Rules for growing watermelons. Planting and growing watermelons in open ground. Watermelon: planting scheme in open ground

Watermelon is delicious and useful berry, which pleases children and adults with its juicy pulp. You can grow watermelon in middle lane Russia. This melon culture is very thermophilic, however, in order to grow large and sweet fruits, you need to observe a lot of nuances. So, let's talk about everything in order.

Where to grow watermelons

A place for growing watermelons must be selected very carefully. It should be a sunny area without trees or shade. Watermelons grow best in sandy and sandy soils, because the roots of watermelon penetrate deep into the soil to be saturated with moisture and filled with sweetness. That is why the soil for growing watermelons should not be clayey and dense. To make the soil more porous, it is first dug (since autumn). The acidity of the soil of the selected area should not exceed 6.5-7 units.

It is best to choose the soil for planting in which crops such as onions, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beans, wheat grew. You should not grow gourds two years in a row in the same area. The soil is pre-cleaned of weeds, watermelon does not like extraneous vegetation.

When to grow watermelons

If the summer turns out to be cold, no tricks will help grow juicy and sweet fruit. But if there are many sunny and hot days in a year, be prepared for a good harvest. It is best to start planting watermelons at the end of May, when the soil is already sufficiently warmed up by the sun. If you decide to plant seedlings, then the seeds can be planted in cups in early May. However the last word anyway, the weather. If in the first decade of May the heat did not come, you should not rush into landing.

How to prepare seeds for planting watermelons

Consider two main ways of planting watermelons - seedling and seedless.

Watermelon has very dense and hard seeds that must be soaked beforehand. To do this, pour the seeds warm water and leave for half an hour. Those seeds that have surfaced after the specified time are not suitable for planting - we immediately remove them. After that, you need to cover the container with a plastic bag and leave it in a warm place (under direct sunbeams). It turns out an imitation of a greenhouse. It is best if the temperature in the mini-greenhouse does not fall below 25-30 degrees during the day, and below 20 degrees at night.

When the seeds hatch, they can be planted in a cup. This is usually done in late April or early May. Cups need to be chosen large enough so that the root system is spacious. Watermelon does not tolerate root damage. The soil for planting must be mixed with humus and mineral fertilizers. In the process of growing seedlings, you need to feed the sprouts with fertilizers several more times. Two seeds are usually planted in one cup, with the expectation that suddenly some will not germinate. If both sprouts grow, they are then separated.

Seedlings for planting are ready when the sprout gains at least three healthy leaves. Planting seedlings takes place in loosened soil, fertilized with compost. Watermelon seedlings should be planted at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other. If two sprouts are planted in one hole, you need to turn them so that they grow in different sides. Seedlings should not be planted too deep into the ground - the recesses should not exceed 10 cm. The leaves of the sprouts must remain on the surface. After planting, the sprouts should be poured with plenty of warm water so that they start better.

A seedless way to plant watermelons
If the days are already warm enough, you can plant watermelons in a seedless way. To do this, they, just as in the previous planting method, must be soaked in warm water and leave the seeds to germinate. When small sprouting sprouts appear, you can bypass the stage of planting sprouts in cups and sow the seeds directly into the soil. I would like to note once again that a reckless method of planting watermelons is feasible only if the long-term weather forecast does not portend cold weather.

Seeds should be planted in holes at a distance of 20-25 cm, 2 seeds per hole. For getting good harvest you can prepare the following mixture. Mix soil, ash and humus in a ratio of one to one. Add a few tablespoons of nitroamophoska mineral fertilizer to the mixture. In each well, before planting the sprouts, lay out one tablespoon of the prepared mixture. Place watermelon seeds on top of the mixture, and then sprinkle with humus. This is done so that the top layer of soil is not covered with a crust. As it was said, watermelon loves loose soil, and the sprout simply cannot break through a thick crust.

Although watermelon is considered a fairly unpretentious crop, in order to get a good harvest, you need to follow some aspects in caring for watermelon.

Imitation of a greenhouse. Until the sprouts have grown stronger, you need to cover them with a covering material. This will allow them to gain strength and bear fruit for several weeks. ahead of schedule. To create such a small greenhouse, stick small sticks on the sides of the beds and cover with a dense plastic wrap. Keep the greenhouse until the end of June. It is better to shoot film on a gloomy day when there is no sun. This will allow the plants to adapt better. If you remove the film on a sunny day, the sprouts can simply burn out.
Watering. Watermelon does not like over watering as it feeds inland waters. It has a powerful root system that takes water from the lower layers of the soil when needed. But the plant should not be overdried, otherwise the fruits will not differ in juiciness. The optimal frequency of watering is once or twice a week.
Fertilizers. A week after planting the seeds, they need to be fed with ammonium nitrate. To prepare the solution, you need to dilute 20 grams of the substance in ten liters of water. After the first feeding, watermelons should be fertilized every three weeks, using the usual mineral complex. Along with fertilizers, you need to constantly hill the soil. Watermelon vitally needs loose soil. In general, gardeners advise walking less near the holes and not compacting the ground. Especially, in the intervals between planted sprouts. The root system of a watermelon is quite sprawling, but also quite fragile. Stepping on loose soil near the hole, you can damage the root of the plant.
Molding. This is an important part of caring for a watermelon planting. If the whips are very long, they can be tied to posts or nailed with earth so that they are not damaged by the wind. In a month, ovaries will begin to form. When they become the size of a large plum, you need to leave only the largest - a few pieces. This is called pinching. This procedure is carried out for the following purpose. When a plant has many fruits, it expends its energy on each fruit. Thus, we will get a lot of unripe and small fruits. To get good and tasty fruits, you need to remove a few ovaries at the very beginning of their growth. Usually no more than 5-6 watermelon fruits are left from one bush. Moreover, on one lash there should not be more than two ovaries.

