Cutting Runners Off Producing Watermelon Vine

Question

Will cutting side runners off producing watermelon vine hasten ripening? Lots of vines, only 6 grapefruit size melons.

Answer 1

Cutting the runners off will not speed up the ripening and could open up the plant to disease. Actually, reducing the number of fruit will help you get larger fruit, but it is a trade off (bigger fruit or more fruit).

Make sure the plants have the appropriate amount of water and that they have the nutrients they need.