By Spy Uganda
If watermelon plants had a theme song it would probably be, “Don’t Fence Me In,” as some watermelon vines can grow over 10 feet long and sometimes reach 20 feet in length. Therefore, it stands to reason watermelon plants need room to spread out for the best growth.
But Before We Talk About Spacing, Let’s Look At Basic Considerations When Selecting A Variety Include:
- The length of your warm growing season. Sensitive to cold, and in too cold conditions, watermelon seeds fail to germinate and transplants fail to thrive.
- Expected days to harvest, as noted of the seed packet. Select a variety suitable for the length of warm weather expected in your location.
- Mature spread of plants, noted on the seed packet, allowing you to estimate required spacing and amount of plants you can grow per the size of your garden space.
- Suggested spacing, as noted on the seed packet, taking the guesswork out of preferred spacing of multiple watermelon plants.
The Basics On Generalized Spacing Requirements
If you have watermelon seeds you saved from the previous year, from a tasty purchased fruit, or seeds given to you by a friend, don’t let not knowing the expected growth of the particular melon make proper spacing hard to figure out.
As long as you follow some basic spacing tips for watermelon plants in general, you should grow a healthy crop of watermelons. Basic watermelon planting that allows appropriate spacing includes:
- In a sunny location, create mounds approximately 3 feet in diameter. Growing watermelons in mounds ensures greater heat retention in the soil and proper drainage.
- Space multiple mounds 3 to 5 feet apart.
- Space multiple rows approximately 8 feet apart.
- Plant about six seeds ½ inch deep per mound. Once plants reach the seedling stage, thin to the three healthiest watermelon plants.
