Watermelon planting and care. Growing watermelons in open ground in the middle lane: growing technology from seeds and seedlings
Watermelon is a melon crop that grows reluctantly in conditions of northern and middle latitudes. Therefore, you need to buy seeds of zoned varieties. But they will also have to provide suitable conditions: loose semi-dry soil, a lot of sun and heat.
Sowing watermelons for seedlings
Sowing dates
Watermelons are grown by residents not only of the south, but also of the middle zone, Siberia and the Far East. For regions with cool and short summers, this melon cannot be grown without seedlings. The timing of sowing seeds depends on the variety chosen, as well as on when the threat of returning frosts has passed in a particular region.
Watermelon seedlings are planted in a permanent place at the age of 30–35 days. Knowing the date of the planned landing, it is easy to calculate when you can start sowing. For example, if morning frosts in your region occur until mid-May, then you need to sow a month earlier plus a week (for soaking and germination), we get - the beginning of April.
When to sow if watermelons grow in a greenhouse?
Landing in a greenhouse or unheated greenhouse, and not in open ground, has almost no effect on the above calculations. If you plan to plant under cover, then you can sow a week earlier, but after planting the seedlings, you will have to follow the weather and weather forecasts. The fact is that watermelons do not grow and do not develop at a temperature of +16 ⁰C and below. And if there are many cloudy days, when the sun does not warm the greenhouse, it is impossible to ventilate, then the seedlings can get sick and die. In addition, during freezing (at night and in the morning) under a film or agril, the temperature is not much higher than outside. Therefore, the seedlings will have to be additionally covered also inside the greenhouse or greenhouse.
But in summer, watermelons feel better under waterproof covering materials, because there they are protected from prolonged rains and cold winds. On sunny days, it is much warmer in the shelter, the fruits grow larger and sweeter than in the open field.
Optimal conditions for watermelons: temperature - +25 ... +30 ⁰C, humidity - 50–60%. Watermelon is a light-loving crop; in cloudy weather, development stops.
Choosing a container for seedlings
Watermelons do not tolerate picks, it is very difficult to take root in a new place if their roots are disturbed. Therefore, each seed is sown in an individual pot or cup in which the watermelon will grow until planting. The size of the cup is 10 cm in depth and the same in diameter. Moreover, the container should be such that the watermelon can be removed from it along with a clod of earth without exposing the roots. Pots made of peat or compressed paper are ideal, seedlings are planted directly in them without taking them out.
You can not grow watermelons in peat tablets. This is compressed peat, which does not contain any nutrients. Peat tablets are intended for germinating seeds of those crops that require picking.
What kind of soil do watermelons need?
Watermelon loves loose, moderately dry and neutral soil. Therefore, on sandy and sandy loamy soils, the culture develops faster and gives rich harvests. The soil for seedlings should be prepared in accordance with these preferences. You can use ready-made soil for cucumbers or make a mixture of equal parts: river sand, humus, soddy land. Before sowing, the soil must be spilled with boiling water or heated for 10 minutes in the microwave. A sign of successful disinfection - the earth should soar.
Video: Biologist's advice on using seedling containers and preparing soil mixture
Seed preparation
Often, store-bought seeds are already treated with fertilizers and fungicides for diseases. In this case, soaking and germination are not needed. Untreated seeds are best germinated in order to be sure of their germination. Then, after sowing, a sprout will definitely appear in each cup. To do this, watermelon seeds are first soaked in a growth stimulator. The most common is Epin Extra (4 drops per 1 liter of water). It not only contributes to the early awakening of the embryo of the plant, but also softens the shell of the seed.
Watermelon seeds are kept in Epin's solution for 12 hours, and then laid out between two wet cotton pads. Such a structure is placed in a disposable plastic container with a lid or on a saucer, which is wrapped in a plastic bag. For the rapid emergence of seedlings, a temperature in the range of - + 25 ... + 30 ⁰C is needed. After 4-5 days, the seeds should germinate, you can start sowing.
If you have to sow unsprouted watermelon seeds, then to soften their shell, the soil is watered with hot water (+50 ... +60 ⁰C) when planting along with the seed.
Stages of sowing watermelon seeds for seedlings
Video: How to sow watermelon seeds plus a greenhouse idea on a balcony
Watermelon seedling care at home
Temperature and lighting
As soon as shoots appear, they are transferred for 3-5 days to a sunny and cool place (+18 ... +20 ⁰C). The temperature in the following days and before disembarkation is +20 ... +25 ⁰C. Even on the southern window, watermelons can stretch out, because the weather does not always please us with sunny days. Therefore, you need to be ready to highlight the seedlings. In addition, the pots turn the other side to the glass every day.
Watering
In addition to heat and light, watermelons need moisture. Watermelons are watered rarely, but plentifully, soaking the whole clod of earth, but not falling on the leaves. The signal for watering is the drying of the topsoil to a depth of 1–1.5 cm. Watermelons love dry air, so there is no need to spray them.
The watermelon root is long and adapted to extract water from the lower layers of the soil.
Water should be settled and warm. It is better to keep it in the same place where watermelons grow so that there is no temperature difference when watering. The earth in pots is always kept loose.
top dressing
For the entire seedling period, watermelons are given only 1-2 top dressings. The first one a week after germination is needed if the plants receive enough light and heat, but grow poorly, real leaves grow slowly, they are small. This means that the soil taken for planting turned out to be poor, it has few nutrients. The second top dressing is done a week before planting in a permanent place, so that the seedlings gain strength and endure stress more easily.
Top dressing seedlings of watermelons - table
Fertilizers are applied after watering, on damp ground. Pour about 1-2 tablespoons into each pot.
