If you do n’t have a bombastic garden space , you might not have considered growing watermelons before . watermelon originate on vining plants and can take up raft of place as they trail along the ground . But , I ’m going to explain how to develop watermelon on a treillage vertically .
By employ vertical gardening and a prissy sturdy trellis , you’re able to grow adorable juicy watermelons even if you have modified distance . All you need is a raise garden bottom or magnanimous container and a suitable treillage to keep the vines off the ground .
Consider choosing the varieties of watermelon vine that you want to grow wisely . This is because plant stock breeder have train plants that bear little fruit . These are ideal for get vertically .
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So , let ’s first look at some Citrullus vulgaris cultivar that are idealistic for grow on a trellis .
Table of Contents
Watermelon Varieties
Here are some of the most compact Citrullus vulgaris varieties that give birth voluptuous but small yield .
Sugar Baby Watermelon
The fruit on this thickset cultivar have telling grim greenish peel or rind and lovely red anatomy . Each fruit weigh around 8 to 10 lb ( 3.5 to 4.5 kg ) . Their size is around the same as a small orchis , make them everlasting for growing on a treillage .
Blacktail Mountain
This is another compact variety that has very dark green or almost shameful peel . The bod is a lovely violent color . It actually grows quite fast and the vine can be extremely fertile .
Small Shining Light
This heirloom form also has very rich green skin and undimmed red soma . It will produce fruits that are around 12 inches ( 30 curium ) in sizing .
Piccolo Hybrid
This sweet petty variety will bring forth seedless watermelons that have striped skin . Each fruit only weighs around 4 Irish pound ( 1.8 kg ) .
Little Darling
Another compact cultivar , this variety will produce oval fruit that are about the size of an grownup hand . The skin is very dark fleeceable and the juicy flesh is promising red . This is also a lovely sweet diversity .
Mini Love
This is another striped variety that produce melon that count around 3 to 6 punt ( 1.4 to 2.7 kilogram ) . The form is bright carmine and has just a few modest seeds .
Tiger Baby
This compact variety has the traditional striped greenish skin but the human body is a golden white-livered colour . It arise in a interchangeable fashion to loot baby .
Golden Midget
Another little kind , halcyon midget produces fruit that are around 3 Ezra Pound ( 1.4 kg ) . The skin is golden yellow in colour and the chassis is salmony - garden pink .
With all these minuscule salmagundi to pick out from , you ’re sure to chance one or two that you really require to grow .
Now , have ’s calculate at the ideal direction to spring up these small watermelon varieties on a trellis .
Choose Your Ideal Spot
To achieve maximum achiever , it ’s a good idea to give your watermelon plant at least 8 hours of sunshine daily . Plus , watermelons postulate fairly deep soil as they have a large root system .
So , if you have some outside growing place , you might want to intend about installing a enkindle bed that is around 4 feet by 4 feet ( 120 x 120 cm ) .
However , if all you have is a balcony or small patio , you could think growing your plant in a very large pot . check that that the bay window is as deep as potential to lodge the root system .
In fact , if you plan to grow your watermelon on a balcony that has a overnice tough bannister , you might not even need a trellis . Instead , you could guide the vines to grow up , around and along the balustrade .
Expert peak : If you ’re produce in a raised bed on the ground , do n’t line the base of your bottom with a weed lusterlessness . You want to allow the stem the ability to travel deep down into the soil and even beyond the raised bed .
You also want to refrain from growing anything else in the bottom once your watermelon plant starts to make its trailing vine . This will ensure that the plant emergence is not stunt and you get a decent number of fruits .
Fill Your Garden Bed Or Your Large Container With Quality Well-Drained Soil
If your garden bed is comparatively rich , you’re able to fulfill the base with good - quality garden soil and then layer the top with well - maturate compost and premium potting mixture . The soil should have a gamey level of organic matter and be innocent - draining .
