Watermelon Growing Stages is an annual filibuster plant containing branching tendrils. Amazingly, its vines and roots can spread up to 18.0 feet. According to USDA Zone, it grows best in temperatures about 65-84 Fahrenheit. Generally, a watermelon growing stages plant takes approximately 3 months to mellow fully.
Whereas some species can also take four months. Watermelon grows top in well-drained and sandy soil. Notably, by creating artificial humidity in early spring Northern farmers grow this plant by using black plastic compost.
In this article, we are going to give a brief guide to the growth stages of watermelon. The stage of growth of a watermelon plant starts with fertilization inception and after it escorts to the growth of leaves and vines.
This first stage takes almost 2 months. Further, the second month ends up with the bloom of flowers and pollination. Furthermore, this process ends up reaching maturity by setting up fruits. Undoubtedly, getting training about these stages can guide you best to track the progress of the plant.
9 Stages of Growth of Watermelon:
Below we have divided all growth procedures into 9 stages. Let’s have a brief examination of all these stages.
1. Planting:
A Watermelon Growing Stages can weigh up to 26 lbs but the broadening of a watermelon plant starts with a single seed that colors black and brown. The seed shapes like a tear-drop and its extensive range of size is a maximum of a half-inch long. Importantly, there is a range of varieties of Watermelon Growing seeds and it depends on the farmer’s choice to choose. The varieties include seed or seedless, yellow flesh, red flesh, flavor, size, and shape. Notably, for beginners, the season matters more than the genetics of this plant.
For instance, if you want to grow it in an area having a short summer season then you probably need to select an early-season sort. The reason behind this is that early-season watermelon plants take a maximum of 2.5 months to end up in the fruiting stage.
Famous Main-Season Sorts of Watermelon:
- Charleston Grey
- Honey Heart
- Crimson Sweet
- Black Diamond
Charleston Grey contains red flesh and weighs up to 25-35 lbs. Whereas the Honey heart carries the unique color of yellow flesh and weighs up to 8-10 lbs. Crimson sweet carries red flesh and weighs up to 15-25 lbs. Here, the biggest and most weighted type is the Black diamond which fruits in red flesh and tremendously weighs up to 30 to 50 lbs.
Notably, if you are going to take attempt to grow watermelon in a colder climate then first count the early Spring season and note the first day of the early colder day of Spring. Then the best days would come by counting back the four weeks because these are the days to seed this plant.
If you are planning to grow this plant in a climate having long summer days then there would be more flexibility in days to seed and make a planting schedule. Here you can select any sort of Watermelon Growing Stage because you can get time. Keep in mind the time and stages of growing this plant would be the same in any region.
Use well-drained soil and plant each seed with a 2 to 3 feet gap. Secondly, seed this raised loamy arrange of rows as it assists the soil to drain aptly while preserving the sun’s heat.
2. Germination:
The germination process begins to fight after seeding. Normally it takes 4-14 days for the seed to have absolute germination. Mainly, during germination, a tiny stem sprout is called the hypocotyl. This bud permits the plant to inception in the soul. And right after the seed embryo evolve radicles that in due course mature into the chief root.
Once the seed completed the germination process it started to assemble embryonic leaves termed cotyledons. Further, these two leaves break through the surface of the soil.
This period of sprouting and germination is unguarded of growth of watermelon seed growth. So, just look after the seedling from animals and cold climate. Importantly, moisture is the most crucial element during germination and so don’t do overwater during the seedling process.
3. Vegetative Growth:
After pullulating the seeding process, plant growth expedites. Within 4 to 10 days 4 to 5 leaves will put back the embryonic leaves and this stage is termed the first stow of true leaves.
These leaves have a vegetative growth sort of resemblance to mature leaves of watermelon plants. They put forward an expanded surface area and lead the plant to the photosynthesis process.
Knowingly, photosynthesis is a process that provides energy to plants through sunlight and adds up fuel for additive growth. It works as the plant needs to grow and perform more photosynthesis.
Similarly, the leafage becomes sturdier and longer within a time period of two weeks. Also during this time, the plant produces its main vine.
Further, when the vine becomes a foot long, auxiliary foliage started to grow and germinate alongside the vine.
Next, the dark green leaves vegetate beside the vine each 3-5 inches. Serrated fleece covers both vine and leaves.
4. Branching:
Approximately after one month of seeding the watermelon, the new vines will grow from the chief vine. Usually, it depends on the variety of seeds. The main vine will grow up to 10 to 12 feet long.
Notably, more branches of plants let it produce multiple fruits as each branch grows a single waterman. Normally, one plant contains 3 to 5 branching vines. Unconditionally, if your plant started vigorous growth then just cut down the excessive and weak branches because these excessive branches will require more water and nutrition.