Photo: Fertilizers for dressing seedlings
Complex fertilizer Fertika Lux (powder) Agricola Forward - concentrate for feeding seedlings 
Uniflor Growth - top dressing for the rapid development of green mass
hardening
If watermelons continue to grow in the open field, then hardening is necessary. Seedlings are taken out to the balcony or open the window. You can not immediately expose young watermelons to direct sunlight and wind. For the first "walk" choose a place shaded and protected from the wind. Gradually, the intensity and time of sunbathing is increased from 15 minutes to a whole day.
In the open air, the soil in pots dries out faster, which means that you will have to check its condition and water it more often.
Seedling problems and solutions - table
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| Seeds cannot shed their shell | Seeds are sown finely or the seed is weak, underdeveloped | Moisten the shell with water several times a day, the watermelon will drop it by itself. You can not pull the dry shell with your hands, the shoot may die. |
| Uneven seedlings | The seeds were sown at different depths, covered with heavy soil from above, a crust formed. | Use loose soil for watermelon seedlings, sow seeds at the same depth. |
| The seedlings died, the stems near the ground darkened | Seedlings fell ill with a black leg. Among the reasons: excessive watering, contaminated land, a cold window sill. |
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| Seedlings stretched out | Not enough light or nutrients |
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| Pests have appeared | Aphids or spider mites can move to watermelons from indoor flowers or from the ground in which they hibernate. |
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| The leaves are turning yellow | Not enough food | Feed with Agricola, Fertika Lux or Uniflor. |
| Colorless (white) spots on the leaves | Sunburn is often given to seedlings that are first taken out of the room under the bright sun. | Start hardening on a cloudy day or shade watermelons, for example, with paper. On the windowsill, the leaves of the seedlings should not touch the glass. |
| White mold on the surface of the soil | Mold spores are found in the air of any room. It develops on waterlogged soil with a lack of ultraviolet rays. | Loosen, sprinkle the ground with crushed coal, wood ash, spray with a weak solution of brilliant green (1 drop per 1 liter of water). |
When to plant watermelons in a permanent place?
The main rule of the gardener is to plant seedlings in the evening or on a cloudy day. Watermelons should be well watered 3-5 hours before. Of course, there should be no more frosts in the morning. A favorable temperature for watermelons is required: during the day +20 ... +30 ⁰C, at night not lower than +16 ... +18 ⁰C. The first 2-3 days the seedlings are shaded.
Video: What should be the seedlings when planting, plus how important it is not to damage the watermelon root
Watermelon is a capricious culture. It is worth studying its features before starting to grow seedlings. So, the roots are very sensitive to transplantation, and water and nutrition are taken from the depths. The above-ground green part needs a lot of light and heat. But it is impossible to expose seedlings sharply in the sun. To get a good harvest of watermelons, you need to try not only when growing in a permanent place, but also at the seedling stage.
Plant watermelon (lat. Citrullus lanatus)- herbaceous annual, species of the genus Watermelon of the Pumpkin family. Watermelon is a gourd crop, whose homeland is southern Africa - Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa. The colocynth species, related to watermelon, is still found here, which is considered the ancestor of the cultivated watermelon. This culture was cultivated in ancient Egypt, in the 20th century BC: watermelon seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Evidence that the watermelon was known to the ancient Romans, who ate it fresh and salty and also made honey from it, can be found in the verses of Virgil. The watermelon fruit was also grown in China, where it was called the "melon of the West", and the Arabs, who used it before meals to cleanse the body. Crusaders brought watermelon to Europe, and it appeared on the territory of modern Russia in the 13th-14th centuries AD. Today, China is the world champion in watermelon cultivation, closely followed by Turkey, Iran, Egypt, the American states, as well as Uzbekistan and Russia. Watermelons grow best in climates with long, hot, dry summers and short, cold winters.
Watermelon berry - description
The watermelon has thin branched stems, curly or creeping, most often smoothed-five-sided, reaching a length of 4 m. At a young age, the stems are covered with dense pubescence. Watermelon leaves are petiolate, alternate, pubescent, harsh, rough on both sides, triangular-ovate, heart-shaped at the base, 8 to 22 cm long, 5 to 18 cm wide. Watermelon flowers that bloom in summer are female, male and hermaphroditic, with boat-shaped bracts. The fruit is a watermelon berry, a multi-seeded juicy pumpkin with a smooth surface and juicy, sweet pink or red flesh, although there are varieties with yellowish flesh and a rough rind.
Sowing seeds of watermelon.
Growing watermelons in open ground is carried out by seed method, seedlings and seedlings. In warm areas, seeds can be sown directly into the ground, prepared in advance and warmed up to 12-14 ºC. Before sowing, the seeds are kept in a thermos with water at a temperature of 50 ºC until the sprouts hatch. In holes about 8 cm deep, located at a distance of 1 meter from each other, place a tablespoon of ash, a teaspoon of ammofoska, a kilogram of humus and thoroughly mix the additives with the soil. Then they pour 2 liters of water into the hole, wait for it to be absorbed, put two or three seeds flat in the hole at a distance from each other, cover them with soil and trample it down. After sowing, the bed is not watered.
The first shoots may appear in a week or so. If you sow the seeds in cold ground, the emergence of seedlings will have to wait longer, they may even die. To prevent this from happening, sow the seeds in the ground no earlier than the third decade of May. The shoots that appeared in the development phase of 3-4 true leaves are thinned out, that is, weak shoots are removed by cutting them off just above the surface of the bed.
Growing seedlings of watermelon.
