Watermelon is best grown at temperatures around 80-90°F. Temperatures above 90°F reduce the growth rate; above 105°F may cause plant injury. Temperatures below 42°F result in watermelon chilling injury; below 32°F will kill watermelon plants. Extended cool days that lead to soil temperatures dropping into lower 50°F can also kill watermelon seedlings. Using low tunnels is…Read more about Be Cautious When Using Low Tunnels for Early Watermelon Planting[Read More]
Watermelon
In the last issue of the Vegetable Crops Hotline, I wrote an article about common diseases of cantaloupe and watermelon transplants. Based on the samples I have received over the last few days, I would like to write about a disease that is not usually a problem: angular leaf spot. Angular leaf spot affects all…Read more about Angular leaf spot of Cucurbits[Read More]
1. What caused the water-soaked stem of this watermelon transplant? A-damping-off B-gummy stem blight C-Lightening strike Correct Answer: B 2. Is this problem likely to spread to other transplants? Yes 3. Will this problem likely spread in the field? Yes More information about gummy stem blight can be found in the article Cantaloupe and Watermelon…Read more about Answer to Question from Last Issue (4-23-2020)[Read More]
This is a newly released video about when to plant watermelons. https://youtu.be/tHT2mAnNRWk Watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber plants are very sensitive to low temperatures. Even when frost has passed, soil temperatures below 60°F can result in transplant establishment failure. Check soil temperatures before planting. The rule of thumb is to plant watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumber transplants when…Read more about When to Plant Watermelons[Read More]
Dear Watermelon Growers, At our past winter technical meeting, several growers suggested fertilizer recommendations need to be reevaluated for watermelon production in our area. This suggestion is timely and critical. We plan to initiate a project for the 2020 watermelon production season to reevaluate the fertility and irrigation practices used in Indiana. We will identify…Read more about Watermelon Fertility and Irrigation Management[Read More]
The 2019 production season started with above-normal rains. The wet conditions affected agriculture production, including watermelon and cantaloupe. In this article, we will review some of the watermelon and cantaloupe problems that are often associated with wet conditions. Manganese toxicity– This nutrient disorder occurs more often on cantaloupe that is grown in soils with pH…Read more about Results of Wet Condition on Watermelon and Cantaloupe[Read More]
In the past week, we have observed a few cases where newly planted watermelon seedlings were severely damaged or dead (Figure 1). In some fields, we observed rotted roots and lower stems caused by fungal pathogens. However, such diseases were in response to the cold soils and would not normally cause problems in warm soils….Read more about Low Temperature Caused Watermelon Establishment Failure[Read More]
Watermelon variety trials are conducted every year at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in Vincennes, IN. In the 2018 trials, it included 38 standard-size seedless watermelon cultivars and 10 personal-size watermelons. This article discussed the top yielding varieties in our trials in 2018. The full report of the variety trials, and information about the previous…Read more about Watermelon Cultivar Update from the 2018 Indiana Watermelon Variety Trial[Read More]
With the growing interest from consumers looking for new, unique products, yellow– and orange-flesh watermelons might create opportunities for small-sized growers to differentiate their products. This article answers a few questions you may have about growing and marketing these unique type of watermelons. Yellow and orange-flesh watermelons usually have narrow strips with varying degree of green…Read more about Yellow- and Orange-flesh Watermelons[Read More]
Striped cucumber beetle can be a significant pest in watermelon production systems. These pests can cause feeding damage to roots, stems, leaves, and flowers of plants as well as the watermelon fruit itself (Figure 1). In large enough densities, this damage can lead to economic loss. The economic threshold for striped cucumber beetles in watermelon…Read more about Striped Cucumber Beetles: Densities and Effective Scouting in Watermelons[Read More]