On the other hand , if you ’re growing in a big container , only habituate insurance premium potting mix and well - senesce compost . This is because garden stain does n’t have the right structure for container growth and will become too compacted .
Creating Your Trellis
When you are create your trellis , you have to remember that the Citrullus vulgaris vines can get quite long and the fruits will get arduous as they mature . For this reason , you have to build a clean inflexible trellis to withstand all that weight .
There are a few materials that you may use to construct your trellis but , the sturdier the well . One popular pick is to use livestock panels . These are made from blade and will be both tough and fair easy to erect .
All you ’ll involve is some strong posts at either end plus a couple spread equally in the middle . check that that you really ram these posts or post into the ground so that they wo n’t easy fall over under the weight .
You could also consider using weld conducting wire mesh fencing material which is evenly as problematic . If you inspect your local garden nitty-gritty , you should be able to find some quick - made alternative that will work for you .
If you ’re planning on growing your melon vine in a container , trellis could be a little more challenging but there are solution . you may purchase big wooden plantation owner boxes that already have a wooden trellis bind to one side .
These will bring if you bring home the bacon them with a footling supererogatory support . For example , range the plantation owner next to a house or garden paries and secure the trellis to the wall in a number of spots . Or , you could just grow your watermelon in a declamatory container next to the wall or even a fencing and attach a treillage to the fencing or wall .
When planning your setup , just remember that you require to provide your upright watermelon vine vine with enough living so that it has no probability of toppling over .
Should You Grow From Seed Or Watermelon Seedlings
As melon vine plants break a tap tooth root , it ’s far better to grow them from watermelon vine seeds . This set aside the tap ascendant to go deeply down into the soil and will leave in a more vigorous plant .
On the other hand , if seeds are grown in punnets and you then transfer them , often the tap radical has been stunted by farm in the punnet . Once this deeply - growing root hits the bottom of the punnet , it has nowhere else to go .
at long last , this can cause the etymon to either stop growing or to grow sideway . Neither will allow the growth of a healthy and vigorous beginning organization .
So , what about if you ’re spring up in a container ? Of course , once the water faucet etymon reach out the bottom of the container , the same thing will take place . This is why it ’s crucial that you practice a really recondite container .
What will take place is that your plant should still develop and give rise some fruit for you . But , it just wo n’t develop as much as a plant whose rap base has been give up to mature as it wants .
You ’ll also witness that container - grow watermelon vine plants will require a portion more water than those grow in raised beds . Plus , you ’ll need to supply a decent amount of fertilizer to feed your plant life .
How To Train Your Plants To Grow Up The Watermelon Trellis
Although watermelons grow on long vine , these do not have the capacitance to grow up the treillage on their own . This means that you have to groom and direct them to develop where you need .
You also should be aware that these plants can grow really tight . In fact , you could expect each vine to grow by 1 to 2 feet ( 30 to 60 cm ) in just one week . What this means is that you have to be vigilant and keep an oculus on your plants as they grow .
It ’s much easier to bind each vine to the treillage as it grows rather than trying to untangle the vines once they ’ve put on a substantial amount of growth .
you could use a variety show of materials to wed your vine to the trellis . Garden string works well but make certain that you do n’t tie it too mean so that you do n’t damage the bow .
Alternatively , if you have some plastic bags lying around , you may cut these into cartoon strip and use them to tie up your vines . You could even use zip ties as long as you do n’t bind them too tightly .
It ’s generally best to make a figure 8 loop-the-loop and to loop whatever you ’re using just below a folio juncture .
How To Keep Your Vine Tidy
Not only will your watermelon plant give rise a number of primary vines from the bag of the flora , but petty vines or side shoots will often grow from the folio axis of these main vines as well .
Once again , this means that you have to be vigilant and splice up all those vines as they start to develop . However , if your treillage is starting to get too crowded , there ’s no harm in trimming off some of those secondary vine in lodge to give the remaining vine room to grow .
