How watermelons are grown. How to plant a watermelon to get large, sweet fruits. Agrotechnical protection measures

Juicy, sweet, red watermelon from my garden. This is not a dream, but a reality, even if the garden is not in southern climate and does not resemble melon. There is a way to get real tasty watermelons in middle lane and even in the northern regions. Secrets of success - right choice varieties and cultivation of seedlings.

It's no secret that in the South, watermelons are sown directly into the ground of melons. There they grow and ripen on the hot earth, under the hot sun, pour sweet juice. To ripen, watermelon needs a lot of sun over a long period. Therefore, in our climate, the plant does not have enough sunny warm days. But this is if you choose the wrong variety, intended for the southern regions. Today, everywhere you can find on sale seeds of zoned varieties designed specifically for your region. These are the ones that need to be sown.

Advice! Watermelons should not be sown in the ground, but on seedlings. By growing seedlings in a room, you will give your plants a head start and provide them with more heat and sun for successful maturation.

When choosing a variety, hybrid varieties should also be preferred. Their advantage is that they are characterized by precocity, 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 desired 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. With the seedling method of growing, you can get a crop of fully mature watermelons 15-20 days earlier. This method works even in the northern regions, where it is not possible to grow watermelon in a seedless way.

Advice! Don't chase size. It is better to grow in our climate varieties with medium-sized fruits, but characterized by increased sugar content. Choose also thin-skinned species - they will ripen faster.

How to cook watermelon seeds

To prepare for sowing watermelon seeds with them it is necessary to make several manipulations. They must first be calibrated. After calibration, scarification is carried out. Then warming up and disinfection.

Stages of preparing seeds for sowing

To increase germination and reduce the time, seeds can be germinated. To do this, after warming up and disinfection, they are wrapped in a moistened cloth and placed on a saucer or tray closer to the heat source (battery, heater). The temperature can be up to + 35 ... + 40 ° C. Just make sure that the cloth does not dry out and the seeds remain wet.

What should be the soil and container for watermelon seedlings

You can grow the best watermelon seedlings on humus or peat-humus soil. The soil 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 soddy land. Let's say another option for a fertile soil mixture: 3 parts of peat, 1 part of small sawdust, ½ part of mullein diluted with water 1 to 4. At the end of the preparation of any soil, superphosphate must be added to it - 1 tsp. and wood ash - 2 tbsp. per 1 kg of mixture.

A container for growing watermelon seedlings is taken 12 cm high and 10 cm in diameter. The culture is grown in individual pots, since it is not subject to picking.

Seedling containers are filled 4/5, leaving about three centimeters to the edge of the pot. The soil is well moistened.

Sowing watermelon seeds

Since 30-35-day-old seedlings with four leaves are already ready for planting, it makes no sense to sow watermelon seeds before the end of March. Let's sow seedlings during the whole 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, water. Pots with crops are placed tightly in a row on the southern windowsill, making sure that 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. Shoots may appear as early as the sixth day.

1. The temperature immediately needs to be reduced to + 18 ° C. The sprouts are given 3-4 days to finally look out of the soil, then the weak ones are removed and the temperature is raised again to + 20 ... + 25 ° C. At night, the room should not be higher than + 18 ... + 20 ° C. This mode is maintained for three weeks before the start of hardening.
2. Watermelons need intense light, otherwise the seedlings will stretch and deform. Additional lighting will be required, even in March - April, especially if the seedlings do not grow on the south window. Ordinary fluorescent lamps will do.
3. Watering watermelon seedlings can be done only with water at room temperature. Water moderately, only the soil, without falling on the leaves. Watermelons, like all seedlings, with excessive zeal with moisture, are prone to a black leg, from which the plants will not be saved.
4. Seedlings need fresh air, so you should regularly ventilate the room, avoiding drafts.
5. 10-12 days after germination - the first top dressing. It is best to use fermented mullein in a ratio of 1:10 with water.
6. The next top dressing is in two weeks. In it, to the mullein, 15 g of ammonium sulfate, 30 g of potassium sulfate and 50 g of superphosphate per liter are added.

Hardening must be done a week before disembarkation. Gradually, day after day, reduce the temperature in the room by 2-3 degrees, gradually reducing watering. Before planting in the ground for two days, watermelon seedlings must be taken out to the balcony or to the street (to the greenhouse). On the evening before planting, the seedlings must be well watered and sprayed with a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture. Landing should be done in the morning, carefully removing each plant along with a lump from the pot and placing it in a separate hole. Holes are formed at a distance of 40-60 cm from each other. Seedlings are planted with four leaves and developed roots, deepening to cotyledon leaves. The holes are covered with peat, watered. They don't like watermelons frequent watering, moisten the soil should be deep and plentiful, but not more often than once a week. Around the plants it is necessary to weed the weeds and loosen the soil.

Growing watermelon in our climate is no more difficult than zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber. Agricultural practices are similar. The problem of lack of sunny days can be easily solved by seedling cultivation. If there is no melon on your site yet, start growing gourds from watermelons.

Video - Growing watermelon seedlings

The best watermelons are brought from the southern regions, but you can get a good harvest of this huge striped berry in the conditions of the Moscow region; watermelons are planted even in the Leningrad region. It turns out that this is not difficult to do, you just need to know the basics of melon growing and make a little work. The basic operations are familiar to every gardener, and only a too cold summer can be an obstacle.

plant description

Watermelon belongs to the gourd family annual plant. Most varieties have a long creeping stem that extends up to two meters. The leaves are dark green in color, large, with a strong dissection. The fruit according to the biological classification is a berry, very large, usually spherical in shape. In some varieties, it is not a ball, but an elongated torpedo-shaped berry. The mass of the fetus is significant: it can range from 500 g to 20 kg. Watermelon bark has various shades of green; most often it is covered with dark or light stripes, but it can also be monophonic. The flesh is juicy, in most cases red or dark pink, but there are varieties with an orange or yellow core. There are usually a lot of seeds, they are large, 1–2 cm long, flat, hard, black or brown.

How watermelon grows

The main part of the watermelon harvest is obtained in the subtropical zone, much less in the temperate climate. In Russia, watermelon is grown mainly in the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus, but amateur gardeners are promoting the culture much further north. Watermelon comes from the African continent. This culture endures heat and drought, it needs warmth and bright sunlight. However, watermelon normally tolerates short cold snaps, is undemanding to the composition of the soil. The roots are able to suck water from considerable depths, so watermelon is able to grow even in conditions of moisture deficiency. At the same time, it responds well to artificial irrigation, which, in combination with planting on light sandy loamy soils, produces fruits of very high quality.

Watermelon should be in the sun, and adult plants get water for themselves

Application

Watermelon is good for people of all ages. Its juice is dominated by simple easily digestible sugars - glucose and fructose, and in terms of the content of the latter, it is one of the champions among cultivated plants. Watermelon contains various organic acids, including folic acid, which is of great importance for the human body. Watermelon contributes to the regulation of fat metabolism, which determines its use in medicine and nutrition, contains iron salts and other trace elements. There is even the concept of a watermelon diet.

