Your comments and tips

21 May 11, wayne (Australia - tropical climate)

growing watermelons in the tropics can be very tricky..with a huge wet season like we have just had,i had about an acre of melons and most either rotted,were tastless or didnt develop properly before rotting..to top it off,the flat flooded and washed the rest away.

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17 Oct 10, Geoff (Australia - temperate climate)

Knowing when to pick watermelons can be heartbreaking. The hollow sound when tapped can vary with different fruit, as does the colour where they touch the ground. I have found the best way to tell is when the small curly tenderal CLOSEST to the fruit stalk has died off. This method has saved a lot of mellons being picked too early in my garden. Give it a go, you will be very happy

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17 Sep 10, Suzette (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Can you please advice how much watering each of the following veges/herbs need: Pumpkins Watermelons Rockmelons Basil Parsley Thank you

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07 Jul 10, Noo Noo (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate)

Hi all, I want to grow watermelon on the south coast of the UK as I have aquired a plot of land for an allotment. I want to grow the pink flesh and green outer type but as I can not import seeds from Australia I am taking them from a shop purchased melon from god knows where and want to know what to do with the seeds do I put them in water or dry them and put them in the airing cupboard (I know that sounds silly) but you would be suprised what can be grown in one. any ideas. Thanks

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21 Aug 10, Susan Chambers (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Hi, You need to get your seeds from a repretable organinc supplier, the watermellon is a tropical plant so growing it in your airing cupboard is not a bad idea, a glasss house too should be benifitial in summer. the seeds need to be dried then planted in seed mix.once they have grown to planting size, grow them in good compost, I am trying to go over to a no did policy. My watermellons did no good last year. but as I said they are tropical fruit and grow better in Queensland and the N.T. than Vic,but a good summer helps

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09 Jul 10, Natalie (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

If the melon is a non hybrid I don't think you would have any problems. I would buy a melon from an organic grocer, would then hopefully be not a hybrid. Dry the seeds out before planting. Plant where you want it to grow. And cross fingers. Would love to hear if you have any success. I have grown melons from seeds - they just seem to pop up out of the compost. So don't see why it wouldn't work, but you never know.

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11 Jul 10, Noo Noo (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate)

Thanks Natalie will try the organic ones and also the seeds I have and yes crossed fingers. If I manage to do it I will let you know. Cheers.

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01 Jun 10, Andrea (Australia - tropical climate)

Watermelons are ready to be picked when there the patch on which they were sitting on the ground is white. I learnt this in a very very embarrassing way. I had a job picking melons a farm in Israel. There was an enormous melon lying temptingly in the field and we were all watching it and waiting for it to ripen. One day I knocked on it and heard this hollow sound and declared it was ready to pick. The boss went along with me (but knowing better). He let me open the melon. It was not ripe. It was white inside. Sweetish but simply not ripe. I learnt my lesson.

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07 Aug 10, Larissa (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

thank you for this tip and story - sounds like you had a nice boss!

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18 Mar 10, Jess (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, we planted our watermelons around october and we are now harvesting large and small fruit. we are first time growers and were told we wouldn't grow any. the largest and first to be picked, we left on the vine as i was told to pick them when the short vine attached to them dies, but the fruit caved in and rotted before that happened. since then we have picked another and sat it aside for a week and it's nice, red and very tasty! it was only finding this site and others alike that we know what to do and will experiment with the many many others that are nearly ready. also, how will we know when pumpkins are ready to harvest? are they similar?

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