Your comments and tips

13 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have never been able to grow them. I really don't have the ground to do it. Watermelons like virgin soil. There is a lot of difference between a plant growing well and producing a good end crop. I have rock melons growing - huge - some would weigh 3-4 kg. First one I picked, tasteless - probably too much watering. Have cut back the watering. Over watering when the fruit has grown it's full size can make the melons split. Hope it keeps going well for you.

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15 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Rock melon weighed 4.55 kgs

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15 Jan 19, Grahame B (Australia - temperate climate)

Climate must be a big factor with water melons, Mike. We'll never get an overnight low of less than 24C in summer, and rarely get one under 18C in what we call winter, so I'm going to try growing them all year round. Evidently Darwin soils are very poor because nutrients get leached from them by the heavy rain during the wet season so I'm learning how to counter that. Having never been a gardener, the water melon experience has spurred me into action and today I'll be planting some papaya and guavas. I don't think the traditional favourites like plums and peaches can be grown up here but I'm looking into it. I do remember a particular plum from my childhood (50+ years ago!) called a greengage; they were green when ripe, and sweet. Has anyone on here ever grown them?

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16 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

They grow water melons here - Bundaberg - in the spring. Winter 10 to 24 degrees with some nights down to 3-4-5. Spring time it is warming to 16 to 30 and summer 20-24 to 30-34. Seedlings are started late winter and transplanted in Sept. They pick them from late Nov and can extend into Jan. We can buy them on the side of the road - 2 for $5 - weigh from 2-3 kgs to 8-10 kgs.

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27 Dec 18, Leon Brand (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

We are in Brisbane. Our watermelons start well but when the fruit gets to about rockmelon size the ends (opposite to the stem) starts to go back and soft. Our soil ph seems ok (about 6.8 with a Bunnings ph probe). I heard the problem may be a lack of calcium? Shall I work lime into the soil before trying again? Thanks in advance. By the way, beetroot is doing very well in the same area as the watermelon, and a few months ago we had a good egg plant crop in a nearby bed.

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05 Jan 19, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Try planting them earlier - late August.

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05 Jan 19, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Try some Epsom Salts - buy it in the supermarket or nursery.

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18 Nov 18, Lorraine Johnstone (Australia - temperate climate)

We have been advised to grow and eat yellow watermelons. This actually means blending the entire melon, skin, etc as well, and drink/eat. It's apparently very good for you. Plan to take out the pips and dry them. Has anyone done this, or can anyone please advise how to go about growing? I am awaiting receipt of the seeds. Thanks in advance.

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18 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Difference between red and yellow - yellow is sweeter and red has heaps of antioxidants - yellow has little or none. Melons are grown in the spring - in sub tropical and temperate you would be picking them now to mid Jan. You can also grow them late summer into autumn - don't taste as good I reckon. The skin can be used for pickling and relish. If you really need whatever is in the yellow you may need to source it from somewhere else as you would only have melons for a few months of the year. Read up about growing them.

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04 Apr 18, Sandy saunders (Australia - tropical climate)

Bought watermelon in bunbury recently will these plant still grow in bunbury climate

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