Watermelon is consumed mostly fresh, being a wonderful summer dessert. It can be eaten in an almost unlimited amount, although doctors warn against excesses in the presence of certain diseases. At the same time, during the mass harvest, watermelons are also used for various preparations. You can make juice from them, and when the latter is slowly evaporated, you can get honey-nardek. Very tasty candied watermelon is known. There are many lovers of salted and canned watermelons: small fruits, including those that are not quite ripe, are used for such preparations.

Varieties

All known varieties of watermelon are conditionally divided into early, mid-ripening and late. If we talk about our country, then late varieties (for example, Spring, Icarus, Kholodok) make sense to plant only in the southernmost regions; in Central Russia, only early varieties, such as Victoria, Skorik, Ogonyok, have time to fully ripen. Varieties of medium maturity (Lezheboka, Ataman, etc.) occupy an intermediate position. Among the "classic" varieties of watermelon, the most popular are the following.

• Ogonyok is an extremely popular early ripe variety, known since the times of the USSR. The fruits are small (about 2 kg), the seeds in them are very small, and the pulp has an excellent delicate taste. The bark is thin, its color is black-green with a blurred pattern. The variety is able to fully mature in the Central Black Earth, East Siberian and Far Eastern regions.
• Cold is one of the most famous varieties late ripening watermelons. The fruits are stored for more than 3 months, the variety is very productive, has an excellent taste. Kholodok appeared in the early 1990s, intended for planting in the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions. The bush is very powerful, with long (up to 5 meters) lashes, moderately resistant to diseases. The fruit is somewhat elongated, weighing about 4 kg, dark green with almost black stripes. Watermelon cannot be called thin-skinned, but it is well transported and stored. The flesh of the watermelon is bright red, very sweet, tender.
• Shuga baby - a variety included in the State Register not so long ago, is intended for the Central Black Earth region, but can be grown further north, as it easily tolerates cold weather, including in the spring. Variety of ultra-early ripening. The bush and leaves are medium in size, the fruit is round and rather small: the bulk of the specimens reach a mass of 1 kg, and only a few grow up to 4 kg. The fruit is thin-skinned, striped, the outside of the usual dark green color. The pulp is dark red in color, with very small seeds. Taste qualities are characterized as excellent. Since "Suga baby" is translated as "Sugar Baby", you can find a description of the variety under both names on the network, which can cause some confusion. So, describing the "Sugar Baby", they indicate that it is recommended for severe weather conditions, including for cultivation in Siberia, since it is extremely resistant to low temperatures. However, there is no variety under such (Russian) name in the State Register, but at the same time, the main part of the description corresponds to both Russian and English names. Variety of universal purpose: good not only fresh, but also in salting. Easily transfers transportation.
• Crimson Sweet is one of the trendy varieties grown in most European countries, of French origin. Watermelon of ultra-early ripening, but in its segment - one of the most large-fruited. Spherical fruits weigh an average of 10 kg, and can grow even larger. Coloring - classic watermelon, striped (lighter stripes on a dark green background), the flesh is dark red, without veins, very sweet and tasty, crispy. The fruits are transportable, well stored, and the plants themselves are drought and disease resistant.

Photo gallery: popular varieties of watermelons

Ogonyok is a well-deserved early variety that grows in almost all regions. Kholodok enters the shelves in September and can delight with its taste for several months. Sugar baby ripens very quickly, so it is planted in almost all regions.

In addition to those listed in this list, in recent years, various exotic varieties, which do not fit into the usual image of a striped berry with a red inside, filled with numerous seeds. So, for example, there is a very expensive and scarce black watermelon. The Densuke variety is grown in Japan. Outside, it is completely black, glossy, without stripes, weighs 5–7 kg, and inside contains the usual-looking bright red flesh. True, gourmets who have tried it describe the taste not just as sweet, but as magnificent. At the same time, in Russia there are also domestic, very inexpensive, varieties that look like Densuke. Such, for example, are the Black Prince or the Black Excellent. They may not be as tasty, but they are not so expensive on the market either.

Densuke black watermelon is very expensive, but is it legal - gourmets decide

In recent years, yellow-fleshed watermelons have come into fashion. This is hybrid plants; Outwardly, they are no different from traditional watermelons, but inside - yellow color. There are almost no seeds in them (and sometimes not at all), the taste is very different from the usual. The pulp may contain flavors of mango, lemon, pineapple and other southern fruits. So, for example, about 10 years ago, Lunny watermelon was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. Like all other yellow watermelons, it is characterized by early ripening. Bush medium size, elliptical in shape, the fruit is small: its mass is from 2 to 3 kg. Outside striped, but the flesh is light yellow, tender, excellent taste. Capable of short-term storage (about a month).

Lunar on the outside is an ordinary watermelon, but inside it looks very unusual

Already in the middle of the last century, varieties of watermelons with a complete absence of seeds were bred. As a rule, such watermelons are sweeter, the shape of most varieties is oblong, and the mass is relatively small (about 4 kg).

A reasonable question: how to plant seedless watermelons? To do this, seeds are obtained by special crossing with other varieties, but this procedure leads to the fact that growing a seedless watermelon is somewhat more difficult than a regular one.

Seedless hybrids are, for example, Imbar F1, Regus F1, Boston F1. Thus, watermelon Boston F1 is included in the State Register of the Russian Federation and recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus region. Refers to early ripe hybrids, forms a long-branched bush. The fruit is spherical, light green, with narrow inconspicuous stripes. The usual weight is up to 4 kg, some representatives grow up to 10 kg, thin-skinned. The pulp is tasty, pink-red color. The fruits are well transported, but are stored for no more than two weeks after harvest.

Reviews of some varieties

Last year I decided to try to grow a watermelon in KALININGRAD for the sake of "pampering"! I chose the early variety "Spark" of the company "Siberian Gardener". Germination was 100%. Left only 2 pieces, the most active. Monthly sprouts landed in a greenhouse. They fit well with the tomatoes in the neighborhood))) Not climbing, I didn’t even have to remove the excess))) Soon 2 Watermelons appeared on each plant. He went on to crawl and bloom, but I pinched the whole thing, they would not have had time to ripen. By the end of August 3 watermelons were ripe. The fourth has not yet matured. Small in size but heavy. The flesh is orange-yellow. Juicy. Few bones! In general, I am completely delighted!!!

"Julia773"

https://otzovik.com/review_5744757.html

I never became friends with Kholodok in two seasons. He waved his hand at it, although, if it worked out, you can save it until the New Year. Even if there is no good cellar-basement, then on the glazed loggia it lies until slight frosts. And what a taste Kholodok has - watermelon for all watermelons.

