Watermelon

When to plant/sow in zone:

Requirements: Plenty of sun; room to spread or a trellis to train them onto

Soil: Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.

How to start: SEED: Sow direct in the ground (best) or in punnets into seed-raising mix. Sow two seeds per hole 25mm deep, 70cm apart, in rows 1m apart. Keep moist. Germinates in 10-15 days. Alternatively, sow two seeds per 15-20cm high mound of compost-enriched soil. SEEDLING: Plant in the ground when seedlings are 5-10cm+ tall. Remove the weaker seedling from each grouping. Space them 70cm apart, in rows 1m apart. Water in and mulch with straw. NOTE: Watermelons can be trained up and over a trellis.

How to grow: Keep moist and mulch with straw. Reduce watering when fruits start growing. Apply seaweed solution or liquid fertiliser fortnightly. Apply organic fertiliser pellets montlhy. When 3-4 fruits are growing snip off the end of the vine to allow the plant to direct its energy into the fruit. Watermelon can be trained over a trellis or allowed to scramble over the ground. Place straw under developing fruit.

When to harvest: Harvest from 12-14 weeks. Identify if fruit is ripe by checking the underside, which should be cream or yellow. When tapped, ripe fruit makes a hollow sound. Also check the tiny tendril near the fruit. When this is brown and dried up, the watermelon is usually ready to eat.

Troubleshooting: Aphids; powdery mildew; rats and possums