Companion for watermelon - General Gardening - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

dubwise · 03-24-2009, 02:34 AM

Has anyone ever had any luck with watermelon (sugar baby) and if so, did the plant a companion with it?
I've recently built a raised bed (6'x3'x24") and have some nice soil on board, I'd heard that corn was a good one, but I don't want corn in that spot...just curious.

Mr. Stinky · 03-24-2009, 01:42 PM

the best companion for watermelon is "none". watermelons like all the sun, soil, nutrients, and space they can get. any additional plants near them will decrease the crop to a certain degree. also, other taller plants will block air movement, and shade the leaves, keeping them moist longer in the day. this worsens the defences from powdery mildew and other problems. ive done the "3 sisters" thing using watermelons, with shaky results. i got 1/2 sized melons with noticably less sugar than the ones grown in full sun just 30 feet away.

id suggest keeping the watermelon patch just that. pile the horse manure as thick as you can, along with lots of dolo lime, and water every other day heavily. spray with 25% milk solution weekly for killing mildew, feeding benefitial critters, and foliar feeding the plants.

good luck

dubwise · 03-24-2009, 05:35 PM

Thanks Mr. Stinky! I will take your advice. I've got plenty of horse manure and will pick up some lime today. My babies are almost ready to go into the planter..I've got them started inside and they should be good to go by good friday. Do you think 8 plants is too many plants for the space given (6'x3')?
Thanks again!

Mr. Stinky · 03-25-2009, 01:55 PM

as long as they are allowed to sprawl way out over their bountaries. sounds good :smile:

dubwise · 03-26-2009, 03:10 AM

Good deal. Thanks again Mr. Stinky!

nephilthim · 04-09-2009, 09:28 AM

they are just vines so pole beans and cucmbers will be just fine intermingling i had so many watemelon last year Igave them away had cucumber going until
december ..drat i so wanted them to be perennials not annuals watermelones require a lot of space,but if youd ont minding moving things around cucmbers,and pole beans which work well around corn also

dubwise · 04-10-2009, 02:53 AM

nephilthim-i've got 3 watermelons (eventually will have 6) in a raised bed....cucumbers in a seperate raised bed. I'm a little upset, we had our last cold snap this week and my cucumbers look like crap. Hopefully they will recover.

nephilthim · 04-10-2009, 06:50 AM

yea don't let em freeze try to cover them and run a small lamp or heaterthe vines will run all over the place if healthy just clear a path for them;so the cucmber vines will just run off of your raised beds and spread out so not to worry as other crops get established the vines wil run into and around them. i was moving the watermelons around so they wouldn't sit in dirt same place.watermelons don't like an excess of water the melons will rot if left in standing water.
i almost have all the soil turned if anyone has dealt with kukuiyu grass they would agree on y it's top ten invasive plant.on a lighter note filled our 55 gallon waste cans with around 500 lbs of unwanted kukuiyu infected soil which the trash man didn't take.so my roomy ( female) argued with me about reprimanding dog for his spot training,and leashing him up.basically she wants some xanadu anthropomorphic bullshit about dog being equal to the tune of roam free. while i want order and obedience well karma kids she tried to move 500 lb trash can today it fell on top of her severely spraining her ankle .to which a hoard of erstwhile negihboring bored dilbertesque office workers ran out of their cubicles and into the light to aid her from being immolated by earth.
now being the compassionate fellow I am i disregarded her you can move if you don't like it comment earlier in the day;since we just seem to disagree about her lack of adherance to any modicum of dog whisper skills .now having been informed by her brain damged sister(another story) that m had broken her ankle trying to move garbge can.well all i can say is irony when the guy you told to move out picks you up (shes a 120 pounds i'm 280 )off the ground wounded,throws you over his shoulder and walks 120 yards back home.ah nothing like a healthy bowl of humble crow pie for you to dine on especially since I will be a gentleman and take care of appointments and other crap she is unable to do now.

Kryptonite · 04-10-2009, 08:31 PM

Without knowing the pH of your soil I would recommend against liming it. If your soil is already nuetral or alkaline you can raise the pH beyond acceptable limits for the plant to properly absorb nutrients. Watermelon will tolerate a pH between 5.0 to 6.8. Growth is actually best in a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8.
For best results, once the fruit begin to develope, back off on the Nitrogen and increase the potassium using sulfate of potash or equivilent.

dubwise · 04-11-2009, 03:55 AM

kryp-I'm going to be getting a meter for the soil real soon. I had to use my gardening funds on new containers and screen today. thanks for the info.

