Rotting Watermelons

Question

My friend planted watermelons and we noticed today that on the bottom of the little unripe watermelons, it is rotten. There are several of them like this. What causes this?

Answer 1

This can happen if the ground stays continually wet with the melons on the ground. Many areas have been experiencing record rainfall, and if this applies to your area than this is the likely cause. Placing the growing watermelons on a bed of straw or something that raises them off the ground will help prevent this.