Melons are grown. Melons - tips for growing watermelons, pumpkins, melons from experienced gardeners

The homeland of melons is tropical and subtropical latitudes, so they need light sandy soils. Bakhcha cannot consist of black soil. But climatic conditions do not matter much. Fruits from the Pumpkin family grow well both in the south and in the Far East. The exception is the regions of the Far North. Difficulties in obtaining a harvest will arise when planting watermelon and melon, but for these plants there are technologies for growing in greenhouses.

Characteristics of melon varieties

The list of plants growing on melons includes watermelons, melons, zucchini, squash, and pumpkins. Most of them have long vines with large leaves and yellow single flowers creeping along the ridges. They tolerate dry weather well, since their powerful and strong root system can “extract” moisture from the deepest layers of the soil.

Melon growing is a simple science. Crops require a lot of sun and heat; the weather at the time of growth should be hot and dry. But when purchasing seed material, it is important to pay attention to the growing season. If the planting area assumes a rapid summer, only early species with a ripening cycle of no more than 90 days are planted.

Watermelon

There is a huge variety of varieties of melons such as watermelon. In addition to the fact that there is a division into table and fodder types, this berry varies in weight, shape, color of pulp and peel, taste, location and method of cultivation.

General characteristics of the plant:

1. A stem resembling a vine - long, flexible, curly, rounded, can reach 5 m in length.
2. The leaves are wide, attached to the trunk with short petioles. The leaf blades are large - length about 25 cm, width - 20 cm.
3. Yellow flowers - 2.5 cm in diameter, unisexual.
4. Fruits are oval, round, square, pyramidal.
5. Pulp with numerous seeds - yellow, red, pink.

To date, more than 1000 varieties of the largest berry in the world have been grown, and they are all different from each other. Not only the form, but also the content can be unusual. The recently released seedless fruits are surprising. They are grown using a special pollination technology.

The following groups of watermelons are conventionally distinguished:

No.		Description	Photo
	Colocynthus	The plant has round leaves, large flowers, and small fruits. The rind of a ripe watermelon is yellow and dense. The pulp is white with a slight yellowish tint. Has many useful substances. In some countries it is used as a medicinal product. Suitable for preparing powders, extracts, oil is squeezed out of seeds
	Ordinary	The largest species group of watermelons, annual. The shape is ellipsoidal or round, the skin is green to dark green with or without stripes. The pulp is red, white, yellow. Has a high sugar content, size depends on where it is grown. The seeds are dark, flat, the stems are like a creeping vine, the leaves are fleecy, hard, about 22 cm. Excellent taste
	Square	Similar to normal. The unusual shape allows for easy transportation and storage. The cubic configuration is obtained due to the peculiarities of cultivation: when the future watermelon reaches the size of a large onion, it is covered with a cube made of plywood or wood

In areas with cold climates, to increase the ripening period, seeds are not planted directly into the soil. The first stage of growing watermelons is planting seedlings in early spring. Only in this case will a fully ripened product be obtained by mid-September.

Melon

The fragrant fruit belongs to the Pumpkin family. The pulp contains a high level of easily digestible sugars, fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc. Recommended for use in case of deteriorating health:

Unlike watermelon, which is considered a berry, melon is recognized as a vegetable.

Melon is an excellent auxiliary remedy for many diseases; it is recommended by doctors as a nutritional component. But still, this fragrant fruit has contraindications:

1. Not recommended for diabetics, as the product contains up to 13-15% sugars (depending on the variety). If the patient has a stage 2 disease, you can use the bitter variety, it reduces the glucose level.
2. For liver diseases.
3. Children under one year old.
4. With great caution for those who have gastritis and ulcers.
5. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders.
6. For diseases of the spleen, the fruits are consumed with honey.

Melon consists of 90% water, and additionally contains a huge amount of carbohydrates. Therefore, nutritionists recommend eating it as an independent dish, without mixing with other products.

Pumpkin

The shape of the fruit can be very diverse - round, oval, small (decorative) or large, have a hard crust on top and pulp inside. All these parameters depend on the variety and growing conditions. The flat seeds, about 3 cm, have nutritional and medicinal value.

Pumpkin is a very important agricultural plant; it is easy to grow and subsequently there are no difficulties with storage. In cooking, the vegetable is used to make purees, soups, sweet pastries, jam, juice, etc.

