Any melon growers?

I've got watermelon coming in!!

My question is...

 ignoring the white bucket which didn't start growing until recently, the watermelon plant is massive. All those vines and tendrils you can see are from one plant, the one with the fruit on it. 

Fruits wrong grow over the concrete, they start then burn up.

So now my question, if I cut off the half of the plant going over the concrete, will it boost production of the half in the yard where the melons are or will it focus growth on the part I cut off?

Nice!

We've gotten a couple good-sized cantaloupes this year.  The vines are drying up, but there's one or two more melons coming.  They've been very juicy, but not quite as sweet as they could be.

In your case, I might just try to steer the vines to where you want them to grow.  They are very flexible and shouldn't mind a change of direction. 

I usually try to loop them back the right way when they're still small like that. When the tendrils get big, you risk killing the plant if you break it. 

What does the butane do for them? 

We've got 4-5 fruits going now, this being the biggest. I'm totally new to watermelon, so I have no idea what to recommend to you. I'm just trying to get as much water on these guys as I can right now.

Of the whole garden, the kids are most excited about the watermelon.

I would think it wouldn't be an issue, it be the same as pruning peppers or tomatoes. I know my watermelon plant got run over by a tractor last year and looked pretty rough but came back as was still quite healthy.

Came here hoping for a reboot of the GGA thread.  Left feeling ok but confused.

Learned the hard way not to plant your cantaloupes near your cucumbers.  Yuck!

I have a couple softball sized cantaloupes and a bunch of tiny ones that probably won't come in before fall kills everything.  I was hoping for watermelons but my mom gave us a bunch of plants she started and didn't label so whatever, free food

I've had good luck with watermelon.  Currently doing pumpkins, cucumbers, jalapeños, Seranos, and lots of heirloom tomatos.

In reply to RevRico :

imagine how big they'd be if they hadn't started smoking!

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

What does the butane do for them? 

 

Lights the charcoal that takes them from tasty to delicious. Also provides nice scale.

I have no idea how big these are going to get, but they'll have orange flesh inside. 

I guess I'll try reorienting the vines growing over the driveway. I was kinda hoping to hear I could just cut them ofoff to focus on fruit production like some other plants, but I don't want to risk killing it now. 

I have some mystery melons growing.  Wife had container with seeds marked "melon"  Look like honeydew on the outside, but orange like a cantaloupe on the inside.  Very tasty.

Pretty late for them to be getting started though.  I have been eating mine for a month.  The butternut squash are growing all over the place too.  The heat and the smoke from the fires have not been doing my garden any good, but it is coming around  now.  The peppers and tomatoes are off the hook.

RevRico said:

mtn (Forum Supporter) said:

What does the butane do for them? 

 

Lights the charcoal that takes them from tasty to delicious. Also provides nice scale.

I have no idea how big these are going to get, but they'll have orange flesh inside. 

I guess I'll try reorienting the vines growing over the driveway. I was kinda hoping to hear I could just cut them ofoff to focus on fruit production like some other plants, but I don't want to risk killing it now. 

You can grill watermelon?

I trim back my grapes and tomato's in order to force the growth into the fruit.  My father-in-law yelled at me to do it.  
 

Pinch the suckers.  

You're all a bunch of melonfarmers!

I would probably try to train that one back over the grass, but I know it can be tough.

It's possible it will put it's energy into the other branches if you do have to cut it. But I don't know for sure, as watermelon doesn't do great in my climate and I don't plant it. 

bigdaddylee82 said:

Learned the hard way not to plant your cantaloupes near your cucumbers.  Yuck!

I've heard about those. Apparently you can cross cucumbers with pumpkins for another really horrible tasting hybrid.

I would say to trim them.  If you want the best answer call Mr. Majestyk.