Foreword

In order for the planting of watermelons and melons to be successful in the form of large and fragrant fruits, you need to follow the rules of agricultural technology when growing seedlings and provide the plants with competent care.

It is very important to prepare a greenhouse where you will grow melons and watermelons. The main condition for choosing is its height. Some gardeners choose low greenhouses for planting gourds, but such structures are not suitable for this crop. It is best if the greenhouse is at least 1.7 meters in length. And all because, as they develop, the sprouts of these crops begin to curl along the trellises - the small height of their “house” may simply not be enough for these plants.

Although watermelons with melons can easily grow with plants such as peppers and cucumbers, it is better to choose a separate greenhouse for planting them.

Greenhouse with watermelons and melons

Thanks to this, you can create the conditions necessary for watermelons inside it: low air humidity, high temperature (about +25 ° C). Such conditions are far from suitable for all other crops, especially since the humidity level should be no more than 50%.

The preparation of the greenhouse begins in the fall. First of all, you need to study the condition of the greenhouse. If there are any breakages or gaps, they must be repaired - melons with watermelons are very afraid of cold weather, and the slightest drafts can kill seedlings. You also need to take care of the soil. First dig the soil, remove all weeds and the remains of former crops, then add a little mowed grass, rotted manure and leave it until spring. You can also improve the soil in another way:

• when deep digging the soil, add to each square meter soil 20 liters of rotted manure, adding a spoonful of superphosphate and 3 tablespoons of nitrophoska;
• prepare special soil from low-lying peat, sawdust, manure and mineral fertilizers in a ratio of 4:3:3:3.

The most important - right choice suitable variety. In Russian conditions, varieties such as spark requiring minimal maintenance, and Cinderella, sugar baby or Siberian. In general, it is better to choose varieties from your region that have adapted to the climate. The period of fruit set should be short, which will also serve as an additional guarantee of a good result. Alas, our summer cannot boast of a too long period, because plants with a long ripening period may simply not have time to ripen - giant melons and watermelons are grown only in southern countries.

Another important condition is the selection of seeds. Bad seed will nullify any effort. First of all, you can buy seeds only from trusted suppliers who have been working on the market for many years and have won the trust of their customers. When choosing seeds, it is better to focus on melon varieties with no large fruits which will guarantee a good result. It is also worth taking fresh seeds - this increases the chances that they will germinate.

You should not be late with the sowing dates. It is best to plant seeds in mid-April. For this you can use peat pots who can save root system from transplant damage. Containers with a diameter of about 10–12 cm are suitable for planting seeds. If you take larger pots, the seedlings can be ruined by an excess of moisture during watering. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked, leaving for a couple of hours in warm water with the addition of an immunostimulant. Such processing will allow you to make the seedlings stronger, and the seed will sprout much faster.

Soaking seeds in warm water with an immunostimulant

Remember that a lot depends on the quality of the soil. If you make your own soil mix, you need to mix the soil with humus in a ratio of 1:2, add a boat of nitrogen fertilizer and three tablespoons of phosphorus fertilizer. If fertilizer is not available, add some wood ash or potassium sulfate to the soil. Plant the seeds sideways, which will allow the cotyledon leaves to break through the shell faster. Deepen the seed into the ground a couple of centimeters and cover with earth. The optimum temperature for germination is about +23 °C. And be sure to cover the pots with foil, creating the necessary microclimate for seedlings.

In order for the seeds not only to germinate, but also to develop, several important rules. For example, sprouts need to be provided with complete freedom. Try to allocate more space for melons so that the pots with seedlings do not touch each other. The second condition is correct top dressing. Before planting melons and watermelons in a greenhouse, crops should be fed with any mineral fertilizers, diluting them in water. The first time the work is carried out two weeks after planting the seeds. The second is carried out as needed, for example, if watermelons do not develop as quickly as we would like. Work should not be carried out earlier - this threatens with serious burns of seedlings.

Also, gourds require good lighting, so be sure to put the culture pots on the windowsill. If there is not enough light, highlight the plants with lamps both from above and from the sides. If there is little lighting, watermelon seedlings will begin to stretch and weaken.

Wanting to grow good harvest, be sure to observe the timing of planting seedlings in the greenhouse. The weather should be warm, without frost at night. If you have a heated greenhouse, then work can be carried out as early as May, in other cases, you should wait until the daytime temperature reaches about +23 ° C, the night temperature should not be lower than +12 ° C.