The vegetable is used for the following diseases:

anemia and other types of anemia;
male weakness;
cardiovascular disorders;
diseases of the nervous system;
various gastrointestinal disorders;
obesity;
chronic tuberculosis, etc.

However, there are a number of contraindications and restrictions:

1. Not used for diabetes of all degrees.
2. Raw fruits and juice are prohibited for ulcers.
3. Do not drink juice in its pure form if there are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Some people's bodies do not tolerate any type of pumpkin well, and an allergic reaction is possible.

Zucchini and squash

The list of melon crops additionally includes squash and zucchini. They are similar in taste, presence of nutrients and minerals, beneficial properties for the body and contraindications.

Benefits of vegetables:

1. Squash skin contains antioxidants that rid the body of free radicals, prevent the development of cancer, and preserve youth.
2. They contain potassium, which is necessary for the heart muscle and normalization of blood pressure.
3. Both vegetables contain fiber, which reduces the risk of tumors in the rectum.
4. Patisson is a natural source of folate. It is important in cell division and DNA synthesis.
5. Controls the level of bile and glycogen.
6. Thanks to its diuretic properties, excess fluid and sodium salts, which cause fluid retention, are removed.
7. Squash is useful as an adjuvant for prostate cancer.

Medicine claims that both zucchini and squash contain quite a large amount of vitamins (C and group B). But it must be remembered that the data presented in various sources corresponds to fresh vegetables.

Harmful properties of zucchini and squash:

1. Canned melon derivatives are not recommended for consumption by those with diabetes.
2. Not indicated for hypotensive patients.
3. Should not be used if you have digestive disorders or gastrointestinal problems.

Growing crops of the Pumpkin family

There are fundamental differences in planting and growing vegetables depending on the region. If in the south it is enough to plant seeds in the soil, perform minimal care manipulations and harvest the crop after a while, then in the central part of the country and the Far East it is necessary to carry out preliminary work both before planting and for growing melons.

Experienced melon growers advise sowing seeds for seedlings as early as March. Until summer she is kept in the apartment on the windowsill. And only at the end of May - beginning of June they are planted on a prepared bed. Transplantation is carried out extremely carefully, since the root system of melons is very fragile and delicate. A suitable method for transferring an earthen clod.

The nuances of melon growing in cold regions

Watermelons, melons, and zucchini are grown almost everywhere. To make this possible, experts advise:

1. In the middle zone of the country, plant melons in the ground, but cover each sprout with a plastic bottle cut in half. The cover should be removed before watering. Place a 5-liter container on top of a 1.5-liter bottle, cutting off the bottom. When the plant outgrows the small container, it should be removed, leaving the larger one. This will create a mini-greenhouse for each sprout.
2. In order for the vegetable to be filled with sunlight, the melon plant should be arranged in an open space without shaded areas. But in strong sunshine, it is worth covering the plants for a short time with large burdock leaves or using a light awning.
3. For ease of care and saving space, it is better to plant the vine on supports. You need to stick poles along the bed with plantings, pull wire on them in 2-4 rows, and send the stem along this support.
4. During prolonged rains, fruits lying on the ground will begin to rot, so it is necessary to place small planks, foam plastic, build sand mounds, or create some other safety cushion under them.
5. In the central and eastern regions, groundwater very often lies close to the surface. Therefore, the overgrown roots, having reached them, begin to rot. If you initially water the plant not under the bush, but a little further away, the root system will not go deep, but will grow to the sides.
6. On melons and melons, any canes that have arisen must be pruned. They leave one large stem-liana with flowers.
7. Pinching is carried out after the 6th flower. If you leave more, the fruits will be small and tasteless.

All care for melons after planting seeds or seedlings in open ground consists of abundant watering, pinching, fertilization, protection from rotting and protection from diseases.

Disease Control Measures

The first stage in the fight against diseases of melon crops is the disinfection of seeds before planting. Etching is carried out using a solution of copper sulfate or zinc sulfate.

