Posted: 6/15/2013 6:54:15 PM EDT
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Wife started an above ground "Square Foot" garden. Things seem to be doing pretty good. She has a couple varieties of tomatos, lettuce, cantelope, honeydew and some watermelon. We dont have many bees this year so she had to get a small brush to pollinate the cantalope and honeydew. They now have some tiny melons starting to come out.
The watermelon, however, are a different story. The plants are doing fine and growing tall, (she has them on a trellis), but she says that each time it looks like they are going to flower that the flowers end up turning brown and dying off. The plants look healthy otherwise. She did say that she thinks she may have set this bed up where it is not getting enough sunlight, only about 4-5 hours of direct sunlight per day. The other times it is partially shaded by our next door neighbors tree. All other plants are healthy and doing fine. EDIT: My question is, does anyone have an idea on why the watermelon is doing that? 
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I went through growing pains with my SFG;
I grow potatoes, corn, watermelon, canteloupe, and most squash (like zuchs) in the ground now, instead of a raised bed. I am not sure if it is because they are heavy feeders or what, I just have more luck this way. I do know the the SFG boxes do get a LOT warmer then the surrounding natural soil, and really hold that heat (my boxes are white, that may be part of the reason), and they also hold the moisture. I think I could leave a watermelon plant in direct sun 24/7 and all it would do is expand; maybe the conditions are just a little off for your plant. Maybe try a tester in a different area of the garden that gets more light? HTH |