Just wait a couple of weeks. The ground will be 90 degrees by 6am and it won't rain again until October.

What watermelon varieties you planting JWalker?

We were replanting some skips today, finger poking the seeds. It was amazing the difference in ground temp out in the middle of the field from that on the edge in the shade.

I just planted legacys. The next patch is going to be au producers. The patch I disked up today was starbrights, im not going back with them because the seeds cost so much. Also lost an acre of sugar queen cantaloupes. I should have waited till better weather about putting the high dollar seeds in the ground. If they had came up and went on I would have had cantaloupes and watermelons by the 4th of july. The weather screwed me. No big deal, just out the seed money and a little work. I didnt put down any fertilizer on those two patches, just slag. Its still there. Ill replant in the au producers in another week or two.

Did you do any research on growing watermelons before jumping off into 6 acres worth??

Hard to beat those AU producers. I’ve got the yellow type , AU Golden Producer, in the ground last week. You ever try them 720’s?

I looked into the 720 but the price of seeds scared me off. Had a guy in cullman county say 720s changed watermelon growing for him. Greatly increased his production. I got 16inches of rain in two weeks after I planted on april 8. Then a week of cold. The forcast changed about the time I got the seed in the ground. The day I planted showed two nights in the 40s the next two weeks. Two days later it was showing five nights in the 30s. Oh well.

Check out these temps…..

http://dtninfo.alfafarmers.org/index.cfm?show=1&mapID=20

Here’s another link that may be helpful…..

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu...tupdate_archives/2001/apr01/h2apr01.html

Thanks CNC. Those would be helpful.

No problem....keep an idea on that website each day.....Those temps don't fluctuate like air temps and daily weather

Something else you might consider doing if you're wanting to get them in the ground early is to break up the field into something like 1-2 acre segments and start out now by planting a variety that is better suited for the conditions on an acre or two....then later on plant the other varieties...…Maybe some will do better at lower temps.....Or maybe you could start an acre early on with transplants that you started in containers......Here's an article about growing watermelons in the north that may help.

https://www.farmanddairy.com/top-stories/how-to-grow-watermelons-in-northern-climates/486281.html

Here's one more about the importance of soil temps....

https://vegcropshotline.org/article...plants-because-of-low-soil-temperatures/