"German"

http://dacha.wcb.ru/index.php?showtopic=47904&st=1280

And I like Suga Baby or sugar baby, watermelons are not very large, but very sweet and tasty.

Ninyurev

http://forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t=1991&start=945

Crimson suite is an early ripening variety, for Siberia it’s the very thing !!!, consistently producing even if not such large watermelons (at the moment the largest is 4 kg), but in past years, it seems to me, there were up to 6–7 kg , - I didn’t weigh it, since I bought the scales only last fall for the daily weighing of my “champion”. It seems that the weight of watermelons could be increased by a small normalization.

Ukolova

http://vinforum.ru/index.php?topic=349.0

Growing watermelon seedlings

In the south and in most areas of the Lower Volga region, watermelons can be grown by direct sowing of seeds in open ground, but in regions that are not warm enough for this culture, it is necessary preliminary preparation seedlings. Sometimes seedlings have to be grown in the south, if there is a desire to get the fruits of the latest varieties.

Planting seeds for seedlings

If the seeds are purchased in a specialized store and the manufacturer is not in doubt, pre-treatment of the seeds is not required. But if the seeds are taken from a watermelon bought for food, one must be careful. Firstly, it may turn out to be a hybrid, and then nothing good will come of it. Secondly, the seeds can carry hidden signs of diseases, so they must at least be disinfected. There is no need to check the seeds for germination: they are good for at least 6 years in a watermelon, but it is worth choosing the largest ones.

For disinfection, the seeds are soaked for 20–30 minutes in a dark solution of potassium permanganate, and then washed with water. When growing watermelon in central region and in the north, it is advisable to harden the seeds (hold for about 12 hours in a damp cloth in the refrigerator). This stage will help in the prevention against most diseases. If you do nothing, you can just soak the seeds before planting, but soaking will only give a two-day advantage in seedling speed, can be sown dry.

Watermelon seeds are easy to handle: they are quite large

Based on the possible timing of planting 35-day seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse, it turns out that it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings in mid or late April (depending on the region). Since watermelons are painful to transplant, it is better to immediately sow the seeds in separate cups with a capacity of at least 250 ml and a depth of about 10 cm (it is best to use peat pots). In extreme cases, it is possible to pre-sow in a common box, followed by careful seating in pots. Soil - a mixture of equal parts garden soil, sand, humus and peat or store-bought mixture.

Before sowing, the soil is slightly moistened and the seeds are buried to a depth of about 3 cm, pouring a layer of clean sand of 0.5–1 cm on top. cm.

seedling care

Seedlings are easy to care for. Immediately after germination, the "garden" should be placed in the bright sun and lower the temperature to about 18 ° C, and after a few days return it to 22 ° C during the day and 18 ° C at night. In the future, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil and lighting: daylight hours should last at least 12 hours, so the seedlings may have to be slightly highlighted. It is necessary to water under the root, but lightly: the soil should be slightly moist.

After 5-7 days after the seedlings have hatched, they must be thinned out: if the sowing was in pots, leave one at a time, if in a box, remove obviously superfluous ones. The next day after thinning, you can give top dressing: a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizer (according to instructions) or infusion of ash.

Watermelon seedlings manage to grow into a rather big bush in a month

A week before planting in the ground, watermelon seedlings are taught to fresh air, periodically taking out to the balcony. By the time of planting in the garden, it should be strong bushes with 4-5 true leaves.

Is it possible to pick watermelon seedlings

In the classical sense, picking a watermelon is unacceptable: the slightest damage to the central root leads to the fact that further work will be meaningless: even if the seedlings do not die, there is no need to wait for a normal harvest. But if the sowing was done in a common box, when the first true leaf appears, you can plant watermelons in pots, taking out each seedling from good ball land and without disturbing the root system. This can be done only if you have a lot of experience in gardening and in case of emergency: so that the seedlings do not even feel that they were being manipulated.

Care of watermelons in the open field

Watermelon - warm and photophilous plant, therefore, they plant it at the onset of real heat and on a sunny bed. Despite the fact that an adult bush does not seem very large, a watermelon needs a lot of space, plantings should not be thickened: this culture loves space.

Planting watermelons in open ground

Watermelon is placed in a place protected from the north winds; if possible - on a small hill, so that water does not stagnate, from which the roots can rot. The best soils are light loams or sandy loams with an environment close to neutral. It is better to plant them in the place where garlic, onions, peas or cabbage grew last year. Do not plant watermelon after nightshade vegetables. As for any garden inhabitants, the garden bed must be prepared in the fall, digging up the soil with any fertilizer, except for fresh manure. Shortly before planting seedlings, the soil must be loosened by adding a liter jar of ash to square meter. He loves watermelon and magnesium, so it is advisable to apply magnesium-containing fertilizers in a small dose (about 5 g per 1 m 2).

Watermelons are planted when daytime temperatures reach about 15–20 ° C, and at night - not lower than 8 ° C. The distance between plants in a large field is maintained from 1.5 to 3 meters, but in the country, of course, there is not so much space. However, the holes cannot be closer than half a meter from each other, but it is better to use a 100 x 70 cm pattern.

Watermelon seedlings are moved to the garden in the usual way:

1. In selected places, holes are made with a scoop somewhat larger than pots with seedlings.
2. Half a cup of ash is added to the dug holes, mixed well with the soil and lightly watered.
3. Carefully taking out well-watered seedlings (in no case damaging the roots), they plant it, slightly deepening it.
4. Water each bush with warm water under the root, then pour clean sand into the bed with a layer of about 1 cm, placing it at least around each plant.

Watering

Watermelon tolerates drought well and does not require heavy watering. It is watered only before the formation of fruits, moisture is especially needed during the period of rapid growth of the leaf apparatus. Until the end of flowering, the soil should be constantly slightly moist, but not waterlogged. It is necessary to water under the root, preferably in the evening, by this time the water is warming in the sun. After watering, shallow loosening is necessary. It is accompanied by weeding, but as the bush grows, the watermelon itself suppresses weeds, and weeding will soon be forgotten.

During the pouring and ripening of watermelon berries, the soil, on the contrary, is dried a little: by this time, powerful roots form at the watermelon, penetrating to a meter depth and extracting a sufficient amount of moisture from there. Intense rains that occur in the second half of summer, rather, harm the quality of the crop, making the fruits less sweet.

top dressing

Watermelons are fed moderately; special care must be taken when using nitrogen fertilizers, it is better not to use them unless absolutely necessary: ​​the nitrogen contained in the complex fertilizer will be enough. The first time top dressing is applied a week and a half after transplanting watermelons into the garden, the second time - a month later. It is better to take mullein infusions, adding wood ash to them, and if they are not available, ammophoska or azofoska (according to the instructions for the preparation). As soon as the fruits are tied, feeding should be stopped: the watermelon will find its own food.

