What are the easiest Watermelon Growing Stages?

Watermelon is the darling fruit for everyone and no one hates it. It is a sweet, soft, and colorful fruit. Watermelon is considered the fighter fruit against summer because it gives energy to the consumers and makes them refresh so that they can fight the hot weather of the season.

As far as the growth of watermelons is concerned, there are some watermelon growing stages. The watermelons begin as seeds, saved and preserved from the year before, then gently pressed into the seed tray in the greenhouse. Nurtured with water, sunshine, and nutrients from the healthy soil, a little time and patience are also included.

Watermelon

Baby watermelon plant stages take 65-100 days from planting until the fruit is ripe.  But some varieties also exist that take up to 4 months. Growing the watermelon begins with the process of seed germination that continues through growing Vines and leaves. Then the flower starts blooming and pollinates at the end of the second month.

The next step is the process of pollinating flowers and managing fruit which will be done in the 3rd month. But if you want to grow a small variety then they will take less time to mature. They are immensely rewarding. These juicy fruits weigh between 6 and 50 pounds each, but it depends on their variety.

They have specialties that take time to grow and they should also be planted around two weeks after the last frost when the ground is warm. You will never regret growing such an amazing fruit because it has a lot of benefits too.

Basic factors about watermelon:

Common Name	Watermelon
Botanical Name	Citrullus lanatus
Family	Cucurbitaceae
Plant Type	Annual, Vine
Mature Size	16 to 24 in. tall, 48 to 96 in. wide
Sun Exposure	Full Sun
Soil Type	Moist but Well-Drained
Soil pH	Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.0 and 7.5)
Bloom Time	Summer
Flower Color	Yellow
Hardiness Zones	Not Winter Hardy
Native Area	Africa
Toxicity	Non-toxic

You can divide the growing process of the watermelon into various stages. These can be divided into 9 watermelon stages of growth which are explained in detail.

Planting Watermelon Variety

When you start growing watermelons, your process starts with the type of variety you are going to grow. Make sure the change in weather can disturb the growth of your plant e.g. living in colder weather. The pro tip is you have to select an early-season variety of watermelon.

When you are going to plant the watermelon, the choice of variety according to your region is important because it needs a sufficient amount of sunlight to mature, and the early season variety matures in a shorter period so for them adequate sunlight is preferable.

For a person who is living in cold weather, he needs to start seeding the watermelon about 4 weeks before the last Frost of the season. But if a person is living in hot weather, definitely does have some more varieties of watermelon to grow as they will get more sunny days.

Watermelon Growing Stages – (from Seed to Harvest)

A watermelon plant grows over three months going through watermelon stages of growth. It starts from a small seed into a large fruit. There is a complete guide about the watermelon growing stage (from seed to harvest) step by step.

Seed Chitting

This process comes before the germinated stay seeds come in contact with the soil. It helps you to grow better yield. You need to place the seed on a damp paper towel and then transfer it to the container, at the end you have to cover it with plastic wrap. After a few days, you will observe that the seed is forming a root.

The next thing you have to do is, you need to place the seed 2-3cm deep into a soil mix. It is important to give them a space so that they can spread and grow properly. 

Some plants need support. If you find that your plant wants some support then you can use the trellis to cover the vertical space also. The pro tip includes making sure to water the seed properly and give the plant approximately 8 to 12 hours of sunlight. 

Seed Germination

This comes in second in stages of watermelon growth which always starts after the seed is planted in the soil.  You should take care of the temperature, and make sure not to place the seed between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit because in that condition the seed will not be able to germinate. A sufficient amount of water is necessary for your plant growth.

You should give your plant an amount of water such as about 1 to 2 inches of water every week. You have to take care that the soil should be moist, not soggy. In this process, 3 to 12 days are required to complete the germination and the new sprouts will start to break the ground.

Sprouting

The leaves are known as embryonic leaves that grow after seed germination. Now there is protection needed from the strong winds and animals. If you want a successful sprouting, you have to maintain the soil moisture and water the seedlings from 1 to 2 inches every week.

Some important preventive measures are necessary to focus on such as temperature and weather conditions, soil conditions, and also make sure not to overwater and make the soil wet. If you do so, it will kill your plant.