In areas with a short summer, watermelons are best grown in seedlings. The cultivation of watermelon seedlings begins in May with sowing seeds in separate containers of at least 0.3 liters in order to avoid intermediate transplanting or picking, which pumpkin is so poorly tolerated. Planting watermelons for seedlings is carried out in the ground, which should consist of peat, sod land and sand in equal parts. For five liters of this soil mixture, add 50 g of potassium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and dolomite flour, as well as 100 g of double superphosphate. A few days before planting a watermelon, the seeds are heated for half an hour in water at a temperature of 55 ºC, and then germinated in wet sand at a temperature of 25 ºC. Only after the seeds have tiny shoots, they are sown 2-3 pieces in separate pots on the surface of the previously described soil mixture, sprinkled with sand on top, cover the cups with film or glass and transfer to a warm place where the temperature is not lower than 30 ºC. When shoots appear in a week, the film is removed, and the temperature is lowered to 16-18 ºC for nine days.
Caring for watermelon seedlings includes feeding, watering and, if necessary, organizing additional artificial lighting, since watermelon needs a twelve-hour daylight hours. Water the seedlings in several stages, allowing the water to soak in, but make sure that water does not get on the leaves of the seedlings. In the development phase of 3 true leaves, seedlings are fed with a solution of complex mineral fertilizers or liquid mullein. 10 days before planting the seedlings in the garden, the seedlings begin to harden: they are taken out to the balcony or terrace for an hour or two, daily increasing the time spent in the fresh air until they bring it to 24 hours.
Watermelon pick.
How to dive watermelons? As already mentioned, gourd seedlings do not dive for fear of damaging their root system. They don't even get pinched.
Planting watermelon in open ground
When to plant watermelon in the ground.
When to plant watermelon seedlings in the garden? Planting watermelons in the ground is carried out four weeks after sowing seeds in the development phase of the fifth or sixth true leaf - at the end of May or the first decade of June. Choose for watermelons a wind-sheltered, well-heated and well-lit area on the south or southeast side, on which perennial grasses (alfalfa, sweet clover, sainfoin), winter wheat, cabbage, onions or annual legumes were grown before watermelons. It is not recommended to grow watermelons after plants such as nightshade (potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper) and pumpkin (melon, zucchini, squash, and watermelon). After you harvest watermelons, it will be possible to grow pumpkins in this area only after 6-8 years.
Ground for watermelon.
The soil for watermelon is preferably sandy or sandy with a pH of 6.5-7 units. The preparation of the site is carried out in the fall: for digging, 4-5 kg of rotted manure are applied per m², as well as 40-45 g of superphosphate, 15-25 g of potassium salt and 24-35 g of ammonium sulfate per unit area. In heavy soils, one or two buckets of sand per m² are added. Fresh manure is not used to fertilize the soil.
How to plant watermelons in open ground.
Make holes in the garden at a distance of 1-1.5 m from each other in a checkerboard pattern, leaving row spacings 2 meters wide, and pour 1.5-2 liters of water into each hole. Seedlings are buried in the holes along the cotyledon leaves, the soil is tamped after planting, and then the surface of the area around the seedlings is sprinkled with sand within a radius of 10 cm in order to prevent root rot. Pour the seedlings with warm water and protect them from the sun's rays until the seedling leaves restore turgor.
Growing watermelon in a greenhouse.
In areas with cold and short summers, watermelons are grown in greenhouses, since the vegetative period of the crop sometimes lasts about 150 days, and there are much fewer truly warm days in the northern area. To speed up the process, first, watermelon seedlings are grown at home, and then they are planted in a garden bed in a greenhouse under a double film coating. You already know how to grow watermelon seedlings. It is necessary to start growing it in the third decade of April, and planting watermelons in a greenhouse is carried out when the soil in it warms up to 12-14 ºC. The soil on the beds is prepared in advance: a week before planting the seedlings, a layer of soil is removed from the beds with a depth of a shovel bayonet, hay with humus is laid in the resulting trench, which is sprinkled with nitrogen fertilizer on top and watered with hot water. The removed layer of soil is laid on the hay pillow and the bed is covered with black covering material, which can be removed just before planting.
Seedlings are planted to a depth of 10 cm in holes arranged in one row at a distance of 70 cm from one another. As the lashes develop, they are tied to a trellis installed in advance. For normal fruiting, you need to let a few bees into the greenhouse. But since the male flowers only live for a few hours, don't risk the future harvest, take care of pollination yourself: pick a few male flowers, carefully remove the petals from them and apply their anthers to the stigmas of the female flowers. It is desirable that each female flower be pollinated by several male flowers. It is necessary to engage in artificial pollination in the morning, when the air temperature in the greenhouse is 18-20 ºC. It is very important that the night temperature on the eve of this important event is not lower than 12 ºC.
In order to accelerate the growth of lashes, pinch them in such a way that there are no more than 3-5 leaves above the fruit, and remove weak shoots altogether. From the ovaries, leave no more than 5 pieces on each bush, remove the rest. For the first time, watermelon fertilizer is applied to the grooves dug at a distance of 20 cm from the bush, when the lashes reach a length of 25-50 cm, and it would be best at this time to feed the plant with a solution of mullein (1:10) or liquid fermented chicken manure (1: 20 ). The second top dressing is applied before the start of the budding process, and the third - after the formation of the ovaries, but both times the grooves are already made at a distance of 40 cm from the bush. Like the first time, watermelons are fed with mullein or liquid chicken manure, since organic matter is the best fertilizer for watermelon.
When the fruits start to increase in size, turn them over from time to time so that they ripen evenly. Don't forget to ventilate the greenhouse.
watermelon care
How to grow watermelon.
Watermelons in the open field do not need annoying care, however, there are agrotechnical measures that cannot be neglected. These include thinning seedlings, watering, weeding, loosening the soil, pinching lashes. In the development phase of 3-4 true leaves, thin out the seedlings, leave one or two in the hole, and cut the rest just above the soil surface. Although some gardeners successfully plant extra seedlings, they take root well and bear fruit.
