Watermelon?

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Bob Gillespie - 27 Sep 2008 18:13 GMT

Hi,
Live in northeast Florida and basically have sand for my soil. Put down
several bags of compost to form a hill, planted watermelon seed, and
expected with fertilizer to reap a bountiful harvest. Getting a few
watermelons but some of them seem to develop rot from laying on the sand and
the scrap grass. Should I have put down some weed inhibiting layer before
the watermelons started to grow and keep them on the material after they
sprouted?
Bob

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Pat Kiewicz - 28 Sep 2008 12:50 GMT

Bob Gillespie said:

>Hi,
>Live in northeast Florida and basically have sand for my soil. Put down
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>the watermelons started to grow and keep them on the material after they
>sprouted?

Probably you should have mulched and weeded. You might also consider
slipping something under the watermelons when they first form. I used to
use a floor tile. Anything that will prevent ground contact and let the area
under the fruit drain would work.

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Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

After enlightenment, the laundry.

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Bob Gillespie - 30 Sep 2008 20:09 GMT

Thanks for the tile advise. Will do much better next year. I've put some
small seed starter trays under the few watermelons that still look OK.

Bob

> Hi,
> Live in northeast Florida and basically have sand for my soil. Put down
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> they sprouted?
> Bob

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Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / September 2008

Watermelon?