Feeding is convenient and special formulations for gourds

Formation of a bush (pinching shoots, trimming extra lashes and breaking out stepchildren)

In the process of growing a bush, watermelon lashes must be periodically shifted so that they do not intertwine with each other. But this is far from the most difficult: it is important to form a bush correctly, removing extra shoots from time to time. When forming a watermelon plant, the main task is that it does not waste its strength on the growth of unnecessary green mass, but directs the maximum nutrients on the formation and maturation of the crop. In addition, some of the fruits have to be removed, since all those that are tied up, the bush will not be able to provide nutrition even on the most fertile lands. All pruning operations should be carried out on a fine sunny day so that the cut or pinching places dry quickly.

The formation procedure depends on the area in which the watermelon is grown. This work is most important in the northern regions, where the summer is short, and every warm day is important in the issue of crop maturation. In addition, the course of the procedure also depends on the variety of watermelon: the formation of a bush is most important for large-fruited varieties. All work on the rationing of the crop should be carried out when the berries grow from a chicken egg. There are several approaches to creating a properly fruiting watermelon plant.

• According to the first option, three to six fruits are left on the main stem (depending on their estimated size), and all ovaries are removed from the side shoots. At the same time, the side shoots are not allowed to grow and are pinched over the fourth leaf. The point of leaving short shoots is that they provide nutrition to the main stem. But as the fruit grows, side shoots are gradually removed, starting from those closest to the roots.
• In the opposite variant, on the contrary, fruits are grown on lateral shoots, leaving one berry on each (for powerful bushes - a maximum of two), and in total - from 4 to 6 copies per bush. Three leaves are left above the fruits, the rest of the side shoots are pinched. The fruits formed on the main stem are removed.
• The toughest option is not to leave side shoots at all. Up to five fruits are left on the main stem, but so that there are 4-5 leaves between them. It is believed that the nutrition from these leaves should be enough for the formation of fruits, especially if the variety does not imply the possibility of obtaining very large berries.

How to figure out which option to choose? It seems that there is no point in thinking about this for an ordinary summer resident, but you just need to remember a few rules:

• do not leave more than six fruits on the bush;
• on each shoot, leave only one berry in the case of large-fruited varieties and a maximum of two in the case of small-fruited ones;
• after the watermelon grows to the size of a fist, leave a maximum of 4–5 leaves above it.

Even when the formation of the bush seems complete and begins active growth fruits and the growth of their mass, stepchildren will periodically appear from the axils of the left leaves - additional side shoots. It is worth making it a rule to inspect the lashes weekly and break out stepchildren, preventing them from increasing in size. True, at this time it is already undesirable to turn the whips over, so this should be done very carefully. As the fruits grow, plywood or boards should be placed under them so that in a rainy summer they do not rot, lying on damp ground.

All available schemes for the formation of watermelon plants provide for pinching most of the stems and leaving only a few fruits on the bush

How to grow a square watermelon ("Japanese" technology)

A square (more precisely, cubic) watermelon is good only because it will occupy less space. This “miracle” has no other advantages, and there is not much point in trying to grow it on purpose. But lovers of such exotic can get square striped berries from any variety they like. To do this, you need to somehow make cubic containers from transparent plastic appropriate size.

What does appropriate mean? The diagonal of the face of the cube should be slightly larger than the diameter of the proposed watermelon, which will grow in this container. In a too cramped dwelling, a watermelon will not really ripen, and in a too spacious one it will not be completely “square”: only 6 flattened sides will turn out. In order for the cube to be reusable, it must, of course, be collapsible, and in one of the faces you need to make a hole with a diameter of 3-4 cm to escape with the fetus. In addition, numerous smaller holes are needed for ventilation, otherwise the berry in this cube will simply rot.

The future square watermelon spends almost all its life inside a transparent cube.

Further, everything is very simple. As soon as the watermelon grows to the size of an apple, it is placed in a mold and continue routine care watching how he feels. You may have to water a little more, turn the cube over, push the fruit in it while it is small. But as soon as he grows up and starts to rest against the edges, he will begin to take the form of a cube. Obviously, in a similar way, you can grow not only cubic watermelons, but also, for example, pyramidal ones.

Treatment for diseases and pests

Watermelon is a heat-loving plant, but otherwise it is completely unpretentious. At proper care it rarely gets sick or is attacked by pests. Most often, in amateur melon growing, even no spraying is required; in large farms, of course, preventive treatments are carried out. To prevent possible diseases (rot, spotting, powdery mildew, anthracnose) use, for example, such well-known drugs as Fundazol or Decis, as well as traditional Bordeaux liquid. Each of them is capable of destroying certain pathogens, and if necessary, you should carefully study the instructions.

Watermelon has few pests. The most common are melon aphids, wireworms, and various mites. To scare away most of them, it is enough to spray watermelons with products based on garden plants or the simplest household preparations. So, infusions help well against aphids tobacco dust or wood ash(with small additions of laundry soap). Wireworms and leaf-eating caterpillars are collected by attracting them to sweet baits placed in small holes: sweetened infusions of garlic, mustard, wormwood, hot pepper, tops of tomatoes.

Harvest and storage

When the crop approaches the ripening stage, the question arises: when should the watermelons be cut? After all, the fact is that fully ripe berries are very poorly stored, and if you want to eat a delicious watermelon right from the garden, you have to wait until it becomes as tasty as the variety allows. Those watermelons that have not yet reached the so-called first stage of maturity are also poorly stored.

Of course, until you cut a watermelon, you will not know exactly what it is inside: it happens that even the most experienced melon growers make mistakes. On the cut, everything is simple: if the color of the pulp and seeds corresponds varietal features, watermelon is ready. A slightly unripe specimen (the flesh is lighter than normal) could reach full ripeness and gain sugar during storage. But you will not cut berries in the garden!

There are several signs of ripeness:

• when the watermelon ripens, the matte surface of the peel turns into a shiny one;
• the crust should be firm and not pierced by light pressure with a fingernail;
• in a fully ripened watermelon, the stalk becomes dry;
• a good sign is yellow spot in the place where the watermelon was in contact with the ground or bedding;
• if you knock on a watermelon, then the ripening specimens make a ringing sound. Muted tones - in fully ripe and, conversely, green (well, it's not so difficult to distinguish them from each other).

The lightest are late-ripening watermelons, but they must also be removed correctly. The berry is cut with a pruner or a sharp knife along with a stalk about 5 cm long. When transporting to the storage, watermelons should lie on a soft bedding, and in the storage itself - also on a bedding, preferably straw, and only in one layer. During storage, they must be periodically inspected, discarding specimens that begin to deteriorate. best temperature in storage - from 6 to 8 °C, air humidity is not higher than 85%. But even the lightest varieties can rarely last more than three months.