When the ovaries appear, leave no more than 6 fruits on the bush, and under those that lie on the ground, place some non-rotting material - roofing material, a piece of plastic or foil.
Watermelon watering.
Watermelons are watered once a week, but plentifully, at the rate of 3 buckets per m² of land. When the heat comes or it's time for flowering, it is necessary to carry out 2 such abundant waterings per week, moistening not only the soil around the bushes, but also the aisles - the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe plot. When fruits are formed, watering is gradually reduced to a complete cessation two weeks before harvest. In total, watermelons are watered 3-4 times during the summer: with the development of 5-7 leaves, during the flowering period and at the beginning of fruit formation.
A day or two after watering at the beginning of the growing season, loosen the soil in the area to a depth of 6 cm and at the same time remove weeds from it. When the watermelons close the rows, the weeds will no longer harm them, so loosening and weeding can be stopped, especially since the root system of the plant extending in different directions is very easy to damage with a chopper.
Watermelon nutrition.
Two weeks after planting, the seedlings need to be fed. How to fertilize watermelons in open ground? The first time it is best to apply ammonium nitrate by dissolving 20 g of fertilizer in a bucket of water, using 2 liters of solution for each bush. You can replace saltpeter with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20), adding 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of calcium chloride to a bucket of solution. The next dressing is applied during the budding period, and it consists of 4 g of calcium chloride, 4 g of ammonium nitrate and 6 g of superphosphate per plant. If you will be applying dry fertilizer, then water the area before and after applying it.
Pests and diseases of watermelon
What's wrong with watermelons? Most often they are affected by white, gray, black and root rot, powdery mildew - real and false, anthracnose, angular and olive spotting and mosaic. With careful preparation of seed and soil for planting and proper care of melons, watermelons, as a rule, are not affected by either diseases or pests. But it doesn’t happen year after year, and anything can happen, so the best way to protect your melon is to be able to quickly identify the disease and know how to treat watermelons from a particular disease.
Powdery mildew is caused by a fungus. The leaves of plants are covered with a grayish-white coating, under which the leaves die off, and the fruits become tasteless, unsweetened, deformed and rot.
Downy mildew, or peronosporosis, is also excited by the fungus, but only old leaves are affected at first and only then young ones. Angular light yellow spots appear on them, and a grayish-purple coating forms on the underside. The fruits become ugly and stop developing.
Olive blotch looks like irregularly shaped spots that cover all the ground parts of the plant, causing the leaves to become corrugated, and olive-colored ulcers appear on the stems and petioles of the leaves. The ties dry and fall off.
Angular spotting, or bacteriosis, is carried by insects and looks like whitish oily spots on the ground parts of the plant, as a result of which holes appear in the leaves and they fall off, the stems wither, the fruits become soft, transparent and stop growing.
Anthracnose, or copperhead, is also a fungal disease, from which brown or yellow spots with yellowish-pink pads appear on watermelon leaves, and in wet weather the spots become covered with a pink bloom. If the defeat is severe, the watermelon dries up and dies.
White, gray, black and root rot are also fungal diseases, each of which can destroy both a single bush and the crop as a whole. White, black and gray rot destroy the leaves, stems and fruits of watermelon, and root rot destroys the roots of the plant.
Cucumber mosaic, unlike all the diseases described above, is a viral disease that cannot be dealt with. It manifests itself by the appearance on the leaves of a mosaic pattern in green and light green tones. The plant lags behind in growth, swellings, tubercles and dots appear on the fruits.
Of the pests, watermelons are most harmed by melon aphids, gnawing scoops and wireworms.
Wireworms are larvae of click beetles that resemble hard pieces of wire and feed on watermelon seeds and seedlings.
The melon aphid is dangerous in itself, because it feeds on the cell sap of the ground parts of the watermelon, and as a carrier of such a dangerous disease as mosaic, because there is no cure for it.
Gnawing and winter scoops lay their eggs on the plant, and the caterpillars that have emerged from them feed on watermelon, gnawing its roots, which is why the watermelon turns yellow and dies.
Watermelon processing.
The fight against watermelon diseases is carried out by treating with fungicides - Fundazol, Bordeaux mixture, Skor, Decis and others. What kind of fungicide you need, it is better to find out in a specialized store where you can buy chemicals to kill any fungus and find out how to treat watermelons with this drug. However, it will be better for your melons and for your health, instead of using fungicides, observe crop rotation, comply with the agrotechnical conditions for growing crops and take proper care of ripening watermelons. If you follow all the rules, the plants will not get sick with a fungal disease.
As for harmful insects, the aphids are destroyed by dusting the plants sprinkled with water with a mixture of ash and tobacco dust in equal proportions, and 20 minutes after treatment, the soil is loosened on the site, thereby destroying the fallen insects. Scoop caterpillars are lured into pieces of cake or plant residues of a sweetish taste and are collected, just like wireworms. To do this, deepenings of 50 cm are made in the soil, cake is thrown there, pieces of sweet root crops are thrown in and these traps are covered with shields, which are removed in a day or two, and the insects that have gathered there are destroyed. We remind you that usually, like diseases, pests infect weakened and neglected plants.
Collection and storage of watermelons
Before picking watermelons, you need to make sure that they have reached the first stage of removable maturity - it usually occurs 5 days before full maturity. If you skip this step and remove the watermelon later, it will not last long, and if you store an unripe watermelon, it is unlikely to ripen in storage. You can determine the state of the first maturity by the color of the pulp and seeds, characteristic of each variety of watermelons. If you remove the watermelons in time, when the flesh in them is pink, then during storage it will gradually turn red - the watermelon will ripen already in the mat, without losing sweetness.
