Last year our one or two watermelons were black on one end and weren't any good.,

This year we have big healthy plants that appear to be doing great except some of the watermelons are black on one end. The black end is the end away from where it joins on to the vine.

What is causing this and how can I prevent it from happening to my other watermelons! HELP!!!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 14, 2001

Answers

blossom end rot,, can happens to most melons. when the fruit has developed,, and the flower is dead,, pluck it off,, should almost fall off,, that will help. put some dry straw under them, to help keep them dry

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 14, 2001.

also watermelon fruit blotch [virus?] is in our area, i have to sign a waiver to get seeds from some catalogues! assume you have a soil/seed borne disease. don't save seed this year, burn/hot compost/ or feed the old vines to the pigs . don't grow melons, cukes, or relatives in that section of the garden for 3 years. if a couple were rotten last year and more this year think of what next year could be like! from mississippi with best wishes for your garden.

-- bj pepper (pepper.pepper@excite.com), July 16, 2001.

Our county agent now says we have "blossum end rot." There's not much we can do that will work now but we have to lime the field twice this fall. Once before we plow everything under and then again after we plow.

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 17, 2001.