Growing watermelon at home (in a bucket)

If the house has a sunny window sill or balcony, you can grow watermelon on them. True, it requires a lot of free space, and it is almost impossible to get a berry weighing more than 1 kg. The whole process consists of the same stages as usual, only from small seedling pots plants with a clod of earth are transferred to big pot, with a volume of at least a bucket, and better - from 15 liters. Of course, you can immediately sow the seeds in a bucket (not forgetting to make drainage holes in the bottom).

On one plant at home, you can leave no more than two fruits, but after they successfully tie. And they will tie only under the condition of artificial pollination.

The owner must know how the female flowers differ from the male ones, and pollen from the male flower (on a thin stalk) must independently pollinate the female one (with a thick stalk).

Otherwise, you need to monitor the temperature, soil moisture and give the watermelon more light.

Greenhouse watermelons, the use of nets

In the cold climate zone, watermelons can only be grown in a greenhouse. There, beds are prepared in advance, introducing humus and mineral fertilizers into them. Watermelon seedlings are planted when night temperatures in the greenhouse do not fall below 6 ° C, which happens in the center of Russia around the end of April. Although, of course, in the greenhouse you can sow watermelons and seeds, immediately in the garden.

Since space in the greenhouse has to be saved, watermelons are planted somewhat thicker, and trellises are arranged to guide the lashes. Plants are usually planted according to the scheme of 50 x 70 cm, and early varieties are planted at all, two plants per hole, directing the shoots in different directions. If the windows and doors in the greenhouse are almost always kept closed, at the right time there may not be flying insects in it, there is no wind there, so artificial pollination has to be carried out.

If a watermelon is grown on a trellis, the fruits do not lie on the ground, but are at a certain height, so they may fall as they grow. In this regard, when a berry grows to the size of an apple, it is often placed in spacious nets of any material that are firmly tied to the trellis. At the same time, the fruits do not lie on the ground and, therefore, do not rot. In addition, when in a grid, they are evenly lit from all sides, which leads to earlier ripening.

Nets fixed on the trellis allow watermelons not to fall and ripen better

Barrel growing, film application

Our summer residents are well-known experimenters, and in the pursuit of saving space, they have invented many unique ways of growing vegetable crops. So, many vegetables, flowers and even strawberries are often grown in old unusable barrels with a volume of about 200 liters. You can do the same with watermelons. Various garbage is placed at the bottom of the barrel, which acts as drainage, and as it rots, fertilizer. Grass is sprinkled on top good humus, and then fertile soil. Insofar as metal barrel warms up well in the sun, this substrate always remains warm.

You can immediately sow seeds in the barrel or plant seedlings (depending on the climate), but in any case, at first the watermelon must be covered with non-woven material. There is enough space in the barrel for two plants. A trellis is not needed here, and the growing lashes will hang down, where flowers will appear near the surface of the earth, and then fruits. Watermelon care is normal, only more abundant watering may be required.

Some summer residents, instead of non-woven material, cover the planted seedlings with plastic wrap. As a temporary measure, this approach can be used, but prolonged exposure of watermelons under the film can lead to root rot. The film can be used both in an ordinary garden bed and in a greenhouse, but only for a short time. Its only true use is to cover crops in order to create a greenhouse effect for the emergence of rapid shoots. In the future, you can make holes for seedlings and hold the film for some more time so that the earth does not cool down. But long-term maintenance under polyethylene for watermelons is detrimental.

Features of growing watermelons in different regions

Trouble-free cultivation of watermelons is possible only in the south, other regions have their own rules, but all of them are mainly aimed only at creating warm conditions for this berry.

Watermelons in the south of Russia

In the southern regions (starting with Volgograd), only amateurs who want to get very early harvests. AT industrial production watermelons are sown immediately in open ground, starting in mid-spring. They are watered only at first, before flowering, and then the melon, in fact, grows by itself.

Already starting from the Central Black Earth region, options are possible. Here, cultivation is used both through seedlings and without it, and sowing in a garden bed is possible already in early May. Greenhouses are usually not needed.

For the first time, many summer residents cover crops with a film. Some people sow watermelons immediately after planting potatoes, on free place. Since the second half of June, they have not been watered at all; precipitation is usually sufficient.

Central regions of Russia, Ural region

In the central regions of the country, and even more so in the Urals, it is possible to get a crop in the open field only by seedlings. Seedlings (better - in peat pots) are planted in the garden at the end of spring, but greenhouse cultivation is also often used, planting seedlings immediately after the May holidays. Only early varieties are used: Ogonyok, Skorik, Sibiryak, and in the event of an unsuccessful summer in the open field, even they may not ripen and be used only for salting.

When planting in greenhouses, many alternate watermelons with cucumbers, although this can hardly be considered reasonable: watermelon is a resident of arid regions, and cucumbers need moist air. But with timely ventilation and proper temperature control, both crops can bring good yields.

Video: growing watermelons in greenhouse conditions

Northwestern region, Leningrad region

Until recently, it was believed that it was unrealistic to grow watermelons in the open field in the north-west of the country, but in recent years there have been more and more reports that enthusiasts manage to do this even in Karelia and the Murmansk region. True, luck is variable and depends on how the summer turned out, and the fruits are not very tasty. But in greenhouses, watermelons in the Leningrad region have been grown for a long time and quite successfully. But even greenhouse cultivation involves the use of only early varieties and requires considerable effort. Among agronomists, it is believed that the unspoken border of growing watermelons, even in greenhouses, runs along the line St. Petersburg - Kirov: in the more northern regions, "the game is not worth the candle."

Watermelons in the Far East

The heat in the Far East region is quite enough for growing watermelons in open ground, there are even zoned varieties, for example, Ogonyok, Early Kuban, Skorik, although it is possible to ripen any other varieties, except for very late ones. Sowing seeds directly into the garden is, of course, risky, so they practice the seedling method.

The only difference between the Far Eastern technology and the traditional one is that in the second half of summer there are often long and heavy rains, as a result of which watermelons can rot. They cope with this simply: they are planted on high ridges from which excess water drains. The size of the ridges is any, convenient for use. In suburban areas, they are made about a meter wide, raising them above the furrows to a height of 20–25 cm.

Ukraine

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe, so the climate is very dependent on the region. And if in the north of the country it is similar to the one near Moscow, then in the south it is ideal for cultivating gourds. In the south of Ukraine, they do not know the concept of "seedlings", they sow watermelons right in the field or garden in late April - early May, and care for them is minimal. In the north, it is also possible to sow seeds in a garden bed (at the end of spring), and to pre-cultivate seedlings.

Growing watermelons is not always a lottery: with some experience and luck, normal fruits can also be obtained in central Russia. And already at latitudes south of Kursk or Saratov, this striped berry- a traditional resident in the beds of enthusiastic gardeners. You can enjoy delicious sweet fruits directly from the garden with some effort, but they are small: the technology for growing gourds is available to every summer resident.