In the second half of summer, when watermelons begin to ripen, they can be carefully turned from one side to the other every 10 days. This will allow them to quickly gain flavor and juice. If the soil under the watermelons rots, you need to put small boards under the fruits to reduce the area of \u200b\u200bcontact between the watermelon and the ground.

When to Harvest

Harvested in August. To understand that a watermelon is ripe, you need to carefully examine it. Ripe fruits are distinguished by a shiny skin, as well as a dry tail. Peduncle at ripe watermelon not hairy. If you knock on a watermelon, a ripe fruit gives out a characteristic dull sound, by which experienced gardeners understand - it's time to harvest!

In watermelon-rich years, about 10 plants can be grown from six holes. About 40 fruits grow and ripen from them. different size and weight. At proper care and a sufficient amount of light and moisture, 90% of them ripen completely.

What could be tastier and more enjoyable than enjoying a watermelon grown by yourself? Follow all the rules of planting, care and feeding to grow a rich crop of watermelons on your suburban area!

Video: how to grow a watermelon in the open field

Watermelon- heat-loving berry of the gourd family. With proper care, you will get tasty, sweet and juicy fruits. Watermelons from the markets can be dangerous for the body, they often contain a lot of nitrates, unsweetened and of poor quality. Most The best way getting healthy and sweet watermelons is to grow them yourself in the garden.

In the article, we will analyze in detail the right place for growing, site preparation, plant care technology from planting seeds to harvesting.

Site selection and preparation

The landing site must be sunny, away from trees and bushes, located on the warm, south side, preferably closed from strong winds.

The soil should not be dense and clay, neutral or alkaline. The best option is sandy soil.

Cabbage, legumes are the best predecessor in the garden. Change the planting sites of watermelons every year - this is good for the soil.

Where the weather allows, watermelons are planted in open ground with seeds, preheated in hot (50 degrees) water for about 10 minutes, then germinated in a humid environment (napkins moistened with water between seeds, etc.) until they hatch. The soil should be 12-14 degrees (mid or late May) at the time of sowing.

In regions with short summers, watermelons are grown from seedlings.

To do this, they buy or select from their own, high-quality seeds suitable for this region. Choose from early hybrids.

It should be noted that the seedlings will be transplanted into open ground 25 days after germination. Germination of seeds will take up to 10 days (usually 3-7). Considering these indicators, plan the sowing of seeds.

If the seeds are planted in mid-April, watermelon seedlings can be transplanted in mid-May.

Watermelon seedlings do not take root well, so each plant is planted separately. Watermelon seeds are sown in individual cups measuring 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 cm. These can be either peat or plastic cups.

You can make your own soil or buy ready mix in a specialized store.

The soil is made independently like this: humus, soil, peat and river sand in the same proportion mix with each other. You also need to add 0.5 kg to them wood ash for every 20 kg of soil mixture.

Soak watermelon seeds for 12 hours in warm water with the addition of potassium permanganate. 2 seeds are planted in each pot, deepening by 2 cm. The soil must be moist.

Cover the pots together with a film, after the emergence of shoots, remove.

Pots with sprouts are placed on the windowsill on the south side. Optimum temperature in the room 24 °C. A week after germination, remove weak sprouts.

For normal growth, add lighting in the morning and evening hours. Watering is carried out with warm water (25 ° C) every other day.

10 days after germination, plants are fed: dilute 1 part of mullein in 10 parts of water, add 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 2 tsp. ammonium nitrate. 10 days after transplanting plants into open ground, a second top dressing is done.

Important: when watering plants with water with fertilizers, it should not get on the leaves, this can cause a burn.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, it is hardened: intensive watering decreases, the temperature gradually decreases, airing is carried out. Three days before transplanting, watering should be stopped.

When 5 main leaves appear on the plants, the seedlings can be transplanted. Remember that the soil should be warmed up to 12-14 degrees, no less.

Seedlings are planted in holes prepared in the ground. The planting scheme is as follows: between the dimples 50-70 cm, between the rows 2-2.5 m. Carefully with the ground, we remove the seedlings from the pot and plant them in the dimples, fill them with soil in a circle and water abundantly. For better rooting, you can cover with spunbond at night.

Planting watermelon seedlings - video

If you are going to grow watermelon under a film, then the seeds can be sown in March. When planting seedlings from pots under the film, the temperature of the soil under the film should be at least 12 degrees. Best time transplantation under the film mid and end of April.

