If your melon patch has ever yielded more vines than fruit, you're not alone. Melons are famously picky about soil conditions, especially when it comes to phosphorus, which plays a big role in healthy blooms and full, sweet fruit. Luckily, one gardener stumbled upon a surprisingly simple planting trick that viewers are calling a "great tip."

The scoop

TikTok gardener Brooke Morgan (@whatbrookemorgan) recently shared a happy accident that turned into one of her best summer gardening strategies: planting melons in an onion bed amended with bone meal.

@whatbrookemorgan Who knew that melons and onions were good companion/succession plantings?! If you want to grow the best melon of your life this year, try to leave a spot in your onion bed OR amend with bonemeal before planting 🌱 #backyardgarden #gardeninspiration #homegrown #suburbanhomestead #gardening #suburbangarden ♬ original sound - Brooke Morgan

"If you want to grow the best melons of your life this summer … then go ahead and leave a space in the bed you plant," Brooke explained. "Whenever I plant onions, I always amend with bone meal. Bone meal is super high in phosphorus, which onions really need to create that nice, really big, fat onion. Coincidentally, it's also what melons need for really healthy flower and fruit set."

Because onions in Brooke's central Texas garden go in around January and are harvested by May, she direct-sows melons in the open space of the bed in April. This gives the melon plants a phosphorus-rich head start and plenty of room to spread out once the onions are out of the way. It's a great example of companion planting — the practice of growing mutually beneficial crops together — and it requires no extra space or fertilizer.

How it's helping

Aside from growing gorgeous, juicy melons, this trick can save gardeners money on maintenance and prep while also maximizing growing space. Gardening has been shown to decrease stress and offer other mental health benefits. Companion planting also supports better soil health — so you can stop depending on fertilizer and control pests without chemicals.

Growing your own food means fewer trips to the grocery store, lower bills, and access to produce that's fresher, tastier, and better for the planet. By cutting demand for store-bought, globally shipped produce, home gardens help curb pollution associated with industrial agriculture. This improves air quality and human health while reducing heat-trapping gases that warm the planet. 

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Starting a garden and rewilding your yard are also great methods for making your yard a friendlier place for pollinators, ultimately benefiting our entire food supply.

What everyone's saying

Commenters loved the tip — and the results. 

"Great idea!" one wrote. 

Another added: "I am growing onions and melons this year, and I will put them together! Thanks for the tips!"

Others wanted to live vicariously through Brooke's green thumb. 

"I'm having zone envy, definitely going to try this with our tiny growing season," one person commented. 

"I needed to see this today," said another viewer.

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