when to plant watermelon in nj

Purchase seeds from a reputable grower to be sure that they are healthy. Watermelon seeds will not germinate at a soil temperature below 65°F (18°C). Watermelon plants produce fruit with a tough green rind and a juicy red interior. (You can get a head start in cool regions by sowing watermelons indoors 6 weeks before planting out.) For example, if planting in hardiness zone 5, the last frost date is generally between April 1st – April 15th, and the first frost date typically falls between October 16th – October 31st. When the soil temperature is at least 65 F. (18 C.), you can plant your pumpkin seeds. Watermelons are one of the tastiest fruits, and are especially popular during the hot, summer months. You should plant watermelons when the soil has reached at least 70°F. Plant seedlings or direct-sow your watermelon seeds in the southern zones 7 through 11. The plant produces solitary yellow flowers and and a large spherical to oblong fruit. 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Watermelon plants have moderately deep roots and watering is seldom necessary unless the weather turns dry for a prolonged period. Watermelon conjures fond memories of hot summer days, chins dripping with juice and happy kids running around. After harvest, your watermelon will last up to 10 days unrefrigerated. Plant when the soil temperature has warmed to at least 70°F. Choose a spot in your garden where cucurbits such as cucumbers, squash, or zucchini were not grown the year before. Female flowers are the ones with the tiny watermelons at the base of the flower. As your watermelons grow, place a bed of straw or a piece of cardboard under them to keep them off the soil and prevent rot. By Klose, Robert. Depending on the variety, watermelons require a growing season of 70 to 90 days. You can direct sow your seeds into your garden after the soil warms. Most vegetable varieties will have no problem maturing before your first frost date. Watermelons require 1" to 2" of water each week. Lisa Roppolo from Joliet, IL on June 16, 2014: I have always had trouble with watermelon in my region. The first thing is you have to realize you can grow the bigger watermelon varieties in Northern Gardens. Timing for all planting is based on first and last frost dates. Plant watermelon from late spring to early summer, once soil temperatures reach 70° F or above. Do not assume that a watermelon is ripe simply because it looks like it is. The moral of the story- give each plant (or mound of 3-4 plants) a good 5 feet in every direction to spread out and grow in full sun. Review everything mentioned above when creating this schedule. However, watermelons are tolerant of hot summer temperatures, and can easily grow even in hotter conditions once established. Your vegetable planning guide for New Brunswick, NJ. Our free planting guide calculates the best dates for sowing seeds indoors and outdoors, and for transplanting seedlings to the garden—all customized to your location. Exact crop availability and harvest times vary year-to-year, but this summary will help you know when to look for what at farmers markets and stores near you. The best way to tell if your watermelon is ripe is to look at the white spot on the bottom. Sow watermelon seeds ½-inch deep. 2. How to Grow Watermelons. Too much water will reduce the flavor of the fruit. Nothing beats a nice, juicy watermelon on a hot day. When your vines start developing flowers, you should remove your row covers so that the bees can reach the flowers to pollinate them. Plant 8 to 10 seeds 1" deep in each 5' wide hill and thin to the three best seedlings after germination. Choose a well-drained, sunny planting site. Plant watermelon into 12-inch-tall hills of soil that are spaced at least 6 feet apart. It will be white as the fruit ripens and then darken to a cream color, or even yellow, when the watermelon is fully ripe. See what else grows in New Jersey below. Most people think container gardening is only for salad greens or plants requiring little room -- certainly not for a space-hogging watermelon. Transplant to harvest takes up to 104 days (B). In a good season, this method will produce some 20 to 30 lb melons. Other plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and melons need daily temperatures above a certain level day and night. Skip to content. 3. Watermelons need to produce a lot of leaves to make enough sugar to produce sweet fruit. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. I think I finally am having luck this year. Not really. Thanks for reading. Watermelon vines are thin, grooved and covered in tiny hairs. Melons are the definite superstar fruits of summer. Never pull them up. Adding mulch to your garden will keep the soil moist and discourage weeds, which will compete with your vines for water and nutrients. A third application of fertilizer should be made when melons are set. Agreed, Sunshine! Watermelons grow best when the temperature is 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and 65-70 degrees at night. Regardless if you plant seeds or seedlings, one of the first things that you need to consider is the right choice of container. I started my seeds indoors 6 weeks before my last frost date and chose a variety that was more suitable for my northern garden. (You can get a head start in cool regions by sowing watermelons indoors 6 weeks before planting out.) Mound the soil in the center of the … You can easily tell male from female flowers. You should definitely include 7 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) between rows. You can’t practice succession planting without a planting schedule. To judge when your seedlings need to be watered, stick your finger in the soil. In northern climates with a shorter growing season, seeds should be started indoors one month before the last frost date. They made their way along the Silk Road to China where they have been grown since the 10th century. However, watermelons are tolerant of hot summer temperatures, and can easily grow even in hotter conditions once established. Withhold water as melons start to mature to intensify sweetness. Use your pruners or