In the case of this plant, the thinner branches let it do more growth and fruit. Mainly, the branching stage takes only a month to absolute.
5. Pollination and Flower Production:
Watermelon Growing Stages assemble both male and female flowers. The reclusive yellow flower computes approximately 1 to 3 inches broad with 3 to 4 petals.
Usually, the male flower fattens first throughout the branching stage. The female flower got the configuration at the tip of the nubile vine branch. Whereas the male flower holds an anther engulfed in pollen. Here the female flower contains a stigma. The pollination process happens when the pollens of male flowers contract the ova of female flowers. During this watermelon growth cycle, flowers permit the plant to pollinate and the male flower perishes after about a day.
Most importantly, watermelons can not pollinate by themselves and so they need encouragement from pollinators such as insects, bees, and also humans.
Once the pollination process got successful, it started growing a mottled fruit within some coming days. The female flower starts to fall off eventually as of the fruit-growing stage.
This Watermelon Growing Stages cycle is the most stirring stage. The mottled fruit become a full-sized fruit within a month.
6. Setting Fruit:
In the stage of watermelon, after pollination, a petite bump begins to semblance beyond the female flower. Further, this fruit will steadily bulge over the previous tenure of the month into a fruit.
Technically. we can resemble it with the berry. The gourd is even more authentic. It contains a robust outer skin termed rind and has watery flesh. The diversification of watermelon collision of size, shape, flesh color, flavor, rind, thickness, and taste of the fruit.
Likewise, if your watermelon fruit is not getting bigger then variety may be one of the reasons behind it. Also, a sugar baby watermelon carries a bulbous shape and has a dark green zest, and has no vegetation. Similarly, a crimson-sweet watermelon plant contains a more elliptical shape with yellow and light green strips on its outer skin.
Heterogeneity also impacts the time that a watermelon usually takes for its maturity. It’s a fact that smaller sort matures more quickly than immense varieties. Notably, when the fruit matures, you can see the seeds in its flesh.
7. Harvesting:
This plant meets its maturity approximately a month after inceptive fruiting. However, the command timeline will extend depending on the variation of the watermelon as well as the weather.
You can check it by tapping at the end of fatten season to regulate ripeness. Also, ripe watermelons will fabricate the hollow sound. There are some visual clues on which you can rely. Such as the area where the crop connects to the ground gonna have yellowed ripened watermelon. The cirrus on the vine may be likewise turned brown.
Finally, when the fruit fully gets matured, now it’s time for harvesting melon. Here use a tiny pair of shears to notch the fruit putrid from the vine.
8. Drying:
Right after harvesting the fruit, the vine of watermelon start parching. It’s a sad reality that this is a seasonal plant that leads it to die after seasoning. But it’s not an unfortunate fact because of the variety you have selected you may be prepared to assemble mature seeds.
Just let these seeds get dry and after getting dried just keep them safe for next spring and prepare yourself for the early stage to mature stage of watermelon.
Tips for All Watermelon Growing Stages:
Germination:
It is recommended that evade the seeds prior to planting because this procedure enforces the seeds to sprout outside the soil. Secondly, ensure the viable sort of seeds to use.
Watering:
It’s the basic need for watermelon that relies on the stage of growth. Water is a pivotal element for germination. Therefore, water the plant properly after planting. Also, in the vegetative and flowering stage plant do not require to be fully soaked in water and it needs consistent watering but require moist soil. Moreover, for best flavor fruit lesser quantity of water in the last month of fruiting.
Sprouting:
Undoubtedly, wider watermelon plants are poor transporters. Secondly, once the plant carries organized stow of true leaves, relocate them outside.
Pollination:
As watermelon can not carry the trait of self-pollination if your lawn does not anchor many pollinators then it may be required to fertilize the flowers by yourself. For this, you need a cotton swab to transfer the male pollen to the female flower stigma.
Vegetative Growth:
The watermelon plant evolves supplementary herbage and prunes dead and yellow leaves from the leading vine. Additionally, you can also detach leggy and weak side vines. As a result, this clipping assists the plant to conserve energy.
Growing Conditions:
The selection of region plays a vital role in farming Watermelon Growing Stages because this plant grows the finest in temperatures between 65 to 95 Farhenit. The soil’s pH should be in the middle of 6.0 to 6.5 to get supreme results.
Seedless Watermelon:
Majorly, seedless watermelons sort in a sterile hybrid. It would be best if you plant seedless watermelons along with regular watermelons for implantation.
Setting Fruit:
These plants comfort with well-balanced compost while they develop vegetative growth. Remember once the crop begins to fatten, shift to a low-nitrogen manure.