Other measures are presented in the table:

Disease	Signs	Causes	Treatment
Fusarium	The fungus penetrates the root system and cannot be visually detected in the first stages.	Over-humidification and night temperature drop to +16°	The plant should be removed and the soil should be disinfected with copper sulfate
Anthracnose	Yellow and brown spots appear on the leaves, then they increase in size, spread, forming ulcers, and the fruits rot	The causative agent is a fungus that is initially found in the ground	Spot spraying with Bordeaux mixture. The course consists of 3 procedures with a week interval. The soil is disinfected with potassium permanganate or copper sulfate
Root rot	Weeping brown and black spots begin to spread from the bottom of the leaf, spread to the shoots, and eventually absorb the entire plant	Widely varying temperatures and humidity levels, excessive application of root fertilizers	They treat only at the first stage: the water for irrigation is replaced with a solution of potassium permanganate, the roots are taken out of the ground, first treated with copper sulfate, then sprinkled with ash, and after treating the soil, they are buried. In neglected varieties, melons are destroyed
Bacterial spot	The fruits develop spots that are watery to the touch and yellow-green in color. Over time, they grow, turn into growths, the leaf turns black, the fruit dies	The disease is carried by insects	There are no drugs for treatment. In the primary stage, all leaves are cut off. If this does not help, the plant must be destroyed.
Powdery mildew	The leaves look like they are dusted with flour. Over time, the fungus turns brown and turns into a growth	The disease is fungal, found in the ground or on seeds	The bushes are treated with Karatan, Bayleton, Topaz, the infected parts are cut off and burned
Mosaic disease	Vast light areas appear on the leaves, later the plant becomes deformed and dies.	The viral disease is transmitted by insects contaminated with tools and seeds	For primary signs, spray with Karbafos 2 times with a difference of 7 days
Leaf rust	The plant is covered with shapeless rust-colored tubercles. Powdered spores spill out from cracked tubercles.	Infection with rust fungi as a result of excess nitrogen and high humidity	The affected parts of the plant are cut off and destroyed, then everything is treated with fungicides
Olive spot	Weeping gray-green spots appear on the fruits, the leaves become fragile, and the crop dies within 10 days	Unresolved infection in the ground	At the first stage, Bordeaux mixture is used. If time is lost, they are treated with Abigo-Peak, Oksikhom. Course 3 times, interval 7 days

Growing any variety of melons and melons in Russia is not very difficult. It is enough to follow basic rules and carry out disease prevention in time.

Typically, watermelons and melons are grown in open ground in the southern regions of our country. These melons grown in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, Krasnodar Territory and other regions with similar climatic conditions are considered the best. After all, these plants are extremely sensitive to heat and daylight hours.

Melons and melons are grown in garden beds in central Russia, however, due to the shorter warm period in these regions, home-grown watermelon and melon seedlings are planted in open ground.

Main varieties for open ground

Variety name	Main characteristics	Fruit ripening time	Transportability
Watermelon varieties
Honey giant	Medium-climbing, large, elongated fruits, fruit weight 13 - 14 kg	Early ripening (fruit ripening time - up to 65 - 70 days)	Transports well, keeps well
Sugar Baby	Large fruits, with dense peel and juicy scarlet pulp, fruit weight up to 5 kg	Early ripening (about 70 days)	Tolerates transportation well
Gift of the sun	Drought-resistant variety, round yellow fruits, scarlet flesh, sweet	Early ripening (62 - 71 days)	Transports well
Prince Arthur 1	Hybrid variety, fruits are oblong, light green with dark stripes, weighing up to 2 kg	Early ripening (about 70 days)	Transports well
Refined sugar	The fruits are round in shape, have a dense light green peel, weighing up to 5 kg	Early fruit ripening
Rosario F1	The fruits are large, the color of the peel is dark green, the peel is thin, weight is about 5 kg	Early ripening	Transport with care
Melon varieties
Cinderella	The color of the fruit is bright yellow, oval in shape, weight - up to 2 kg	Early fruit ripening	Tolerates transportation well
Fairy tale	The fruits are elongated in shape with a bright yellow peel, the flesh is soft cream in color, the weight of the fruit is up to 2 kg	Ripening is early, friendly (about 2 months)	Transports well
Galileo	The fruits are round, net-shaped, yellowish-orange in color, weighing about 1.5 kg	Refers to mid-season varieties	Tolerates transportation well
Assol	The fruits are round in shape, covered with a net, the color of the peel is orange-yellow, weight - up to 1 kg	Fruit ripening - early	Tolerates transportation well
Scythian gold	The fruits have a round shape, the color of the peel is bright yellow, the weight of the fruit is up to 1.5 kg	Refers to mid-season varieties (up to 80 days)	Tolerates transportation well

All of the above varieties of melons are suitable for growing in open ground.

