How to properly plant watermelons in open ground. Growing watermelons outdoors - from seeds to ripe berries! Planting watermelon seeds for seedlings
A donkey-sized cucumber. This is the translation of the Persian word xarbuza. It was this that became the basis for the Russian name for watermelon. The Russians borrowed not only the word, but also the wisdom of growing berries.
The first domestic samples were obtained in the 17th century. The Astrakhan Territory became the springboard for selection. We have developed our own variety. The selection criteria for berries for it are their size, sweetness and drought resistance.
Astrakhan watermelons are famous to this day. But others have appeared. Now in central Russia dozens of varieties are grown. Among them: Ogonyok, Leader, Chill, Yarilo, Sweet Krinson. So, there is a reason to find out ...
How to properly plant watermelons
Planting watermelons starts with seeds. Given the Russian climate, it is better to use seedlings. In a short season, the plant should not only grow, but also bear fruit.
So that they have time to ripen, with the onset of heat, not seeds are placed in the ground, but already grown bushes. They creep, like cucumbers and pumpkins. By the way, the family to which the watermelon belongs is called - Pumpkin.
To a question, how to plant watermelons for seedlings, it is worth approaching with gauze and cotton wool. They are needed for germinating seeds. First, they are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Its color should be yellowish rather than pink.
Manganese will act as a disinfectant in case of seed contamination. 20-30 minutes and you can spread the seeds on a "pillow" of damp cotton wool covered with a bandage.
Above is the same "blanket". After abundant watering of the workpiece, it is left for 3-4 days. During them, the gauze should not dry out. The result will be the appearance of roots. The seeds are ready to be planted in the ground.
Small containers are filled with soil. It is convenient to use plastic cups. It is important to make holes in their bottom for the outflow of water. As for the substrate, it is made up of 50% purchased land, 50% garden. Both need to be disinfected. A couple of minutes in the microwave is enough. As a top dressing, wood ash is added to the mixture.
The soil substrate is laid almost to the edges of the cups. The earth will be compacted after abundant watering. Excess will flow out through the drain holes.
One common tray is enough for all cups. A 2 cm depression is made in the middle of each. The seed falls into the hole with the root down, sprinkled with a substrate, watered. It remains to put the cups in a warm, sunny place and wait for the shoots.
Saplings with 4-6 leaves are considered suitable for planting in the ground. The greens of neighboring plants should not touch. As the watermelons grow, the cups are pushed apart.
When the leaves come into contact, the development of seedlings slows down. Watering with cool water also has a negative effect. Use only warm. Subject to the conditions, the seedlings will have 4-6 leaves a month after planting.
When to plant watermelons
Based on the monthly development cycle of watermelon seedlings, you can calculate the time of both planting and the movement of plants into open ground. Focus on the climate of the region.
If the possibility of frosts, low temperatures is excluded only by June, the seeds are planted in early May. If the positive indicators are stable already in April, the process will start in March.
When to plant watermelons for seedlingsthe lunar calendar also suggests. It was compiled taking into account the dependence of plants, their development, on the phases of the night luminary. It is recommended to sow melons from the Pumpkin family in 2016 from May 16 to May 20. The 5th, 6th are named conditionally favorable days. 8th, 9th and 10th numbers. In March, the "segment" from the 24th to the 29th is suitable.
Question, when to plant watermelons in the groundabandoning seedlings depends only on weather conditions. Suitable, for example, the same days from the 16th to the 20th of May. In the southern regions, there is no longer a risk of low temperatures by this time.
Taking into account the warm autumn, melons have time to grow and yield crops even in the open air. Seedlings are abandoned, sometimes, in Siberia. But, there the seeds are grown in greenhouses, picking up early ripening varieties of watermelons.
How to choose a watermelon variety for planting
In the question, like the greenhouse, there is an important nuance - it is worth using only one variety of berries. This eliminates cross-pollination of plants. If it happens, the crop will come out of poor quality.
In cold regions, early ripening varieties with small fruits are chosen. Large berries do not have time to ripen. "Suga baby" is considered the earliest. From the name it is clear that the plant produces baby fruits. Their weight is no more than 4.5 kilograms. The skin of the berries is dark green and the stripes are almost black.