Watermelon is very healthy, but it is not easy to grow, and seedlings are usually used for this. If it is not possible to grow seedlings or equip a greenhouse, all that remains is to plant the seeds directly in open ground. At the same time, the percentage of seedlings, as a rule, is low, and the yield is poor. How to plant watermelons with seeds, and at the same time get a rich harvest, will be discussed in the article.

What varieties can be planted outdoors?

Varieties are selected according to climatic conditions, landing sites and personal preferences. Each species has its own characteristics: taste, size, color of the crust and pulp. However, the first thing you need to look at before buying is the ripening period.

For warm areas, late varieties or with an average ripening period (Melania F1, Spring, Chill, Icarus) are suitable. For a long time they will be able to grow quietly without the threat of early frosts.

But the northern and middle lane should give preference to early varieties (Crimson Suite, Start, Spark, Sugar Baby, Skorik). They rush into short time- before the first frost. Therefore, summer residents have the opportunity to grow their favorite crop and harvest it before the air temperature drops significantly.

When can you plant watermelons?

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Landing time for all regions is different. But there are several general rules to be observed before planting watermelons with seeds in open ground:

• it should be quite warm, even at night - without frost;
• all belated frosts should already be over, because even small frosts will destroy the plant;
• the earth should dry out from melted snow;
• the ideal temperature of the earth is from 15 degrees and above.

How to prepare the soil?

To begin with, it is worth noting that it is easiest to plant seeds in open ground in the southern regions. There is a much higher chance of getting a crop without seedlings. In the northern and middle latitudes, to grow watermelon from seeds, you will need to thoroughly prepare the land. So, how to plant watermelons with seeds in open ground?

The place for culture is chosen sunny, not shaded. The shadow will not allow to develop - you need an abundance of sun and heat! The best predecessors of culture are onions, cabbage, legumes.

In autumn, the ground for watermelons is dug up well, and then fertilized with manure. You can use fresh manure, during the winter it will have time to overheat and will not harm the culture. In spring, the soil loosens and warms.

For warming, the earth is poured with boiling water, then a film is applied to the site where the watermelon will grow. It can be lifted on spacers - it will be more effective. A similar method will warm the earth much faster, and plant a crop earlier.

How to prepare seeds for planting?

Before planting watermelons with seeds, they need to be harvested. Since February, they have been transferred to a warm place. To know in advance the volume planting material, you need to fill them with warm water, leave for 30 minutes, and then throw away all the floating seeds (high-quality, full ones will go to the bottom).

In order to increase resistance to disease, the day before planting they are soaked in a warm solution of potassium permanganate. They should lie down in it for about 15 minutes. Then they are taken out and transferred to another warm water with the addition of ash. One part ash is two parts water. In the morning, the seeds will change a little - they will swell, it is in this form that they need to be planted in the soil.

How to plant and care for watermelon?

The beds are made wide - 0.5-1 meter due to the branched root system. It is desirable to make a landing site with a comb up to 20 cm high and 50 cm wide. Watermelon seeds are planted at a depth of 5-7 cm and at a distance of 80 cm from each other. In one hole, you can throw 3-5 seeds. And if they all germinate, thin them out. Such a large distance allows the plant to develop freely in different directions.

Care is similar to other plants. It is necessary from time to time to loosen the soil, remove weeds. After 2-3 weeks, the first shoots can be observed. If at this time or earlier the ambient temperature nevertheless dropped, a simple film can help. It is pulled on sticks or spacers over a bed of watermelons, you can put a saucepan under the film with hot water. The principle is like in a small greenhouse, but since watermelons do not like excess moisture, gauze is pulled under the film.

When 3-4 ovaries and at least 5 leaves appear, pinch the lashes. Regular, plentiful watering is carried out before the appearance of flowers. After that, watering is reduced so that the watermelons do not turn out watery.

What could be more beautiful in hot summer weather than a piece of ripe juicy watermelon that melts in your mouth and fills the body with life-giving moisture! The discoverers of this beautiful large berry were the peoples of Ancient Egypt, who appreciated its wonderful taste. But watermelons are also endowed with medicinal properties. Apart from high content vitamins of group B, watermelon is in third place after spinach and lettuce in terms of iron content. Due to the diuretic properties of this fruit, the body is cleared of harmful substances. The combination of taste and medicinal properties of watermelon make it a welcome guest in the backyard. Having decided to plant this crop, of course, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the features of the conditions for its cultivation.

Choosing a landing site and soil

An important role in obtaining a good harvest is played by the right planting site and soil. Watermelons love sandy and loamy chernozems. And the ideal place for growing will be the southwestern and southern slopes, protected from the winds and well warmed by the sun. It is worth considering the fact that for planting watermelons it is not recommended to use the same soil where they were planted for several years in a row or if their predecessors were melon, cucumbers and pumpkin. The preferred places for growing this fruit will be the soil on which wheat, onions, potatoes, beans, and vegetables were grown, which were fertilized with organic fertilizers. Before growing watermelons, you need to pay attention to the fact that the soil is not affected by wireworm.

The soil for growing watermelons has been prepared since autumn. When digging the site, organic or mineral fertilizers are simultaneously applied. From early spring, in order to avoid moisture loss, the soil is loosened with a rake and kept clean from weeds.

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Seed preparation

The scheme of planting watermelon seedlings in a greenhouse.

Seeds must be prepared before planting.

The preparation process is as follows: the seeds are heated for 3 hours at a temperature of +60 ºС, pickled with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, moistened in a soda solution (2 g per glass of water).

They are hardened by holding them for 8 hours on melting ice, and then they germinate.

In the southern regions, prepared seeds are sown directly into the ground, and in the central and northern regions, watermelons are grown through seedlings.

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Sprouting seedlings

To germinate seedlings you will need:

• peat cups;
• a mixture of garden or soddy soil with humus in proportions of 1: 1 with the addition of a glass of ash to a bucket of this mixture;
• polyethylene film;
• mineral fertilizers.

A mixture of earth with humus (1: 1) with a glass of ash added to it (1 glass per bucket of the mixture) is poured into peat humus cups. Then 1-2 seeds are planted in cups, which are watered with warm water and covered plastic wrap.

The cultivation technology provides for maintaining a certain temperature regime. So, in the daytime, the optimum temperature is +20 - 25 ºС, and at night it can drop to +18 - 20ºС. With the advent of the first shoots, so that the seedlings do not stretch, the temperature drops. During the cultivation of seedlings, they are fed with mineral fertilizers: 10 g ammonium nitrate per bucket of water, 30 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium sulfate. Seedlings are watered with warm water, and it also needs regular hardening.

After 1 month from the moment of planting the seeds, seedlings appear, ready for planting in open ground. Seedlings are planted when the danger of frost has passed, i.e. in the middle or end of May.

Holes are made on the site, organic fertilizers are added to them, everything is watered with water and seedlings are planted to a depth exceeding 2 cm from the height of the pots. After planting, the soil around the pots is compacted and mulched. The recommended scheme for planting seedlings in peat pots 140 by 70 cm.

