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skald89

Can you grow watermelon from cuttings?

skald89
9 years ago

Can you grow watermelon from cuttings? I would like to give my friend a clipping to grow his own.

Comments (5)

  • ltilton
    9 years ago

    You'd have to first root the vine at one of its nodes, then cut off the rooted section. Success is far from guaranteed.

    You'd probably do better to give your friend a seed.

  • skald89
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks. I guess, he will have to wait till next year or try his luck a little into the season.

  • Mokinu
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Yes, you can root watermelon cuttings. I know because I've done it three times. I've also only attempted it three times. I use the same method I like to use for tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers and cucumbers (and it has worked every time). You do not need hormone rooting powder. I've successfully rooted Mississippi Cobb Gem, Ledmon and Tom Watson watermelon (seeds from rareseeds.com). Here's how you can do it:

    1. Get some new seed-starting mix. I personally add 7-7-7 fertilizer and basalt rockdust to it. Old soil and topsoil may have pathogens that cause damping off or root rot. Do not use potting soil. It has too much nitrogen for our purposes, although I've never tried it with watermelon cuttings.

    2. Ideally, take your cutting from a plant grown completely indoors. Plants from outdoors may also work, but they may also carry extra fungi and have more difficulty adapting to the light changes I'm going to mention. I took my cuttings from seed-grown plants planted in the same conditions as these cuttings.

    3. Cuttings should be at least 9-12 inches long. You can probably get away with less, but I've only tried this length. It works. Shorter lengths will work for other kinds of plants, like tomatoes, but the long ones work excellently there, too.

    4. Obtain a new 20 fl oz foam cup. I didn't put drainage holes in mine or anything like that.

    5. Put a spoonful or two of soil in the cup to cover the bottom. Then, pot your cutting, with the stem buried deep in the cup. It will get more nutrients this way, and the plant will be more secure.

    6. Water your cutting with water that contains about 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate per gallon. A little more than a teaspoon of potassium sulfate probably won't hurt. Water liberally, but after the water absorbs, you don't want water sitting on top of the soil, of course. I imagine if you didn't use potassium sulfate you should use less water. If water in your room doesn't evaporate quickly, you may want to use somewhat less water, too. But use potassium sulfate. Cuttings love it. Its awesome. This is where I get mine: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JD6MGK/

    7. Put the potted cutting in a rather warm room.

    8. Keep your potted cutting out of bright light for two to three days. Do not put it very close to a lightbulb at this point. Too much light will probably make it wither, and stunt the plant for a while.

    9. After the aforementioned two days have passed, put the potted cutting in bright light. Bright light is now not only perfectly safe, but necessary for the plant to grow much. I use both high and low color temperature CFLs (6500k and 2700k) and my growing area is surrounded with mylar blankets. The 2700k bulbs help to keep damping off away, although it shouldn't be in your soil, anyway. If it is, though, they will probably help to keep it at bay or kill it.

    10. When the plant starts growing noticeably, that probably means it has roots. However, let it grow out at least a bit before planting outside, just in case.

    Watermelon cuttings do not have taproots.

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    8 years ago

    Yes you can grow a watermelon plant from a cutting but if you want fruit plant seeds at the right time, ie as soon as soil warms to 60F. A watermelon plant needs lots of strong roots to support enough vines and leaves to produce big fruit.

    Cuttings are for playing around.


  • Mokinu
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    This question and answer, as well as the comments under the accepted answer, may be beneficial to this discussion wherein it pertains to watermelon cuttings: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/17734/what-are-the-practical-differences-between-cucurbits-grown-from-seed-and-cutting