Growing watermelon and melon seedlings

These Heat-loving plants need, first of all, good lighting during the day, as well as warmth. If these two conditions are not met, then healthy and strong seedlings are unlikely to grow.
Since the seedlings of these melon crops grow quite quickly - about a month passes from the moment the seeds are planted to the receipt of full-fledged seedlings - it is important to plant the seed on time. In the conditions of the central regions of Russia, melon seeds are planted for seedlings in the third ten days of March - in the first ten days of April.

It is better not to buy it secondhand from unknown manufacturers, but to buy it in specialized stores. These seeds must be zoned for the regions in which they will grow.
The soil mixture in which the seedlings will grow should consist of one part soil and three parts humus or compost. It is also necessary to add to this mixture a complex preparation, which includes fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. However You can buy ready-made soil mixture for melons in a specialized store.
Since seedlings of watermelons and melons are very tender, they should not be picked. That's why Seeds should be planted individually in peat pots. In addition, the finished seedlings will be quite large in volume, and if several of them are planted in a container, these melons will interfere with each other during the growth process. If there is no suitable container for planting seed material, the semblance of cups can be made by cutting off plastic bottles.

Seedlings need to be watered as the soil dries. During the growth of the seedlings, it can be watered with mullein solution a couple of times before planting in open ground.
A seedling is considered sufficiently grown if it has at least 5 true leaves.
In the conditions of central Russia, seedlings should be planted in open ground when the danger of spring frosts has passed - in the third ten days of May or in the first ten days of June.

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

Before planting seedlings, you need to choose a place where these melons will grow.

The beds should be located in a place where the sun will illuminate them throughout the day. The place should be protected from drafts and strong winds.

How to plant watermelons (video)

Usually watermelons and melons are planted using the square nesting method. The distance in the rows between them should be about 0.5 m, the row spacing should be at least 0.7 m. The soil should be light enough and at the same time retain moisture well enough.

After planting the seedlings in open ground, each plant is covered with a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. This creates a greenhouse effect for melons so that they quickly acclimatize in a new place. In addition, this is a kind of precautionary measure so that the plants are not damaged if the night temperature drops below 15°C. After 7 - 9 days, when the plant begins to grow, the bottles can be removed.

Growing from seeds

Warmth arrives in the southern regions much earlier than in other regions of our country.. Therefore, melon crops can be grown there by seeds directly in open ground.

The planting site is selected in the same way as when planting seedlings of these heat-loving plants on a plot - the main thing is that there is a lot of light.
Seeds should be soaked in warm water for several hours before planting., to which special growth stimulants should be added. Then they can be planted in the holes.

Two seeds should be planted in each hole.
When the shoots appear, they are carefully distributed in different directions so that the melon plants do not interfere with each other during their growth.

Care technology

These cultivated plants, like other vegetable crops, require regular watering, weeding, hilling and loosening. All these activities are very important for the normal growth of watermelons and melons.

Watermelons and melons need to be watered carefully so that moisture does not get on the foliage. If the weather is dry, then these plants are watered no more than once a week, but abundantly. When flowers appear on the vines, the amount of watering should be increased. But during the ripening of the fruits, there is no need to water the melons at all.

Also, watermelons and melons should be fed several times during the season during their growth.

The first time you need to apply fertilizer to these plants is immediately after they take root in the open ground. This feeding should include fertilizers containing P, K and N.
When the vines begin to grow, you should feed the melons again. This time you should use solutions based on organic fertilizers (chicken droppings, manure), to which superphosphate and potassium salts are added.
The third time plants require nutrients is when the ovaries begin to form. To do this, prepare a solution containing the following minerals: dissolve a teaspoon of superphosphate, a tablespoon of ammonium fertilizer and 1.5 tablespoons of any potassium salt in a bucket of water. 1.5 - 2 liters of such complex fertilizer should be poured under each bush. The solution is poured into circular grooves located at a distance of 16 - 18 cm from the stems.

Growing lashes should be distributed over the bed, removing weak shoots, as well as those on which flowers and ovaries do not appear. This is how the lashes of watermelons and melons are formed.

How to grow a melon (video)

It is possible to grow watermelons and melons in open ground both in the southern regions of our country and in the climatic conditions of central Russia. Plants are demanding of heat and light. By following all the rules for planting and caring for these melons, you can get good harvests.