The process of growing and ripening fruits can be significantly accelerated by covering the seedlings with plastic wrap on arcs.

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Planting seeds in the ground

In the case of planting prepared seeds in the ground, the following conditions: the temperature at a depth of 10 cm should reach + 16ºС, the soil must be moistened. Watermelons of early ripe varieties are sown according to the schemes: 140 by 70 cm or 140 by 140 cm. Late and mid-ripening - 140 by 140 or 210 by 180 cm. 3-4 seeds are placed in the hole. Sowing depth ranges from 4 cm (on heavy soils) to 8 cm (on light soils with low humidity) - it all depends on the timing of sowing, moisture content and soil type.

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Plant care: feeding and watering

Care of crops milestone in the process of growing watermelons. Special attention here it is given to loosening the soil in holes and rows, loosening after rain is obligatory. The most optimal soil option for obtaining good yields is light loosened soil, therefore, for the entire period of crop growth, it should be loosened up to 3-4 times. The last loosening procedure is carried out before the formation of lashes. If the crops are thickened enough, they break through, leaving every 30-40 cm, then every 70, 100, and 120 cm. It is strictly forbidden to pull the plants out of the ground: they are removed with a knife or chopper.

No matter how fertile the soil, plants need regular feeding. Soil fertilization is done every 10-12 days. These can be mixtures such as Kemira Universal, Nitroammofoska, Kristallin, which contain potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Before direct use, they are dissolved in water: for 10 liters of water, 1 tbsp. superphosphate and 2 tbsp. nitroammophoski, or 1 tbsp. potassium sulfate and 2 tbsp. superphosphate, or 2 tbsp. urea. In hot, dry weather, top dressing is done along with watering or before rain.

An ideal feeding option is organic fertilizers, for example, bird droppings, herbal infusion. Top dressing from litter is prepared at the rate of 1 bucket of litter per 5 buckets of water. The mixture is infused for 2 weeks and then 1 liter of such top dressing is diluted in 1 bucket of water and thus 3-4 plants are watered. To prepare a top dressing from herbs, unseed weeds are poured with a bucket of water. Then they are transferred to a larger bucket and filled with a bucket of water, in which the weeds originally formed. The solution is left to ferment for 5-7 days. After that, the thick is removed and used as mulch by unfolding along the rows. The slurry is diluted with water 1:10, and then the plants are fertilized with it. This amount of fertilizer is designed for 10-12 plants.

When feeding, it is important to follow the rule: first, the plant is well watered, then it is fed, and finally, in the rain or by watering, fertilizer residues are washed off from it.

To grow a good and abundant crop of watermelons, like other plants, they need to be watered. The first time watering is done after a breakthrough and the formation of density. If cultivation is carried out from seedlings, then 7-10 days after the culture has taken root. The standard irrigation rate is 300 liters of water per 10 sq.m. The second time, watermelons are watered during the period of bud set and at the beginning of mass flowering. Watering for the third time is done at the beginning of fruit set.

The best way to water watermelons drip irrigation, along the holes and grooves.

In order to avoid cracking of fruits and reduce their sugar content, watering is excluded at the beginning of the ripening of watermelons and during their harvest.

Thus, having familiarized yourself with the technologies for growing watermelons from seeds and seedlings and choosing the most appropriate for a particular region, you can start planting. If you grow even a small amount of this beautiful plant with love, it will surely please with its beautiful and tasty fruits, quench your thirst and give the body life-giving moisture and a piece of health!

How to grow watermelons? In fact, if you correctly approach the choice of crop variety and grow seedlings, then the growing process will not cause much trouble. What features should be taken into account when growing watermelons in Siberia, the Urals, and the Moscow region?

Getting a good harvest of watermelons is not difficult. The main rule is to follow all the instructions.

Selecting the best variety of watermelon

It is worth choosing seeds of hybrid varieties of watermelons, as they are resistant to many diseases and diseases, can withstand sharp drops temperatures. For example, if watermelons receive little heat in summer, they will only grow to a certain level and be able to ripen.

• "Spark";
• "Sugar Baby";
• "Astrakhan".

For the northern regions of the country, Sugar Baby is ideal. The ripening period after the first shoots appeared is approximately 85 days. The fruit has sweet bright red pulp, its average weight is up to 4 kilograms. Watermelons of this variety are round in shape, and the skin color is dark green. Sugar baby is suitable for conservation. It is recommended to plant seedlings according to the planting pattern 60*100cm.

The fruits of the Ogonyok culture are spherical in shape, the peel is black-green, and the weight reaches 2 kilograms. The flesh of the watermelon is bright red and juicy. Twinkle - mid-season variety. The fruits ripen after 87 days from the moment the first shoots appear. You need to plant watermelons according to the scheme 60 * 100cm.

— large-fruited variety watermelons. The average weight of a berry can reach 9 kg. The variety belongs to domestic selection and is considered one of the most popular. The fruit has a round or oblong shape with dark green stripes. Watermelons of the Astrakhan variety perfectly tolerate transportation and retain a presentable appearance for quite a long time. The pulp has a rich taste. Average term ripening after the first shoots appear - 81 days.

Growing options

The culture can be grown both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions. Growing in a greenhouse is considered the most suitable option when it comes to regions with unstable temperatures.

Advice! Open ground is suitable for the southern regions of the country, as well as for early varieties.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Before sowing seeds, you need to perform a number of activities:

1. Calibration;
2. scarification;
3. warming up;
4. Disinfection.

Such procedures must be carried out so that there are good shoots, and the seedlings do not get sick.

Calibration- the process of sorting seeds according to their size. Why is such a procedure carried out? It is important to do this, since healthier seedlings will not allow small ones to fully develop. If you correctly divide the seeds into certain groups, then after sowing, all seedlings will develop equally evenly. Since seeds of the same “caliber” will be sown in each container.

Scarification- The procedure is not mandatory. It involves damage to the seed coat, which speeds up the germination process. If we are talking about the middle zone of the country, then scarification is necessary. To do this, it is recommended to rub each seed with a spout on sandpaper.

warming up. Such a procedure, on the contrary, is mandatory for watermelon seeds. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that it accelerates the process of their germination, since with an increase in temperature in seeds, the speed of biochemical processes increases. In order to warm up, you need to soak the seeds in water, the temperature of which should be about 50 ° C and leave them in it for 30 minutes.

Disinfection. The procedure consists in the disinfection of the seed. AT weak solution potassium permanganate, soak the seeds for 20 minutes. Then they need to be dried. natural way. Next comes the sowing.

Many summer residents additionally germinate seeds before sowing. For such a procedure, you need to wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and place them in a warm place, for example, on a battery. It is important that the fabric does not dry completely. After the seeds hatch, you can start sowing.

