If you’ve ever tried to cultivate watermelons (Citrullus lanatus), you’ve undoubtedly observed that insects such as aphids, leafminers, and caterpillars like eating the plant’s components almost as much as you do enjoying the fruit it produces. The ability to repel these pests is essential for developing a crop of watermelons that are edible..
Contents
- 1 How do I protect my watermelon seedlings?
- 2 What ate my watermelon plant?
- 3 How do you protect watermelon from pests?
- 4 What can you spray on watermelons?
- 5 How do I keep squirrels from eating my watermelon?
- 6 Why are my watermelon seedlings dying?
- 7 Do possums like watermelon?
- 8 How do I protect my watermelon from rodents?
- 9 Can you spray neem oil on watermelon?
How do I protect my watermelon seedlings?
Keep maturing watermelon away from direct soil contact to prevent rot and to keep the fruit safe from pests and rodents when they arrive. When the fruit gets about the size of a softball, set it on a bed of straw or cardboard to keep it from falling over. The use of light-reflecting surfaces, such as aluminum foil, will concentrate heat and accelerate ripening of fruits and vegetables.
What ate my watermelon plant?
Animals like squirrels, chipmunks, deer and woodchucks like puncturing and devouring melon crops are among those that do so. Coyotes and domesticated dogs are also known to appreciate savoring the sweetness of melons. Raccoons and birds dig holes in the tops of melons and scoop or suck the fluids out of the fruit’s inside, according to the University of Florida.
How do you protect watermelon from pests?
How to Keep Bugs Off of Watermelons (with Pictures)
- Do not plant the watermelons too early in the season, when the earth is still too cold.
- Watermelon pests such as green peach aphids (Myzus persicae), which are abundant in the watermelon industry, can be protected by using floating row covers to keep the soil warm.
- Prevent extra watermelon pressures, such as infertile or dry soil, by following the above guidelines.
What can you spray on watermelons?
Contact fungicides should form the foundation of the majority of cantaloupe and watermelon spraying programs. The active ingredients chlorothalonil and mancozeb are used in two different contact fungicides for this purpose. They may be utilized during the entire season.
How do I keep squirrels from eating my watermelon?
You may prevent tree squirrels from injuring watermelons by covering them with freestanding, cage-like coverings made of chicken wire. However, like with a fence, bend the bottom edge outward and bury the base of the cages in the earth to prevent them from burrowing beneath.
Why are my watermelon seedlings dying?
Information about Watermelon Damping Off – What Causes Watermelon Seedlings to Die. Many different types of plants can be affected by damping off, which is a common problem. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable to this disease, which causes the stem around the base of the plant to become weak and wilted. A typical result of this is that the plant topples over and dies.
Do possums like watermelon?
They are heartily enjoying their bowl of wonderful watermelon, which they had gathered together as a family of five. If everyone enjoyed fruit as much as this, the world would be a lot healthier place! Unfortunately, opossums are frequently struck by automobiles throughout North America.
How do I protect my watermelon from rodents?
How to use melon cages to keep mice away from your melons, step-by-step instructions
- Obtain a piece of hardware cloth.
- Measure and cut square-sized pieces of hardware cloth that are large enough to completely wrap your ripe melons.
- Metal string is used to hold a cylindrical form together.
- Make your wire end folds according to your preference.
- You may now close one end of the melon cage.
- Put your melon in a cage.
Can you spray neem oil on watermelon?
Although neem oil is a highly efficient therapy, boosting air circulation around your watermelon plant by trimming might be just as helpful as the oil.