Supporting Your Growing Melons
As your vine bulge out to raise its heavy fruit and these fruits lead off to grow , you will involve to support the exercising weight of the melons . If you do n’t , they ’ll get too intemperate for the vine and break it .
Therefore , you ’ll need to make some slings that you place under the yield and tie onto the trellis . I did this last yr with a pumpkin that I was originate over a small support .
For this , I just cut off a piece of bird netting and made a lilliputian hammock for the fruit to sit in well and then tie the loose ends of the gauze onto the living .
Now , you’re able to use almost anything to make your melon hammocks such as bits of fabric , those mesh bags that onions hail in or even previous nylon stocking or pantyhose if you have any . you’re able to even cut up some old t - shirts to make suitable hillock .
Just verify that the hammocks are strong enough to brook each fruit so that the weight of the maturing fruit does n’t put any stress on the vine .
Giving Your Plants The Care That They Need
aside from tying up the vines and creating hammocks for the fruit , you also postulate to ensure that your melon vine plant get plenty of water as they ’re quite thirsty plants .
After all , they ’re not called watermelon for no reason ! When watering your plants , you want to give them a upright soaking at least once or twice a hebdomad . check that that you water at the ground level so that the piddle can get down to the roots .
You also want to avoid getting the leaves wet as much as potential so that you do n’t end up with fungal diseases such as powdery mold . For this grounds , I find torrent hoses priceless in my vegetable garden .
For plants grown in containers , you ’ll probably call for to water them daily . ensure that you water deeply and only stop when the redundant water comes out of the drainage mess in the base of the pot .
You also want to check that that you feed your melons as they ’re heavy feeder . prefer a fertiliser that ’s high in K as this boost more fruit to grow . In garden beds , you could easily just utilise a slow - liberation fertiliser once the vines reach the fruit stage as this type of fertiliser can last for around 6 months .
However , for pot - grown plants , it might be good to go for a liquid fertiliser high in potassium on a hebdomadary basis during the fruiting degree .
How To Know When Your Fruits Are Ready For Harvest
glean your fruits is the fun part because now you get to enjoy the fruits of your labour . But , how do you know when the fruits are quick for harvest home ?
really , it ’s quite easy . The adept way is to nearly study the yield . Next to the stem of each melon vine , you ’ll see a small green tendril . When this tendril starts to turn brown and dries , the fruit is mature and quick for crop .
Use a abrupt pair of secateurs to cut the root from the vine . Do n’t be tempted to just get out it off because you might damage the vine in the process . Then , all that ’s left to do is relish the sweet , juicy flesh of your good melons .
Frequently Asked Questions
You might be surprised to learn that there are actually 1200 varieties of Citrullus vulgaris . But , only about 200 to 300 of these are usually grown these day .
Yes , both lily-livered and orange watermelons are usually sweeter than the 1 with red physical body .
beg a watermelon with your finger is another room to tell if the fruit is mature . If you discover a hollow sound when you tap the exterior of the melon vine , then you’re able to be ascertain that it ’s mature and ripe for harvest .
Yes , just like pumpkin and zucchinis , watermelons have both male and female flowers on the same works . This intend that the distaff flowers involve to be pollinated with the pollen from the male flowers to make fruit .
watermelon vine are warm - season crop and are generally grown over the summertime month in most regions . The soil temperature needs to be warm before the seeds will sprout .
Watermelons are fairly thirsty plants so they need plenty of water during the growing season . Ideally , you require to irrigate your plants at least once or twice a week and pot - grown plants daily .
Final Thoughts
you’re able to produce watermelon even if you have confine blank or only have a minor garden . All you have to do is choose some of the smaller melons andgrow them up a treillage . As long as you give your plant good deal of support and create support hammocks for the yield , you should be capable to get a enough crop . Another clause you might find useful ishow to spring up a courgette on a trellis vertically .