Vegetative Phase

The vegetative phase starts from seed germination and ends with flowering. When the seed starts to grow sprouts they start growing further faster. Within 10 days, the leaves will start growing. When the leaves are fully grown, photosynthesis will be started which will give energy for more growth.

 

When the process proceeds for almost 2 weeks then the leaves will mature more and vines of the plant will be able to grow up to 12 feet. If you see more growth the vines show that the plant has entered into the next growing stage.

Branching

The nutrients are needed to be maintained that are required by the watermelon, you can maintain after the growth of new wines or branching. To do this, you have to add half a cup or 120 ml of bone meal into the soil. Make sure to mix it gently without damaging the root of the plant.

If you mix the bone meal the growth of the watermelon will be increased. You also need to increase watering by about 1 to 2 inches twice a week. This will result in blooming more Vines entering the next growth stage.

Flowering and Pollination

There are two flowers that grow here, the plant grows male and female flowers. When it comes to the male flower, it is important to pollinate and bring the pollination in the female flower. This is the fact that the male flower blooms first and then the female flower.

Some varieties of watermelons come here which contain male and hermaphrodite flowers. After the successful pollination, the fruit will be able to grow. Bees, wasps, and bumblebees are proven good pollinators. But you can also use a Q-tip for transferring pollen from male to female flowers.

Fruit Setting

When you observe a small bulge behind the female flower you gotta know that it’s a sign of fruit setting. It will start getting bigger after some time and will start appearing as a watermelon fruit. At this time you need to fertilize the soil but that should have a low nitrogen value.

It is necessary to make sure to water the perfectly which will influence the taste of the fruit. In case, you want sweeter but less watery then lesser up watering the plant at an inch per week.

Maturity and Harvesting

After a month, the plant gets mature. You need to keep an eye carefully on a fruit noticing ripeness and sweetness. If you want a sign of whether your fruit is sweet or not, then it’s a tip for you that your watermelon will be dark green and will produce a hollow sound.

When you find the yellow spot on the fruits this will be a sign of ripeness of your fruit. When the watermelon is webbing it indicates the fruit is sweet. These signs are not similar in all varieties so you have to search according to the variety of the watermelon you have planted.

Drying

This is the last stage. At this stage, the Vines will not produce any more fruits and start to dry. Drying out is the last watermelon stages. At this stage, you have to collect as many seeds as you can from fruits and dry them all. 

After the seeds get dry and hard you can plant them again when the spring season comes again and enjoy your sweet and juicy watermelon again.

Common pests and diseases: Watermelons

There are some pests and diseases that can disturb watermelon stages of growth.  Different varieties of plants are susceptible to different types of pests and diseases, and it is necessary to make yourself aware so you can keep a watchful eye and also take any preventative methods to keep your plants safe throughout their lifespan.

Pests

There are some common pests affecting watermelons. They include aphids, cabbage loopers, cutworms, and thrips. Aphids are soft-bodied insects that bring problems to lots of plants. They produce discoloration of the leaves, necrotic spots, and stunted growth.

Cabbage loopers will eat small and large holes in the leaves, and they oftentimes cause extensive cause. Cutworms will cause the stems of the seedlings or even young transplants to be served at the soil line. Preventative measures are to use reflective mulch and apply insecticides if necessary.

Diseases

There are some of the most common diseases affecting melons, specifically watermelons, include anthracnose, Alternaria leaf spot, gummy stem blight, and more. Anthracnose will cause small, dark spots on crown leaves after the vines begin to run. This disease can be seed-borne and it can affect all but the youngest leaves.

Treat seeds, practice crop rotation, and utilize the appropriate fungicides to prevent this disease. Alternaria leaf spot causes round or irregular lesions on older leaves. This disease prefers wet conditions, and it is a fungus. It can be controlled by practicing crop rotation, destroying all crop debris after harvest, and applying the appropriate fungicides. 

Conclusion

There are different watermelon growing stages, they differ from variety to variety and region to region. You can grow the best quality of watermelon in your home garden by following these steps. These steps will make you able to get the best quality of watermelon, but these steps differ and will depend upon the variety you are planting.

Bush early varieties icebox varieties and standard varieties of watermelon are the most popular varieties of watermelons. You have to take proper care of it and you have to wait for it patiently because it is time-taking. You also need to make sure what is your watermelon variety.

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