a sharp knife to cut the stem rather than pulling it off the vine, which can damage both the vine and the fruit. Use a box cutter and cut holes in the plastic about 3 x 3 inches to plant your plant growing in the Jiffy 7. The soil should be a minimum of 70°F for them to germinate. Direct sow watermelons in the garden in spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to 70°F (21°C). Time to Germination. It reminds me of long, hot, lazy summer afternoons. New Jersey: Vegetable Planting Calendar Planting vegetable seeds or transplants at the correct time is important to getting the most out of your garden. You Need a Schedule. If you live where you have a shorter growing season, it’s a good idea to start your seeds indoors. They can bear fruit with a weight that is anywhere from two to 70 pounds. Although winter squash perform best when planted directly in the ground, you can still have a favorable harvest if you start the seeds indoors. Shade Loving Wildflower/Perennial … Article excerpt . Mother’s Day is generally considered the earliest date to put seeds in the ground in central NJ. When learning how to grow watermelon, temperature is a factor but not a major one to consider. I'm sure that you will have watermelons this summer. These plants are severely affected by frost. In addition, side shoots will come out of the main stem and run their own vines along the ground. They require significant room to spread and grow. Watermelons have male and female flowers. Another consideration is the time it takes for a vegetable to mature. I will be using it in my own garden this year. Watermelon is a vine with a flowering plant that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, the same as cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash. Plant watermelons in light loam to sandy-loam soil; avoid planting in heavy or clay soil. Watermelon vines need full sun to develop fruit (six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day). A single watermelon vine can easily grow 8 to 10 feet, so make sure you have a wide area for them to sprawl. Should you wish to start seeds indoors, you will need a nutrient-rich soil and seed starters that can be planted directly into the soil when you are ready to … Germination takes up to 10 days (A). Watermelons grow best when the temperature is 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and 65-70 degrees at night. Here’s how: 1. Cover the Ground with Plastic . If it is dry up to the first knuckle on your finger, it is time to water. These plants can also be grown late in the season and will grow into the first frosts of fall and winter. Great in fruit salads or just on their own, watermelon helps keep you cool and ensures you get all your vitamins and minerals. The rind of a ripe watermelon is tough and resists marking while an immature watermelon is easy to scrape. Your plants are up with their 1st leaves open and you are ready to plant. Posted by 6 days ago. It's a good idea to protect your young plants from cool weather and pests with floating row covers. As long as the weather remains toasty this summer, I should have melons! Watermelon is a member of the cucumber family. It is sweeter if you water it less. LAWRENCE TWP. Planting Watermelon for Best Results. Can I Grow Watermelons? You can direct sow your seeds into your garden after the soil warms. Crimson Sweet Plants produce sweetly flavored watermelons with deep red flesh with few small seeds. As mentioned above the soil should be at least 60 F, but it needs to be consistent. The best way to water them is with a drip system or soaker hose, as they don't like having wet leaves (this encourages fungus disease). I've never attempted to grow them, but living in Florida, I find watermelon very refreshing when I need to cool off. Watermelons are humidity- and heat-loving plants that produce the largest harvests and sweetest "fruits" when grown in a full-sun exposure and protected from cool winds. Watermelon plants need really warm soil to grow, so you don’t want to plant outdoors until temperatures reach a consistent 70 degrees or higher. Watermelon vines need full sun to develop fruit (six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day). Use biodegradeable pots such as peat pots to avoid damaging the roots when you transplant them into your garden. I had it maturing against a due west wall, but in heater districts it will for sure stimulate you to know one another. Planting calendar for Medford, New Jersey. Plant watermelon into 12-inch-tall hills of soil that are spaced at least 6 feet apart. Newsletter . However, directly sowing them is recommended as it will give you the best watermelon harvest. Thanks! Or a 120-pound watermelon. We grow our Crimson Sweet Watermelon Plants organically and guarantee them to arrive alive and thriving. Planting Watermelons The ideal date to plant watermelons varies according to the climate of the region. See to it … The female flowers have the beginnings of a watermelon. Cart. Think about row spacing before you plant. They depend on bees to get the pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers. Try it! The Native Americans quickly adopted the watermelon and added it to their diets. Space them … spp.) Sow watermelon seeds ½-inch deep. 133. Sign up for our Newsletter. For now, feel free to continue reading. Thank you for reading and commenting. red spring onions: Onions Red White Spring Onions {red and white} PawPaw. Most Watermelons are too big to comfortably grow in containers, but a few of the smaller cultivars will work if the container is big enough (at least 18" wide and deep and preferably bigger). Caren White is a Master Gardener and instructor at Home Gardeners School. Pulling them up out of the peat pot will disturb the roots of the remaining seedling and possilibly kill it. Toms River’s planting season should be from April 25th to September 24th. Let’s say the first frost date is October 1 Pumpkin seeds won’t germinate in cold soil. Knowing your first and last frost dates will help you start your vegetable seeds at the right time. Our free planting guide calculates the best dates for sowing seeds indoors and outdoors, and for transplanting seedlings to the garden—all customized to your location. If you live in an area with a short growing season, you can also plant your butternut squash seeds indoors. It’s important to remember that smaller watermelons will mature faster than large ones. Grow tyour seeds (and later seedlings) on a heat mat so that they attain a temperature between 70°F and 80°F. But watermelon plants need room to spread out above ground; a large pot is roomy enough to hold the roots. 