Anyone growing watermelons?

j@utis

I have two of these babies in my greenhouse. Now the summer is over and I'm wondering when to harvest them? or do they ever ripen here in Ireland?

Stressica

I'm jealous, I had about 6 melon plants which I raised from seed but then I popped them in the corner of the greenhouse with intentions to potting them on in the next few days but then the bust of heat came and they literally got scorched in the one day I left them, but anyway I'm defo doing them again next year.

and yeah they should ripen, last year in UK, from one of my gardening magazines I read, some man in Uk grew melons outside in a coldframe and he got a good harvest even with the crap weather last year! I don't think there is much of a difference between melons/watermelons.. but you can get varieties that are suited to growing in cooler climates like Ireland

and btw when they are rip you should get that sweet smell.. or so I have been told

j@utis

I have three plants but only two of them set the fruit. They produced loads of vines and leaves and flowered a lot but I only got two actual watermelons. There's must be some trick to make them set more fruit... I keep checking these two - I'm afraid they're gonna rot before I have a chance to taste them.

Stressica

You have to hand pollinate them, otherwise very little chance if getting fruit I assumed you already knew??

Northumbria

Knock on them, if they sound hollow then they're ready. The longer you leave them, the better they'll be (within reason).

j@utis

Stressica wrote: »

You have to hand pollinate them, otherwise very little chance if getting fruit I assumed you already knew??

I didn't know this! Now I know... and it means next year I'm gonna have full greenhouse of watermelons! yeay!
I knocked on one today - I'm not sure... It's not cold outside at the moment, so I'll leave them be for another week or so...

j@utis

Result was very satisfactory I can't wait for the next year now!