Planting seedlings of gourds in a greenhouse

But, unfortunately, no one has been able to control the weather yet. Therefore, if night frosts are expected, seedlings should be wrapped with covering material: it can be soft paper, pieces of old rags, clothes. You should also take care of the soil in advance. Remove upper layer, pour hay with humus into the resulting cavities, sprinkle with nitrogen fertilizers and pour warm water. Then cover with a removed layer of soil and cover the bed with a black film, due to which the soil warms up.

The seating pattern is simple: just plant the seedlings in loosened soil and at a distance of about 50 cm from each other. At the same time, it is not necessary to deepen the plants if you do not want to damage the root system. Be sure to cover the beds with watermelons with a thin film, which can be removed after the plants get a little stronger.

Watermelons with melons planted in a greenhouse require minimal care. However, some activities are considered mandatory. So, remember about the correct temperature regime. Despite the fact that watermelons are considered heat-loving plants, temperatures above +30 ° C can lead to their death. Therefore, during the heat, always leave the windows open to allow fresh air to flow.

For irrigation, it is better to use warm water, and you need to water it strictly under the root - droplets of water that fall on the foliage can lead to decay. Watering the plant should be dosed, trying not to be too zealous, since excess moisture in the soil can lead to serious fungal diseases. Just be careful when caring for plants - if the leaves begin to fade, then it's time to go for a watering can. Once a week during watering, it is worth adding nitrogen fertilizers along with ammonium nitrate. To make watermelons sweeter, you can add some wood ash. At the same time, top dressing, especially chemicals, can be carried out before fruit ripening in order to avoid the ingress of nitrates into them.

Watering watermelons with water with fertilizers

After the ovaries become the size of a plum, select the strongest ones on each lash, and cut off the rest, even if they have flowers. As a result, each lash will have one fruit. Also, on the main shoots, you need to cut off the growth point, and put a thick cardboard or board under each fruit so that the watermelon does not touch the ground and does not rot.

You also need to remember the importance of pollination. So, try to leave the windows open so that the bees fly into the greenhouse. If these insects for some reason do not want to visit your site, you will have to pollinate the plants yourself. Find the largest male flowers. Pluck them, remove the leaves and attach them to the stigmas of female flowers. Do this at least 2 times. In this case, it is desirable to carry out work in the morning. And remember that after a breakdown, male flowers live only a few hours, and without pollination there will be no fruit. To attract bees, you can simply spray the plants with water mixed with honey. Now it remains just to water the plants and wait for the fruits to ripen.

It is easy to check the ripeness of a melon: small cracks will appear at the tail, the fruit itself will smell sweet. But with watermelons it's a little more complicated. Pay attention to the brightness of the pattern, also ripe fruits make a dull sound when tapped. After that, you can collect them. To prolong the shelf life of fruits, they should be wiped thoroughly. BUT harvested crop you need to put in cardboard boxes, shifting with paper or cloth. If necessary, watermelon or.

The main pest of seedlings is, which is very similar to an ordinary ladybug. This pest feeds on the leaves of seedlings. To protect plants from this pest, be sure to dig up the beds in the spring, removing the remains of other plants and weeds. A radical option is spraying seedlings with insecticides. True, it is necessary to carry out work no later than a month before harvesting the fruits.

Pest melon aphid

Another dangerous pest- wireworm or nutcracker beetle that lives in the ground and damages the root system of plants. The most favorable conditions for the appearance of this pest are moist, dense soil. So if you don't provide the plant proper care, the risk of pests will increase several times. To get rid of the wireworm, loosen the soil more often and remove weeds. It is also useful to pour the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or add ammonium sulfate to it before planting seedlings.

A terrible disease for seedlings - powdery mildew, which, when it appears, begins to spread rapidly through plants, characterized by the formation of a white patch on stems, leaves or fruits. To avoid this disease, treat the seedlings with Bordeaux mixture or copper chlorine, and the affected areas of melons must be removed and burned so that other crops, such as grapes, do not suffer from this disease.

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 open field you need to have specialized knowledge.

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

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.

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

1. Soak. Each individual type of seed must be wrapped and soaked in cloth rags and maintain in a humid environment until germination. You can also soak in special napkins.
2. 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 the container with cling film on top and put in a warm place +25 degrees.

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

• 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 planting in open ground, you need to focus on climatic conditions, the selected crop variety, and 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 shade and wind.

