Yes, you can grow it in nyc. If you don't plant another seeded variety alongside it, your seedless will not produce fruit.

Lychee:

Of course Wayne is right that you can grow watermelons in NYC, but I have this uneasy feeling you are going to try to grow them in a container on the veranda of a high-rise apartment. Please tell me I am wrong.

If you have a nice, rich plot of ground in NYC that receives all day (or nearly all day) sunlight, then I say full speed ahead. But you will be disappointed if you try to grow a large vining crop like watermelons in containers.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

i do have a very small backyard and i could probably find a few square feet for the watermelon seeds. Given the size of the melons and my extremely limited room, i only intend to try and grow 1-2 watermelons.
the seed packet says it comes with a pollinator- ao i guess that addresses waynes point.

Lychee:

A few square feet may be a little tight for watermelon vines. When I plant watermelons I try to leave a minimum of 10 feet all around for the vines to sprawl, because sprawl they do. And they have to to grow watermelons. The roots beneath follow the vines above, and if the vines are confined they will not bear fruit.

You are correct that most seedless watermelon seed packets include pollenizer seeds, so that takes care of that issue. But the fact that you must also plant a pollenizer means one more plant sprawling around. I think growing watermelons is a great idea, but unless you have the space, a reality check may be in order.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

don- i sooooo! don't live in reality- after all, i am attempting to grow lychees, mangoes, and oranges in NY by setting up a lighting system in my basement for the plants in the winter. do i think i will fail miserably- of course- but i have fun trying!
as i said i will be happy if i can just grow 1-2 watermelons. can i train the vines so that a small part of the vine grows along the floor, and most of the vine grows vertically up a wall or trellis. my plan is to pinch off any flowers that grow on the part of the vine that is growing vertically and only leave 1-2 flowers on the part of the vine that grows on the floor. what do you think- in any way feasible?

Lychee:

You are certainly not the only one who tries to push the limits of growing beyond any reasonable hope of success. But I can't really advise you in these endeavors, since, as a practical matter, I would never try these things myself. I define success as growing something that is truly and pleasantly edible. The chances for success of your high-maintenance tropical experiments are very low, but if you get a kick out of it I guess that's what counts.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

lycheeluva, I would consider refocusing on canteloupe melons such as Charentais or Noir des Carmes. Even to get one watermelon requires a lot of room; cantaloupes however will give you a few lopes in a smaller space and can be grown on a trells. They are also wonderfully delicious. I have an acre and am probably going to pass on watermelons for lack of room this year.

One other point is the vines will go everywhere so you could end up finding other plantings overwhelmed by your watermelons.

Scott

I guess you guys talked me out of it. scott- what do you think is the best tasting melon that will grow in nyc and can grow on a trellis

The two I mentioned above are the two I am growing this year. Both are wonderful melons. Charentais is the most famous of the two so it may be the one to pick.

I grew melons on a trellis last year for the first time. It seemed to work well except the cucumber beetles did them in early so I got little harvest. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for them, they cause a bacterial wilt disease that will kill all your plants.

Scott

Thanks. Do you think I can use bonide orchard spray on the melon plant as a propylactic measure? if not, when do the beetles come and what do you recommend to prevent or limit the damage

Sevin is the standard treatment for the beetles. You may not get them bad the first year but in a few years they will be showing up not too long after the plants pop up. I am generally organic so have not used Sevin. I don't know about the orchard spray compatibility. Last year I tried to pick them off by hand and lost, this year I am still planning my strategy; see thread below for an ongoing discussion in the vegetables forum here about possibilities for building traps.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: cuke beetle traps

Hi! I am also trying to grow watermelons in NYC. I am trying to grow them on the roof of my building, but so far I just started some sugar baby seeds indoors. I intend to put them in 5gallon buckets. I suppose I can put 1 plant in 1 bucket, and there is plenty of room to sprawl on the roof. Will this be ok?

{{gwi:44125}}

Are they too leggy? Can I save them? And is it safe to plant them outside now, in NYC?

yipla- let me know if you succeed

Hi,

I had to giggle when I read this post, as I tried to grow watermelon in my grad student apt in CT (near NYC). I begged my landlord for a "bit of earth" in his postage stamp side lawn next to the driveway. I didn't know about Earthboxes then. To my great surprise, I was able to grow and produce a couple of little watermelon. Mind you, the watermelon, though rooted in a little ity bit of dirt (he wouldn't let me have more than a few feet of his lawn), had sprawled out all over half his driveway (he didn't mind that) in order to leaf and produce fruit. So I guess unless you have room for that (and a sunny location to reflect heat), I'd suggest trying something less challenging. Having met Don Yellman in person and plying him with many fruit questions, I highly respect his advice. Just my two cents. I'm in the mid-atlantic suburbs now, and I'm not even sure I'm going to bother trying watermelon unless my kids are really set on trying. I've got my Chanrentais seeds on my desk now as I type and deliberate where I'm going to find room to plant them. Good luck! Treble

Ok, LycheeLuva, I'll let you know. Somebody in another forum told me my seedlings looked too leggy, and that I should plant from seed outdoors in a few weeks. I may try both ways.

BTW, I also love lychee!! and mangos! You should let me know how THOSE grow.

yipla- where do u live- u r welcome to come round for a "tour" of my 25x15 "orchard"

I live in manhattan. Where do you live? Even 25x15 would be big in manhattan!

i live in brooklyn and that measurement includes the patio