Greetings, dear friends!

If you want to grow melon crops, a novice melon grower should first tackle the capital cultivation and fertility of the area planned for the cultivation of melons and watermelons. Balancing soil nutrition in the agricultural technology of the pumpkin family is the main component of productivity, sugar content and quality of grown fruits.

Use of fertilizers when growing melons

With fertilizers for melons, pumpkins and watermelons, care and literacy are required, since these crops are poorly adapted to the synthesis of useful microelements and, like a sponge, accumulate heavy compounds and nitrates in their fruits. Therefore, all types of fertilizing during the growing season should be in an easily digestible form in the form of humic, ash and green concentrates, and active organic matter with granular minerals should be introduced in advance during the autumn digging of the site. If you use manure or minerals in their natural form, feeding melons during the growing period, for example watermelon, its fruits will be oversaturated with nitrates, with tasteless pulp, speckled with white inedible veins, with a thrice thickened rind and unripe seeds.

Irrigation technology for growing melons and melons

With active watering, you can increase the yield of melons by two to three times. The most important period for water to reach the roots is the time from the appearance of the first shoots in the garden bed to the beginning of fruiting. At this time, the root system of melon crops is not yet strong enough to provide the required amount of moisture, especially for melons. During the entire season, it is necessary to carry out at least three abundant waterings on the melon patch. The first irrigation is needed during the appearance of the first shoots and the formation of dense foliage. The second watering is important during the period of active flowering of plants. It is necessary to water the plantings for the third time at the very beginning of the formation of fruit ovaries, after which the irrigation of the melon is completed. If you continue the “water procedures”, they will become harmful - the likelihood of cracking of ripened fruits, low sugar content, deterioration in taste, and a decrease in the shelf life of the crop increases. After the final third irrigation, a good humic feeding of the plantings will not hurt.

Caring for melons

Conducting growing melons During the summer, plant shoots must be pruned, since unregulated growth of tops will deteriorate the productivity and quality of the crop. After waiting for 5-6 leaves to appear on the shoot, you need to trim it above the second leaf. At the cut site, a pair of shoots are subsequently formed, which also need to be pinched, and when 8-9 leaves appear, the shoot is shortened to the sixth leaf.

When the ovaries appear, the upper part of the petiole is trimmed so that a couple of leaves remain on top. As soon as the melon ovaries become visually comparable in size to an apple, the least strong of them are cut off. The remaining canes with ovaries should be placed on the ridge so as to prevent interference with their growth: provide access to sunlight and avoid growing beyond the boundaries of the plantings. It is undesirable to leave unfruitful vines; it is better to cut them out completely so that they do not take over the nutrition, water, light necessary for the ovaries and do not interfere with the ventilation of the fruit-bearing, green mass.

I wish you a good harvest of melons and melons. See you!

Melons and watermelons are among the most heat-loving and drought-resistant crops. Growing them, on the one hand, is simple if there are suitable climatic conditions, but on the other hand, it is difficult; there are some nuances. Let's talk about this in more detail.

In addition to melon and watermelon, melon crops include pumpkin, but gardeners usually do not have problems with it. But sweet, juicy watermelons and melons are considered rather fastidious crops and rarely do any summer residents succeed in reaping a decent harvest.

We admit right away that even in the middle zone, melons and watermelons are more reliably grown in greenhouses; they love the sun and heat, so the climate of the southern zone is optimal for them. On your site, you should allocate the most illuminated, southern area for melon planting, reliably protected from the winds, without the slightest shadow.

You can grow melon and watermelon either by planting seeds directly in the beds or by seedlings. It is not difficult to collect the seeds yourself; in melons and melons they are very noticeable and large.

If we are talking about melon and watermelon seedlings, then they are grown in exactly the same way as in the case of cucumbers and zucchini.

Important! Melons and watermelons do not tolerate transplantation very well, so their seedlings are grown without picking, in separate pots, preferably peat ones, so that they can simply be dug into the beds.

