* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Watermelon - Ozaukee Master Gardeners
Survey
Document related concepts
Plant morphology wikipedia , lookup
Plant use of endophytic fungi in defense wikipedia , lookup
History of herbalism wikipedia , lookup
Evolutionary history of plants wikipedia , lookup
Plant breeding wikipedia , lookup
Plant ecology wikipedia , lookup
Ornamental bulbous plant wikipedia , lookup
Plant evolutionary developmental biology wikipedia , lookup
Plant physiology wikipedia , lookup
Plant reproduction wikipedia , lookup
Plant nutrition wikipedia , lookup
Glossary of plant morphology wikipedia , lookup
Base-cation saturation ratio wikipedia , lookup
Perovskia atriplicifolia wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
Africa is considered to be the native home of the watermelon. It was found growing wild by Livingstone in 1854. On the American continent, watermelons were grown as early as 1629 in Massachusetts, and prior to 1664 in Florida. Watermelon leaves are heart-shaped with three to seven lobes per leaf and are produced on trailing vines. Plants are monoecious with yellow flowers that are approximately 1 ¾ inches in diameter. Culture mound and protect young plants until they are established from wind and cold weather with cloches or plastic tunnels. Planting in raised beds covered with green or black plastic mulch can produce ripe melons 2 weeks earlier. Black plastic mulch is very effective because it absorb heat, warms the soil, and maintains good soil moisture levels. The plastic can be installed when the soil is in good planting condition, any time from a few days to 2-3 weeks before planting. This will speed the harvest since the soil will be very warm when the seeds and transplants are planted. Pinch out the growing points of the main shoots when they are 6ft long and train side shoots between other plants in the row. Reduce sub lateral growths from the side shoots to two or three leaves after fruits start to develop, and place a pad or block of wood beneath each fruit to protect it from soil borne pests and disease (not necessary if plastic mulch is used). Watermelons are generally insectpollinated but in cold seasons, if fruits are not setting, it may be necessary to hand pollinate. The female flower has a tiny bump (the embryonic fruit) behind the petals, which the male flower lacks. This makes it easy to distinguish between them. To hand-pollinate, take a male flower, remove all the petals and press it against the female flower. Alternatively, use a fine paintbrush to transfer the pollen from the stamens of the male flower to the stigma of the female. You can lengthen the growing season by protecting plants from late spring frosts and early fall frosts. There are a variety of ways to prolong the growing season, including planting on a southern slope, creating a warmer microclimate using floating row covers, dark plastic mulch to warm the soil, clear plastic tunnels, cold frames, or using windbreaks to shield plants. Master Gardeners Journal MG 285 March 1, 2003 MASTER GARDENERS Melons require a long growing season of 90 to 125 days with temperatures averaging between 70-80oF. Watermelons are less tolerant of cool conditions than muskmelon. They are best adapted to the warmer, longer-season areas of the US, and have a difficult time maturing in shorter-season areas like ours. Melons can be direct sown but will yield a much better crop if started indoors and transplanted into the garden after the soil has warmed. Start the seeds indoor in late April or early May. Sow 1 inch deep in 33 ½ inch peat pots using a sterile seedling mix. You can buy or mix your own sterile potting mix for starting transplants. The mix should include peat, sphagnum or compost to retain moisture; vermiculite or perlite for aeration; and mineral and nutrient sources to encourage growth after the first roots form. Germination is in 7-10 days when soil temperature is in the optimum range of 70-85oF. Like most vine crops, melons require even moisture levels to keep from rotting. The soil should be barely moist to the touch. Seedlings should be hardened off before planting, by reducing water slightly and gradually exposing them to outside temperatures and sunlight. Vine crops cannot tolerate cool temperatures, so be sure to bring them inside the greenhouse if the temperature threatens to dip below 40-45oF. Transplant the seedlings outdoors in early June when they are 4 to 6” tall. Space transplants 4 feet apart in rows 6 foot apart for regular size melons, and 2feet apart in rows 4feet apart for seedless and icebox varieties. Plant each seedling on a slight