The film should be two-layer, it is first stretched along the pits. The first layer of the film is laid on the ground, holes are made 8-10 cm long for plants. For the second layer, an arc is installed, a film is laid down and fixed on top.

The first layer warms the soil, retains moisture, and prevents the growth of weeds. For growing seedlings under the film, uniform drip irrigation is needed.

During the growth of seedlings, the second layer of the film must be lifted, allowing free growth. With the establishment of warm, sunny days, the film is removed.

7-10 days after planting the seedlings, fertilize it with a solution of 30 g of ammonium sulfate, 20 g of potassium salt, 50 g of superphosphate diluted in 10 liters of water, fertilize no more than 2 liters per plant.

Plants are watered with settled water once a week (depending on weather conditions).

2 weeks before the ripening of the first fruits, feeding is stopped.

When the 5th leaf is formed on the plants, the growth point is removed (pinching is performed). After the appearance of the first ovaries, the largest berry is left, the rest are cut off.

One plant should not have more than 6 fruits. After the place of formation of the berry, 4 leaves are counted, the rest is plucked off.

A high yield of watermelons depends on high-quality and timely pollination of plants, therefore, when grown indoors, at the time of flowering, the film must be opened. Otherwise, you will have to pollinate yourself, applying male flowers to female ones.

Be careful when watering, do not touch the plants, otherwise diseases and pests will appear. Gourds are heavily exposed to pests and diseases.

Powdery mildew, fusarium, olive blotch, bacteriosis, anthracnose processed with colloidal sulfur, Bordeaux liquid.

Pests such as wireworm, melon aphid, spider mite damage and cause death of the plant. Use Karbofos, Keltan, Phosphamide to fight them.

The best prevention for the occurrence of diseases and pests is the removal of weeds from the beds with watermelons.

By mid-August, a massive harvest of watermelons begins. How to identify and choose the right ripe berries?

Main features:

the tendril of the watermelon should dry completely;

watermelon stops growing, the top layer becomes shiny;

a yellow earthen spot is located on the side on which the watermelon lay;

makes a dull sound when tapped;

when squeezed, a slight crackling of the pulp is heard;

A ripe watermelon does not sink in water.

Growing watermelons - video

In conclusion, I will say that every gardener can grow a watermelon, as a result you will get large, delicious berries even growing in open field, the main thing is to use simple advice that you found on the page.

Thanks to modern technology, growing berries and vegetables is no longer a fantasy. To understand how to grow watermelon at home, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances in advance that will allow you to harvest an ecological and tasty crop after some time.

Not every variety of watermelon can be grown at home. Seeds of delicious watermelon from the market or store are not suitable for this purpose, because this variety is grown in open areas in spring and summer. For the same reasons, they will not suitable varieties, which are grown in summer cottages.

But there are hybrids that are resistant to lack of light, early ripening, they do not require special care. The following varieties are considered excellent: Ogonyok, Kaho, Sibiryak, Volgar, Gift of the Sun. They sprout very well, are tenacious, the fruits have a sweet taste.

After acquisition planting material required to be selected before growing a watermelon at home. Small and damaged seeds are excluded immediately. Large seeds are dipped in a glass container containing a solution of table salt. It is done like this: 5 g of salt per 0.1 liter of water. Seeds that have sunk to the bottom must be removed, washed in water, and dried. It is these seeds that are needed for planting.

Then they are soaked in a solution of humate (0.5 g per 1 liter of water). This is done as follows: gauze is wetted, in which the seeds are left for a day. This will increase germination and reduce stress. You can also leave the seeds in gauze moistened with ordinary water until they begin to hatch.
Then the seeds need to be planted in small plastic cups of 4-5 seeds each, the earth should be a little tamped in them.

Watering should be carried out in such a way that the soil is always moist. For seedlings to appear, the temperature must be around 25 ° C. Then shoots will appear after 1 week. If the temperature is below 13 ° C, then seedlings can not be expected.

Cups should be in a well-lit and warm place. Drafts should not be allowed. After 2-3 weeks, 1 seedling should be left in each cup.

watermelon care

As soon as 3 leaves appear, the plants are transferred to containers, the volume of which is from 5 to 15 liters. They should have a mixture of seedling soil and perlite in a ratio of 2: 1. Water the plant often, but not abundantly so that the water does not stagnate. Every 2 weeks the soil must be fertilized. Liquid fertilizers for vegetables are suitable here. It is necessary to add 1 tsp to 1 liter of water. fertilizers. This solution can only be used for 1 watering.

When 6 leaves grow, pinch the plant over 4 leaves. The plant needs enough light. If there is not enough lighting, then additional LED or energy-saving lamps will be required.

Pollination of the plant and the appearance of fruits

In most cases, watermelons begin to bloom 30-50 days after germination.

Flowers require pollination to produce an ovary.

To do this, you must first find male flowers that have a thin stem. Such flowers will need to be carefully plucked, they need to pollinate female flowers by touching the pistils with stamens.

After a certain period of time, the withering of the petals and the increase in the peduncle will be noticeable, which after a while will become a fruit. As the lashes grow, they will need to be pinched to stop their growth.

