growing water melons in NE England

[4390evans]

Has anyone ever had success growing water melons in the north?
I've got one in atm I think its a tiger melon (red inside, green outside) its just breaking through as a seedling atm so Im wondering what should I do?

Is there anything special I should put in the ground before the melon seedling when its ready?

thanks guys

[alifrew]

I'm in the north west and I'm trying melons this year. I'm just going it keep it in the greenhouse and hope for the best. I'm guessing outside will be too cold. No idea about growing mediums. I've just got mine in compost. Good luck


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[swaine]

im from Crewe Cheshire, just 1 you could be called successful growing watermelons I think it was 2005 or 2006 a real warm year from early
I grew out

sweet Siberian (red fleshed)
cream of Saskatoon, (cream/yellow flesh)
yellow moon and stars (yellow flesh)
cream fleshed suika (I think it was named) white/cream flesh)
a seed grown from a safeway bought watermelon,

and a few others I forget names of,
I started them early in a heated green house, maybe jan/feb, then into a warm polytunnel grown simply in grow bags

best wishes Stew

[4390evans]

I think it was on beechgrove garden last week it showed you raised beds made with heat underneath coming from soiled straw from herbivores stuff like that. Ill have to try and find the link for other people on her in case someone wants to try it. I dont think I have the time in the next month to build one but maybe a thought for next year.

[Kristen]

I dont think I have the time in the next month to build one but maybe a thought for next year.

probably needs to be earlier in the year too - for maximum benefit? Soil warming up now, without any extra help from "from herbivores stuff"

Looks [on Beechgrove] like quite quite lot of work too - membrane layers, several different materials not readily available. Might be quite expensive to do.

Last year I think they did one just with manure, and a clear plastic sheet over the top, and got a few degrees extra. Seeds sown in two such beds, one without manure-heat as a control, were markedly more advanced in the Hot Bed.