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Pollinating Watermelon Plants

Gardening Guide: Wonderful Watermelon: How to Grow the Fruit that Means 'Summer'

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Pollinating Watermelon Plants

By Norann Oleson

Watermelon and flower

Seeded watermelon plants are easy to pollinate—let the bees take care of it. These plants produce both male flowers, which appear first, and female flowers, which have a swollen base that will turn into fruit once pollinated from the male flowers.

That said, if you have low bee activity in your garden, you’ll want to grow bee-attracting plants nearby, such as ornamental flowers, flowering shrubs, wildflowers, and herbs.

If you want to grow a seedless variety of melon, you’ll have to do a little more work, because seedless watermelons are sterile. You’ll see little white “seeds” in a seedless melon, but these are immature, edible, sterile seeds which won’t render new watermelon—no, not even in your stomach if you eat them!

Instead, most growers grow a seeded pollinator melon with their seedless plants, and once again, wait for bees to do the hard work. Plant a pollinator melon a week or so ahead of your seedless melon to make sure there are flowers ready to help pollinate the seedless plant when it starts to flower.

Have you faced any challenges with pollinating your watermelon plants? How do you handle ensuring the right pollination for your plants? Please share your experience with pollinating your watermelons.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Watermelon Plants
  • Pollinating Watermelon Plants
  • Choosing the Right Variety of Watermelon
  • Growing Watermelon from Seeds or Seedlings
  • Growing Watermelon in Open Land, in Raised Beds, or on a Trellis
  • Soil, Sunlight, Fertilizer, and Water for Your Watermelon Plants
  • Watermelon Care: Pests and Disease
  • Harvesting Your Watermelons
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Watermelons
  • Plant Profiles

  • Desert King Watermelon
  • Black Diamond Watermelon
  • Yellow Doll Watermelon
  • Crimson Sweet Watermelon
  • King of Hearts Watermelon
  • Sugar Baby Watermelon
  • Recipes

  • Grilled Watermelon Salad
  • Fresh Mozzarella Watermelon Salad
  • Watermelon Rind Smoothie
  • Watermelon Fruit Rollups
  • Margarita Watermelon
  • Watermelon Juice
  • Easy Watermelon Sorbet
  • Grilled Watermelon and Pineapple Skewers
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Watermelon
  • Home Remedies and Health Benefits of Watermelon
  • Resources about Watermelon
  • Watermelon Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • Start Growing Watermelon in Raised Beds
  • Wonderful Watermelon: How to Grow the Fruit that Means ‘Summer’

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