The longest stored watermelons are late varieties, which have a denser and thicker peel, and the pulp has a rough structure. Early-ripening and mid-ripening watermelons are removed as they ripen and eaten or processed - they are made into jam, salted or pickled, and the fruits of late-ripening varieties intended for storage are cut with a pruner or a sharp knife along with a 5 cm long peduncle just before frost. Do not tear the berry from the stem, as it often begins to rot at the place of separation.
For storage, choose medium-sized watermelons with a thick rind, shiny and intact - it should not have any dents, no cracks, no soft spots, no scratches. When transporting, do not drop or place watermelons on a hard surface, do all work with gloves. When laying watermelons, make sure that they do not touch each other - this measure will help to avoid infection of the fruit with rot.
Optimal conditions for laying watermelons: temperature 1-4 ºC at an air humidity of 75-85%, as well as good ventilation. We offer you the following storage options:
- - collect dry moss in the forest in sunny weather, spread it in a thick layer on the bottom of a wooden box, put a watermelon on top and cover it with moss on all sides, then put other watermelons, wrapping each of them with moss;
- - instead of moss, you can use wood ash. Watermelons sprinkled with ashes in a box or barrel are lowered into the cellar and stored in it under a tightly closed lid;
- - dip each watermelon in a clay or alabaster mash of the consistency of thick sour cream, let the coating dry and lower the fruit into the cellar;
- - instead of clay or alabaster, you can use wax or paraffin: melt them in a water bath, cover each fruit with a layer about five millimeters thick and lower the processed watermelons into the cellar;
- - wrap each watermelon with a dense natural cloth, put it in a net and hang it in the cellar to the ceiling;
- - make racks in the cellar, put a thick layer of straw on their shelves and lay watermelons on top so that they are wrapped in straw;
- - find a dark, cool place in the apartment where no light penetrates, place watermelons there and turn them over daily.
No matter how and wherever you store watermelons, make it a rule to check in what condition they are, at least once a week, in order to notice the spoiled fruit in time and not allow it to infect other watermelons with rot. With the right variety, place and storage method, you can enjoy watermelons until spring.
Types and varieties of watermelons
Actually, an ordinary watermelon, which we grow and buy in markets and stores, is a species of the genus Watermelon, in which there are two varieties:
– African melon tsamma (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) , growing in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa, and familiar to all of us woolly watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) , which is found only in a cultural form. Moreover, Asian, European and American breeders had a hand in creating many varieties of this variety that exist today. Here we will introduce you to the varieties of this watermelon.
Varieties of watermelons for open ground are divided into early, mid-ripening and late, suitable only for areas with long warm summers. When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account its resistance not only to cold, but also to drought, diseases and pests, as well as the need for fertilizers and the ability to grow. So, the early varieties of watermelons:
- - American hybrid Victoria, ripening for 62 days or a little more, with a rounded fruit weighing up to 10 kg;
- - variety Skorik with small light green fruits weighing up to 4 kg with scalloped, blurry stripes along the edges with delicate, sweet red pulp of high palatability and thick skin;
- – Jenny is an ultra-early American hybrid, ripening from 54 days and forming on each bush 4-6 standard-sized white-green fruits weighing up to one and a half kilograms, with thin dark stripes, very thin peel, seeds no larger than grape seeds and bright, very tasty pulp;
- - Stabolite is the best of the seedless hybrids, ripening from 62 days, with powerful and large elongated fruits with very tasty pulp. It is pollinated with the help of varieties Lady, Trophy from the Nunems variety series;
- - Ogonyok - a variety of Russian selection with small fruits up to 2 kg in weight with a thin peel and tasty pulp;
- – Dolby is an American large-fruited, stress-resistant hybrid that matures after 60 days.
Mid-season varieties:
- - Couch potato - the ripening period of this variety is from 75 to 90 days. It is drought-resistant, rarely affected by diseases and pests. Medium-sized light green with prickly stripes, fruits up to 5 kg in weight with a thin peel have a red-pink, pleasant-tasting pulp of medium density;
- - Top Gan is one of the most popular high-yielding American varieties, ripening in 70-75 days with large rounded fruits weighing up to 10 kg and crispy dark red flesh with small seeds. Watermelons of this variety are perfectly stored and resistant to anthracnose;
- – Dumara is a productive hybrid, ripening from 75 days, with oval-cubic fruits with sweet, tender pulp and very tender seeds;
- - Antey is a hybrid with tender and record-breaking sweet pulp of oval-cubic fruits. From fertilizers prefers organic;
- – Ataman is a disease-resistant variety of domestic selection, ripening in 66-86 days, with rounded prickly fruits weighing up to 10 kg with red tasty pulp of medium density.
Watermelons for open ground late varieties:
- - Spring - this variety can be grown not only on melons, but also in a greenhouse. Elongated-spherical smooth fruits weighing up to 3 kg with a dense, barely noticeable green mesh on an olive-colored background contain grainy, tender and sweet dark red flesh. This variety ripens in 105 days;
- - Icarus is a productive, drought-resistant variety that ripens in 88-110 days. Fruits weighing from 3 to 16 kg are dark green in color with weakly pronounced stripes and very strong bark. The pulp is red-raspberry, very sweet. The variety is perfectly stored, it can lie until March;
- – Kholodok is the most common late-ripening variety, ripening in 100 days, with large, from 15 to 25 kg in weight, ellipsoid, slightly segmented fruits with a strong green bark in an almost black stripe, hiding a very sweet, bright red flesh with a pink tint. Fruit shelf life - 3 months;
- - Melania - a hybrid of the Early variety, ripening after 80 days, with oval fruits weighing up to 12 kg. The bark is green with wide dark green stripes, the flesh is crisp, dark red, with small seeds.
