Hi!
Share your gardening observations and your growing season. So many varieties in the GTS mix with different colors and shapes. Sweet flavors have been experienced with good seed production from the grow outs. Research and search for varieties to add to your growing season. Directly plant seeds into the garden or start them in trays as they will grow both ways. Grow out the watermelon and save some seeds for the next season.
I’m trying going to seed watermelon again. Last year I think I didn’t thin out the seedlings enough and they made mini stunted watermelons. One pink fleshed one was one of the best tasting watermelons of my entire life. I saved seeds from it but they got all mixed into my seed jar. This year I spread them out in a row. I direct seeded what looked like two of the same looking seed under each dollar store wastebasket pinned down with garden staples. I’ll thin each planting to one plant. Since each double planting is a different looking pair of seeds, hopefully I’ve planted lots of diverse watermelons and hopefully that pink fleshed one is part of them. They have started sprouting and germination looks strong. I planted a few saved seeds and lots from this year’s going to seed mix.
Hoping you get pink fleshed melons again, they do taste really good and so do the orange or salmon fleshed types. The GTS mix is very diverse and so it’s always interesting too see what grows in your garden. We should always choose for flavor and really watch for those as they grow. Still getting seed each season is important too even if the fruits are small. Nice garden!
This is my first time growing watermelon so I have no idea what the leaves normally look like… When observing this plant the leaves are all curled up which indicates stress to me, either lack of water or inconsistent weather perhaps? I have a fairly light green/yellowing leafed tomato plant next to it so i guess it could be a nitrogen deficiency, I was just hoping someone with a little more experience might be able to share a more educated guess!
My first thoughts would be lack of water because the leaves are still good and green in color. Can you dig down close by into the soil without disturbing the roots to see if the soil has any moisture? What do you the growing tips of the vine look like?
The soil keeps pretty moist! I put down a layer of woodchips then horse manure on top last fall for it to decompose until planting in the spring. Underneath that is untilled clay soil. Even though it keeps moist, I watered a couple days ago to see if that would help the leaves uncurl but it remains the same! Still got lil melons starting, so the tips aren’t dried up enough for lack of fruit production. I notice yellowing at the tips of most leaves though, including new growth. Weather has been all over the place this year, as generally we would have consistent heat and drought conditions in July but there have been many cloudy rainy days this month. I have noooo knowledge whatsoever in regards to melons but I’m happy to see lil fruit nubs starting. Hoping that whatever it is doesn’t intervene with me having juicy fresh watermelon in a couple months!!
Sounds like soil moisture is okay. You are on track thinking it’s a nutrient issue since the leaves are yellowing. Keep an eye on the little fruits for any color changes too. Have you observed any insects on your plants?
No bugs! I’ll try a lil fertilizer boost and see if that changes anything. Thanks for helping to narrow it down 