A few weeks before the full ripening of the fruit, watering should be minimized, stimulating the appearance of sugar in the berry. When the grown fruits are ripe, you can harvest.

How to grow watermelons in the country (video)

About the beneficial properties of watermelon

This berry has a lot of sugar (about 12%). It is quite easily absorbed by the body and, unlike refined sugar, benefits.

Watermelon juice has a diuretic effect, so it is able to flush the kidneys and ureters well. Thanks to him, salts dissolve and are washed out of the body. Watermelon juice is considered beneficial for people suffering from kidney disease. Watermelon juice is also useful for people who have diabetes, cystitis, atherosclerosis.

Now you know about growing watermelon at home. We wish you a good harvest!

We plant seedlings of watermelon in open ground (video)

Gallery: watermelon at home (15 photos)

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Watermelon and melon are associated with the taste of summer, and every gardener dreams of growing delicious fruits on his plot. Watermelon has long been used as a healing diuretic to cleanse the body. Melons are thermophilic and grow in a warm climate, so for their cultivation and planting watermelons in the open field, you need to have special knowledge.

Be sure to find out in advance whether it is possible to plant gourds if a cucumber, pepper, pumpkin or zucchini grows nearby.

Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side?

Melons belong to the gourd family. Cultures are very useful and contain a huge amount of vitamins. If you learn how to grow these plants correctly, you can get high yield delicious fruits.

Melon is quite suitable for "neighborhood" with watermelon. Plants tend to grow. It is not recommended to plant them too close together..

Melons are prone to infection with various identical diseases. Therefore, if you plant nearby, you need to understand the risks of spreading diseases from one culture to another.

And melons and watermelons tend to run wild

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings at home

Seeds for seedlings are planted approximately 60 days before planting in open ground. So, already in mid-March, the seeds should be bought. You can buy them at any specialized store or ask those who have already managed to grow a quality crop of watermelons and melons.

It is impossible to get a good harvest from the seeds of last year's watermelon. The best seeds to plant- 5 years ago. It is important to understand that only any early-ripening varieties with a ripening period of up to 70-85 days are suitable for our climate. It's better to prioritize hybrid varieties which are more adapted to adverse conditions.

When preparing seeds, you need to make sure that they are not empty. To do this, seeds are immersed in a container with water, Anything that comes up can be safely thrown away.. Watermelon seeds germinate more slowly than melon seeds. Therefore, it is recommended to scald watermelon seeds with boiling water, for better germination, and only then sow.

Preparation for planting and soaking

Soak. Each separate view seeds need to be wrapped and soaked in cloth rags and maintain in a humid environment until germination. You can also soak in special napkins.
If the seeds have already hatched, but there is no way to plant them in a timely manner, you can leave the seeds in the refrigerator.

Seeds germinated at home are planted in separate small pots with a diameter of 10 cm, preferably peat. The soil should be a mixture of: humus, sod land 3:1, add peat, sawdust, humus 3:1:0.5.

planted in each pot 2 seeds to the depth 5 cm. Moisten the soil with a sprayer. Cover container on top cling film and put in a warm place +25 degrees.

It will take 40-45 days to grow watermelon seedlings, and 30 days for melon.

It will take about 40 days to grow watermelon seedlings.

when the seeds germinate, transfer them to sunlight temperature +22 degrees. Remove the film;
the best place for seedlings is the windowsill on the south side of the house;
a week after sowing, feed the seedlings with mineral fertilizers, and a week later - infusion of mullein with superphosphate.

Landing in open ground

When landing in open ground, you need to focus on climatic conditions, the selected variety of culture, the readiness of seedlings.

Soil selection

Before planting melons in open ground, you need to choose a place for planting. exotic plants love sunny places where there is no shadow and no wind.

Melons love nutrient soil and sunny plots of land

Melons and watermelons need rich soils, as well as those that can withstand moisture well. Perfect option- sandy and sandy loam soil With pH indicator 6-7 units.

Site preparation is carried out in the fall. When digging, they add 4-5 kg of manure per square meter, 40 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt. and ammonium sulfate.

Preparing seedlings of watermelons

When the seedlings appear 5-7 leaves, it is ready for transplanting into open ground. Best time - the end of May. However, you need to focus on weather conditions so that at night the air temperature remains +15 degrees.

A week before planting in open ground, seedlings must be taken out for hardening at a daily temperature of + 16 + 20 degrees.

Seedlings are ready for transplanting after the appearance of 5-7 leaves

Outdoor Landing Pattern - Depth and Distance

For planting in open ground, you must adhere to the following rules:

Holes should be made in the garden at a distance 0.5-0.7 meters apart in a checkerboard pattern. Leave 70cm spacing between rows.
Seedlings are placed in holes so that the surface remains only a few top leaves. The soil should be crushed and sprinkled with sand around to protect the plant from rot.
Harvest after planting should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
To protect a young plant from scorching sun you need to close the sprouts for 2-3 days with moistened caps made of plastic or paper.

10-14 days after planting, you need to feed the crop with a solution of ammonium nitrate 20g per bucket of 2 liters for each bush. During the period when the buds appear, you need to feed melons with infusion of mullein.

Seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of about half a meter

Features of growing melons

To provide Free access oxygen to the roots, the soil needs to be constantly loosen to a depth of 10 cm. With the development of lateral loops, spud the culture. In order for the plant not to spend all its strength on gaining mass during the growth period, you need to pinch the main stem. For the full development of melons, three shoots are enough.

When fruit ovaries leave 2-6 of the strongest and largest specimens on the bush. To reduce the load on the whip, it is recommended to tie the fruits into nets and hang on a support. The fruits are placed on foil linings to prevent rotting.

To reduce the load on the whip, the fruits can be hung in a net.

If watermelons will be used for storage and transportation in the future, then it is better to take a berry not fully ripe.

Advantages of planting in open ground:

at warm weather can be achieved maximum ripeness fruits;
daily watering of the culture is not necessary;
it is possible to increase the yield if the basic rules for selecting soil and planting seeds for seedlings are observed.

Growing watermelons and melons in a summer cottage is quite realistic. Some even grow them in bags or greenhouses. If you follow all the recommendations, then by the end of summer you can enjoy sweet, sugary fruits. The main advantage of growing melons in your garden is the absence of chemicals.

Growing watermelons and melons in a greenhouse and open field is not associated with great difficulties. Some summer residents refuse to plant gourds, considering it inappropriate to borrow large area site. Meanwhile, these crops get along well together and give an excellent harvest, subject to certain rules. On a compact garden plot, it is not necessary to divert separate place for melons and for watermelons, they can be planted side by side and enjoy juicy sweet fruits.

Seed treatment before planting

Seed material is planted in peat forms at the end of April. Before sowing, it is advisable to warm the seeds well indoors or near a heating device. It is also recommended to soak them in warm water and disinfect in one of the solutions:

hydrogen peroxide solution is prepared at the rate of 10 tablets per liter of water;
a weak solution of manganese or boron 0.05% concentration;
"Epin extra", the stimulant is diluted as follows: 6 drops of bioadditives per 100 ml of water;
"Zircon", the solution is prepared at the rate of 2-4 drops of liquid per liter of water.

Treatment with biostimulants will not only destroy pathogens, but also allow plants to adapt to temperature disasters, and also increase crop yields. Soaking is carried out in a cotton bag, which is dipped in heated (about 60 °) water, the liquid is allowed to drain and left for a day. During this time, the seeds should swell and crack a little. If this did not happen, planting them in the ground does not make sense: the culture will turn out to be weak. When planting, 2 seeds are placed in each mold, in the future this will allow you to remove a weaker branch.

Simultaneous soaking and heating of seeds is better preparation to seedlings. Melons are watered only with water at room temperature, while making sure that it does not irrigate the leaves. Seedlings of gourds are quite capricious and require good lighting, heat and accurate watering.

Special soil is sold in stores, but you can cook it yourself. For this in suitable soil mineral fertilizer "Kemira universal" is added. For each pot, 1 teaspoon is enough, then the earth is well mixed. Seeds are buried to a depth of 2-3 cm and watered. Under favorable conditions, the first shoots appear on the 5-6th day, and after a week you can see the first leaf.

Growing gourds in a greenhouse

Planting gourds in covered ground is carried out at the end of May. By this time, the soil will already be warm enough, and frosts will not hurt root system. Previously, young plants are recommended to be hardened, for this they are taken out into the street at a temperature of 13-15 degrees or the air in the room is cooled to these figures. best age seedlings for planting is approximately 25-30 days.

Before planting, the soil is covered with plastic wrap, in which holes for peat containers are cut. This allows not only to protect heat-loving crops from low temperatures but also increases productivity. Fertilizers are additionally added to the wells: humus, ash or mineral additives. From above, the nutrients are covered with a layer of earth.

The greenhouse should maintain optimal temperature and light conditions. The temperature during the day should be 20-25°, and at night - 15-18°. Water moderately and infrequently with warm water. To prevent condensation, the greenhouse must be periodically ventilated. Watermelons and melons are quite sensitive to excess moisture, their seedlings can rot, and the fruits themselves grow watery and tasteless. If it gets colder outside, you should cover the soil and young shoots with a film, cotton cloth or paper.

At the time of planting melons in the greenhouse, you can have time to harvest young cabbage, early radish and greenery. This will not only additionally warm the soil, but also save space.

Boarding order

The scheme of planting in open ground is as follows. The distance between plants should be 40-50 cm for watermelons and 50-60 cm for melons. When grown together in a greenhouse, watermelons and melons are planted in a checkerboard pattern. Peat containers are buried shallowly in the ground, there should be a gap of about 3 cm between the leaves and the ground. This trick will further protect the plant from disease and decay.

When planting, the scheme and the distance between the rows are taken into account. It is usually recommended to plant in 2 rows, between which a piece of land 50 cm wide is left. The next planting of melons in the ground is carried out at a distance of 80 cm from the first rows.

Care for melons in the greenhouse

Caring for watermelons and melons is not particularly difficult and not too laborious. Young shoots can be covered with pruned plastic bottles, this protective frame allows you to increase the yield. As the plant grows, the bottle is removed or replaced with a higher shelter. When the stem has grown sufficiently in length, it is attached to a special support - a trellis, you can tie the top with a thread to the ceiling of the greenhouse. Heavy fruits are placed in nets, carton boxes. The main thing is that they do not come into contact with the ground.

