting mix. Gently press the soil down with your fingers to ensure good contact between the seed and soil.

• Watermelon seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is 70F or higher, so consider covering the trays/pots with plastic or a seeding dome to increase humidity and raise the soil temperature

• Sprinkle or mist water on the seeds whenever the top of layer of soil appears dry. Be careful not to overwater! Soggy soil may cause the seeds to rot.

• Remove the plastic or seed dome from the the pot/trays once the seedlings have germinated and place the trays/post in a sunny location or beneath a grow light. Continue watering regularly, and once the seedlings have grown their first true set of leaves consider applying an organic liquid fertilizer.

• Seedlings may be transplanted to the garden once they are 3-4 weeks old, assuming outside temperatures are warm enough.

• If direct sowing, the best time to plant watermelon seeds is from late spring to early summer, or when the soil temperature reaches 70F or warmer.

• Watermelon seedlings don’t transplant particularly well, so when the weather is warm enough select a spot in your garden where you’d like to plant the seeds. Make sure the area receives full sun and that the soil is well drained and nutrient rich.

• Sow seeds directly into the soil at a depth of about 1 inch. Watermelons need plenty of room to grow, so space seeds 3 to 5 feet apart.

• Sow twice as many seeds as you think you would like. Germination should occur in about 8 days. Once the seedlings being to grow, thin out the weaker ones so you are left with the strongest, most vigorous plants.

• Water frequently during the growing process. Watermelons need about 2 inches of water per week while in their initial stages of growing. Consider applying mulch so the soil doesn’t dry out, and be sure to water from the base of the vine to avoid getting water on the leaves. This will help reduce the chance of foliage diseases popping up.

• Once the fruits have started to grow and are about the size of a tennis ball, reduce the amount of water they receive to about 1 inch per week. This helps the sugars in the fruits to build up and develop the sweet watermelon taste we all love! It also will help prevent the fruits from splitting, rotting, and becoming discolored.

• Watermelons are ready to harvest when the tendril closest to the melon’s stem dries up and turns brown. You might also check the color of the spot where the melon sits on the ground. When the spot turns from white to yellow, it’s ready for harvest!

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