Watermelons are a lot of fun to grow, but they take a long time and need lots of sun and dry feet. An ideal spot to grow melons would be a piece of ground that slants towards the south or west.

Sprout seeds in towels and plant the melons under hotcaps. When a baby watermelon has gotten as big as your fist you can use the tin can trick. The tin can trick is nothing more than placing the melon on a can above the soil. This will help them to ripen earlier and some say they will be a lot juicier. Pick off any blossoms or fruit on the plant that is not going to have the time to mature.

Watermelons are planted in raised hills no closer than six to eight feet apart. Don't cheat on the fertilizer. Before you plant the seeds add lots of compost and manure to the soil under the area where you are planting. Side dress the plant before the runners leave the center of the plant. Keep checking fix shriveled or dried up fruit and remove. Don't panic - it happens often. When the melon patch is wet, stay out of it. Check the underside of the watermelon to see if it is ripe. If it is still white and sets on the ground, it isn't ripe. If the underside is yellow it should be ready for eating. (See related article on Page 4)

Toward the end of August, select the melons you think will be great and take the others off. This will produce larger melons and a lot better eating.