Looking very healthy! Why are there 2 PVC pipes? Is that the 5-1-1 mix?

Nice picture. Healthy looking. I am planning to grow sugar baby WM in EB. Does the vines grow too big? I have a very small yard!!

Yeah, why to pipes?

Other one is bamboo was supposed to be support but it went the other way. Thats what it is sugar baby.

Need some full plant pics because its getting pretty big. Here is the first watermelon a little bigger than a dime(there are a few more that may or may not set)

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Looks great! Post a pic of the entire plant when you can. :)

Pretty big considering it says 3ft for the vine size. I've had 4 female flowers one is definately good, 1 did not take and the other two may or may not make it. I hand pollinated them so who knows.

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I am growing sugar baby in container x 3. When they get a little bigger I will post. They are tiny little fellows at the moment. But tonights rain should give them a boost.

Man this thing is growing quick plus I now have a second watermelon growing.

Sunday - about the size of a dime
Tuesday - about the size of an egg
Friday - about the size of a big apple

Post a picture.

Here you go just 5 days after the last picture!

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How big will they get? Maybe you will need a hammock to support them soon. WTG!

Supposed to just be personal size 8-10lbs.

Just a suggestion, but you better find a way to tie those melons up on such a small support/container system.

Damon

Great pic. I have few WMs in a container and would like to trail it down on the ground. I see that you are trailing it upwards. Can that cage support those heavy fruits(even small size will be heave once you get plenty)?

Sombody say support?

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Dazzling!

I planted a tiny watermelon seedling called "Crimson Sweet" (couldn't find a mini variety...). If it will turn out half as great as yours, I'll be very happy!

Holy cow! Those look great!! First round of germination of Sugar Bush didn't turn out, so we just started round two last night.

Great pics!! :)

Well the 2nd one developed to about the size of a golf ball and started shriveling up so the one I took pictures of is the only good one.

The good one already quite a bit bigger I put cardboard on top of the dirt and its already touching. Will take the last picture when I pick it.

Just 4 days since the last picture and 7 since the one in my hand! (took the support off) Its now about 80% the size of the one I got at the store and ~ 5lbs.

5lbs 10oz. Hope this is good because the whole vine is starting to die (I was going to give it 1 more week).

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Dude thats a killer melon!

Nice melon. I am curious why is the vine starting to die?

OUTSTANDING! I am growing Sugarbaby right now in containers. I have 3 plants and each have 1 melon on at the moment. Your pictures are great!

Gives me hope. Last year I produced, but tiny little things. I did not fertalize enough. I am on it this year though! :)

This one gets me excited :)

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Ericjwi,

I have been following this thread for weeks. It has been a lot of fun. Thanks for posting and sharing your photos.

I'm trying to grow Sugar Babies in a SWC and I'm hoping we get a watermelon or two. I have flower gardens, herb gardens, a raised vegetable garden and a fenced Earthtainer garden planted with vegetables and annual herbs. But it's the watermelon vine that gets my attention first thing every morning.

The small Sugar Baby type watermelons are on "sale" in our local grocery stores now from $3.00 to $4.50 each. That simply amazes me.

The real question is did it taste as good as it looks? Was it sweet? Great job!

They have some really tiny ones at the store now for $2.99. Yeah it tastes real good :) Drying fresh seeds to plant a few more by the weekend.

This is a really cool thread. I love the progress of the watermelon. I didn't know that they grow so well in containers. I think you just inspired me to try that next year.

Eric,

It was cool watching you grow your water melon. The beautiful dog what kind is it? With the pretty collar on? My husband just built 2 earth tainers but I think it is too late to grow water melon here in florida however yours looks great. Congratulations! This is our first year of gardening. Take a look below at our pics.
Dusty

Here is a link that might be useful: my pool container garden

Wow, nice job. This makes me regret not planting some melons myself!

Eric, how big is that one? I will plant a pic of mine tonight when I get home.

Watermelon - 5 lbs 10oz 21" circumference
Dog - Lab/Australian Shepherd mix

Nice! What type of fertilizer did you use? I have one in a container and it's for sure not doing as well as yours! :-)

Every now and then I'd drop maybe 1oz of tree spike into the reservoir. I probably used about 1/8 of a spike total so I didn't really fertilize all that much. The dirt did have time release fertilizer but I doubt it used that much because I found the root mostly dropped all the way down to the reservoir, it wasn't that extensive!

I know this thread is probably dead. But, I have to say for the sake of newbies, it's hard for me to believe it's true. Growing from the size of a dime to 21 inches around in 5 weeks? I grew 4 sugar baby watermelons in a half whiskey barrel last summer. Each plant produced one melon that grew to maturity. It took almost 12 weeks from dime size to eating size. I admit that your zone 9 climate is probably much better for growing melons than mine is the Ohio Valley. And I want to add that it was a blast to grow them. Just be realistic about what you can achieve.

Whenever you compare your own results to other's, it's always possible that you are dealing with limiting factors someone else may not be ..... and you may not even recognize there is an issue because it becomes manifest only in lost 'potential', which isn't something easily quantifiable.

I'm not defending anyone, only providing what could be a possible explanation.

Al

Of course you are right. And this thread has inspired me to try harder next time. I did not mean to criticize. I just wanted to caution that these results might be difficult to match.

wow - this is giving me ideas! Anymore updates from WM container growers?