The early ripening varieties include Ogonyok, Skorik and Leader. 70-80 days pass from the first germination to harvest. The "Gift of the Sun" ripens even faster. But, this watermelon has a yellow rind. The pulp remains red. It is soft-grained, sweet. The size of the berries is 3-4 kilograms.
How long do watermelons ripenmid-season group? From 90 to 110 days. Late-ripening varieties are not suitable for any of the regions of Russia. Mid-season includes, for example, "Sugar baby". The crop is harvested 13 weeks after planting.
The berries are good for pickling. This is another nuance in choosing a variety. Some watermelons are intended to be consumed fresh, others are used for marinades. By the way, historically Russians prefer the latter option. Watermelons were brought to the country in salty form.
In the 17th century, transportation took many months. Fresh berries did not ripen to the tsar's table, spoiled. Here the merchants brought pickles. Having learned how to grow watermelons themselves, our ancestors did not take them fresh for a long time.
How to care for watermelon plantings
Deciding how to plant watermelons in open ground, or a greenhouse, it is important to consider the area of \u200b\u200bthe site. Plants are creeping. The berries should be on the ground, so no garter is done. One bush needs a large area for free development.
At least half a meter is left between the rows of watermelons. Ideal is 70 centimeters. Between the bushes, a meter-long reserve is needed. But, there are varieties with compact, not too long stems. When planting them, 50 centimeters are enough.
At what distance to plant watermelons from each otherfound out. Now, let's study the question of the formation of bushes. Saplings have several creeping shoots.
You need to leave only one, the most powerful, with side branches. Cutting off the rest of the shoots will allow the plant not to waste energy on them. All the energy will be spent on the development of the main trunk and berries on it.
Watermelons are demanding on the soil. We need fertile land. Fertilizers will help make them so. Melons need both mineral mixtures and organic matter. From the latter, mullein and chicken droppings come up.
Superphosphate is first taken from mineral mixtures. It is applied immediately after transplanting the shoots into open ground. By the time the ovaries form, the watermelons are already given phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
They work with melons carefully. It is not recommended, for example, to walk between the rows once again. Watermelons have a vulnerable root system. Its weak point is branching. The roots are underfoot, damaged, plantings suffer.
They also suffer from a lack of moisture. In the heat, abundant watering is required 3-4 times a week. Berries are 95% water. Even the bodies of jellyfish are only 92% aquatic. There will not be enough moisture, and there will be no tasty, sweet fruits.
Juicy, sweet, red watermelon from your garden. This is not a dream, but a reality, even if the vegetable garden is not in a southern climate and does not resemble melon. There is a way to get real tasty watermelons in the middle lane and even in the northern regions. The secrets of success are choosing the right variety and growing seedlings.
It's no secret that in the South, watermelons are sown directly into the melon soil. There they grow and mature on the hot ground, under the hot sun, and are filled with sweet juice. To mature, a watermelon needs a lot of sun over a long period. Therefore, in our climate, the plant lacks sunny warm days. But this is if you choose an unsuitable variety, intended for the southern regions. Today, seeds of regionalized varieties designed specifically for your region can be found on sale everywhere. It is them that need to be sown.
Advice! Watermelons should not be sown in the ground, but for seedlings. Growing seedlings in a room will give your plants a head start and provide them with more warmth and sun to mature successfully.
When choosing a variety, you should also give preference to hybrid varieties. Their advantage is that they are characterized by early maturity, are immune to diseases, and are resistant to various climatic conditions. This means that even if the summer turns out to be cold and rainy, the hybrid will have enough time to grow to the specified size, ripen and acquire the sugar content required for the variety.
Growing seedlings of watermelons
Watermelon seedlings are what you need for a summer cottage "melon". With the seedling cultivation method, you can get a harvest of fully mature watermelons 15-20 days earlier. This method works even in the northern regions, where it will not work to grow a watermelon in a reckless way.
Advice! Don't go after size. It is better to grow varieties with medium-sized fruits in our climate, but characterized by increased sugar content. Also choose the thinner species - they will ripen faster.
How to cook watermelon seeds
To prepare for sowing watermelon seeds, you need to make several manipulations with them. They must first be calibrated. After calibration, scarification is performed. Then warming up and disinfection.
