Day 90 – Sad to report BER

Sad to report 2 of the 5 watermelons have succumbed to BER (blossom end rot). This is new to me. Apparently due to a possible lack of calcium in the soil the watermelon begins to rot from the blossom end. Shows up as a brown spot which becomes larger as the rot spreads.

That leaves 3 watermelons which still appear to be healthy. They have slowed down in growing larger. WP3 is about 15 – 20 lbs which is only a small fraction of what it should be after 90 days. Here in the Sacramento Valley we still have warm days all of September and most of October. The nights begin to chill down and the daylight is definitely much shorter.

I now appreciate farmers more. It is not just plant and water. You need the proper type of soil, soil ph, water amounts, fertilizer, bug repellant, daylight and on and on.

I have plans for next year to start earlier and make it more of a scientific process.

What is the largest vegetable or fruit you have grown?

Safari West - What it is and what it isn't

A few weeks back my wife and I booked an overnight stay at Safari West. Safari West is an animal preserve located in the hills of Santa Rosa, California. A visit to their website explains exactly what they are and what they do.

For some reason people read past the description “Not a zoo, not a drive-through park, it's a wildlife preserve” and expect to see lions taking down zebras as they drive through the park.

Safari West is a wildlife preserve located on 400 acres. They house many different types of African animals and birds. Their two main purposes are to breed and preserve exotic and endangered species and to educate the public about endangered animals.

There are several ways the public can engage the activities of Safari West. They offer behind the scenes tours, a 3 hour safari ride, overnight stays in African style canvas cabins and other choices. We stayed in the overnight canvas cabins. They are very rustic but comfortable. Each has its own full bathroom including hot and cold water, flush toilets, and hot showers. The cabin décor is African themed. Just imagine a comfortable hotel room with wooden floor and canvas sides and roof. You have visual privacy but very little audio privacy.

Our cabin had an excellent view of the giraffes. During the evening it was a lot quieter than I had expected. Every now and then the flamingos would chatter noisely.

The only way to actually roam the back acres is to take their safari tour ride in one of their beat up old Dodge converted power wagons. It’s about a three hour tour but well worth the cost.

For meals, they offer a snack bar or buffet style B-B-Q. Continental breakfast is included with the overnight stay. Due to dietary concerns we did not participate in the B-B-Q but the food looked delicious.

I would recommend the overnight stay with the safari tour. The prices are not low but everything about Safari West is eco-friendly and as such you can expect to pay a little more.

Think of Safari West as a working African ranch where endangered and exotic animals are bred and visitors are welcomed. Check out their website. http://www.safariwest.com/

Day 77 – And the Heat Goes On…. And On and On

Not too much exciting to report on the status of the 200 pound watermelons. So far we still have all 5 watermelons surviving and growing. The high temperatures (98 – 102 degrees) in the Sacramento Valley have been brutal. During midday the plants look like they are half dead. The leaves are collapsed and drooping. I have placed umbrellas to shade each watermelon.

I don’t know if the umbrellas actually help the plant but they do help me think I am doing the right thing. On hot days I water in the morning then again late afternoon. Is it possible to over water on a hot day?

At the present time the watermelons look like normal midsize melons. I have started rotating them to prevent flat spots on the underside. When the watermelons reach 50 pounds then I will feel like we have hit the first milestone.

I have also started using pigeon manure to fertilize. Soon I will construct closed cell foam cradles to distribute the weight evenly and prevent flat spots.

My current favorite is WP4 (watermelon plant 4 with the black umbrella). It is not the largest but it is the most symmetrical of all the watermelons. It is actually the 3rd largest of all 5. The current largest is WP3 but it has an odd looking end point.

Does anyone have any comments on what I should or should not be doing to achieve the goal of growing a 200 pound watermelon?

Day 62 - Doubled in size in one week.

WP2

Not much to write about since last week. WP2 and WP3 doubled in size in one week. I am wondering if that is a normal growth pattern or special for these soon to be 200 pound watermelons.

WP3

Actually WP3 seems to be growing faster than WP2. Read blog Day 55 to understand what WP3 means.

One thing I do not understand is why they are not growing symmetrical. Do they fill out later or are they going to be odd shaped watermelons?

The sun is starting to rise a little later and set a little sooner. I think I should have started growing these much earlier. It seems like they may run out of warm weather.