question about watermelons!!!!

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noobiegardener Glen Burnie, MD(Zone 7a) Jul 31, 2005

OK...so the watermelon vines are crawling up the rabbit fencing, despite my repeated efforts to train them along the ground. I have several melons that are growing quite nicely and they are hanging from the fencing... maybe about a two feet off of the ground. My neighbor says the vines will stretch to the ground. Is this true or do I need to gently remove their little "grabbers" (I don't know the term for the little tentacles that they use to grab onto things) and place them on the ground. They are getting bigger and bigger by the day and I don't want them to fall from the vine when they get big and heavy.

Thanks in advance!

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TamaraFaye Fritch, TX(Zone 6b) Aug 01, 2005

get some pantyhose, slide them in, tie to fence :-)

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Aug 01, 2005

Noobie, It depends somewhat on the cultivar. Watermelons will not fall off the vine, but a standard watermelon ( 25-40 lbs) may very well break the vine. I t is not easy to tie them in slings and rabbit fencing would collapse under thier weight. On the other hand, the cantaloupe size, personal type cultivars can be supported by slings. A Sugar Baby or smaller type.

If you are growing standards, the easiest route is to snip of the tendrils attached to fence and allow the yound melon to be within 6 or 8 inches from the ground. That way , when they attain weight, they rest on the ground.

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TamaraFaye Fritch, TX(Zone 6b) Aug 01, 2005

ooops missed the part on rabbit fencing & size of melon =-}

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