Planting seeds in open ground

Watermelon seeds can be sown immediately in open ground. First you need to correctly choose a variety that is suitable for a particular region. After the soil is warm enough - + 15 ° С ... + 16 ° С, the seeds are planted to a depth of about 10 cm.

After the first shoots have appeared, it is necessary to thin out the seedlings. Repeated thinning is carried out, as 3-4 full-fledged leaves appear in the sents. You need to do this to leave the healthiest sprouts. The distance between seedlings should be 100 cm, if we are talking about a greenhouse, then about 70 cm.

Growing watermelon seedlings in open ground

Choice of container and soil

Since watermelon seedlings do not respond well to transplanting, each seedling must be individually placed in a separate container. Optimal container size: 10 cm in diameter and 12 cm in height.

The container should also not be filled to the brim with soil, about 3 cm from the edge should be left. This is necessary in order to be able to pour soil into the container.

Advice! Seedlings grow comfortably in humus or peat-humus soil.

Peat-humus soil should be made in equal proportions. There is an option for growing watermelons in a mixture of humus and soddy soil (proportion - 3: 1). It is important to add about 1 tsp or 2 tbsp superphosphate to the mixture. l wood ash (per 1 kg of the mixture).

Planting watermelon seeds for seedlings

The term for planting seedlings in open ground should fall around the end of May. By this time, the seedlings will grow up, and from the moment of sowing they will be about 35 days old. Therefore, sowing from seeds in containers and containers should occur approximately in the middle or end of April.

Watermelon seeds are sown in a pot in twos to a depth of 3 cm. When the seedlings sprout, the weaker one must be removed. Sowing containers should be placed on the windowsill, the window should be on the south side.

Important! Seedlings should not be allowed to fall under a draft.

Seedling Care

In order for the seeds to germinate successfully, the temperature regime must be taken into account. Optimum temperature should be up to 30°C. If all conditions are met, then shoots should appear after 5 days.

Then the temperature rises to 20-25°C, and at night the temperature should be around 18-20°C. Compliance with this temperature regime should last three weeks.

In order to avoid deformation of seedlings, it is necessary to observe the optimal level of lighting. To provide required level light, you need to create artificial lighting with the help of special devices. The room where the seedlings stand should be ventilated.

After 12 days, the seedlings should be fertilized. The optimal fertilizer is based on mullein. It is not difficult to prepare it: dilute the mullein with water (proportion 1:10).

Re-feeding should be carried out after 14 it. Top dressing should already include 50 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of potassium sulfate and 15 grams of ammonium sulfate (per 1 liter of fertilizer).

Planting seedlings in open ground

The main point of seedling care is hardening. This procedure should be carried out 4 days before the direct landing in open ground. The procedure consists in lowering the temperature by 2-3 degrees and reducing the amount of watering. For several days, seedlings need to be taken out to a balcony or greenhouse, which is located on the street. On the eve of planting, seedlings should be watered abundantly.

The optimal time of day for transplanting watermelons is morning. It is necessary to carefully transfer each sprout along with the ground into the hole. The distance between young watermelons should be approximately 70-100 centimeters.

As a rule, seedlings are planted in a tape method with a distance of 50 cm from each other or in holes (3-5 sprouts in each). Many experienced gardeners make holes with a diameter of 1 meter and plant 1 or 2 seedlings in them.

Burying plants should be carried out to the cotyledon leaves. After transplanting, the watermelon should be watered and covered with a film.

Watch the video! Planting watermelons in a proven way

Care and pest control

Watering

The root system of watermelons is pivotal and goes to a depth of more than 100 cm. Lateral roots occupy a large surface of the upper soil layers. After planting seedlings, it is important to adjust the watering regime. Optimally, 3 buckets of water should fall on 1 m2 of soil. After the plants have bloomed, watering is done twice a week.

Important! Watering the bushes must be stopped during the period of fruit ripening.

The difficulty of growing a crop is that with a sharp cold snap, the plant may die or get sick. In order for the seedlings to develop normally and the fruit set to fully occur, the temperature should be from +25 ° С ... +30 ° С.

The growth of seedlings noticeably slows down if the temperature drops to 15 ° C. Therefore, in case of weather changes, it is important to cover the melon with a film. Since with inside film, condensation may form, you need to stretch any non-woven material under it.

Shelter

The covering film should be removed at the end of June. It is important that there are no strong temperature differences during the day and at night. If such a phenomenon is observed, then you should not rush to remove the film. Plants need constant ventilation and shelter from the rain.

top dressing

After the seedlings begin to weave, it is necessary to apply top dressing. It is recommended to use solutions of mullein (proportion 1:8) or a solution of chicken manure (proportion 1:20). Do not forget about mineral fertilizers. The most common mineral fertilizer- superphosphate.

After the ovaries have formed, it is necessary to feed the plants with forsforno-potassium fertilizer.

Pollination

In central Russia, pollination of plants occurs due to insects. However, if, due to weather conditions, pollination by insects is not possible, then it is carried out manually. To do this, touch the stamens of one flower to the pistils of other inflorescences. You can harvest 40 days after pollination has occurred.

Formation

If we are talking about growing watermelons in the northern regions, then it is worth forming one stem by tying it to a trellis. After 3 or 4 fruits appear on the plant and the main stem grows to a trellis, you need to pinch the top of the stem.

Protection from pests and diseases

Some of the worst pests of watermelons:

• wireworm;
• sprout fly;
• Scoop;
• Meadow moth.

If suddenly a pest attacked the plant, then it is worth treating the bush with such a preparation as Fitoverm.

If there are a lot of pests, then the plants should be treated with chemical insecticides:

• Fufanon;
• Tantrek;
• Decis.

Watermelons and suffer from the same diseases, namely:

• Anthracnose;
• Ascochitosis;
• Powdery mildew;
• Peronosporosis.

Fighting methods:

• Ordan;
• Abiga Peak;
• colloidal sulfur.

Harvesting

It is not worth rushing to harvest, since not all fruits that have reached a certain size have time to ripen.

So, for example, with tomatoes and melons it is easier. The indicator is a change in the color of the fruit. But what is the optimal harvest time for watermelons? If we are talking about early ripe fruits, then the harvest should fall in mid-August. However, mass collection is not required. To determine the ripeness of a crop, you need to outward signs. First of all, attention is paid to the mustache and bract. If they are dry, then the watermelon can be plucked from the garden. A ripe watermelon makes a hollow sound when tapped.

Conclusion

Watermelon cultivation technology is enough an exciting activity. To enjoy delicious and ripe watermelon, it is necessary to follow certain rules of agricultural technology. It is most difficult for beginners to grow watermelons, therefore, in order to properly sow or select seeds, you should seek the advice of professionals. Our article contains tips experienced summer residents, as well as photo and video material of an educational nature. It is worth remembering that with a strong desire to grow watermelons at home, it is quite possible!

Watch the video! How to grow watermelons step-by-step instruction, from seeds to berries 25 kg)