Fans of outlandish plants are invited to try their luck in growing a Japanese variety of watermelon, rare in our area, from the island of Hokkaido Densuke with an almost black bark or a giant-sized American hybrid California Cross. The smallest watermelons are Pepkinos, which can be thrown into the mouth entirely. And for those who are irritated by the bones in the watermelon berry, we offer the seedless variety Red King. Seekers of new gastronomic sensations will definitely like the nutmeg-flavored watermelon of the Vector variety, bred by a breeder from Astrakhan, which also boasts the creation of the Lunny variety - a watermelon with yellow flesh and a hint of lemon.
Probably, you rarely meet a person who would not like watermelons. However, not all of us have a plot to grow our favorite fruits and vegetables. This is the main reason why people are wondering how to grow watermelon at home.
Not everyone knows, but you can grow watermelons without using seedlings, but immediately in a permanent place. As a rule, seedlings are used in order to later transplant plants into a greenhouse. Garden How to grow watermelon outdoors
This is done so that the berry has time to ripen. And if we are talking about growing a fetus at home, then this stage can be safely skipped.
Basic steps to grow the most delicious watermelon on the planet
You should start by buying a sufficiently large capacity, because the watermelon has an extensive root system. For this, a box measuring 50x50x30 cm is perfect. You can make it yourself, for example, from wooden boards. If this is not possible, then you can always take a bowl or bucket. If the selected container is transparent, then it makes sense to wrap it with a dark-colored cloth. Such a measure is necessary so that the roots do not dry out and turn green. The container must be filled with fertile soil with trace elements.
You can buy it at any garden or hardware store. Fortunately, in our time, even in some supermarkets you can find such products, if, of course, there is a garden department there. Thirty days before you plan to plant a watermelon, you will need to lime the soil. This is necessary so that the acidity is about 6 pH.
Before planting the seeds, they must first be soaked for about ten minutes in water with a temperature of more than 100C. You need to keep it until the seeds begin to peck, after which they can be planted. Please note that it is impossible to separate the seeds in any case.
How many seeds to plant?
You don't need much, because they can all ascend. But three seeds would be the best option. Planting should be at a depth of about three centimeters. After the sprouts appear, you need to choose the strongest and leave it.
Plant placement
The best place is by the window
There is no better place than a windowsill. You can, of course, just put it near the window, but at the same time the plant should receive a sufficient amount of light. However, do not forget that the frame cannot be left open, otherwise there is a risk of freezing the heat-loving plant. The best temperature for ripening is between +25 to +30 degrees. Until the fruit is formed, the plant will be considered a seedling. At night, the optimum temperature will be about +18 degrees. When you notice that the fruits begin to set, do not drastically lower the room temperature. Leave it also at least +25 degrees. In addition, it should be remembered that moisture for watermelons is detrimental. It must be remembered that watering should be moderate, do not pour too much.
In three months you can harvest
As a rule, if watermelons are grown in a greenhouse, then it takes about three months. If we are talking about growing watermelon at home, then most likely it will take a little longer. If we are talking about growing at a time of the year when the daylight hours are less than twelve hours, then fluorescent lamps should be used. This is necessary to highlight the watermelon. Try to keep your lighting clearly directional. Let it illuminate the plant as much as possible. In addition, special reflective surfaces should also be used. Moreover, you should place them around the watermelon.
Vitamins and minerals for the plant
Like any other living creature, watermelon needs to be fed. Try to do it in a certain way. The most common method is the primary feeding with phosphorus and nitrogen. Moreover, it is done in the same quantities. After you see that the fruits are tied, you should think about using top dressing, where there is a large amount of potassium. And at this moment it is necessary to ensure that there is not so much nitrogen in the top dressing as at the initial stage.
It makes sense to install a support in the container, with which you can fix the shoots of your watermelon. The main stem, as a rule, is attached at a height of about one hundred centimeters. Lateral shoots are attached a little differently: they are pinned so that a few leaves remain above the flower with the ovary.
After you notice that the fruits have formed, you do not need to leave everything. Two is enough, all the rest need to be pinched off, because there will be no point in them. They will only take away all the juices and nutrients. If you leave more than two fruits, then they will all remain small. When you see that the fetus has reached a size of about ten centimeters in diameter, then it must be placed in gauze or mesh, after which it should be tied to a support. This is done to make it more durable.
By the way, when you grow watermelon at home, you should remember that it will not reach such huge sizes as when planting in a greenhouse. However, thinner skin will be a big advantage. Usually, growing watermelon at home, you can get a fruit weighing about a kilogram.
If you do not know which variety should be preferred, then stop at the seeds of such varieties as "Kaho", "Spark" or "Sibiryak". These varieties are the most unpretentious for growing at home.
If the first time you fail to grow the watermelon that you wanted or does not work at all, then you should not be very upset. Try again, just at the next landing you will need to take into account the mistakes made and not repeat them again. Juicy and sweet watermelons to you!
Watermelon loves the sun, warmth and moderate watering. In the regions of Russia, it is not difficult to grow it, the fruits fully ripen over a long summer. In the middle zone of the country, only in the presence of hot sunny weather can a delicious juicy watermelon grow. If the summer is rainy and cloudy, then it will be very difficult to get a ripe sweet berry even in protected ground.
A place for melon has been prepared since autumn. The best precursors to watermelon are wheat, corn, legumes, cabbage, onions, and potatoes.
The soil is dug up, rotted manure, old chicken manure, sand are brought in and left until spring. As for the greenhouse, it is also prepared in the fall, adding the same fertilizers and sand.