Stages of preparing seeds for sowing
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Calibration | To do this, all the available seeds are poured onto a horizontal surface and laid out in piles, depending on the size - large, medium, small. Do not rush to reject small copies - everything will go to work. The calibrated seeds will be planted in different seedling containers. This will increase their germination - the larger ones will not clog the small ones, the seedlings will begin to grow together and evenly. Saplings from small seeds will begin bearing fruit a little later. |
| Scarification | This procedure is optional but desirable. It is enough to rub the "nose" of each seed with fine sandpaper to facilitate the emergence of the sprout to the surface |
| Warming up | Then the seeds are warmed up in hot clean water (+ 50 ° С) for half an hour. For watermelon, this procedure is required. |
| Disinfection | After warming up, it will be useful to carry out a twenty-minute disinfection in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate |
| Drying | Then the seeds are dried in natural conditions (not on a battery or a hairdryer) and sown |
To increase germination and shorten the time, seeds can be germinated. To do this, after warming up and disinfecting, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and placed on a saucer or tray closer to the heat source (battery, heater). The temperature can be up to + 35 ... + 40 ° С. Just make sure that the cloth does not dry out and the seeds remain damp.
What should be the soil and container for watermelon seedlings
You can grow the best watermelon seedlings on humus or peat-humus soil. The primer is mixed from these two components in equal proportions. If there is no peat, you can make a mixture of the following composition: three parts of humus and one part of sod land. Let's admit one more variant of a fertile soil mixture: 3 parts of peat, 1 part of small sawdust, ½ part of a mullein diluted with water 1 to 4. At the end of the preparation of any soil, add superphosphate to it - 1 tsp. and wood ash - 2 tbsp. for 1 kg of the mixture.
Containers for growing watermelon seedlings are taken 12 cm high and 10 cm in diameter. The culture is grown in individual pots, since it is not subject to picking.
The seedling containers are 4/5 full, leaving about three centimeters to the edge of the pot. The soil is well moisturized.
Sowing watermelon seeds
Since a 30-35-day seedling with four leaves is already ready for planting, it makes no sense to sow watermelon seeds before the end of March. We admit sowing seedlings throughout april and in the first half of May.
Properly prepared seeds are sown two in one pot. Of the pair, one will definitely be stronger, and the second will be weaker (if both ascend). A weak sprout must be removed, and a strong one should be left.
Sowing depth - 3 cm. Cover the seeds with peat and water. Pots with crops are placed tightly in a row on the southern windowsill, making sure that the cold from the glass does not penetrate to them.
Seedling care
Future watermelons, in order to hatch from a seed, need real heat - up to + 30 ° C. Seedlings may appear on the sixth day.
- The temperature should be immediately reduced to + 18 ° C. The sprouts are given 3-4 days to look out of the soil completely, then the weak ones are removed and the temperature is raised again to + 20 ... + 25 ° C. At night, the room should be no higher than + 18 ... + 20 ° C. This mode is maintained for three weeks before the start of hardening.
- Watermelons need intense light, otherwise the seedlings will stretch out and deform. Additional lighting will be required, even in March - April, especially if the seedlings do not grow on the southern window. Normal fluorescent lamps will do.
- Watering watermelon seedlings can only be done with water at room temperature. Water sparingly, only the soil, not falling on the leaves. Watermelons, like all seedlings, with excessive zeal with moisture, are prone to a black leg, from which the plants cannot be saved.
- Seedlings need fresh air, so you should regularly ventilate the room, avoiding drafts.
- 10-12 days after germination - the first feeding. It is best to use fermented mullein in a 1:10 ratio with water.
- The next top dressing is in two weeks. 15 g of ammonium sulfate, 30 g of potassium sulfate and 50 g of superphosphate are added to it, to the mullein, for each liter.
Hardening should be done a week before disembarkation. Gradually, day after day, reduce the room temperature by 2-3 degrees, gradually reducing watering. Before planting in the ground in two days, watermelon seedlings must be taken out to the balcony or outside (to the greenhouse). In the evening on the eve of planting, the seedlings must be well watered and sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. Plant in the morning, carefully removing each plant together with a lump from the pot and placing it in a separate hole. The holes are formed at a distance of 40-60 cm from each other. Seedlings are planted with four leaves and developed roots, deepening to the cotyledonous leaves. The holes are covered with peat and watered. Watermelons do not like frequent watering; the soil should be moistened deeply and abundantly, but not more often than once a week. Weeds and loosen the soil around the plants.