Watermelon Citrullus lanatus Cultivar Selection Recent breeding efforts in watermelon have focused on disease resistance, yield, earliness, and smaller more manageable sized fruit. Flesh color ranges from pink to red to yellow. Icebox melons are a good choice for short-season gardeners. If you grow seedless melons, you must plant a row of a standard seed variety alongside for pollination. Irrigation Melons are shallow-rooted crops and require frequent watering. All vine crops require supplemental irrigation of 1 inch of water every week in order to assure a constant supply of moisture, particularly during bloom and fruit development. Soil moisture should not drop below 65%. A handful of soil at 65% can be formed into a firm ball. The ball will feel moist, but the soil will not stick to your hand, and the ball will be pliable. When broken, the ball will crumble into medium-sized fragments. Moisture stress can reduce crop yields. If leaves begin to wilt midday, plants are moisture MASTER GARDENERS stressed. Plants that wilt intermittently may produce smaller yields, while plants that wilt frequently or that wilt too long die due to irreversible cell damage. Drip irrigation works particularly well with black plastic mulch. When irrigating vine crops, it is important to keep water away from the crown of the plant as even a few hours of crown wetness can damage the root system. Water in the morning or early afternoon so the foliage dries by evening. This helps prevent the spread of leaf diseases. Fertility Melons prefer a soil pH between 6.0 and 6.8; adding lime in SE Wisconsin should not be necessary. Vine crops require low nitrogen and high potassium and phosphorous for good fruit development. At planting time, apply 2 tablespoons per hill of a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or similar analysis. One week after blossoming begins, side-dress with a 1 tablespoon of 210-0 (ammonium sulfate) or 20-10-10 per hill, or alternately feed every ten to 14 days with a liquid feed such as ‘Miracle Grow’ as the fruits begin to develop. Reduce watering and feeding as fruits ripen. Harvest It is difficult to know when to harvest watermelons. If your crop is large enough, you can periodically sample fruit for flavor. Another method is to observe the part of the fruit that touches the soil, called the ground spot. When the ground spot changes from white to creamy yellow, the melon is ripe and ready for harvest. A deep-yellow ground spot indicates overripe fruit. A third method to determine watermelon ripeness involves observing the tendril nearest the melon. If the tendril is firm and green, the melon is not yet ripe. If the tendril is wilting, the melon is ripe. If the tendril is completely wilted, the melon is overripe. Watermelons will keep for 1 week if stored at 55 to 60 oF. with a relative humidity of 85 to 95%. Providing university researchbased horticulture information and educational opportunities Milwaukee County UW-Extension 932 South 60th Street West Allis, WI 53214-3346 Phone: (414) 290-2400 Fax: (414) 290-2424 http://milwaukee.uwex.edu Ozaukee County UW-Extension Box 994 121 West Main Street Port Washington, WI 53074 Phone: (262) 284-8288 http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us /MasterGardener Compiled By John T. Kovatch . Pests Striped cucumber beetle Key pests include two species of cucumber beetles; striped and spotted. The striped (top) cucumber beetles are more serious in Wisconsin. Cucumber beetles are a problem Spotted on vine crops because they transmit the bacterial wilt organism. The striped cucumcucumber beetle ber beetle is 1/5 inch long and yellow-green in color with three black stripes running (bottom) the length of its body. Spotted cucumber beetles are yellow-green with 12 black spots on their backs. Non-chemical control can be achieved in small plantings by covering the plants with floating row covers to keep the beetles out. Make sure you uncover flowering plants to allow the bees to enter and pollinate the plants. If bacterial wilt infections have already occurred, remove the diseased plants immediately to prevent the spread of the disease while insects are present. For more information, consult University of Wisconsin - Extension publication A2088, Managing Insects in the Home Vege- Diseases Watermelons are subject to several wilts, and fungal and viral diseases. Most can be controlled with good soil management, proper rotation, and garden sanitation. Many diseases can be eliminated or reduced by avoiding overhead watering. Where disease is a known problem, choose resistant varieties. Remove plant refuse and control insect pests.