First time gardener here. I planted some watermelons about 1' apart as per directions. In three short weeks, the vines had grown to nearly 3'. There were taking over my cantaloupes and heading for my beans and other things. I moved them yesterday and now they are all pouting. :cry: Is all hope lost? (yes, they got lots of H2O yesterday)
Maybe. If they were blooming, it might be a good idea to dig them up. Same rule generally applies to all fruits, trees and veggies. Hold off on watering them, too for a day. They might be getting TOO much water.
That's how mine are too - just itty bitty ones. I hope they recover. If not, there's always next year.
Careful with the watering. I always water my garden every other day after first planting. Then, I basically leave it alone unless there's no rain for a week or so. Wilting is a plant's self-defense mechanism. If a plant wilts in the heat of the day, it's preserving itself. Don't water unless the plant is still wilted the following morning. Overwatering any outdoor plant will encourage weak root systems close to the top of the ground instead of going deep where it'll find it's own water. Watermelon vines will take over but I check mine every other day and keep it going in the "right direction". It's possible your plants will all do fine, but keep an eye on them. Summertime is not the best time to transplant. Kind of shocks them, you know. Good luck - it's so exciting for that watermelon to start growing. Remember, don't turn a watermelon. It'll break the stalk where it joins onto the vine.
Thanks! I knew I shouldn't have moved them because of shock, but they were going to take over everything else. I'll know to plan better next year. It is a shame that both of my parents grew up on farms and I made monthly trips to the farm, but had never grown a single thing until now (except everyday shrubs and plants...my petunias are kicking butt, btw). I do have 3 little melons that are new.