Growing a watermelon in our climate is no more difficult than a vegetable marrow, pumpkin, or cucumber. Agricultural technology is similar. The problem of the lack of sunny days can be easily solved by seedling growing. If there is no melon on your site yet, start growing melons from watermelons.
Video - Growing seedlings of watermelons
It has become common for gardeners to grow watermelon. The process is simple, but it has certain difficulties that must be taken into account when growing (the plant can die even before flowering, the fruits do not always grow tasty, and so on). More details on how to grow a watermelon with your own hands will be discussed in this article.
The choice of a variety should be approached with special responsibility. For the middle zone of the Russian Federation, it is advisable to choose only early-ripening varieties, and there is no need to chase after huge fruits in this matter - such watermelons realize their potential by 100% only when grown in the south of the country. Be sure to read the description of the variety on the package - it contains information about the duration of ripening (the ovaries of plants should ripen as quickly as possible).
On a note! Some qualities can be neglected when choosing a variety. First of all, it is large-fruited and transportable. Also, do not pay attention to the color and shape of the fruit - this is necessary only in those cases when you are growing watermelons not for yourself, but for sale.
The most common varieties of watermelon:
- "Kai";
- "Sugar baby";
- Ataman F1;
- "Ultra early";
- Stokes;
- "Ogonyok";
- Charleston F1 near Moscow;
- "Yarilo";
- Krimstar F1;
- "Leader";
- "Pink Champagne F1";
- "Gift to the F1 North".
This is just a small part of the varieties that can be grown not only in the south of the country, but most often people choose them. Having decided on the type of watermelon, you can start growing.
How to grow a watermelon outdoors
Not everyone knows, but watermelons can be grown without seedlings, but with seeds, already in a permanent place. Often, seedlings are used only for further transplanting into greenhouses, so that the watermelon ripens. But if you are growing a watermelon in a garden plot, then you can safely skip the stage with seedlings and sow seeds.
The planting process is divided into several preparatory stages to obtain a good harvest. Let's consider each of them separately.
Seed preparation
Having chosen a suitable variety, wrap the seeds in a cloth bandage and place them on a shallow plate, filling them with a pre-prepared solution of potassium permanganate. The solution should be light pink and warm. After that, put the saucer with the seeds in a plastic bag and tie it up, taking in some air. Transfer the seed plate to a warm room (at least + 20 ° C). Change the solution daily and ventilate the bag. After 2-3 days, the seeds should hatch, after which they will be ready for planting in the ground.
Soil preparation
It is very important to prepare the land plot before planting the watermelon. This is an integral part of the cultivation, without which you are unlikely to get a good harvest. The prepared soil should provide plants with nutrients throughout the entire growth period, it should be protected from strong winds, and also well lit.
For a watermelon, as well as for other melons and gourds, you need a loose, fertile and light soil. It is great if your suburban area has sandy loam or sandy soil, which you have enriched with rotted humus in the autumn. If we talk about suitable predecessors of watermelons, then these are certainly cruciferous vegetables, as well as legumes.
For the best result, it is advisable to prepare the beds in advance and fertilize the soil. For this, 1 sq. m of the site, you need to add 20 g of potash fertilizers, 40 g and 30 g of ammonium sulfate. This combination of mineral fertilizers will significantly accelerate the growth of the watermelon, as a result of which you can enjoy juicy and sweet fruits a little earlier.
Sowing watermelon seeds
The process of planting watermelon seeds is simple and practically does not differ from planting any other crop.
Table. Step by step instructions for sowing watermelon seeds.
| Steps, photo | Description of actions |
|---|---|
| Start sowing watermelon seeds in early May as it is a very thermophilic plant. Otherwise, if you do this earlier, the plant will greatly slow down in development. Take out the previously prepared seed material that has already germinated. |
| You should also have a planting mixture at the ready, consisting of rotted humus, ash, mineral fertilizers and peat (the composition may vary, since there are many different recipes for preparing the mixture). |
| Dig a large watermelon hole and fill it with a little water. |
| Pour the prepared fertilizer and humus mixture into the hole. Level gently with a hoe and water. |
| Place at least 5 seeds in the hole (5 cm deep) and sprinkle it all over with earth. The soil layer should be approximately 4 cm thick. Gently tamp the soil so that the seeds are not blown away or injured. Repeat the procedure for each well. |
Important! First, you need to sow 5-6 seeds in each hole, but over time, when they begin to develop, leave one plant in the hole.
