How do you plant a Charleston GREY watermelon?

Plant Charleston Gray watermelons directly in the garden in early summer, when the weather is consistently warm and soil temperatures have reached 70 to 90 degrees F. (21-32 C.). Alternatively, start seeds indoors three to four weeks before the last expected frost.

How long does it take to grow a Charleston gray watermelon?

cylindrical watermelons. Flesh is red, crisp, fiberless and delicious; skin is light greenish gray. Resistant to fusarium wilt, anthracnose and sunburn. Ready for harvest 85 days after sowing.

How big does a Charleston gray watermelon get?

Charleston Gray is a big, juicy, open-pollinated watermelon variety for your home garden! Oblong watermelons are 24" long x 10" wide and weigh about 30 pounds. The flesh is bright red, fiberless, crisp, and the tough rind makes it a good shipper. Resistant to FW, AN1, and AN3, and matures in 88 days.

How should watermelons be planted?

Plant watermelon from late spring to early summer, once soil temperatures reach 70° F or above. Space watermelon 3 to 5 feet apart in nutrient-rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

Where is the best place to plant a watermelon plant?

Their vines need room to sprawl, so plant them in a place where they won't crowd out other crops. Growing the vines in raised rows, known as hills, ensures good drainage and will hold the sun's heat longer. Plan to space the plants 2-3 feet apart in a 5-foot-wide hill.

How to Grow a Charleston Gray Watermelon

What is the best month to plant watermelon?

Watermelons need about 100 days of warm weather to produce an edible melon. If the warm, late fall and winter weather of recent years continues, you may get a watermelon for Christmas. The best times to sow seeds for watermelons are early March and early August.

What is the best fertilizer for watermelon?

For watermelons, apply a fertilizer high in phosphorous, such as 10-10-10, at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet (60 to 90 feet of row). Make a trench on the planting bed 4 to 6 inches deep and 2 inches from the side of the row. Cover the fertilizer and plant so seeds do not touch the fertilizer.

How many watermelons do you get per plant?

How Many Watermelons per Plant? Healthy watermelon vines produce 2-4 fruits per plant. The vines produce both male and female flowers. Both are needed to set fruit and there are fewer female flowers compared to male, about one female for every seven males.

How deep do you plant watermelon?

You'll want to plan on planting these seeds about 3/4 to 1 inch deep, so scrape about an inch of soil to the side of your planting area. Next, smooth the surface of the soil in your planting area so that it's even, then press three or four seeds flat into the surface of the soil.

Do watermelons need a lot of water?

Watermelons need approximately an inch or two of water a week. You want to thoroughly soak the root zone, which is usually about 12 inches deep. Be careful not to overwater your watermelons, however, which causes necessary nutrients to leach out of the soil.

What is the sweetest watermelon?

Sultan. Sultan is one of the sweetest varieties you'll find, this one measures 12.3 on the Brix scale. The fruits average 15 pounds and ripen within 95 days.

How long does it take for a watermelon to mature?

It's typically a range like 80 to 120 days. If you're growing watermelon from seedlings your bought, just note when flowers open. It typically takes about five calendar weeks for a watermelon to go from flower to ripe fruit.

Can seedless watermelon reproduce?

Watermelon plants are usually diploid, like us, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, the packages of DNA with instructions for life. Seedless watermelons are triploid. They have three sets of chromosomes. This odd number results in them being sterile and not producing seeds.

What Colour is Charleston GREY?

A deep, warm grey

A warm and muted grey, Charleston Gray is named after the much loved home of the equally artistic and intellectual Bloomsbury Group in East Sussex. Very popular for use in modern living rooms, its brown undertones create a warm, enveloping and hushed atmosphere.

What does a black diamond watermelon look like?

Black Diamond is a classic oblong watermelon with a black-green rind covering bright red, crisp, flavorful flesh. In the 1950s, Black Diamond was a very popular home garden variety. Fruits have gray-black seeds (perfect for seed spitting contests) and can grow quite large.

What to put under watermelons while growing?

In order to grow great watermelons, you'll need to put a barrier between the watermelons and the ground. This is to reduce the risk of rot and disease. Good ground barriers are straw, or even cardboard.

Can I grow watermelon in raised bed?

You can grow a watermelon plant in a small 4′ x 4′ raised garden bed – if you use a trellis. A single watermelon plant, given good growing conditions, can almost fill a 15-foot-wide circle on the ground. Yikes! There's no avoiding that they are large, vigorous plants.

How much water does a watermelon need a day?

Watermelons do not need water every single day. Only consider watering your watermelons daily when temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C). Watering 1–2 times per week works well as long as temperatures are below 90°F. Try to keep the soil moist to a depth of 12 inches (30 cm) at all times.

Should you turn watermelons as they grow?

It has probably been pale green or white during the growing season. When it turns yellow, it's a sign of ripeness. Be careful not to rotate your melon too much when you check the coloring or you may damage the vine. Just tip the fruit up enough to peek under it.

Can watermelons be grown in pots?

Yes, you can grow watermelon in pots. But there are some important guidelines you'll want to follow to set yourself up for success. Watermelons are fun to grow in pots, but they must be cared for properly.

Do watermelons come back every year?

Watermelon plants do not come back every year as they are tender annuals. This means they complete their entire lifecycle in one season and are then killed off by the first frosts.

Is Epsom salt good for watermelon plants?

For sweeter watermelons and cantaloupes when the plant starts vining and again when small 1-inch melons appear, spray with 6 1/2 tablespoons Epsom salts and 3 1/2 tablespoons borax in 5 gallons of water. For more fruit on your pepper plants, fertilize the plant by burying an open one-half pack of book matches near it.

How do I make my watermelon sweeter when growing?

Sweetness Starts in the Soil

To encourage strong growth, blend 4 to 6 inches of composted manure into your melon beds prior to planting. Then add a balanced organic fertilizer (such as a mixed blood meal/bone meal product) every 3 to 4 weeks.

Why do you plant watermelons on a hill?

Growing Watermelons in Hills

Hills allow better drainage and warm the soil for the plants, which is important because watermelon seeds need a soil temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit to germinate. Hilling is important, especially when growing watermelons in heavier soils that do not drain as well as sandy loam.