Melons and watermelons need rich soils, as well as those that can withstand moisture well. Perfect option- sandy and sandy loamy soil with a pH of 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. The 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.

Outdoor Planting Pattern - Depth and Distance

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Harvest after planting should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
4. To protect a young plant from the scorching sun, it is necessary 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 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.

Features of growing melons

To ensure free access of 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 appear, 2-6 of the strongest and largest specimens are left 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.

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:

• in warm weather, you can achieve 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.

Grow watermelons and melons suburban area is quite real. 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.

And open ground is not fraught with great difficulties. Some summer residents refuse to plant gourds, considering it inappropriate to occupy a large area of ​​​​the site. Meanwhile, these crops get along well together and give an excellent harvest, subject to certain rules. On a compact garden plot there is no need to allocate a separate place for melons and watermelons, they can be planted side by side and enjoy juicy sweet fruits.

Seed treatment before planting

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

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

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

Simultaneous soaking and warming the seeds is the best preparation for seedlings. Water gourds only with water room temperature, while making sure that it does not irrigate the leaves. Seedling gourds quite capricious and requires good lighting, heat and careful watering.

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

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

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

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

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

Boarding order

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

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

Care for melons in the greenhouse

Caring for watermelons and melons is not particularly difficult and not too laborious. Young shoots can be covered with 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, cardboard boxes. The main thing is that they do not come into contact with the ground.

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

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

Watermelons and melons are drought-resistant crops, they germinate in the southern regions, where there is no rain long time 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 maturing 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.

It is not recommended to collect seeds from watermelons and melons when they are planted together, since mutual pollination occurs. The result of such a hybrid may not be entirely palatable.

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

The ability to grow non-traditional crops for a particular zone has always been considered an indicator of the highest skill of a gardener or vegetable grower. Not often today garden plots Moscow, Vladimir, Smolensk and other regions of the Non-Black Earth region can be found cherry, apricot, grapes. In particularly severe winters (as, for example, this year), even modern winter-hardy varieties, and all the efforts of the gardener are in vain. With "exotic" vegetable and melon crops, the situation is a little simpler: these are annual plants that are much easier to create favorable conditions for growth. However, watermelon and melon are not often found in the plots.

In our time, thanks to a detailed study of the biology of heat-loving crops, the development of technology for their cultivation, the creation of cold-resistant varieties with a shorter growing season (early and medium-early), almost everyone can grow watermelon and melon, for example, in the suburbs.

We offer practical advice, which will help you get a crop of watermelon and melon even in the middle lane, to the envy of all neighbors. The only thing that I would immediately like to draw attention to is the need to fulfill all the points of the technology below (of course, they can be modified and adapted to specific conditions). If circumstances do not allow you to do something yet (for example, grow seedlings or build a film shelter), then it is better to wait a little while growing these crops.

OPTIMAL CONDITIONS

Watermelon and melon are light and heat-loving crops. Seeds germinate at a temperature not lower than 17ºС, the optimum temperature is 25...35ºС. To grow they need 25...30ºC during the day, 18ºC at night. Both watermelon and melon are drought-resistant, negatively reacting to high relative humidity, which contributes to the development of fungal diseases.

Optimal air humidity - 60–70%. As you can see, watermelon and melon make high demands on the temperature of the air and soil, the duration of the growing season. These factors are the limiting middle lane Russia. The secret of success in growing these heat-loving crops is the right choice of variety and the provision of the necessary agricultural techniques.

VARIETIES FOR THE MIDDLE BAND

Special attention should be paid to the selection of varieties. For cultivation in central Russia, only early ripe varieties watermelon and melon. There is no need to chase varieties with large fruits, they can realize their potential only in favorable conditions, in the south. In the description of the variety, attention should be paid to number of days from fruit set to maturity(it is important that the formed ovaries grow and ripen quickly). It is better to give preference to varieties that have time to ripen in the middle zone and at the same time have quite tasty sweet fruits.

Watermelon FI Rose Champagne. The most juicy, the most delicious, the brightest watermelon of the Vkusnyatina series.

Such qualities as transportability, large-fruitedness can be neglected. Also, do not pay special attention to the shape of the fruit and their color (these qualities are important when selling on the market).

Recommended varieties of watermelon for the middle band: F1 Gift to the north,F1 Rose champagne,F1 Crimstar,F1 Charleston near Moscow. Among all varieties and hybrids of melon, one of the best for the middle lane is Cinderella, which ripens every year and has rather sweet fruits.