The best varieties of watermelon of domestic selection
- sugar baby,
- spark,
- Astrakhan.
sugar baby excellent for cultivation in the northern regions of Russia, the ripening period from the moment of emergence of seedlings is 75-85 days. The fruit with sweet bright red flesh weighs up to 4 kg, has a rounded shape, the skin color is dark green without stripes. The variety is perfect for pickling. Recommended planting pattern 60x100 cm.
Variety fruits spark have the shape of an ideal ball, excellent transportable properties. Under the thin black-green skin is juicy bright red flesh, sweet in taste. The average fruit weight is 2 kg.
The variety is mid-season, the ripening period from the moment of emergence of seedlings is 71-87 days. Recommended planting pattern 60x100 cm.
Astrakhan- the most popular mid-season large-fruited (8-9 kg) variety of domestic selection, we see it in August on store shelves and markets.
Fruits of a round or oblong shape with a pattern of dark green stripes are distinguished by excellent transportable properties and retain their presentation for a long time. The pulp has a rich sweet taste. The ripening period from the moment of emergence of shoots is 70-81 days.
watermelon seedling
Watermelon can be grown through seedlings and by sowing seeds in open ground. Sowing begins at the end of April. Seeds are previously kept for about 10 minutes in hot water (50 0C). Then they are germinated in water at room temperature until white roots 1-2 mm in size appear.
After the seeds are wrapped in a well-wrung cloth and placed for 6 hours in the refrigerator closer to the freezer for hardening. Now you can start sowing.
Prepared seeds are planted in bowls with drainage holes 10-12 cm in diameter to a depth of 4 cm. Pots can be covered with foil. It is necessary to maintain a temperature of 23-25 0C during the day and 18-20 0C at night. When seedlings appear, the day and night air temperature should be no higher than 20 0C. Seedlings do not need to dive and pinch. At the end of May, the seedlings are ready for transplanting into a greenhouse.
For seedlings choose the sunniest place. Some plants can be planted in a nursery, some - in unprotected soil. Seedlings are planted in a tape method at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other or in holes of 3-5 pieces. Many summer residents plant 1-2 plants in holes with a diameter of 1 m to reduce the risk of fungal diseases.
Growing watermelons need regular watering 2-3 times a week, not only the ground around the stem, but the entire melon should be watered, thereby creating favorable conditions and optimal humidity for plant development. Until mid-June, the risk of night frosts remains. To prevent the death of young watermelons, melons should be covered at night with non-woven material or agrospan.
The greenhouse must be regularly ventilated and the condition of the plants monitored for suspicious spots on the leaves and fruits.
The holes are carefully weeded, trying not to damage the whip. It is also not recommended to shift them, otherwise you can provoke shedding of the ovaries.
Pinching the lashes is carried out once. When the ovaries are 8-10 cm in diameter, 3-4 leaves are left after the second fruit and the lash is cut off. On each plant, 2-3 lashes with the largest fruits are left.
As a result, 4 to 6 watermelons are obtained from each plant. In August, the fruits are turned over every week for uniform ripening. In rainy weather, planks or pieces of slate are placed under them. Stop watering a week before harvest.
Gourds are most often affected by spider mites, tobacco thrips and melon aphids. They suck the juice from the leaves, stem, flowers and ovaries, delaying the growth and development of watermelons. Damaged parts of the plant shrivel, curl, turn yellow and dry out.
The melon is sprayed with a saturated decoction of onion or garlic husks, a solution of laundry soap, looking under each leaf. Watermelons are also dusted with sifted ash mixed with tobacco dust in equal parts.
For better adhesion of ash, 200 g of ash is diluted in one bucket of water, half a piece of planed laundry soap is added and each sheet is processed from bottom to top.
With a lot of effort, you can grow ripe large and environmentally friendly watermelon fruits in the country, which you can eat without risk to health. Unripe watermelons can be salted, getting a tasty and unusual snack.
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And open ground is not fraught with great difficulties. Some summer residents refuse to plant gourds, considering it inappropriate to occupy a large area of the site. Meanwhile, these crops get along well together and give an excellent harvest, subject to certain rules. In a compact garden plot, it is not necessary to allocate a separate place for melons and watermelons, they can be planted side by side and enjoy juicy sweet fruits.
Seed treatment before planting
Seed material is planted in peat forms at the end of April. Before sowing, it is advisable to warm the seeds well indoors or near a heating device. It is also recommended to soak them in warm water and disinfect in one of the solutions:
- hydrogen peroxide solution is prepared at the rate of 10 tablets per liter of water;
- a weak solution of manganese or boron 0.05% concentration;
- "Epin extra", the stimulant is diluted as follows: 6 drops of bioadditives per 100 ml of water;
- "Zircon", the solution is prepared at the rate of 2-4 drops of liquid per liter of water.
Treatment with biostimulants will not only destroy pathogens, but also allow plants to adapt to temperature disasters, and also increase crop yields. Soaking is carried out in a cotton bag, which is dipped in heated (about 60 °) water, the liquid is allowed to drain and left for a day. During this time, the seeds should swell and crack a little. If this did not happen, planting them in the ground does not make sense: the culture will turn out to be weak. When planting, 2 seeds are placed in each mold, in the future this will allow you to remove a weaker branch.
Simultaneous soaking and warming the seeds is the best preparation for seedlings. Melons are watered only with water at room temperature, while making sure that it does not irrigate the leaves. Seedlings of gourds are quite capricious and require good lighting, warmth and careful watering.
