QuestionI have three watermelon vines in my garden that have been growing since June and have a lot of blooms but no fruit. When they first started producing blooms I got fruit on one vine but rotted. Can you tell me what is going on? Why no more fruit?
AnswerHi Harry,
thanx for your question. Watermelon plants rely on honey bees for pollination of their flowers. Successful pollination often requires multiple visits by bees. The flower is only open one day and optimum pollination period is in the early morning. You may not have enough bees around to successfully pollinate your melons. Also, if you have a lot of blooming weeds around your patch or flowers, bees are often more attracted to those flowers rather than to the rather insignificant melon flower. Where is your approximate location? Did you know that bee colonies in several areas of the U.S. have been decimated by disease and a parasite? This has contributed to poor pollination of cucurbits (melons, squash and cucumbers). I hope this helps.
Tom