GROWING SEEDLINGS

In the middle lane, watermelon and melon can be grown only through seedlings, and the future harvest largely depends on its quality.

As for all cucurbits, the growing period for seedlings of watermelon and melon is short - 30–35 days.

Seedlings are grown only in pots so that there is no damage to the root system during planting. Use pots with a diameter of 10 cm, they can grow 2 plants. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked or germinated, which will shorten the germination period. To get good friendly shoots it is necessary to provide enough high temperature, at the level of 27...30ºС.

The temperature regime for growing seedlings is 20 ... 25ºС during the day (depending on the weather, on cloudy days the temperature is slightly reduced to prevent plants from stretching), 18 ... 20ºС at night. Since the seeds for seedlings are sown rather late (about mid-April), there is no need to supplement the plants. However, seedlings should be given the sunniest place in the apartment, south windows are best. The quality of seedlings will be higher if it grows on a glazed and insulated balcony or loggia (in this case, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature is optimal).

During the period of growing seedlings, 2 fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers is carried out. The arrangement of plants is of great importance: it is desirable that they do not touch the leaves, so the pots must be periodically moved apart. Seedlings ready for planting should have 3-5 true leaves.

Harden off the seedlings about a week before planting. The daytime temperature is reduced to 15...17ºС, the night temperature is reduced to 12...15ºС, the airing of the plants is increased.

There is one difference in growing seedlings of watermelon and melon. The fact is that watermelon plants form female flowers, from which fruits subsequently develop, both on the main stem and on the side ones. But on melon plants, female flowers on lateral shoots are formed earlier than on the main one. It is this feature that determines such an operation as pinching the tops of melon plants over 3–5 sheets. As a rule, it is carried out in the seedling period.

GROWING CONDITIONS

In the middle lane, watermelon and melon can only be grown in a greenhouse or under temporary film cover.

Greenhouse

It can be of any shape and area, the main thing is that its height is at least 170–200 cm (watermelon and melon are grown in a greenhouse with plants tied to a trellis). As a rule, solar-heated greenhouses are used.

Of course, most vegetable growers will not occupy their entire greenhouse with watermelon and melon, they usually grow pepper, eggplant, tomato, cucumber in it. In this case, watermelon and melon seedlings are planted in a greenhouse with the main crop.

Some vegetable growers have 2 greenhouses on their site: they plant nightshade crops (tomato, pepper, eggplant) in one, and cucumber in the other. This approach is absolutely correct, since the requirements of tomato and cucumber for growing conditions are different. In this case, it is better to plant watermelon and melon in a greenhouse with a tomato, where lower air humidity is maintained.

Greenhouses are prepared according to the standard scheme. In late March-early April, the snow is cleared and covered with a film. After thawing the soil, cold-resistant early crops are sown. Upon completion of their harvesting, seedlings of heat-loving crops are planted, including watermelon and melon. During the cultivation of green crops, the soil of the greenhouse warms up well. It must be remembered that in a greenhouse, watermelon and melon grow to a trellis (plant height is about 2 m). Therefore, if these crops are grown together with pepper, tomato or eggplant, then it is better to plant them near the north wall (otherwise they will obscure the main crop).

Temporary film cover

The easiest way to grow watermelon and melon is to use temporary film shelters. Their design and covering material may be different, but the width and height should be approximately 70 cm. The terms and procedure for preparing shelters are the same as for film greenhouses.

Since watermelon and melon are heat-loving crops, it is impossible to rush to plant seedlings. In some years, quite warm weather sets in in central Russia by the end of April or beginning of May (daytime temperatures reach 15...20ºС, nighttime temperatures 5...10ºС). Under the film on such days the temperature rises above 30ºС. At this time, inexperienced vegetable growers begin to plant heat-loving crops under the film. However, often by mid-May, the weather worsens, sometimes frosts occur. And if a tomato, for example, can withstand even a long cold snap (but without frost), then watermelon and melon can die under these conditions. Therefore, as long-term practice shows, it is possible to plant seedlings of these heat-loving crops under a film only May 15–20(before disembarking, it is better to ask about the long-term weather forecast).

If some time after disembarkation, however, a cold snap occurs, then film shelters should be covered for the night old film, paper, rags, etc. (The second layer of the film can be left for a day). In a film greenhouse, when it gets cold, simple frames are additionally installed above the plants and covered with various auxiliary materials.

