Watermelons Where to plant

[novatech]

I understand rotational planting. I have noticed that commercial melon people will only plant a plot for 2 years on the same spot never to return. Anybody know why? Is a home garden the same or can I just rotate like normal?

 

[farmwriter]

The best place to put watermelons is on somebody else's place!!!
When I was pretty small and my folks were out of the cow business for a while, a guy rented some pasture land from us to plant some crops - one of which was watermelons. The mound preparation made that pasture rough as a cob. Years of disking and plowing and dragging, etc, and it's still likely your butt's gonna leave the seat when you ride out there.
Watermelons are also a little tricky, as I understand it. Fine line between too much and too little when it comes to both water and fertilizer. At least that's what I've gathered from the farmers market growers. We had a lady whose husband passed last year and she tried to finish what he had planted. Very little of it was salvagable in the end.

 

[LaneFarms]

You rotate watermelons because most diseases are soil borne. Around here people try to wait five or six years between plantings, after a single crop.

 

[LoveMoo11]

Crop rotation is a good idea no matter what you are planting. It allows the soil to replenish nutrients, prevents the spread of disease, and can reduce insect problems. Rotation can get pretty complicated, you can do it by plant family, by nutrient requirements, anatomical structure (root veg vs. leaf veg vs. fruit veg). I am more of an animal person than a plant person but I have had to take crop classes in school and one of my textbooks has some sample rotation plans in it. One sample suggests planting a cucurbit (which would include watermelon) following corn and followed by a crucifer like broccoli or cabbage. Another suggests planting an early lettuce crop then transplanting in watermelon plants later in the season. Watermelon also usually grows well following beans. I don't really know of anything that has an allelopathic effect on watermelon so it should be ok following pretty much anything. Just make sure the soil is relatively fertile-they like manure! good luck... it will be months before I can even think about starting watermelon plants.

Sorry I just wrote all that and went back and looked and saw that you wrote that you understand rotational planting...sorry

 

[novatech]

My garden is about 1 1/2 acres. A lease pasture is part of an estate and came with the use of a small farmal tractor with all the implements. I plant 1/2 the garden in melons and the other half in veggies. (All the produce is shared with employees if they help. I give away the rest to customers.) I rotate just swapping ends. I was just wondering if there was something that melons did to the soil which would not allow for planting in the years to come.

 

[1982vett]

Planting Location
Watermelons grow best on a deep sandy loam soil high in organic matter, well drained and slightly acidic. Sandy loam soils are preferred for growing watermelons because sandy soils generally warm faster in the spring, are easier to plant and cultivate and allow deep root penetration (watermelon is one of the deepest rooted of all vegetables). When planted on very heavy soils, the plants develop slowly, and fruit size and quality are usually inferior. Yields on clay soils can be increased significantly by mulching with black plastic film to conserve moisture. Fine sands produce the highest quality melons when adequate fertilizer and water are provided. Wind breaks of wheat or rye are advisable on sandy soils to reduce "sand blast" damage and stunting to young seedlings during spring winds. To reduce the risk of diseases, do not plant on land where vine crops have grown during the past four years. Avoid low, damp areas or pockets where cool air may collect. Soil pH can vary from 5.5 to 8. Don't be concerned with adjusting soil pH unless it is below 5.8.
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publica ... A-6012.pdf

Although it is and Arkansas publication....

I was always under the assumption that watermelon was "hard" on the soil. Considering the sugar sand they were grown in around here is usually not very fertile. Diseases are probably another very good reason to grow only a season or two before "resting" the plot.

 

[novatech]

I didn't know they were that deep rooted. That does explain why I had such a good crop last summer even though we were in drought. I never watered them. The sandy loam is from 4 to 6 feet deep. There is a layer of hard-pan at the bottom where the water seems to stop. I guess that is where they get the water to make it.
The disease problem makes scents.