Follow-up care
Without providing full care, including feeding and watering, it is impossible to grow a watermelon in the garden. The juiciness of the fruits directly depends on the level of humidity, but you should not overdo it with this business, because you cannot then feast on the sugar pulp of sweet berries, which everyone loves so much. Conditionally, follow-up care can be divided into 4 stages: watering, feeding, trimming lashes and destroying pests. Let's consider each of them separately.
Watering
When growing watermelons in a summer cottage, it is advisable to use it. This will allow for regular feeding of crops.
The best option is drip irrigation
Watermelons need abundant, but rare watering, especially during a hot period with a lack of natural moisture - remember this! For comfortable growth of watermelons, the soil moisture level should be at least 80%. If the site is located on sandy soil, then watering the beds is necessary more often due to poor moisture retention. Water clay soils and chernozem less often. After the berries begin to ripen and they become poured, reduce the number of watering, and after a few weeks, stop them altogether.
Top dressing
Top dressing of watermelons grown in a summer cottage consists of three procedures, each of which must be performed subject to certain conditions: at least 2 liters of liquid fertilizers should be per plant. After 7 days from the moment of planting the seeds, it is necessary to regularly water the plants with a special solution prepared with your own hands (all the ingredients and their proportions were described above).
After the lashes on the plants actively begin to grow, it is necessary to make a second feeding of the watermelons, but this time the amount of potash and phosphorus fertilizers should be half as much. When the formation of the ovaries begins, you need to carry out one more top dressing, only with a different composition. Mix 10 liters of water, 35 g of potassium salts, 10 g of superphosphate and 20 g of ammonium sulfate.
Apply the prepared nutrient mixture to the prepared furrows, which should be 15 cm from the plant bushes. The amount of nitrogen fertilizers should be reduced due to the likelihood of their accumulation in the pulp of watermelons. In addition, such measures can provoke the maturation of the plant, and not a set of green mass.
Trimming lashes
During a short and not sufficiently warm summer, some fruits of the watermelon do not have time to ripen, although the bush still spends energy on them, which could be distributed to other berries that really ripen. Therefore, each plant should have no more than 5 watermelons. Delete all unnecessary items.
Important! When growing watermelons, you need to remember that female flowers are formed on the main lash of the plant - you cannot touch them, but remove the side lashes. Compliance with all recommendations will allow you to get a harvest in the second half of August.
Pest control
The melon aphid that appears in June can create many problems for watermelons. Living on the underside of the leaves, it sucks out all the life's juices from the plant, as a result of which the leaves shrivel and dry. During the summer, aphids can give 2-3 generations. At first, the pests live only on weeds, but with the onset of June, females move to watermelons, staying there until the beginning of autumn. The melon aphid lays its eggs on the weeds, which hibernate there.
To protect watermelons from aphids, it is advisable to regularly weed the beds from various weeds, as well as mow the areas located next to the grown watermelons. If you notice pests, immediately treat the plants with a special decoction or infusion made from celandine, garlic or onion husks. If these remedies do not help and the deciduous system of plants is severely damaged, then strong chemical preparations can be used - for example, "INTA-VIR", "Karbofos", "Iskra".
In addition to aphids, watermelons can be subject to various diseases, such as sclerotinia, bacteriosis, copperhead, various types of rot, and so on. For treatment, you need to prepare a decoction of horsetail. To do this, pour 1 liter of water with 1 tbsp. l. plants and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can use another remedy - milk mixed with iodine. If the plants have been heavily infested, use Cuprosat or Oxychloride. The development of fusarium wilting can lead to the fact that the plant will die in a few days. The spread of infection occurs through plant debris, seeds or soil.
As a prophylaxis of watermelon from the occurrence of diseases, it is advisable to treat the seeds with a solution of "Baktofit" for 3 hours before planting. If some plants were nevertheless damaged by an ailment, then they need to be destroyed in order to protect healthy ones from infection, which, in turn, need to be fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Harvesting
Fruit picking is the final stage in the process of growing watermelons. It is not recommended to rush with this matter, because many fruits that have reached large sizes are still unripe. Ripe tomatoes can be identified by a change in the color of the fruit; when growing zucchini and cucumbers, it is important not to be late in picking, otherwise vegetables may lose their useful properties. But when should you harvest watermelons? When planting early ripening varieties, you can get a crop not earlier than mid-August. Mass collection during this period is not carried out, it is necessary to determine the ripeness of the berry by external signs. First of all, look at the bracts and antennae - if they are dry, then the watermelon can be harvested. Also, with a light tapping of the fingers on the berry, deaf sounds should be heard. The combination of these signs indicates the ripeness of the fruit.