Landing technique

Seedlings of watermelon and melon in a greenhouse are planted according to a scheme of approximately 70x50cm. In film shelters, plants are placed in 1 row in the center of the shelter with a distance of 50 cm between them.

When grown in a film shelter, 2 plants can be planted in 1 hole, further directing them in opposite directions.

Before planting, it is advisable to add 1.5–2 kg of humus or compost to each well and pour it well with warm water. Seedlings are planted in the resulting slurry, pouring dry soil into the hole from the sides so that a crust does not form. If the seedlings grew in peat pots, then they are planted along with the pot; if in plastic, the plant is carefully removed from the pot, trying not to damage the lump. When planting seedlings, in no case should they be buried, on the contrary, the seedling clod should protrude 1-2 cm above the surface of the bed (when buried, the subcotyledonous knee may rot).

If the seedlings are planted under a film shelter, then immediately after planting it is covered with a film.

PLANT CARE

As a rule, in 1 week after planting, no care is required for the plants, except for airing in sunny, warm weather. It is necessary to ventilate when the temperature rises above 30ºС. To do this, open the windows of the greenhouse, or tuck the film at the ends of the film shelter.

About a week later, after the soil dries up, the plants are watered with warm water, combining it with fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers (20 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 l of water; 2 l of solution per well). Water very carefully, trying not to wet the subcotyl knee of plants and leaves. AT further care behind plants in the greenhouse and under film cover is slightly different. Let's consider them separately.

in the greenhouse

About 7–10 days after planting, plants are tied up. The garter system is similar to that used in cucumber cultivation.

Watermelon plants are grown in 1 stem. With lateral shoots formed in the axils of the leaves, proceed as follows: shoots that do not have ovaries are removed; pinch shoots with fruiting, leaving 2-3 leaves above the ovary. When the plant reaches the trellis, pinch it.

It must be remembered that with the formation of 2, maximum 3 fruits about the size of a chicken egg, all other ovaries are removed, since the plant will not be able to form morethe number of fruits, and they will not have time to ripen.

Melon plants are tied up as follows. After pinching the top of the plant during the seedling period, it forms several side shoots. You need to choose the 1-2 strongest of them and lead them as the main one (tying each to a trellis), and remove the rest. In the future, the formation is the same as that of a watermelon.

In addition to the formation of plants, watering is carried out about 1 time per week; during fruit ripening, watering is reduced. In addition to the first top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers (about a week after planting), at least 2 more top dressings are carried out. complex fertilizers at intervals of approximately 2-3 weeks.

Sometimes one of the fruits begins to grow vigorously, while the rest turn yellow - this indicates insufficient plant nutrition.

When growing in a greenhouse, you need to pay attention to the pollination of plants. As a rule, insects fly into the greenhouse through open windows, but if pollination does not occur, then it must be carried out artificially (transfer pollen from male flower on the stigma of a female flower).

One of important points when growing watermelon and melon in a greenhouse - fruit garter. Usually, ovaries that have grown to the size of a large apple are placed in the middle of a square piece of mesh, the edges of which are tied and tied with twine to a trellis ( see photo). Thus, each fruit is tied up.

Under film cover

The film on shelters is not removed until about mid-late June (depending on weather conditions). By this time, the plants begin to bloom, and insect access is needed for pollination.

After the film is completely removed, the bed is weeded and loosened. Shoots are evenly distributed over the surface of the beds. As in a greenhouse, after the formation of 1–3 fruits on each plant, all other ovaries are periodically removed and the tops are pinched so that the plant uses all its strength to fill the fruit. Side shoots that do not have fruits are cut out so that the plants are better lit. Top dressing is carried out in the same way as when growing in a greenhouse. In open ground, it is advisable to place boards under the ovaries so that the growing fruits do not rot.

HARVEST

Last, no less milestone growing watermelon and melon - harvesting fruits. In no case should you rush to harvest, often even fruits that have reached impressive sizes are unripe.

Crows are very fond of pouring fruits, especially in hot and dry summers. Therefore, in a garden with melons and watermelons, you need to install scarecrows in a timely manner. Determining the maturity of melon fruits is relatively simple: they acquire a characteristic color, begin to exude the aroma of a ripe melon. The maturity of watermelon fruits is much more difficult to determine, especially for an inexperienced person. It is necessary to focus on the following signs: the pattern of the bark becomes clearer and brighter, the wax coating weakens, when tapped, the fruits make a dull sound.

