Reasons Why Watermelon Seedlings Wilt After Transplanting and How to Fix It

You carefully grow your watermelon seedlings, and right after transplanting they droop and their leaves curl. Don't worry, this is actually a very common "stress response", and it is mostly caused by a bit of minor damage to the roots or by the sudden change of environment. Today I will share with you all the remedies that I have personally tested and found effective, as well as the follow-up care methods. 

When you find watermelon seedlings wilting, first of all do not water them randomly or expose them to harsh sun; do these two steps first"Emergency rescue":

Shading and moisture retention are key: the roots of freshly transplanted watermelon seedlings are weak and cannot withstand strong light baking them. Find a shade net or move the pot to a spot with indirect light, and keep it shaded for 3 consecutive days, avoiding direct sunlight so that the leaves do not lose water even faster. Watering also has its rules; do not just pour on a lot at once. Water lightly once in the morning and once in the evening each day, keeping the soil slightly moist, so that it feels damp to the touch but is not clumped or waterlogged; only then can the roots slowly recover their ability to absorb water.

Use the soaking method to save "severely injured"seedlings: if the seedling wilts quite badly, it may be that the roots are severely damaged and their water-absorbing function has weakened. At this time, try the soaking method: find a shallow basin, fill it with some water, put the bottom of the flower pot into it, and let the water slowly seep upward from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. After about 10 minutes, when you see that the soil surface is moist down to one fifth of the depth, take it out immediately. This method lets water gently penetrate to the roots without putting extra strain on the injured roots, and it is more effective than watering directly.

After the emergency rescue, do not relax; the follow-up care must keep up so that the watermelon seedlings can fully recover and grow with new vitality:

Expose them to sunlight step by step: after 3days of shading, you cannot suddenly expose them to full sun; you have to let the seedlings adapt slowly. Starting from the 4th day, increase the light by 2hours each day, for example exposing them to sun for 2hours in the morning and another 2hours in the afternoon, gradually extending the light time. By the 7th day, observe the condition of the seedlings. If the newly grown leaves are firm and upright, and the original cotyledons also remain fresh green, then it means the seedlings have successfully recovered. At this point you can completely remove the shade net and let them enjoy the sunlight to their heart's content.

Control water and let the seedlings grow sturdy to promote rooting: about 7days after the seedlings have recovered successfully, you should give the watermelon seedlings a period of "controlled watering to make the seedlings sturdy". Do not water frequently; water only when the soil surface feels a bit dry to the touch, or even slightly hardened, so that the roots are pushed to reach deeper into the soil and grow more sturdy fibrous roots. Remember, during this period do not keep poking at the soil to look at the roots; the fine hair roots that cannot be seen with the naked eye are especially fragile, and poking at them easily damages them, which instead affects growth.

If the watermelon seedlings are wilting and at the same time you also find that the roots have turned black and are rotting, or that small brown spots or lesions appear on the leaves, then it may not just be a stress response, but an infection with seedling-stage diseases such as damping-off (rhizoctonia blight), and at this point you must use medication quickly!
 
You can use a 10%difenoconazole1500-fold dilution, combined with seaweed extract; first spray it on the leaves, and use the remaining solution to drench the roots. This can both sterilize and prevent disease, and supplement nutrients to the roots to help recovery. The earlier you deal with it, the greater the chance the seedlings will recover.

In fact, wilting of watermelon seedlings after transplanting is not scary; as long as you find the right cause and do a good job of emergency rescue and follow-up care, most of them can recover.