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Soil, Planting, and Care
Watermelons need a lot of room. To accommodate the long vines that like to run, space transplants at least 6 feet apart in rows that are also 6 feet apart. Because watermelons are tropical plants very sensitive to cold, do not plant until at least two weeks after the last frost.
Fertilize the soil according to soil test results. In lieu of a soil test, use 2 cups of 10-10-10 per 100 square feet. If you are an organic gardener, work composted manure, blood meal, or cottonseed meal into the soil; or use organic bagged fertilizer at the rate recommended on the label.
Obviously, watermelons need plenty of water to grow. Drip irrigation is ideal because it supplies water steadily without getting the leaves wet. Water on foliage increases the risk of disease, which will ruin the crop. In fact, sweetness is a direct result of how healthy the leaves are so that they can manufacture sugar for the fruit.
Harvest and Storage
Watermelons need at least 3 to 4 months of steady heat. If harvested early, they will not taste as sweet. Individual melons will easily break from their stems when ripe. Sweetness does not increase once the melon is picked. Melons must be harvested ripe. To make a melon sweeter, avoid watering a week before harvest in order to help concentrate the sugars.
Troubleshooting
The most important thing to remember about watermelon is that its source of sweetness comes from photosynthesis, or the ability of the leaves to make sugars. So avoid shade, and watch for any diseases or insects that can damage the foliage.