When preparing melon and watermelon seeds for planting as seedlings or directly in the beds, do not forget to carry out important procedures:

Calibration, that is, sorting seeds by size. This is necessary so that the seedlings are friendly and even, of the same size.
Scarification. This is not necessary, but damaging the seed shell helps speed up the germination process and get an earlier harvest.
Warming up. Experts advise warming melon and watermelon seeds to +50 °C before planting, immersing them in heated water for five minutes. This will speed up all biochemical reactions occurring in the seeds.
Disinfection. This is especially important if you collected the seeds yourself. You should immerse them for 20 minutes in a weak, pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The area chosen for melon planting should be prepared in the fall - dig up the ground and add manure or humus. In the spring, this area is simply leveled with a rake. Seedlings or seeds are planted when there is no longer a risk of frost, not earlier than mid-to-late May, even in the southern regions. You need to start seedlings about a month before planting them in open ground.

Melons and watermelons, if you are just going to grow them in ordinary beds, take up a lot of space. There should be at least a meter between plants, seeds are sown three per hole to a depth of five centimeters, seedlings are buried up to the cotyledon leaves.

Nowadays, melons and watermelons are often grown on trellises, like cucumbers, in order to reduce the space that the spreading bush will occupy. However, if this option is convenient for cucumbers, since it allows you to quickly harvest and see all the fruits, then much more massive watermelons and melons need more serious support. And it’s easy to spot a bright melon or round-sided watermelon even in an ordinary garden bed.

At the first stage, melon and watermelon seedlings must be watered, but not more than once a week. Bahcha loves drip watering, neat, at the root, slow. Since melons and watermelons are drought-tolerant crops, reduce the frequency of watering when female flowers appear. And after the fruits form, they stop watering the plants altogether. This is necessary so that the melons and watermelons are sweet and not watery.

Melons and watermelons are fertilized at least twice—ten days after planting and another two weeks later. It is recommended to use specialized mixtures as fertilizers; you can use mullein diluted with water 1:10.

To get the largest possible fruits, we recommend leaving no more than three watermelons or melons on the bush. Watermelons should have one fruit on each side shoot. It is better to place a board, brick, or flat stone under the fruits so that they do not come into contact with the ground. This will protect the fruits from rotting and pests.

When growing melon and watermelon, it is very important to properly pinching (removing the top of the shoot). Experts advise pinching after the fourth or fifth leaf appears.

Among the pests of melons and watermelons are aphids; in wet weather, root rot, anthracnose, and bacteriosis can appear. Powdery mildew also threatens plants. These scourges should be combated with special means.

As for the best varieties of melons for Russia, these are the familiar and time-tested “Kolkhoznitsa”, the super-early “Titovka”, and the hybrid “Amal F1”. Watermelon - “Astrakhansky”, “Crimson Sweet”, “Charleston Gray”. Only super-early varieties of melons and melons are suitable for growing in the middle zone.

Gardeners often plant watermelons in their summer cottages to enjoy their juicy fruits in the summer. However, not everyone manages to get a high-quality harvest, since growing melons requires special knowledge. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself in advance with how watermelons are grown.

Watermelons are considered heat-loving plants that have a long growing season. It is recommended to familiarize yourself with the technology of growing this crop in areas that differ in climatic conditions. Residents of southern regions with warm climates can plant melons and melons directly in open ground. Thanks to the high temperature, the bushes and fruits will grow quickly. When growing a plant in warm regions, it is much easier to get a good harvest.

In the northern regions, the air temperature is much lower, so watermelons ripen less well. Due to the harsh climate, many gardeners are unable to achieve high yields.

When growing melons in such regions, certain rules are followed:

For planting, only varieties with early ripening periods are used;
in order to create optimal conditions for the germination of seedlings, the seed must be planted in greenhouses or under film covers;
planting is carried out using the seedling method;
to improve the growth of the root system, all seedlings are watered between the rows;
to obtain medium-sized fruits, no more than six ripe berries are left on each bush, and to harvest the largest harvest, two fruits are left.

Selection and preparation of watermelon seeds for sowing

Before you start sowing watermelons at home, you need to select and pre-prepare seed material.

Choice

It is recommended to select in advance the seeds that will be planted in the future. When selecting, carefully inspect each seed to identify any signs of damage. Damaged seeds are immediately thrown away as they are unsuitable for planting.

Also, when choosing the highest quality seed, pay attention to its variety. Experienced gardeners advise planting hybrid varieties, as they are resistant to weather changes and common diseases.