03-24-2009, 02:34 AM	#1
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	Companion for watermelon Has anyone ever had any luck with watermelon (sugar baby) and if so, did the plant a companion with it? I've recently built a raised bed (6'x3'x24") and have some nice soil on board, I'd heard that corn was a good one, but I don't want corn in that spot...just curious.
	Quote

03-24-2009, 01:42 PM	#2
Mr. Stinky Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 591	the best companion for watermelon is "none". watermelons like all the sun, soil, nutrients, and space they can get. any additional plants near them will decrease the crop to a certain degree. also, other taller plants will block air movement, and shade the leaves, keeping them moist longer in the day. this worsens the defences from powdery mildew and other problems. ive done the "3 sisters" thing using watermelons, with shaky results. i got 1/2 sized melons with noticably less sugar than the ones grown in full sun just 30 feet away. id suggest keeping the watermelon patch just that. pile the horse manure as thick as you can, along with lots of dolo lime, and water every other day heavily. spray with 25% milk solution weekly for killing mildew, feeding benefitial critters, and foliar feeding the plants. good luck
	Quote

03-24-2009, 05:35 PM	#3
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	Thanks Mr. Stinky! I will take your advice. I've got plenty of horse manure and will pick up some lime today. My babies are almost ready to go into the planter..I've got them started inside and they should be good to go by good friday. Do you think 8 plants is too many plants for the space given (6'x3')? Thanks again!
	Quote

03-25-2009, 01:55 PM	#4
Mr. Stinky Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 591	as long as they are allowed to sprawl way out over their bountaries. sounds good :smile:
	Quote

03-26-2009, 03:10 AM	#5
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	Good deal. Thanks again Mr. Stinky!
	Quote

04-09-2009, 09:28 AM	#6
nephilthim Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 491	they are just vines so pole beans and cucmbers will be just fine intermingling i had so many watemelon last year Igave them away had cucumber going until december ..drat i so wanted them to be perennials not annuals watermelones require a lot of space,but if youd ont minding moving things around cucmbers,and pole beans which work well around corn also
	Quote

04-10-2009, 02:53 AM	#7
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	nephilthim-i've got 3 watermelons (eventually will have 6) in a raised bed....cucumbers in a seperate raised bed. I'm a little upset, we had our last cold snap this week and my cucumbers look like crap. Hopefully they will recover.
	Quote

04-10-2009, 06:50 AM	#8
nephilthim Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 491	yea don't let em freeze try to cover them and run a small lamp or heaterthe vines will run all over the place if healthy just clear a path for them;so the cucmber vines will just run off of your raised beds and spread out so not to worry as other crops get established the vines wil run into and around them. i was moving the watermelons around so they wouldn't sit in dirt same place.watermelons don't like an excess of water the melons will rot if left in standing water. i almost have all the soil turned if anyone has dealt with kukuiyu grass they would agree on y it's top ten invasive plant.on a lighter note filled our 55 gallon waste cans with around 500 lbs of unwanted kukuiyu infected soil which the trash man didn't take.so my roomy ( female) argued with me about reprimanding dog for his spot training,and leashing him up.basically she wants some xanadu anthropomorphic bullshit about dog being equal to the tune of roam free. while i want order and obedience well karma kids she tried to move 500 lb trash can today it fell on top of her severely spraining her ankle .to which a hoard of erstwhile negihboring bored dilbertesque office workers ran out of their cubicles and into the light to aid her from being immolated by earth. now being the compassionate fellow I am i disregarded her you can move if you don't like it comment earlier in the day;since we just seem to disagree about her lack of adherance to any modicum of dog whisper skills .now having been informed by her brain damged sister(another story) that m had broken her ankle trying to move garbge can.well all i can say is irony when the guy you told to move out picks you up (shes a 120 pounds i'm 280 )off the ground wounded,throws you over his shoulder and walks 120 yards back home.ah nothing like a healthy bowl of humble crow pie for you to dine on especially since I will be a gentleman and take care of appointments and other crap she is unable to do now.
	Quote

04-10-2009, 08:31 PM	#9
Kryptonite Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: OverGrow database Posts: 77	Without knowing the pH of your soil I would recommend against liming it. If your soil is already nuetral or alkaline you can raise the pH beyond acceptable limits for the plant to properly absorb nutrients. Watermelon will tolerate a pH between 5.0 to 6.8. Growth is actually best in a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8. For best results, once the fruit begin to develope, back off on the Nitrogen and increase the potassium using sulfate of potash or equivilent. __________________ " What Virtue has United Death can Not Seperate."
	Quote

04-11-2009, 03:55 AM	#10
dubwise in the thick of it Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: deep dark jungle Posts: 3,002	kryp-I'm going to be getting a meter for the soil real soon. I had to use my gardening funds on new containers and screen today. thanks for the info.
	Quote