Victory Garden: Cucumber, watermelon are in same family and require similar treatment

Watermelon and cucumber seeds are popular in school projects, says nurseryman Greg Rohde, because they are easy and economical to grow. That holds for the home garden, too, although transplants are available if you don't want to wait for seeds to sprout. Plant seed or started plants now through early May.

Watermelons and cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, and they have similar growing needs: lots of sun, lots of room for their vines to spread (a fence, cage or trellis can help manage them in a smaller space), consistent moisture and nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. 

Improving the soil is the place to start, Rohde writes in his January 2009 newsletter; he's the owner of Rohde's Nursery and Garden Center in Garland. Till organic matter into your vegetable garden plot before planting. Make sure it is well-decomposed material, not leaves, grass clippings and other lawn and kitchen scraps that are still in the composting process. "As organic matter breaks down, it may leach nitrogen from plants nearby, including your freshly planted vegetable transplants." 

Some of the watermelon seeds recommended by Texas AgriLife Extension include 'Crimson Sweet' with 10- to 12-inch round, supersweet fruit and a few small seeds; 'Sugar Baby', with even smaller 7-inch round fruit; 'Royal Sweet', with striped skin and dark pink flesh; and 'Star Brite', with medium-size, oblong fruit. 

Plant about three watermelon seeds in a hill. The spacing between hills will depend on the variety you choose. In general, leave about 6 feet between hills. There are more compact varieties available, however; for example, 'Sugar Baby' plants can be spaced about 4 feet apart.

Because watermelons, cucumbers and squash are in the same family and are able to cross-pollinate, place each of these where the vines will not intertwine. Bitter fruit can result from cross-pollination. 

For cucumbers, build up the soil either into ridged rows or hills that are 4 to 6 inches high. If planting in rows, sow 3 or 4 seeds in each planting spot, about an inch deep, to help guarantee a seedling. After seeds germinate, pinch off extra seedlings so that you have only one plant growing in each spot. Space the plants about a foot apart in the row and leave at least 3 feet between rows. If planting in hills, you can grow two or three plants to a hill and space the hills about 4 or 5 feet apart. 

Some cucumber varieties are grown for pickling, while others are prized for slicing. A popular pickling variety is 'National Pickling', which has small, blocky fruit on medium-length vines. Some cucumber varieties recommended by Texas AgriLife Extension for slicing include 'Burpless', with vigorous, long vines and mild, 9-inch-long fruit; 'Poinsett', which is disease-tolerant and has crisp, meaty fruit; 'Slicemaster', a productive plant with straight, 8-inch-long green fruit; and 'Sweet Slice', a burpless type of cucumber with mild, thin-skinned 10- to 12-inch-long fruit. A burpless type means the fruit is low in the compound that causes bitterness in the fruit and that tends to make a person burp after eating it. 

After planting, keep the soil consistently moist, especially from planting time to when the fruit starts to form. Soaker hoses work well with both cucumbers and watermelons; if you can keep the soil wet but limit the water on the foliage, you also may limit the spread of fungal diseases. Especially if you are watering the garden with a sprinkler, it helps to water early in the morning so the leaves can dry during the day. Mulch around your seedlings to help control weeds and conserve moisture. 

Watermelons and cucumbers produce both male and female flowers. The male flowers will open first and fall off, then the female flowers will bloom and bear fruit. Harvest regularly as the fruit reaches mature size, to keep them producing. 

The last cold spell may have stressed your plants, and coming heat waves may stress your vegetable garden as well. Rohde says to make sure plants are watered well and suggests using a kelp product before and after extreme climate changes.