If you grow watermelons for further transportation and storage, it is better to pick the berries a couple of days before ripening. They will then mature in a warm and dry room. At the same time, watermelons will not lose their qualities.
Video - Growing watermelon seedlings
In recent decades, it is possible to grow watermelons in almost any regions of our country thanks to the efforts of breeders - they have created many new varieties and hybrids of this sweet berry, which can grow even in Siberia and the Urals, while producing good yields of tasty and sweet fruits.
Few people do not like these sweet juicy fruits, but they really want to pick these largest berries in their garden. Therefore, many vegetable growers experiment and can sow different varieties of this melon crop on their site, because they know well how to plant watermelons correctly.
Planting watermelons in open ground is a fairly simple procedure, but if it is not done on time or is late in planting the seeds, then these delicious berries may not ripen. Many gardeners have seen how a watermelon grows, so they know that this climbing melon crop requires a fairly large area. How to plant a watermelon in the garden or in a polycarbonate greenhouse, what are the nuances of planting this large berry will be described below.
How to plant watermelons in open ground
How to plant watermelons and where to start are easy questions. And you should start by choosing a variety that will be zoned to a specific region. In the conditions of the Moscow region, the Urals or the Far East, it is better to choose varieties that are distinguished by early maturity, so that they have time to ripen in conditions of a short cold summer. Also, it is not worth planting watermelons with large fruits in such conditions - they will have time to grow to the required size only in the south of our country.
The result of correct cultivation
Therefore, before buying bags with watermelon seeds, you need to carefully read the annotation printed on the package - it will definitely tell you about the timing of its ripening.
Important! Some qualities of this melon crop are important only in the case of cultivation for sale: the size of ripe fruits, the color of the peel, how the crop carries transportation over long distances.
How to plant watermelons - in a seedling or non-seedling way - depends on the climatic conditions of the area and the desires of the melon grower himself. In the southern regions, the seed material is immediately placed on the beds, in the middle lane and similar regions, seedlings are often grown first, which are transplanted to a permanent place after the spring cold snaps pass.
In any case, you need to start by soaking the seed. Since the outer shell of the seeds is quite hard, without soaking, this melon crop will germinate for too long, and in a short summer, vegetable growers usually count every day. Therefore, the purchased seeds should be wrapped in a cotton cloth and placed in a container filled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then the container is placed in plastic wrap and placed in a warm place. The film must be opened every day for airing and the solution must be changed before the seed is pecked.
Time and temperature when you can plant watermelons
The time when to plant watermelons in the beds is usually chosen according to the lunar calendar. In 2018, favorable days for planting watermelon seeds in open ground are from May 5 to 11, as well as June 6, 11, 12.
In the open field, planting watermelons and melons should only be done in warm soil. The soil should warm up to a temperature of 13-14 ° C to a depth of 9-11 cm. The hatched seed material is buried in shallow trenches (up to 5-6 cm deep).
On a note.They are planted in different regions depending on weather conditions. Since watermelon is a very thermophilic melon crop, even in the southern regions it is not sown before the first decade of May. If planting is done at an earlier date, then the first shoots will not appear soon, and the plants themselves will grow more slowly.
Landing rules
Knowing how to plant watermelons in the ground, you need to remember that the quantity and quality of the future harvest directly depends on the fertility and looseness of the soil.
Therefore, the next stage of the preparatory work begins with the selection and preparation of a site for this melon plant. The place for planting melons and gourds should be well lit by the sun's rays, protected from all directions from gusts of cold winds and be fertile.
Sufficient illumination
Advice! The best soil for growing melons and gourds is sandy or sandy loam, into which high-quality humus was brought in for autumn digging (at least 1-1.5 buckets per m2).
When growing watermelons, you need to remember the rules of crop rotation. - in the same place, watermelons (like other melons and gourds) can be grown once every 5 seasons. The best predecessors for them will be: tomatoes, potatoes, any vegetables and siderates from the cruciferous family, as well as all representatives of the legume family.
