Granny's gone and done it again

We put nematodes on our lawn to eat flea larva.
Probably our soil is too rich.
The question is rich in what? Nitrogen or phosphate, or potassium, or sulfur, or a few of the trace minerals? Most places have a county agent for the USDA where you can take a soil sample for testing and the results will tell you what to use for what. It can me to acidic or to sweet. Sweet = high ph, Acidic = low ph. You can plant a short row of okra and let it grow until it stops. Pull up a plant and inspect the roots for nematodes.
 
Watermelons thrive on casual neglect. They don't like too much water and seem to prefer poor soil.

The original watermelons were a desert plant, and they're still dry-farmed in the middle east.
They also do well on poor sandy in FL. I planted some in MO on heavy rich black dirt and they were not fit to eat. On sandy silt where a river had overflowed they thrived. All we ever did was harvest when ready. Seldom even pulled a weed and never fertilized.
 
They also do well on poor sandy in FL. I planted some in MO on heavy rich black dirt and they were not fit to eat. On sandy silt where a river had overflowed they thrived. All we ever did was harvest when ready. Seldom even pulled a weed and never fertilized.
I never fertilize anything. If it can't survive on its own, let it die.

I have planted watermelons most of my life on either intensively composted sand based garden soil or straight sand. They did well in both. Now I have heavy clay soil and they did just fine last summer. I planted them on the edge of the woodchip piles and never watered them. I have also grown them in sand as a dry garden crop.

The biggest thing seems to be not overwatering, which can be difficult if you get a lot of rain.
 
I never fertilize anything. If it can't survive on its own, let it die.

I have planted watermelons most of my life on either intensively composted sans based garden soil or straight sand. They did well in both. Now I have heavy clay soil and they did just fine last summer. I planted them on the edge of the woodchip piles and never watered them. I have also grown them in sand as a dry garden crop.

The biggest thing seems to be not overwatering, which can be difficult if you get a lot of rain.
I like things to eat and feed it what it needs to thrive so I can eat it rather than depend on stores. One thing I have seen commercial growers do is to plant a tall grass type grain between rows of watermelons that serve as a wind break. I've never done that. I don't have 100 acres of just watermelons so there is not the severity of wind damage on them. In this new place we have trouble with lack of bees for pollination on some kinds of beans. We can get to much rain or have a drought. I'd rather water as needed than have to much any day.
 

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