
Growing Watermelon in Zone 5
I live in zone 5 and have tried growing watermelons but they never seem to grow full size or ripen. I would love to know how early to plant and what all it needs to make a great tasting juicy watermelon.
Watermelons grow best in areas with long warm summers. Northern gardeners need to select one of the short season watermelons. These can be started from seed in the garden in early June and are ready for harvest in as little as 65 days. Sugar Baby, Golden Crown, Yellow Baby and Yellow Doll are a few of the shorter season melons you may want to try. Cover plantings with ReeMay, Harvest Guard or one of the other floating row covers. These trap the warmth around the plants while letting light and water through. This helps speed up germination, growth, and development. Remove the covering once the flowers form so the bees can get busy pollinating. A little warm weather combined with these tips should give you a tasty harvest.
Related
Categories
Upcoming Webinars & Appearances
Feb. 8, 2023
WEBINAR:
Indoor Container Garden Design & Display Ideas
Register now
Feb. 10-12, 2023
PBS Wisconsin
Garden & Landscape EXPO
Madison, Wisconsin
Feb. 15, 2023
WEBINAR:
10 Tips for Growing Better Dahlias!
Register now
Feb. 17-19, 2023
NARI Milwaukee Spring Home Improvement Show
West Allis, Wisconsin
Feb. 22, 2023
WEBINAR:
Grow Beautiful Water Gardens
Register now
March 1, 2023
WEBINAR:
How and When to Prune Shrubs
Register now
March 4, 2023
Milwaukee Public Libraries
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
March 8, 2023
WEBINAR:
Grow Your Own Flowers for Bouquets
Register Now
March 11, 2023
Home, Lawn & Garden Day
Bloomington, Illinois
Watch Melinda's past webinars ON DEMAND
Learn More