7-10 days after planting, you can feed with nitrogen fertilizer - urea or nitrate, for this, 20 grams of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water.

Caring for gourds consists in loosening the soil, watering and top dressing. It is necessary to ensure that after planting, weeds do not appear between the sprouts. Young plants are watered once a week, then it is allowed to do this twice a month.

Watermelons and melons are drought-resistant crops, they germinate in the southern regions, where the absence of rain for a long time is considered normal. When the first fruits appear, watering is stopped. Irrigate melons should be carefully, making sure that water does not get on the root part of the stem. Otherwise, the culture may be damaged by rot.

Every 2-3 weeks, the soil should be fertilized with mullein infusion and minerals. During feeding, a small handful of ash can be added to each well.

Artificial pollination in a greenhouse is carried out by a male flower, it is determined by its impressive size. The flower is plucked and applied to female flowers. Before pollination, the crop should not be watered so that excess moisture does not affect the quality of the pollen. Many gardeners attract bees to pollination: they open the doors of the greenhouse, put saucers with sugar syrup.

plant formation

As they grow, the stems are bred in different directions. In the future, they are tied to wooden or metal trellises.

To teach a good harvest, you must follow the rules.

On melons stop the apical part of the stem. This procedure will be sufficient for early ripening varieties. Late-ripening varieties of melon are docked differently. In addition to removing the top, the side parts are also examined, their thickness and power are estimated. Young lashes are removed, leaving 3-4 strong branches.
With watermelons will have to tinker. The cultivation of this culture is carried out in one stem, it is chosen according to the presence of shoots in the leaf axils. The stems on which there is no ovary are removed, the rest are pinched. When the culture grows above the size of the trellis, the apical lash is re-pinched at the level of the 4-5th leaf.

Features of growing in open ground

Before planting plants in open ground, you should decide on a place. Watermelons and melons prefer to grow in somewhat elevated flat areas that are well warmed up and illuminated by the sun's rays. Here they grow better, fruit abundantly and ripen early.

Care is carried out by loosening the soil, removing weeds and excess lashes. In the process of growth, several inter-row tillage is carried out. The first - when young leaves appear, to a depth of 6-8 cm, the second - when 5-6 true leaves appear, loosening can be combined with top dressing.

Harvest watermelons and melons as they ripen. The ripeness of watermelons is determined by the drying of the tendrils in the axils of the leaves, the disappearance of haze and the appearance of shine, and the lightening of the skin of the fruit. If you knock on a watermelon, there is a dull sound, but to distinguish it, you need to have practical skills.

The ripeness of a melon is determined by the dried stalk.

Are melons compatible?

Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side? These crops consume from the soil similar chemical substances and require approximately the same processing methods. If you plant them side by side, this will greatly simplify the care procedures: watering, garter, bait. However, melons and gourds greatly impoverish the soil, and they can be planted in the same place only after a few years. To prevent this, watermelons and melons should be regularly fed with mineral fertilizers.

Collect seeds from watermelons and melons when they joint landing not recommended as cross-pollination occurs. The result of such a hybrid may not be entirely palatable.

If you are the owner of a large plot of land, it is better to plant these crops in open ground in different places vegetable garden. If the plot is small, then they can be planted nearby, nothing bad will happen. The proximity of melons to each other will not affect the yield.

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Preparation of soil, seeds, seedlings
Sowing seedlings for melons and in a greenhouse
Fertilizers and top dressing

Melons and watermelons are very fond of the sun and feel comfortable in Krasnodar Territory, in the Caucasus, in the Astrakhan region, in the Primorsky Territory and other regions with a similar climate. They grow outdoors in fields called melons, which is why these plants are called gourds. But gardeners from the Urals, from Siberia and the North-West of Russia are not far behind their colleagues from the south and can also grow watermelon or melon in their garden. They plant gourds not in open ground, but in greenhouses. The fruits from the north, of course, are inferior to the southern ones in size, but still very tasty.

Melons do not like transplants, so they are planted in the ground only after the appearance of the first true leaf.

Melons and watermelons are divided into different varieties. The choice of any of them depends on the climate in the place where the seeds are planted and the preferences of the gardener. Melons are used for food not only fresh, but they are also used to make jam and even salt for the winter.

Selection of seeds for different regions

The first priority, if you want to grow any plant, is to buy high-quality seeds.

This rule also applies to watermelons and melons. It is best to purchase seeds in specialized stores or at fairs. It is not recommended to buy them from the hands of individuals or in the markets, as the change can be replaced with cheaper and lower quality ones. Seeds of gourds differ among themselves in terms of ripening time into early, mid-season, mid-late and late. The former ripen in mid-June, and the latter in autumn.

Seeds are best purchased in specialized stores. Preference should be given to products from your region.