- In the spring, when preparing the beds, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil: 1.5 tsp per 1 m². potassium salt, 1.5 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l. ammonium sulfate. Correctly selected composition of the mineral supplement activates the growth and development of the vegetative mass of watermelons, promotes better formation of ovaries.
- Planting holes are dug under the planting of seed, into which 1.5-2 liters of water are poured. After the water is absorbed, a nutrient substrate consisting of humus, wood ash, complex mineral fertilizer and peat is laid on the bottom of the pits, leveled and watered again. When the moisture is absorbed, 4-5 hatching watermelon seeds are placed in each hole, and they are covered with a layer of earth 3.5-4.5 cm thick on top.
- After 2-3 true leaves appear in young plants, of all the plants that have grown in the hole, one of the strongest is left, and the rest are removed.
- When growing this plant by the melon method, the seeds are planted in separate peat cups, together with which they will subsequently be transplanted to a permanent place. The cups are filled with a nutrient substrate, the soil is moistened and the seed is planted. It is necessary to deepen the seeds by 2.5-3.5 cm. On top of the containers are covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm place (where the temperature is kept around 22-24 ° C). At night, the temperature can be reduced to 19-20 ° C.
- After the first shoots appear, the film can be removed, and the room temperature can be reduced to 17 ° C for 3-4 days. This is done so that the seedlings do not begin to stretch too much upward. The temperature is then raised again.
- The soil in the cups should be constantly moistened so that the watermelon seedlings do not begin to dry. These plants need good lighting and warmth to grow. 7-10 days after the sprouts appear, they should be fed with nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer.
- 7-9 days before transplanting to a permanent place, watermelon seedlings begin to harden, first taking them out into the fresh air for half an hour, gradually lengthening the time they spend outside.
Landing scheme
When planting watermelons in rows, the scheme will be as follows: the average distance between the holes is 0.8-1.4 m, between the rows - 1.4-1.6 m.When planting this culture in a square-nested way, the holes should be at a distance of 0.9 -2.0 m apart.
Important! You should not thicken the planting of this melon crop - all the bushes should have enough space for the growth of lashes and the ripening of fruits. These plants are especially sensitive to watering and sunlight, so they shouldn't interfere with each other's development.
The cups with seedlings should be planted in open ground in the dug holes so that the cotyledon leaves are above the ground level. The distance between the planted seedlings is at least 1.3-1.4 m.
Landing scheme
The first 7-9 days, while the plants are acclimatized in a new place, they need to be watered with filtered warmed water.
Care, cultivation agrotechnology
What care should be provided to growing watermelons? In a nutshell, we can say that this melon culture needs abundant watering and feeding. Without moisture, the fruits will not be able to gain the desired sweetness and juiciness. But excess moisture is also detrimental to this giant berry - it will be watery.
Vegetable growers engaged in cultivation of melons from season to season know well how watermelons grow. This culture requires abundant, but not frequent watering during the period of growing vegetative mass, and after the appearance of ovaries, the amount and volume of water increases.
Interesting! In summer cottages, many gardeners carry out a drip irrigation system, which perfectly ensures watering of melons and gourds, and can also be used for fertilization.
If the summer is hot and dry, then the volume of watering the watermelons is increased. Usually, in this weather, you need to water this culture abundantly every 6-7 days. During the period of growth and ripening of fruits, soil moisture should be 80-85%.
Sandy and sandy loam beds need to be watered more often, since they practically do not retain water. And clay soil is watered less often.
13-15 days before the full ripening of the harvest, watering is completely stopped so that the berries have time to gain the desired level of sugar content.
During the period of growth and ripening of fruits, watermelons are fed at least 3 times, and at least a couple of liters of liquid fertilizers should be applied to each plant.
7-10 days after transplanting the watermelon seedlings to a permanent place, the plants are fertilized with the following nutrient mixture:
- 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate fertilizer;
- 1-1.5 tbsp. l. ammonium sulfate;
- 1-1.5 tsp potassium salt.
During the period of active growth of the lashes, you need to feed the watermelons again. As part of this top dressing - the same fertilizers as for the first time, only the rate of phosphorus and potassium elements is reduced by half. When the fruits begin to ripen, the last feeding is carried out, which includes 20 g of ammonium sulfate, 10 g of phosphorus fertilizer and 35 g of potassium salt.
