Title: My Watermelons Seem to Have Stopped Growing | Home Guides | SF Gate
Headings: My Watermelons Seem to Have Stopped Growing
My Watermelons Seem to Have Stopped Growing
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Soil Texture
Poor Pollination

Content: Soil Texture
Watermelon plants may grow more slowly if you plant them in the wrong soil. Heavy soils are the worst for growing watermelons because the resulting plants will produce flavorless melons and vines that grow slowly. The best soil for rapid growth and flavorful fruit is sandy loam. Adding organic matter to fine sand before planting can achieve this perfectly rich and sandy soil watermelons prefer. Poor Pollination
Slow growth of melons or very small watermelons with only a few seeds might have been caused by poor pollination. The plant produces female and male flowers, but the ratio favors male flowers seven to one over female flowers. Both types of flower will open only for a couple of hours early in the morning, which is when bees pick up pollen from the male flowers and deposit it onto the three stigma on each female flower. Incomplete pollination of only one or two stigma may result in watermelons that are misshapen. Certain factors like windy, rainy or cold weather or using bee-killing pesticides in the area could prevent watermelons from being properly pollinated. 00:05
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References
University of Minnesota Extension: