FRUIT SET OF FALL WATERMELONS IN FLORIDA

Abstract

Fruit set of 'Crimson Sweet', 'Jubilee II', 'King of Hearts', 'Mickylee', and 'Sangria' watermelons was studied in Florida, In 1991 and 1992 seasons at Bradenton and Leesburg, In 1991, fruit set at Bradenton occurred primarily from 7-10 October. At Leesburg, fruit set in at least one of the four varieties occurred over 19 days. However, there were flushes of fruit setting 25-28 September and again 5-7 October. Fruit set over the entire season ranged from 11 to 16% at Leesburg and between 17 and 20% at Bradenton. In 1992, fruit set occurred primarily between 11 and 17 October at both locations. Fruit set for the entire season ranged from 16 to 21% at Bradenton and 22 to 31% at Leesburg. The effects of bee attractants on watermelon fruit yield were studied in Manatee (Bradenton) County in fall 1991 (Bee Scent) and in Manatee and Lake (Leesburg) counties in spring 1992 (Bee-Here). Bee attractants did not significantly affect yield in three of four experiments. In the fourth experiment, early yield and average fruit weight for the entire season were increased significantly following application of the bee attractant.