Are you starting the plants indoors? Burpees butterbush has great flavor,we switched to that being our "main variety" this year. I started both the varieties you mentioned in my part of Pennsylvania,which is the southern portion of zone 5,I believe. I had great luck with the squash,but not for the watermelon.But in all fairness the squash was planted in a much more advantagous location and fertile soil. I start mine in cut off cardboard containers and take my time hardening them off. I am also interested in hearing other peoples responses to this question,

No! I was thrilled last year with getting about 4 sugarbaby watermelons from one plant which was planted from seed, in a southern exposure with full sun all day. Keep trying, every year various areas have trouble with a certain plant. Maybe yours was sugarbaby last year, it will be fine this year.

Tip: Start indoors, transplant outside with Wall-O-Water to keep them warm. I love those things, plants grow like weeds, but you need to open them slowly over several weeks to avoid shock.

Hi Sarah,

I don't think you are wasting time. I live in zone 4B/5A Maritimes and I grow both squash and melons successfully. They do take a little extra work, though. I usually start them three weeks early in peat pots then just set them out that way. Bed preparation is the key, though. I dig a large hole (60 cm diameter x 30 cm deep) then fill it half full of compost or rotted manure. Cover this with soil from the hole until you have a mound about 10-15 cm high. You can plant 3 or 4 plants per mound.

Another neat trick I read and have used for the last two years, is to sink a gallon pot (a black nursery pot with holes in the bottom) to ground level in the middle of the mound. Plant your plants around it. Then when you water - which you should do often in summer - just fill up the gallon pot! The water gets slowly and evenly distributed to all the plants at the root level, not on the surface where it would run off. Works great!

Along with the compost, you can top-dress your plants with compost/fertilizer if you like. Squash and melons tend to be heavy feeders. Or, alternatively, use compost tea/liquid fertilizer when you water (about every week or two, depending on how often you water).

Finally, if these varieties haven't been successful for you, you may want to think about choosing different ones. There certainly are a lot of choices that would work in your zone, I think.

Here in Alberta I've had good success with two varieties of watermelon, Tiger Baby and Sweet Beauty. Both are small fruited types in which have very good flavor, Tiger Baby is excellent tasting! I start them about April 21st and soon transplant to one gallon pots and keep them well fed at all times. When planting out they are placed under a row cover in which is especially necessary in our often cool summers. This is removed when plants have begun to flower and again placed back on as the weather cools. Watermelon NEED lots of HEAT, so success really depend on the summer in which one is granted.

Terry

I live about 45 km south of you in Merrickville. I have grown cantaloups and squash with varying degrees of success. Starting them early and planting as "balsam" has sugeested sounds good to me. They alson need lots of water, and the vines should not be moved for mowing grass or anything. Also, I placed a piece of black shingle under each developing fruit to keep them off the ground and to allow them more heat. Good Luck!