Preparation

To obtain strong and healthy seedlings, you will have to do the preliminary preparation of seeds in advance, which consists of several activities:

Disinfection. Before sowing, all seeds will have to be disinfected so that they are not susceptible to disease in the future. When carrying out disinfection, all seeds are soaked in manganese liquid for 25-30 minutes. Then they are laid out on a towel and dried thoroughly.
Warm up Gardeners strongly recommend heating watermelon seeds, as this promotes their germination. The procedure is performed very carefully so as not to accidentally overheat the seeds. To warm up, all planting material is immersed in a container of water heated to 45 degrees for half an hour.
Scarification. When carrying out this procedure, the shell of the watermelon seed is carefully pierced. This speeds up the process of seed germination several times. Scarification should be done 2-3 weeks before planting.

Choosing a landing site

To grow a high-quality crop in open ground, you need to select the most suitable area for watermelons in advance. When choosing a place in the garden, pay attention to the characteristics of the soil. Sandy and sandy loam soils, which are rich in nutritional components, are ideal for melon crops. The level of illumination of the area is also taken into account, since due to a lack of light, the yield may deteriorate. Therefore, experts do not recommend planting seeds or seedlings in shaded areas, under trees or fences.

When choosing a place to plant watermelons in your summer cottage, you should take into account the compatibility of this crop with other plants.

Watermelon seedlings grow well in gardens where black radish was previously grown for a long time. This vegetable saturates the soil with phytoncides, which protect crops from spider mites and other pests. Gardeners also recommend planting melons and melons near tomatoes and parsley, as they repel moths and sawflies.

However, there are several plants with which watermelons are incompatible. You should not plant them after peppers, potatoes, strawberries and eggplants, as these vegetables suck out many of the nutritional components from the soil that watermelon plants need.

We prepare and fertilize the soil

Having chosen a site for planting, begin preliminary preparation and fertilization of the soil in which watermelon seedlings will be grown. The black soil soil should be loose and contain nutritional components that will accelerate the growth of seedlings. Soil preparation technology consists of several successive stages.

Determination of the level of soil looseness and acidity. If the soil on the site has a high level of acidity, you will have to water it with chalk or lime solution. Heavy soils are fed with vermicompost in advance to increase looseness.
Adding mineral fertilizers to increase productivity. In the first few weeks after planting watermelons, mineral fertilizers, which are dominated by nitrogen, are added to the soil. This component activates the growth of seedlings, due to which the bushes begin to bear fruit earlier. The area is also fed with phosphorus-containing fertilizers, which increase the resistance of seedlings to temperature changes.
Adding organic matter. To saturate the soil with useful microelements, it is necessary to fertilize it with organic fertilizers. It is recommended to evenly distribute bird droppings and humus over the area, then loosen the soil and water it with warm water. To improve the yield of watermelons, you can moisten the soil with herbal infusion mixed with wood ash.

Growing seedlings

When using the seedling method of planting, gardeners have to grow seedlings, which in the future will be transplanted into the garden. It is recommended to familiarize yourself in advance with the peculiarities of planting seeds and replanting grown seedlings to a permanent place.

Planting watermelon seeds

Sowing of seeds is carried out when they have sprouted a little and white sprouts have appeared on their surface. When carrying out planting work, all seed material is planted in pots with soil mixture. About 2-4 seeds are sown in each container, so that in the future you can get rid of weak seedlings and leave only the healthiest seedlings. The seeds are sown to a depth of 3-5 centimeters.

When all the watermelon seeds have been planted in pots, they are covered with plastic wrap and transferred to a well-lit room.

In the first 5-7 days, pots with planted watermelons should be kept in a room with a temperature of at least 23 degrees. After the first shoots appear, the film is removed from the pots, and the containers with seedlings are transferred to a room with a temperature of 15-17 degrees.

Transplanting seedlings

Watermelon seedlings should be grown in pots until the first three leaves appear on the seedlings. After this, the seedlings must be transplanted to a permanent place. To do this, rows are marked along the entire site in which holes are made for further planting. The depth of each hole should be about 8-10 centimeters so that the roots can be completely located underground.

Each hole is watered with warm water, after which the seedlings are carefully planted in the ground. Then the holes are filled with soil and re-moistened with water.

Shaping and pinching

Experienced gardeners recommend regularly planting melons and melons. This procedure is carried out to improve productivity and accelerate the development of watermelon berries. Most often, pruning of vines is carried out when growing plants in open ground, since in greenhouse conditions it is not necessary to form bushes. In order to properly form seedlings, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of removing excess stepsons.

