watermelons

Question

My watermelons started out gorgeous and healthy. But now there is this sticky looking web substance and tiny blackish bugs on one side of the patch. Are these mites? What can I do to save the plant? Fruit grows but only to shrivel up and fall off or turn blackish- purple.can someone please help?

Answer 1

You have more than one issue here... First... Let's address the mites. These will destroy your crop... fast! Now from here it gets tricky. There is a product that has saved my you-know-what several times... It is called Foxfarm's Force of Nature miticide. It is all natural, and very concentrated. 1/4 oz. to a bottle of water, and spray it all over. soak it... Now You appear to have another issue... Purple usually indicates to me a phosphorus deficiency... This is going to sound crazy but take a half bottle of the small gatorade (your choice of flavor lol) and pour it in. go ahead, laugh it up. ;) Now, lastly, you should think about resolving a pH issue that might be causing your deficiency... I would fix that with a product called Dolomitic lime (I use Agri-pel, I Live in Tennessee and a 40 lb bad costs me about 5 dollars. I handful per gallon of soil, or if it is in ground... about 5 small handfuls should do it.