Question on when to start watermelon?

I am making an all out effort to grow watermelon and cantaloupes this year but must start seed indoors in peat pots so as not to disturb the roots. I know the melons like heat and take 90 days from seed.
Questions:
1) Does 90 days mean to grow and harvest melon from the time I planted the seed?
2) I heard to mix some bone meal in my earthboxes potting mix?
3) I am in zone 10a about five miles north of the Miami line and 10 miles west of the ocean. Should I start my seed now as 90 days would bring me to the end of June while July, August and September would be our warmest months and I understand melons like heat?

Plant I start mine here around April 15, and start picking around July 4. Most years, If we have a cool wet spring like last year, they are later ripening. I have planted as early as April 1, but It still stakes to July to get melons, and the later planted melons are usually larger and more uniform so I quit trying to rush the season. They time themselves by the soil temperature so the 90 days is a ballpark figure at best. The only thing that it really tells you is that an 80 day melon will usually be ripe before a 90 day melon. There are some back yard gardeners in the area, that try to beat the season by buying plants or starting plants. Don't know any that were successfull. You will have to experiment to find the proper planting time for your area. But if I were in your shoes, I would look at two things. 1. ground temps, the soil should feel slightly warm when you put the seeds in. 2. Knowing that I plant in the ground around the middle of April, It would seem appropriate for you to plant around the middle of March. Earth boxes may warm up even faster than soil.

TPlant

I started a bunch of melons inside and i kinda wish I hadn't. They got real lengthy real fast. I put them in the ground yesterdaysurrounded by hay and under a ground cover. I think the bad frost killed off most of them.

I still have some sugar baby melons that seem to have that short squat build that melon plants usually do. I'll plant them in a week or too and start some from seeds as well.

What are you growing?

BB

1) Does 90 days mean to grow and harvest melon from the time I planted the seed?

Nope. It means from setting out date (transplanting) or if you are sowing insitu then from date of declaration. (Even then, many folks will consider the "9 day factor", so will add those days on.)

2) If you're feeding a balance fertilizer I wouldn't think you would need to add bone meal. You should be getting what phosphorus you need from the fertilizer.

3)" ......Should I start my seed now as 90 days would bring me to the end of June while July, August and September would be our warmest months and I un
derstand melons like heat?"

Not sure I understand that question. But, yes, melons require heat. Are you wanting them to mature by end of June? Or grow on into July/August/September and you're using those months as your preferred ninety days?

Sounds to me like you could do two crops of melons, Tplant. Guess you could give it a try anyway. My only worry would be the extreme heat (august/Sept) which might contribute to making the pollen non-viable. Sorry, just not up on the growing conditions for hot-hot Fla!

Think you could call the EB folks, see what they recommend? Being in mid-state Fla I bet they could give you good advice.

Happy Growing!
Shoe.

Thanks All. Shoe the EB people aren't very reliable for info as I am deep south and they are central where it does get cold and I'd rather get info from people like you that have experience. I'll start my seed today.

Okay dokey...will be waiting for your watermelon report! You gonna grow the big ones, or the ice box type?

Georgia Rattlesnake and ice box. Got involved today and forgot to plant seed!

Yummy! I've grown the rattlesnake before...and the ice box I've grown as been the standard "Sugar Baby", very delish!

I grew Sugar Baby last year. That was my first attempt but I must have given them to much water or something as they were beautiful but bland. This year I will cut back the watering in the last couple of weeks.

I can use any type of fertilizer in my EBs. Is 10-10-10 OK???

yep. they like about the same fertility as tomatoes. Too much nitrogen and you get all vines. Extremes in nitrogen will delay ripening and give white hearts which are virtually inedible.