The Family Watermelon

I harvested Mama melon over the weekend, so its just Dad and the kids left. They are all doing wellish.

Daddy watermelon. He might not <i>look</i> like a full grown melon but trust me, you would <i>not</i> want to run into <i>this</i> guy in a dark ally. Son is a <i>big</i> guy.

With Mama watermelon gone, big sis is the next largest. She's about the size of a junior soccer ball now.

This is baby brother melon. He's chortling along and gets bigger every day. Literally.

This is wee baby melon. I found this one the same day as baby brother melon. Wee baby does not seem to be growing at the same rate as baby brother or really at all any longer. I have serious doubts about wee baby melon. I had another melon get to about this size and then turn black. Think a happy thought for wee baby melon.

If you  saw the watermelon grow over the season and wondered if you had the room to grow them yourself, the answer is <i>maybe</i>.  Below is <i>one</i> plant. But keep in mind there are many, many varieties and not all end up this large, there are watermelons that can be grown in container gardens and others that grow watermelons in bushes. I'm going to test the soil next spring and see if it needs to be amended to grow fewer leaves and more fruit.

<i>note Big Daddy melon in upper left</i>

I planted three seedlings in the  main garden and they quickly out grew the space and spilled over the side but did not produce very well (one that died young, one that stopped growing, one that exploded, one that is not growing, and one that is healthy; the plants in the satellite garden have produced two healthy, ready for harvest, and  healthy one growing - fewer over all but stronger and healthier fruits) . I won't be growing them in the main garden next year. I will absolutely be growing watermelons again.