V.A.Vasilevsky, Ph.D. s.-x. Sciences

Since everyone has known since childhood that watermelon is a southern crop, many gardeners do not even try to grow this large berry in their area. And in vain, because watermelons and melons can be planted on seedlings even in Siberia! The main thing is to choose the right seeds, follow the rules for growing planting material and planting it in the ground, and then you will be able to enjoy self-grown sources of vitamins. Healthy seedlings are the key to a rich harvest, so it is necessary to study all the subtleties of their cultivation.

Before you figure out how to properly plant seedlings, you first need to grow it. And this fascinating process begins with a trip to the store to select seeds. The first thing to do is to carefully read the information on the packaging of the variety you are interested in.

Large sweet watermelons can be grown on your site

How to choose and prepare seeds

If you do not live in the southern latitudes, choose early-ripening varieties with a harvest time of 70-90 days. Usually, seedlings are planted in the ground in May, so late-ripening varieties may not ripen. Ask the seller to help and ask what varieties of gourds they buy most often. If you have little knowledge of these cultures, this hint will help you make the right decision. Do not risk buying planting material just because beautiful packaging.

Among the early ripe varieties, the watermelon "Spark", "Sugar Baby", "Chill", "Krymson Svit" and "Astrakhansky" remain popular. The term of their maturation averages 65-70 days. The weight of ripe berries is 3-5 kg. If we take the popular Kholodok watermelon as an example, then its fruits, with proper care, will weigh 4-4.5 kg. One such handsome man is enough to feast on the whole family at dinner.

This is what a ripe watermelon variety "Spark" looks like

As for melons, early ground melon is considered one of the favorite varieties. It ripens in 90-110 days, has slightly oval-shaped fruits weighing up to 3 kg. This variety has juicy firm flesh. Among the rapidly ripening varieties, it is also worth highlighting the varieties "Altai", "Kolkhoz Woman", "Pineapple" and "Cinderella".

It is better to choose seeds that are harvested 2 or 3 years ago. If unseasoned seed is sown, the plants will have many male flowers, and female flowers are needed for the ovary.

Choose Watermelon Seeds Carefully

After the purchase, it is necessary to prepare the seeds of watermelon and melon for sowing for seedlings:

1. Preparation begins with soaking in a weak salt solution (take 0.5 tsp of salt per 100 g of water).
2. Seeds that have fallen to the bottom should be rinsed in clean water and allowed to dry.
3. After drying, you need to warm up for 2-3 hours in water at a temperature of 50-60 degrees.
4. Then keep them in a solution of manganese for about half an hour. Potassium permanganate will kill microorganisms that have come from the soil. In the future, such a simple action can save seedlings from diseases.
5. The last stage of preparation is soaking until the sprouts peck.

What do hatched seeds look like?

Preparing the soil and containers for seedlings

Properly prepared soil for seedlings of watermelons and melons is already half the success. You will need 3 parts cow dung and 1 part sod (a layer of soil that has been cut along with the roots of dry plants). The second option is to mix 3 parts of lowland peat with 1 part of sawdust and 0.5 parts of humus. The last component is necessary so that the land for seedlings of watermelons and melons has enough useful substances for fast growth.

• pots are made of natural material;
• peat serves not only as a container, but also as a fertilizer;
• porous walls pass water quite easily, air also passes through them;
• roots can grow through the pot without resting against the wall and without deforming;
• pots are strong enough, hold their shape.

Growing seedlings in a peat container

Weak roots are very fragile, so they can break if transplanted from ordinary glasses inaccurately, which can lead to the death of the plant. When the peat pot is sent to the open ground, it protects the root system of watermelons and melons from mechanical damage. If you have little experience in transplanting, use this idea.

Sowing seeds of watermelons and melons for seedlings

Even in winter, gardeners begin to wonder when it is necessary to plant watermelons and melons for seedlings in current year to get a good harvest. And rightly so - each region has its own climate, so it will not be superfluous to refine the forecasts. Thus, the timing of planting watermelon and melon for seedlings in the middle lane and in Siberia differ significantly.

Optimal time landing - the end of March, the deadline is the beginning of April (approximately 27-30 days before landing in the ground). If you plant seeds late, you will miss the time when it is better to plant watermelon seedlings in the ground. There is also a risk that they will not have time to ripen before the beginning of autumn. In mid-latitudes, this is very important, because early frosts can ruin the crop. But in the southern regions, a slight delay is not so critical.

