Watermelons are one of the juiciest and most refreshing fruits on the planet. Many crave them in warmer weather, but they typically buy them from their local market. The truth is that watermelons are even tastier and fresher when they are homegrown. You likely stumbled upon this article interested in growing your own watermelons. Watermelons grow interestingly. Through research, you may have heard about the materials they can grow on. You may be wondering, Can watermelons growoOn concrete?
Watermelons can grow on concrete. Like most crops, watermelon seeds must first be planted in the soil. As the watermelon vines begin to grow and develop, they can spread out for quite a long way. Sprawling out onto concrete is ideal. Concrete absorbs the sun and stays warm, which benefits the watermelons in their heat-oriented growing process.
If you are considering growing watermelons in your garden or are interested in them, continue reading to learn more about their growing process.
Should Watermelons Lay On The Ground?
Watermelons are best planted directly in the garden or a container. As they begin to grow, their vines extend for quite a ways. The watermelons will begin to develop on the vines. They shouldn’t grow directly on the soil when they start to grow.
Typically the soil will be somewhat moist from water, which can cause the watermelons to rot in the spots in contact with the soil. Concrete or a patio is an excellent material for watermelons to grow on. It stays dry and warm from the sun and will not cause rotting.
Watermelons thrive off of warmth and need a lot of it to produce. You can place your container on top of concrete or choose a garden area next to it so that your watermelon vines can sprawl onto it.
Should I Put Something Under My Watermelon?
If you plan to grow your watermelon plants in a container or directly in the garden without concrete nearby, place materials underneath each watermelon as it begins to grow. As mentioned before, you do not want your watermelons to be in direct contact with moist dirt because they will rot.
Below is a list of several different materials you can place between your watermelons and the soil. Remember that whatever material you choose must hold the watermelon’s weight and should also be large enough to cover the surface area of the watermelon at its largest size. If the watermelon outgrows the material, it may get punctured or misshapen.
Materials To Place Between the Ground and Your Watermelons
- Plastic sheeting- You can find this at your local gardening/ home improvement store. Make sure the sheeting is durable enough to hold the weight of the watermelons and that it’s very flat.
- A thin and dry piece of plywood- Check your local lumber yard or home improvement store. Choose a large enough piece to prevent your watermelons from being punctured or misshapen.
- Old dinnerware such as plates or platters- You may already have these in your cabinets at home. You can also try your local thrift store. Make sure each plate or platter is big enough to allow growth room for the watermelon. They can easily damage the watermelons if not.
- A few layers of dry straw- Most farming and ranching stores will carry this. Build a nice layer of it under each watermelon. Make sure that there aren’t any soil spots peeking through.
- Cardboard- This is a great way to recycle old boxes. Simply cut them open and lay the cardboard flat under each watermelon.
Can Watermelons Grow On Plastic?
Plastic is an excellent material to grow watermelons on. Many will grow theirs on black plastic. You can simply lay the black plastic sheeting over your soil and punch holes in it to place the seeds into the earth. The color black holds heat very well, which is necessary for optimal watermelon growing.
There’s even a black mulch that you can buy from most home and garden stores that can be placed on the top of your soil. It looks like regular mulch for the most part but doesn’t hold water and cause rotting. Black plastic sheeting or mulch can be a quicker and more straightforward alternative to placing a barrier of some sort between each watermelon as it begins to produce. It’s a very similar concept to concrete.
Where Should You Grow Your Watermelons?
Watermelons need direct sunlight for the entire day. The container or garden space and the concrete area next to it must be fully exposed to the sun. Watermelons can grow with a tiny amount of shade, but it’s not guaranteed they will succeed.
They do best in high amounts of sunlight and warm temperatures throughout the day. That is why they typically grow best in the summer. They thrive with daily temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and nightly temperatures of 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the answer to the main question is yes. Watermelons can grow on concrete. The watermelon seeds must first be planted in the soil like most crops, but as its vines develop, they can sprawl out onto concrete and begin to produce fruit.
Concrete can benefit watermelon plants. It absorbs heat and stays dry. Instead of choosing materials to place between your watermelons and the soil, you can simply use the concrete as a dry barrier. It will prevent the watermelons from rotting.
You can plant your watermelons in a garden next to a concrete slab or simply plant them in a container on top of a concrete slab. Wherever you choose to plant your watermelons, make sure they will be fully exposed to the sun all day, as that is how you will grow the juiciest and tastiest fruit.
Hi there, my name is Allie and welcome to my blog; GareningWithAllie!
Much of what you see written here is just our personal experiences with gardening. Along with the content I write here, there is also a unique collection of gardening topics covered by some of our close friends. I hope you find everything you read here to be helpful, informative, and something that can make your gardening journey the most lovely experience ever! With that said, Happy Gardening!