Watermelon brown spots?

[Elizabeth C]

What are these brown spots from? They’re on my cantaloupe too; most of the plants are still in their pots, I just transplanted the first few today.

Also is manure tea a good thing to fertilize melons with? How much, how often? I made manure tea about a month ago in a 5 gallon bucket with 1/3 manure, 2/3 water (or the other way around, can’t remember). It’s been sitting like that this whole time.

 

[Meadowlark]

I just checked the temps for your area...way too cold for watermelon and cantaloupe. Shows temps in 40s deg F at night for a few days and 50s for many nights ahead. Way too cold. They need 70 nighttime to grow well.

Yes, manure tea is good stuff applied when you water.

 

[Elizabeth C]

I know PA isn’t ideal for melons but I know it can be done, local Amish do it and some friends I have.
Melons are like my favorite garden food, so I’m determined to try and make it work.

 

[vegiokragrapevibrant]

Those brown spots on your cantaloupe could be caused by a variety of factors, but don't sweat it! It's pretty common, especially when the plants are freshly transplanted. As for manure tea, it can be a great natural fertilizer for melons, providing them with essential nutrients. Ideally, you'd want to dilute it even further, using about 1 part manure tea to 10 parts water, and apply it every two weeks or so. But hey, if your mix has been sitting for a while, it might be a bit too concentrated now, so I'd recommend diluting it further before using it on your plants. Happy growing!