There are a great many varieties of watermelon that can be grown in the southern part of the country: Astrakhan, F1 Madeira, Crimson Suite, Galaxy, Black Prince, Competitor, etc. (more than 100 types of varieties). Watermelons grow large, sweet, juicy, fruit weight from 7 to 20 kg. Things are completely different in northern regions, where you can plant only a few types of the largest berries. These include Ogonyok, Sugar Baby, Early Kuban, Siberian Lights. Fruits are usually not heavier than 5 kg, but juicy and tasty. Watermelon pulp is not only red or pink, but also yellow.

There are several dozen types of melons, the most famous of them are honey, aikido, Scythian gold, Altai, Cinderella, collective farmer, mohawk and others. In sunny regions, you can grow any variety, but in Siberia, in the Urals, it is better to plant early maturing varieties, for example, Altai or Barnaulka. The mass of the fetus is from 0.50 to 3 kg. Melon pulp is very juicy and sweet, like a watermelon, white or yellow.

You can grow a melon or watermelon in the open field or in a greenhouse. At the same time, the technology of growing melons in different conditions very similar. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to grow a melon or watermelon in the garden.

Juicy sweet watermelons are always associated with summer and sunshine. The crackle of the striped peel under the knife edge, the characteristic aroma and the melting, refreshing flesh. What could be better than, forgetting about business for a while, enjoy a slice of ripe berries. Today, you can treat yourself to a watermelon at almost any time of the year. Supermarkets always have these giant berries, however, grown on the other side of the world or in a greenhouse.

The most delicious watermelon is the one that was saturated with the power of the sun and grew not under the film, but in the garden.

Many gardeners are wondering how to grow watermelons in the country? Today, there are all conditions for this. Thanks to the emergence early varieties and hybrids, even residents of the Non-Black Earth region can break their own melons and get a crop of watermelons. How to grow watermelons outdoors? What kind of care does the culture require, and when can the first fruits be harvested?

Preparing watermelon seeds for sowing

Of all the gourds, watermelons have the most difficult seeds to germinate. In order for the seedlings to be friendly and strong, the seeds are first immersed in salt water. This will make it possible to identify and remove not viable, light specimens, but those that are heavier and sink to the bottom, to be used for sowing.

However, this is not enough. Shortly before planting, the seeds are heated for 3-4 hours at temperatures up to 55 ° C or left in the sun for a week in order to disinfect the seed in this way. Then the seeds are soaked in warm water for a day, which will speed up germination and give the sprouts additional strength.

Planting watermelons with seeds

In the Chernozem region and the southern regions, where watermelons are grown in summer cottages and industrial melons, the crop can be planted in open ground with seeds.

The best time for this comes when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 12-15 ° C. For sandy and other types of light, loose soils, the depth of planting watermelon seeds is 4–8 centimeters, but if the soil is heavy, dense, it is more correct to deepen the seeds by no more than 4–6 cm. And the smaller the seeds, the smaller the grooves for planting them are made .

Melons, especially during the ripening period, require good food, which is provided by the main root system and small roots formed on separate lashes. Therefore, when growing watermelons in open ground, a rather large area is allocated for planting, the size of which depends both on the type of soil and on the variety, as well as on the expected load on the plant.

If watermelons are sown in rows, gaps from 0.7 to 1.5 meters are left between the bushes. Row spacing in this case should be at least one and a half meters.
When using a square planting scheme, a distance of 0.7 to 2.1 meters is laid between plants.

The main thing is that as the plantings grow, they do not turn out to be overly thickened, and that all the berries that have started have enough light, moisture and nutrition.

Seedling method of growing watermelon

In the conditions of the middle lane, for example, in non-chernozem regions, as well as during a cold long spring in the southern regions, it is possible to grow watermelons in open ground through seedlings. From the moment of sowing to the transplantation of young plants into the ground, it usually takes from 25 to 35 days. Best for sowing peat pots about 10 cm in diameter, which are filled with a mixture of an equal amount:

humus;
sod land;

The seeds are buried in moist soil by 3-4 centimeters, after which the pots are left under the film until germination at a temperature of at least 20-25 ° C, only at night the temperature background can drop to 18 ° C.

When sprouts appear above the ground level, the seedlings are transferred to a cooler room. At a temperature of about 17–18 ° C, watermelon seedlings will have to stay from 3 to 4 days, which will allow you to get strong sprouts and prevent them from stretching. In the future, the temperature of about 22-25 ° C is returned to the daytime hours.

Regular watering is carried out with warm water, trying not to get on the leaf plates. A week after the sprouts have hatched, the seedlings under the roots are fed with fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus.

Since gourds are heat- and light-loving crops, well-lit plants are chosen for young watermelon plants. warm rooms or greenhouses, but a week before the seedlings enter the open ground, it must be hardened. For this, seedling boxes are put on open air first for 2-4 hours, then the time is gradually increased. In the first days of June or at the end of May, watermelon seedlings are planted in the beds.

Choosing a site and soil for growing watermelon in the country

To get a good harvest from a watermelon grown in the country, it is important that the area intended for planting:

was well lit;
closed from cold winds;
provide plants with adequate nutrition.

The best soil for gourds is light, fertile and loose. It is optimal if the country beds have sandy and sandy loamy soil, enriched with humus or other well-rotted organic matter since autumn.

The best predecessors for watermelons are legumes, cruciferous, including cabbage and radish, as well as potatoes and tomatoes.

