Question
Hello Mike!! thank you for taking time to respond!! im in ocala florida, i am a novice gardener. we planted some beef master tomato plants from seed. they are now about 4.5 feet tall. they flower, then the flowers fall off and no tomatoes :( why is that?? we have sugar baby watermelons growing......how do we know when they are done........we have heard when they fall off the vine....is that true???

we are using an organic spray to treat for disease on our watermelons and for bugs on hawaiian ti......do we need to treat more than once  the directions kind of melted in the heat......i dont want to over treat???

Answer
Vicki, it is not unusual for the first few blossoms to fall of. This is usually caused by too much water or a lack of pollination. The problem always corrects itself within a few weeks.

In regard to watermelon, the exact number of days from sowing to harvest is usually labeled on the plastic marker or on the seed package if you started them from seed. If not, there are a couple of tricks, but ultimately it comes down to experience.

The best method is to "thump" the melon with your forefinger. If the resulting sound has a ringing or echoing sound, the melon is still too green to pick. If, however, the sound is dull, the melon is ripe. You should begin this test once the tendril (the pigtail attaching the melon to the vine) turns brown.  This is a sure sign that the melon has reached its maturity.

I hope this answered your questions. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike