Deep in the South where the summers are long and hot, there lurks the rattlesnake. This particular rattler is bigger than most others of its kind. It can be 30 or more pounds and bigger around than a basketball. What kind of huge monster is this?  Actually I am talking about a watermelon. This is the Georgia Rattlesnake watermelon. A huge brute of a watermelon. This is what is known as an Heirloom Watermelon.

Many heirloom vegetables have been saved for decades and even centuries because they are the best performers in home and market gardens.

Seeds saved from heirloom vegetables will produce plants that are true to type, unlike hybrid seeds. If you try to save seed from hybrids, you usually won’t get good results.
                                                                                                         
The Georgia Rattlesnake loves the summer heat. Georgia summers are very hot and dry for the most part. The red soil also helps to make this melon the way that it is.

For this reason this is the first watermelon that I planted in our garden  in Jamaica. The area of Jamaica is St Elizabeth parrish near the southcoast. It is somewhat dry and also has red soil. Jamaica has a 365 day growing season. I think that I can get constant watermelon production in this area. All types of Melons thrive in this area.

A long time southern favorite, thought to have been developed in Georgia in the 1830's. Its stripes resemble that of a Rattler, hence the name. Sweet light crimson colored flesh and large size; used as a shipping melon; a great old variety.  Plant produces good yields of 40 lb watermelons. The watermelon is light green with darker stripes.

Sow watermelon seeds in hills or rows. For regular watermelons, sow three to four seeds per hill, spacing the hills eight to ten feet apart. Space the rows ten feet apart or more, if you have room. Thin watermelon seedlings in each hill, to two seedlings one week after they have germinated. When planting in rows, space the seeds four to six inches apart and thin seedlings to ten to twelve inches apart. 90 to 100 days to maturity.

Watermelon plants need full sun to grow healthy vines and big fruit. Plant after the last frost date for your area. They are heavy feeders. Add generous amounts of manure, compost and leaves to your garden. Work the soil well. A well drained soil is preferred. . Fertilize regularly. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer until flowers form. Then, switch over to a high phosphorous and potassium fertilizer. Liquid fertilizers and foliar feeding is also a good idea. Water regularly and keep the weeds out.

Cucumber beetles are the biggest pest problem. Cucumber beetles will rob the plant of nutrients, eat pollen, and spread plant disease. A variety of other pests will also enjoy the watermelon plants in your home garden. Proper maintenance will help keep these pests away and also prevent disease such as powdery mildew from getting started.

Harvesting of watermelons is an art. Some people rely on the sound made when thumping them. Other methods include; yellowing of the underside, stoppage of growth and drying or shriveling of the stem near the base of the fruit.

Enjoy your watermelon and go to www.gardeningdirections.com for more articles like this.