Before growing watermelons in open ground, care should be taken to prepare the ridges and fertilize the soil. On a meter of beds in the spring they bring:

24-35 grams of ammonium sulfate;
40–45 grams;
15–25 grams potash fertilizers.

In pre-moistened holes, located at intervals of 1–1.5 meters, 1–2 plants are planted or immersed in one peat cup in such a way that cotyledon leaves remain above the soil level. After planting, the bed is mulched with sand, and the plants are sheltered from the sun. They do the same when sprouts appear, if watermelons in the open field are grown from seeds.

In the first week, while the acclimatization process is underway, watermelons are poured with warm water.

Features of watering and feeding watermelons

It is impossible to grow a watermelon in the country without providing the plant with proper watering and feeding. Without water, it is difficult to talk about the juiciness of sweet berries, but you don’t need to overdo it here, otherwise you won’t achieve such a beloved sugar pulp. Before the appearance of flowers, watermelons are watered moderately, and when the ovary appears on the lashes, more generously.

At the summer cottage for watermelons, it is convenient to use systems with which you can also carry out regular feeding of plants.

Growing watermelons in the country, you need to remember that the culture loves rare, but plentiful watering, which is extremely necessary in the hot season, in conditions of a deficit of natural moisture. A comfortable soil moisture level for watermelons is 85%. On sandy soil that does not retain moisture well, the beds are watered more often, and on chernozem and clay soils- less often. When the berries are poured, and their ripening begins, watering is carried out less often, and then completely stopped.

The feeding schedule for watermelons grown in the country includes three procedures, during each of which approximately 2 liters of liquid fertilizer should fall on the plant. A week after planting in the ground, watermelons are watered with a solution of 10 liters of water:

40-50 grams of superphosphate;
30-35 grams of ammonium sulfate;
15-20 grams of potassium salts.

When on plants begins active growth lashes, watermelons should receive a second dressing with half the concentration of phosphorus and potash fertilizers. With the beginning of the formation of ovaries, one more top dressing is carried out, introducing a solution based on watermelons growing in the country house:

20-25 grams of ammonium sulfate;
10 grams of superphosphate;
35 grams of potassium salts.

The introduction of the nutrient mixture is carried out in furrows arranged in advance at a distance of 15–20 cm from the bushes.

The decrease in the proportion of nitrogen fertilizers is associated with the possibility of accumulation of nitrates in the pulp of berries. Also, this measure will push the plants not to gain green mass, but to ripen.

Care for watermelons grown in the country

Care for watermelons growing in open ground consists of:

in regular loosening of soil under plants;
in watering and feeding gourds;
in the removal of weeds;
in the fight against pests and plant diseases;
in the protection of lashes and ovaries from freezing.

The soil under the plants is loosened to a depth of 7 cm, not only after planting, but also after watering and rain, until the lashes and foliage close the spaces between individual bushes.

To protect the ovaries and shoots from the wind, it is useful to fix the lashes on the ground with wire pins or by sprinkling sections of the stem with moist soil.

If there is a risk of moisture stagnation or insufficient light in the area where watermelons grow, trellises are built for plants and, at the beginning of lash growth, shoots are transferred from the ground to strong ones. vertical supports. The same technique is useful if there is not enough space in the country for growing watermelons in the traditional melon method. As they grow, the shoots are distributed along the trellis or laid out on the ground so that one lash does not obscure the other.

If a watermelon is grown on a trellis in the country, it is recommended to leave only one main lash, on which, after flowering, depending on the variety and climate, from 3 to 6 fruits should be tied. The rest of the shoots pinch on early stages growth, and then, when the ovaries reach the size of a five-ruble coin, the top of the fruiting stem is removed.

When growing watermelons on open ground using the gourd method, pinch all the shoots after 3-6 ovaries, remove the stems that appear from the leaf axils and female flowers.

Interestingly, circumcised side lashes you can root and also get from them, albeit a late and small, but high-quality crop.

If there is a threat of frost in the area where watermelons grow, the plants are protected with cardboard or special covering material.

When to harvest watermelons?

The ripening ones are easy to recognize by the changed color. With cucumbers and zucchini - the main thing is not to linger with the collection so that the vegetables do not lose their juiciness and useful properties. And when to collect watermelons, how to distinguish a ripe berry from one that should still warm the sides in the sun?

The most early-ripening varieties of watermelons in the central part of Russia can only produce a crop by mid-August. At the same time, mass harvesting at the summer cottage is not carried out, except when the berries on the melon are threatened with frost. While the warm season lasts, the ripest watermelons are cut from the lashes:

with glossy dense bark;
with a deaf, audible sound when tapping;
with a smooth peduncle without the inherent green ovary hairs;
with dry bract and mustache at the base of the leaf.

All these signs of ripeness must be considered together and only then should watermelons be collected, otherwise it is possible that the cut berry will turn out to be immature.

However, when watermelons are used for storage or transportation, it is best to take the berries a few days before they are fully ripe. Such watermelons, being in a dry, warm room, can ripen without losing any useful properties, no taste or aroma. But only watermelons collected in a fully ripe state are suitable for obtaining seeds.