There are three main methods of pinching that gardeners most often use:

Pinching side shoots. This method is considered universal, as it is suitable for any variety of melons. During the procedure, 1-2 shoots are left on the main stem. In this case, the ovaries on all lateral stems are completely removed.
Trimming side stems. Using this method of pinching plants, you will have to completely remove the shoots. Only a few lashes are left on the main stem, and everything else is cut off.
Formation into several stems. This is the most common method and does not require cutting off the shoots completely. 2-4 side lashes are left on the bushes. Moreover, each of them should have 2-3 ovaries. If there are more of them, then all the excess fruits set are removed.

Rules for feeding and caring for the plant

It is recommended to properly care for melons, since without care it will not be possible to obtain a high-quality harvest. The quality of the fruit directly depends on the application of fertilizers to the soil at all stages of growing watermelons.

When sowing

Before planting seed, be sure to fertilize the soil. To do this, the earth is mixed with a liquid prepared from humus. Then the area is treated with wood ash and bone meal, which increases the permeability of oxygen in the soil.

When planting in open ground

Some people prefer to grow watermelon bushes in open ground, so they immediately plant the seeds in the garden. Before this, the soil on the site is mixed with green manure plants, which are considered the best fertilizer for strengthening the roots.

When flowering

When pollination and flowering of the bushes begin, it is recommended to add more fertilizers with potassium to the soil. This substance promotes the appearance of new flowers on seedlings, due to which the yield increases significantly. Gardeners advise spraying watermelons with Kelik and Nutrivant once a month.

At the beginning of fruiting

At the initial stage of fruiting, you need to take feeding of each bush seriously, since due to a lack of nutrients in the soil, the yield deteriorates. Often the bushes produce few berries due to a lack of boron.

Therefore, to improve the formation of ovaries and ripening of fruits, it is necessary to periodically spray the area with Megafol and Boroplus.

Fetal nutrition

The correct fertilization scheme for watermelon seedlings promotes the ripening of the berries. To make the fruits more watery and tasty, the plants are regularly sprayed with Uniflor and Terraflex.

How often should you water?

Before you start growing melons, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of their watering. In the first weeks after emergence, the plant needs increased watering, as its root system is weakened. With a lack of moisture, seedlings grow poorly and gradually wither. You will also have to moisten the soil more often during the formation of flowers and the setting of the first fruits. During such periods, seedlings are watered at least four times a week.

Experts advise moistening the soil in the afternoon, when the sun begins to set. In the daytime, you should not moisten the soil, as high temperatures and sunlight will cause the moisture to evaporate faster. For irrigation, use settled water at room temperature. Watering the bushes with too cold a liquid is contraindicated, as this can lead to rotting of the root system and further death of the watermelons.

Watering of melons and melons is stopped after the fruits have fully ripened.

Harvest and storage

If the agricultural technology for growing watermelons has been fully followed, the ripe crop can be harvested 35-50 days after planting. However, sometimes watermelon berries ripen prematurely. To make sure that the fruits are ripe, examine the color of their pulp and seeds. The seeds should be dark brown in color and the flesh should be pink with a reddish tint. The peel of ripe watermelons should be hard and rough.

It is better to store the harvested crop on high racks with shelves that are located at a distance of 55-65 centimeters from each other. Each shelf should be covered with a thin layer of peat or straw. This coating will increase the shelf life of the crop. During storage, watermelons are carefully inspected every month. All rotten fruits are thrown away so that the rot does not spread to neighboring berries. Monthly treatment of the fruit with lime mortar will help protect the crop from rotting.

What diseases and pests are melons susceptible to: methods of control

Often melons grow poorly due to pest attacks or the development of diseases:

Anthracnose. The presence of such a pathology can be determined by the brown spots that appear on the leaves of watermelons. To get rid of the symptoms of anthracnose, all infected bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture and cuprosan solution.
Bacteriosis. The disease damages the leaves, on the surface of which oval white spots appear. Bacteriosis cannot be cured, so infected watermelons are dug up and burned.
Mite. Due to dry weather, young watermelon seedlings are often attacked by spider mites. Insects feed on the sap from the leaves and stems, which causes the bushes to dry out. A mixture made from onions and garlic will help cope with the pest.

Conclusion

Many summer residents plant their plots with watermelon bushes. In order to grow them correctly, you need to become familiar with the features of planting melons and caring for them.