Pinch out the main growing point to two or three buds, to encourage sideshoots to develop. Add a plant support, such as a bamboo cane, and water well. As the plants establish, keep tying the long main stem to a plant support. Make sure the compost is kept moist at all times, which will mean checking the plants every day. Start to add a liquid feed once a week to encourage strong growth. To prevent the plant from becoming too crowded, pinch out sideshoots after three or four leaves, on a weekly basis.
Melons produce both male and female flowers. The female flower has a fruit developing behind the bloom whereas the male flower has a thin stalk. Insects normally pollinate the flowers, but in a greenhouse, you may need to hand-pollinate them.
First identify the female and male flowers, looking for the fruit behind the female and the thin stalk behind the male. Choose a warm, sunny day when the flowers are fully open. Melon varieties There are three main types of melons: Cantaloupe: ribbed, rough fruit, orange-coloured flesh, which are most likely to do well in cool climates. Good varieties: Charentais, Edonis, Ogen, Sweetheart. Honeydew: firm yellow flesh, which keep well.
Good variety: Magenta. Musk: yellow or green-netted skin, green to orange-coloured flesh, which are only worthwhile growing in a greenhouse or similar. Good varieties: Blenheim Orange, Early Dawn. Related products. Find a store. Buy now. Related articles. You need a large container but if it is large enough watermelons grow well in pots.
The heavy fruits are difficult to support so it is best to leave them sprawling on the ground or around the container you are growing in. Choose a sheltered spot which gets lots of sunshine. Dig in lots of good compost and organic matter to prepare the soil. Sow your watermelon seeds in pots in early May the earlier the better if you have space for the growing plants.
The seedlings should emerge in days. Move to a sunny windowsill to give them as much light as you can as soon as they emerge. You will not be able to transfer them outside until the ground is warm and all chance of frost has passed. If the temperatures are low one of those summers!
Or if they are in the ground then you can put them under a cloche, or wrap them in a fleece blanket to give them the conditions they love. As summer progresses you should see the fruit start to appear and swell. They prefer a high humidity. If you have to plant them outside, try planting into your compost heap — the heat off the composting material will benefit the plant and encourage the fruits to ripen. Otherwise, plant outside in a sunny, sheltered position. Protect the plants and ripening fruit with horticultural fleece or a cloche.
Retain the strongest seedling and pot on as required, although never move into an overly large pot. Ensure the final planting position is in a rich, fertile moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Melon are greedy plants so add organic matter and some general purpose fertiliser to the planting hole.
Pinch out the plants after the fifth leaf to encourage side shoots.
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