Special soil is sold in stores, but you can cook it yourself. To do this, mineral fertilizer "Kemira universal" is added to suitable soil. For each pot, 1 teaspoon is enough, then the earth is well mixed. Seeds are buried to a depth of 2-3 cm and watered. Under favorable conditions, the first shoots appear on the 5-6th day, and after a week you can see the first leaf.
Planting gourds in covered ground is carried out at the end of May. By this time, the soil will already warm up enough, and frosts will not damage the root system. Previously, young plants are recommended to be hardened, for this they are taken out into the street at a temperature of 13-15 degrees or the air in the room is cooled to these figures. The best age of seedlings for planting is approximately 25-30 days.
Before planting, the soil is covered with plastic wrap, in which holes for peat containers are cut. This allows not only to protect heat-loving crops from low temperatures, but also increases productivity. Fertilizers are additionally added to the wells: humus, ash or mineral additives. From above, the nutrients are covered with a layer of earth.
The greenhouse should maintain optimal temperature and light conditions. The temperature during the day should be 20-25°, and at night - 15-18°. Water moderately and infrequently with warm water. To prevent condensation, the greenhouse must be periodically ventilated. Watermelons and melons are quite sensitive to excess moisture, their seedlings can rot, and the fruits themselves grow watery and tasteless. If it gets colder outside, you should cover the soil and young shoots with a film, cotton cloth or paper.
At the time of planting gourds in the greenhouse, you can have time to harvest young cabbage, early radishes and greens. This will not only additionally warm the soil, but also save space.
Boarding order
The scheme of planting in open ground is as follows. The distance between plants should be 40-50 cm for watermelons and 50-60 cm for melons. When grown together in a greenhouse, watermelons and melons are planted in a checkerboard pattern. Peat containers are buried shallowly in the ground, there should be a gap of about 3 cm between the leaves and the ground. This trick will further protect the plant from diseases and decay.
When planting, the scheme and the distance between the rows are taken into account. It is usually recommended to plant in 2 rows, between which a piece of land 50 cm wide is left. The next planting of melons in the ground is carried out at a distance of 80 cm from the first rows.
Care for melons in the greenhouse
Caring for watermelons and melons is not particularly difficult and not too laborious. Young shoots can be covered with cut plastic bottles, this protective frame allows you to increase the yield. As the plant grows, the bottle is removed or replaced with a higher shelter. When the stem has grown sufficiently in length, it is attached to a special support - a trellis, you can tie the top with a thread to the ceiling of the greenhouse. Heavy fruits are placed in nets, cardboard boxes. The main thing is that they do not come into contact with the ground.
7-10 days after planting, you can feed with nitrogen fertilizer - urea or nitrate, for this, 20 grams of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water.
Caring for gourds consists in loosening the soil, watering and top dressing. It is necessary to ensure that after planting, weeds do not appear between the sprouts. Young plants are watered once a week, then it is allowed to do this twice a month.
Watermelons and melons are drought-resistant crops, they germinate in the southern regions, where the absence of rain for a long time is considered normal. When the first fruits appear, watering is stopped. Irrigate melons should be carefully, making sure that water does not get on the root part of the stem. Otherwise, the culture may be damaged by rot.
Every 2-3 weeks, the soil should be fertilized with mullein infusion and minerals. During feeding, a small handful of ash can be added to each well.
Artificial pollination in a greenhouse is carried out by a male flower, it is determined by its impressive size. The flower is plucked and applied to female flowers. Before pollination, the crop should not be watered so that excess moisture does not affect the quality of the pollen. Many gardeners attract bees to pollination: they open the doors of the greenhouse, put saucers with sugar syrup.
plant formation
As they grow, the stems are bred in different directions. In the future, they are tied to wooden or metal trellises.
To teach a good harvest, you must follow the rules.
- On melons stop the apical part of the stem. This procedure will be sufficient for early ripening varieties. Late-ripening varieties of melon are docked differently. In addition to removing the top, the side parts are also examined, their thickness and power are estimated. Young lashes are removed, leaving 3-4 strong branches.
- With watermelons will have to tinker. The cultivation of this culture is carried out in one stem, it is chosen according to the presence of shoots in the leaf axils. The stems on which there is no ovary are removed, the rest are pinched. When the culture grows above the size of the trellis, the apical lash is re-pinched at the level of the 4-5th leaf.
Features of growing in open ground
Before planting plants in open ground, you should decide on a place. Watermelons and melons prefer to grow in somewhat elevated flat areas that are well warmed up and illuminated by the sun's rays. Here they grow better, fruit abundantly and ripen early.
Care is carried out by loosening the soil, removing weeds and excess lashes. In the process of growth, several inter-row tillage is carried out. The first - when young leaves appear, to a depth of 6-8 cm, the second - when 5-6 true leaves appear, loosening can be combined with top dressing.
Harvest watermelons and melons as they ripen. The ripeness of watermelons is determined by the drying of the tendrils in the axils of the leaves, the disappearance of haze and the appearance of shine, and the lightening of the skin of the fruit. If you knock on a watermelon, there is a dull sound, but to distinguish it, you need to have practical skills.
The ripeness of a melon is determined by the dried stalk.
Are melons compatible?
Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side? These crops consume similar chemicals from the soil and need roughly the same processing methods. If you plant them side by side, this will greatly simplify the care procedures: watering, garter, bait. However, melons and gourds greatly impoverish the soil, and they can be planted in the same place only after a few years. To prevent this, watermelons and melons should be regularly fed with mineral fertilizers.
It is not recommended to collect seeds from watermelons and melons when they are planted together, since mutual pollination occurs. The result of such a hybrid may not be entirely palatable.
If you are the owner of a large plot of land, it is better to plant these crops in open ground in different places in the garden. If the plot is small, then they can be planted nearby, nothing bad will happen. The proximity of melons to each other will not affect the yield.