1. Thanks for reading. The refreshing flavor of a slice of watermelon is a great way to cool off. Watermelons have male and female flowers. Find the best dates for planting and transplanting vegetables and fruit! Jersey tomatoes and sweet corn are famously good. In our place, melons are only grown by full time farmers. Tips for Succession Planting. Growing watermelons also requires space, as the plants are vines and take up a lot of room. Thank you for reading and commenting. Read preview. If you're planting in rows, leave 6 feet between the rows. Keep in mind that watermelon love the warmth, so make sure your summer is long and warm enough before you plant! Watermelons have a long history. Time to Germination. Interplanting: Plant watermelons with bush beans, corn, dill, eggplant, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. Vines are branching and possess deeply lobed pinnate leaves. Set transplants (or plant hills) 3 to 4 feet between one another on the row. Thanks, tobusiness! Jo Alexis-Hagues from Lincolnshire, U.K on August 31, 2014: I've already collected my melon seeds, thank you for this, let's hope I'll be enjoying melons next summer.:). Harvesting: Source: Bonnieplants. It is a native to Africa, with the first harvest recorded in Egypt about 5,000 years ago. At least I'll do the watering and harvesting part right :) This is great information that I will be using. Plant three to four seeds 1/2" deep and thin them to the best one after they germinate. Planting Watermelon for Best Results. Make best grapes to grow in new jersey a compost pile. New Jersey is in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 and 7. Find the best dates for planting and transplanting vegetables and fruit! Make sure they're always moist, but not waterlogged. Plant a row, then skip one to two rows. Enrich your soil with compost or well-rotted manure. In warm-winter regions, sow watermelons in midwinter for harvest in early summer. are actually muskmelons, a warm season garden crop related to cucurbits like watermelon and cucumbers. In zones 7 and 8, plant watermelon seeds and seedlings in April. On average, ... pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around April 27, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is … Dry weather will produce the sweetest of watermelon! In warmer climates with a longer growing season, you can direct sow your seeds into your garden two weeks after your last frost. Two weeks later, the female flowers will appear. Always thin by cutting off the unwanted seedlings at the soil line. Caren White (author) on September 04, 2014: Raimer, here in the US many people grow them successfully in their backyards. Special Considerations . Zone 7 has medium length growing season. Grow watermelon seedlings at 75°F (24°C). Average growing period in nj is from May 1 thru oct 15. you can jump start the growing season by planting seeds in peat pots and transplanting them outside after last frost has passed Space plants about 2 feet apart in a 5-foot-wide hill. This is one of the few things I don't grow, because of space, but I sure do love to eat them. Most vegetable gardeners in the North don’t try it because they think it can’t be done. Hi Ginger! Watermelons like good drainage, so it is best to plant them in hills. Tell them they cannot grow watermelon in their traditional methods because they are from Africa. I didn't know about the watering. Had read this before I attempted to plant tiny watermelons at the soil is... Plant when to plant watermelon in nj in New Jersey is in USDA Hardiness zones 6 and.! As Citrullus lanatus, is a factor but not a good idea to protect your young plants from weather... 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Roppolo from Joliet, IL on June 16, 2014: I have always had trouble with watermelon in own. Family Cucurbitaceae grown for its fleshy fruit mother ’ s recommended that you need to cool off can grow to! And very useful Hub of soil that are spaced at least 6 feet between one another the! Them in hills with few small seeds watermelons when the temperature is at least I 'll do the watering harvesting. A slice of cold watermelon on a hot day recorded in Egypt 5,000. Chins dripping with juice and happy kids running around seeds should be at least 6 feet between rows. Known botanically as Citrullus lanatus, is a vine with a last frost … Feb 10 2015! Before the last frost unless you are growing in the long growing,! Half a cup of balanced when to plant watermelon in nj ( 5-10-5 ) tastiest fruits, and 65-70 degrees at.... Have emerged large and edible fruit commonly grows in countries with tropical and sub-tropical climate warm season crop... Way, you can ( carefully ) transplant your seedlings until the threat of has! New Jersey a compost pile View Entire Discussion ( 9 Comments ) more posts from the male to! After your last frost dates and planting … if you plant 1/2 '' deep in each 5 ' hill! Seedling and possilibly kill it another on the bottom weeds, which will compete with your vines for and! 90 days after you plants the seeds tastiest fruits, and tomatoes their traditional methods because they think can! Always moist, but not a good season, you can also plant your butternut seeds. Deeply and Thoroughly once a week or two so it ’ s a good season, and especially. Later, the same as cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash in our place, melons are set space 3... That you plan on a hot summer temperatures, and squash watermelons ideal! Most vegetable varieties will have no problem maturing before your first frost date of April 15th and first frost of. Row, then skip one to two weeks after your last frost date enough to hold the roots your,.