On a note.Nitrogen is introduced under the watermelon bushes only during the period of active growth of the vegetative mass. Then the proportion of this element is significantly reduced in order to prevent its accumulation in ripening fruits.
To make liquid top dressing, circular grooves are dug around the bushes at a distance of 35-40 cm, into which nutrient mixtures are poured. The furrows are then carefully buried.
If you adhere to all the rules for growing melons, then at the end of the season it will be possible to collect large and sweet watermelons.
On hot summer days, sometimes you want something refreshing, cool and healthy. At this time, stores are already starting to sell watermelons, but they are far from ideal in taste. It is known that the manufacturer often feeds the berries on the site with nitrates, a large concentration of which is potentially dangerous for the body, but you can grow a watermelon with your own hands at your dacha. You should start with competent seedling care.
The varieties of watermelons are as follows:
The color of watermelon seeds, depending on the variety, is from light brown to black
Seeds should be chosen suitable for the climate of the region where the watermelon is supposed to be cultivated. Someone is afraid of climatic conditions - in vain, unless, of course, they live not in the regions of the Far North - there the berry simply will not grow in the ground due to lack of light and heat. If in the south of Russia the seeds of watermelons are planted directly into the soil (a seedless method), then in other areas one cannot do without home seedlings.
When to sow seeds
Seeds of watermelons must be prepared in advance so that the seedlings are strong and disease resistant. If you plan to plant sprouts in open ground, then you need to sow in late April-early May; if in a greenhouse, then a week earlier. Competently prepared seed is one of the keys to a successful harvest:
The choice of capacity and soil
It should be remembered that watermelon seedlings are tender and do not like root transshipment, so it is best to choose individual peat pots: this way the earthy ball will remain, and the roots will not be damaged during transplantation.
Peat pots are very convenient to use, the seedlings are planted in the ground directly in them, while the delicate roots are not damaged
The soil should be humus-peaty. If not, then you can do it yourself. This requires:
The pots should not be large, ideally 10 cm high, 8 cm wide.It is not necessary to fill the container completely with soil, 3 cm recede from the edge.
Prepare the soil for the seeds in advance, because the right soil is the key to strong and healthy seedlings Other conditions
In addition to all of the above, you need to provide future watermelon seedlings with good lighting. Choose the southern or southeastern sides of the house - there is the most invigorating sunlight and warmth. Make sure that there are no drafts, otherwise the seedlings may die. The access of pets to them should also be excluded. Do not smoke near seedlings or place them near an open fire or heat source. Provide all these conditions, and the seeds of watermelons will thank you with friendly seedlings.
Step-by-step instructions for disembarkation
The soil in peat pots is watered with very warm water
Containers with seeds should be exposed to light
The first shoots are very gentle and demanding on sunlight and regular wateringVideo: how to sow watermelon seedlings
Features of seedling care:
The problem of elongated seedlings
Due to the lack of light, the seedlings can stretch out even at the stage of cotyledon leaves. To avoid stretching, you need to take care of the seedlings in advance, for example, illuminate them with a fluorescent lamp in the evening and early morning.
Seedling illumination is necessary so that the seedlings do not stretch out
If they have already stretched out, this is quite fixable:
The containers should be larger than the pots
In a larger container, seedlings should be sprinkled with earth until the middle of the sproutVideo: what to do if watermelon seedlings are stretched
Planting seedlings in open ground
By the time of transplanting into open ground, the seedlings of watermelons should have 5–6 developed leaves, with a strong stem and strong root.
Seedlings of watermelons, ready for sowing in open ground, must be healthy, with intact leaves
The procedure is carried out in the morning:
Young shoots of watermelon are very tender, therefore, so that they do not wither in the open sun, it is worth covering them with a small canopy or improvised caps. When planting seedlings in a greenhouse, they are guided in the same way. But in view of the fact that there is an order of magnitude less space than in the garden, supports are first made so that the whips of watermelons, clinging to them, crawl up.
Video: features of growing watermelons in a greenhouse
It is possible to grow a juicy sweet watermelon even in the conditions of central Russia. It is necessary to provide comfortable conditions for growing seedlings, properly care for the seedlings, be patient - then everything will definitely work out!
