first year using black perforated plastic with soaker hoses underneath to grow seedless,sugar baby watermelons,cantaloupe and honey dew. I have 4 mounts in a row, the hose circles each mound twice,once around the bottom and once around closer to the top. I seem to have root rot or something,the leaves go limp and turn yellow then eventually brown, the stems still look green for quite a while. I treated with fungicide but I really think I over watered. I've lost 2 plants and others are following. Have I run the hoses correctly or should I run them differently? How often should I water and for how long?

Welcome to the site!
Moving the question to the Vegetables and Fruits Forum.

Hmmm...
Black plastic ground cover... And soaker hoses under.

I'd take up the plastic.
It does sound like over watering... I've seen people drown their gardens in the drought...

Unfortunately, you didn't tell us anything about the soil... clay? Sand?
Or just how much water you were running out on the ground.

When I gardened in that part of the country, I got by fine on the water that fell out of the sky.

But maybe things are different now in Illinois...

I think I would replant... Maybe in a different spot.

I thought perforated black plastic with soaker hoses run underneath was the best way to grow melons. you less water and is good weed control. I would prefer to have my water come from the sky but it's not to reliable enough and I don't have that many rain barrels for when it does rain which right now we're in a drought so I have to rely on other sources for water,(city water). the soil I put the plant in is a mix of things, compost, back dirt,perlite or vermiculite,and sand. I dig about a 12" deep hole 16'' round and put the soil mix in leaving a 6"-8" mound. All the rest of the soil is back dirt that's been tilled to a depth of 6"-8". Garden size is about 10' x 50'. The plastic has 1/8" holes drilled in it 6" sq. I was using the soaker hoses for about 2hrs every 4-5 days but increased that when I saw things wilting. I thought it was do to the drought and hot temps and no rain,guess I was wrong. Still learning,trying anyway. Second year planting and first year on plastic w/soaker hoses

How hot is it under the black plastic?

Without regard to gardening shows that have money and a lot of people taking care of things, black plastis NOT a good thing to have in any garden, ever.

Yeah, I figure people have different methods and more power to them, but plastic sheeting mulch confounds me. So many downsides.

I don't know the temp under the plastic. Ok so get rid of the plastic,what about the soaker hoses? Is it good to use those and if so how would you run them? If not what is the best way to water the melons? I read that overhead watering (sprinklers) was not recommended, or watering the foliage at all except for rain. They were doing great,about 2/3 way to harvest and then one by one started wilting. I appreciate all the advice,thanks

rusty2 said: I thought perforated black plastic with soaker hoses run underneath was the best way to grow melons. you less water and is good weed control.

I would prefer to have my water come from the sky but it's not to reliable enough and I don't have that many rain barrels for when it does rain which right now we're in a drought so I have to rely on other sources for water,(city water).

the soil I put the plant in is a mix of things, compost, back dirt,perlite or vermiculite,and sand. I dig about a 12" deep hole 16'' round and put the soil mix in leaving a 6"-8" mound. All the rest of the soil is back dirt that's been tilled to a depth of 6"-8".

Garden size is about 10' x 50'. The plastic has 1/8" holes drilled in it 6" sq. I was using the soaker hoses for about 2hrs every 4-5 days but increased that when I saw things wilting. I thought it was do to the drought and hot temps and no rain,guess I was wrong. Still learning,trying anyway. Second year planting and first year on plastic w/soaker hoses

Plastic mulch cloth sounds good in theory... In practice? Maybe not so much.

I'd be more worried about stuff living in mud, than any particular worries about over-heating.
Black plastic is different from clear... but neither is desirable.

The worst thing that I'm seeing... is those holes dug and potting soil or whatever put in them.

What they tell us when planting trees... is that when the weather is wet they (those holes) act like bath tubs... when conditions are dry, they dry out first.

I think I would want to remove the plastic, and use a shovel and work up entire patch of soil to the depth shovel can reach.

As to watering?

Watermelons don't really thrive on a bunch of extra water, at my house.

Interesting that you increased the watering when stuff started to wilt.

Sounds like stuff was already being overwatered.

Thank you very much this helps a lot. I thought wilting meant it needed water. Any suggestions on the best way to water, when and how much. Any suggestions on weed control other than a hoe? and again thanks

Tip from nature, after Spring the rains slow, so we HOLD water from melon plants as they mature, plants naturally wilt in the heat, so don't look at them until late evening. IF the plant is still wilted when the sun comes up, then you water. That plastic could have cooked the roots...if you are going to use shade, do it from above and let the plant shade its own roots.
City water has chloramines that plants don't like, better to let it disperse. Can't remove the chlormines that I know of anyway.
Ditto to the above. Melons and cantaloupes don't develop if they don't have enough light, and if they don't develop, they rot.

The soaker hoses are fine, Ma used them for decades on roses and I used them till I got tired of having to drag any more hoses around than absolutelynecessary.

I water my vines, depending on year squash, watermelon, etc. overhead.
Leaves sagging is normal, but after I water the leaves no longer sag.

I have never had a problem but when I do it, with few exceptions, like the extreme drought { this and last year } , once a week for one hour or so.
I usually have rain gauges out so I have an idea how much I put down.
I do mulch as much of the garden as possible with leaves, hay or straw.

What Stone said about the soil IS very important; I have good soil , in both of my gardens with good drainage, but still at times add what ever mixture of a boughten concoction of soils strikes my fancy out of curiosity. ( I also roto-till in old potting soil , from the other half, when I have it, which does make a difference.)

I use a pointed or flat sand shovel to make the hole, having a spade also can be handy, but, make sure to loosen the soil the bottom of the hole, well, also, even after tilling.
I make the hole DEEP and wide enough so the roots will be dealing with that concoction for most of the summer.

Thank you all for your help with my melon garden problems. I am going to do my garden over using all the the help full information you have given me. I hope to return with a success story and pictures of the fruit.