Planting Watermelon at My Balcony

Latest picture - 9 weeks later

No kidding.. I am experimenting if I can plant watermelon at my balcony successfully. Even though the chance is slim. After eating our watermelon we bought from the supermarket, I planted its seeds in a 5 litres mineral water bottle.

In a just a week, the seeds have sprouted..

One week later

In about 3 weeks, it starts flowering and bearing little watermelons.

3 weeks later

Not all baby watermelons live. Many of them dropped.

5 weeks later

Those that are still growing..

6 weeks later..

8 weeks later

9 weeks later

Sadly after 9 weeks I noticed there is a crack on two of the watermelons. I cut them off from their vines. Since they are meant to be thrown, I curiously cut them into half. To my surprise, they are already ripe and taste sweet!

For their crack cause, I probably water them a little too much. More info here.

The remaining watermelons are still growing on their vines. However, it does not get any bigger. I guess maybe my plant container is too small for them. Nevertheless, the experience of watching, growing and tasting them are priceless. :)

Watermelon Plant Care

Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Water at the vine's base in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering. Reduce watering once fruit are growing. Dry weather produces the sweetest melon.
Pruning isn't necessary, but vine productivity may be improved if you do not allow lateral (side) vines to grow and stick to the main vine. When the plant is young, just cut off the end buds as they form (before the side shoots become vines). You can also pinch off some blossoms to focus the energy on fewer melons (though it's a challenge to kill off a potential fruit!).
As fruit is ripening, prevent rotting by gently lifting it and putting some cardboard or straw between the fruit and the soil.

Harvest/Storage

Watermelons don’t sweeten after they are picked, so harvest time is important. They generally ripen over two weeks so keep you eye on them.

Dr. Bill Rhodes, professor of horticulture at Clemson University, offers the following advice on how to tell if watermelons are ripe:

Thump it. If the watermelon sounds hollow, it's ripe.
Look at the color on the top. The watermelon is ripe when there is little contrast between the stripes.
Look at the color on the bottom. A green watermelon will have a white bottom; a ripe melon will have a cream- or yellow-colored bottom.
Press on it. If the watermelon sounds like it gives a little, it's ripe. (Rhodes doesn't like this method because it can ruin the quality of the fruit.)
Check the tendril. If it's green, wait. If it’s half-dead, the watermelon is nearly ripe or ripe. If the tendril is fully dead, it's ripe or overripe; it’s not going to get any riper, so you might as well pick!
Stems should be cut with a sharp knife close to the fruit.
Watermelons can be stored uncut for about 10 days. If cut, they can last in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Wrap tightly in plastic.

Information from: http://www.almanac.com/plant/watermelon