Watermelons can be grown even in Siberia

If you are wondering when to plant melons and watermelons for seedlings, lunar calendar, remember the most important rule - you can not sow on the full moon. An excellent time that promises a rich harvest is the second quarter of the phase of the growing moon. This is the period when you can plant not only watermelons, but also other fruits with seeds (tomatoes, peas, bell pepper other).

It is best to plant the seeds in separate cups, but if you plan to do this in a box, keep the distance between the holes 10-12 cm. landing capacity on 2/3 of the ground prepared in advance. You can put a little drainage on the bottom. For planting, hatched seeds should be selected, immediately determining at what depth to plant watermelons for growing seedlings.

It is better to grow in glasses, not boxes

If you have a lot of seeds, plant them in pairs to a depth of 3-5 cm. Later, from the two shoots, you need to choose the stronger one, and carefully cut the weak one with scissors. It is impossible to pull out a young plant, so as not to damage the fragile roots of the neighboring watermelon that you leave. In principle, the depth of planting melon seedlings is the same. Usually sprouts at home appear in 4-6 days.

How to care for seedlings of watermelons and melons at home

Well, the seeds are planted, now you can start caring for future shoots. The first thing to do is to wrap the pots with stretch film and ensure the correct temperature regime. Main nuances:

• until the emergence of seedlings, a stable temperature of 25-30 ° C should be maintained;
• after germination, it is recommended to reduce the temperature to 18 ° C at night and to 20-25 ° C during the day.

How to properly water melon seedlings

Since gourds prefer a moderate level of soil moisture, watermelon and melon seedlings should be watered at home often and not abundantly. If the soil in the planting pots is allowed to dry out, the plants can get sick. Correcting this oversight will be difficult, because fragile roots are sensitive to the slightest lack of moisture. The same can be said about its excess.

Water the seedlings with warm water so as not to cause shock. From watering cold water they weaken and may die. The optimum water temperature is 25-30 °C. If the pots are in a heated room, the seedlings must not only be watered, but also properly sprayed with warm water from above. When growing in a greenhouse, this is not necessary - the humidity level is higher there.

Healthy watermelon seedling

How to properly feed young plants

To obtain high yields and beautiful fruits weighing more than 2.5 kg, dynes and watermelons must consume potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and sulfur in sufficient quantities. The first top dressing for seedlings of watermelons at home is necessary at the stage of the appearance of the first true leaf in plants. Prepare a solution from the following components:

• 15 g of superphosphate;
• 6 g of saltpeter;
• 7 g of potassium (take sulfate, not chloride).

Cooking:

1. Prepare 10 liters of water with mullein (from 10 liters of mullein should be 2.5 liters, that is, one quarter of the volume).
2. If there is chicken manure, add it in a ratio of 1:7.
3. Dissolve potassium, saltpeter and superphosphate in the resulting mixture, then feed the plants.

For top dressing, a small package of fertilizer is enough

This will be an excellent foundation for active growth.

The second feeding is carried out 14 days after the first. The fertilizer weight indicated above should be doubled. Plants will already be more developed, they will have an increase in the number of leaves, so they will need more micronutrients to grow. No need to buy other fertilizers - two top dressings planting material will be sufficient.

Possible problems with seedlings and their elimination

Gardeners often do not understand why watermelon seedlings are dying, because they are trying to create everything for her. the necessary conditions. There are several reasons, but the most common ones are worth considering in detail.

What to do when watermelon seedlings die

The first reason for the defeat of young plants is improper watering during the growing process. Most often, this is an excess of moisture, because many gardeners approach the issue of irrigating seedlings too carefully and do not allow the earth to dry out at all. Due to excess moisture, the vessels passing through the stem of the plant are affected. In other words, Fusarium develops - dangerous disease. It also provokes low temperature.

If you notice signs of Fusarium, you need to remove plants that are sick so that they do not infect healthy ones. Outwardly, this disease can be identified by the yellow tint of the leaves and the appearance of rot on the root zone. If you find these signs, do not delay removing the infected bushes - you still won’t be able to save these young watermelons.

To avoid possible problems with young plants, follow a few rules:

• choose decontaminated soil for planting, disinfect the tools you will work with, especially if they were used on the site;
• maintain a stable temperature in the place where the culture cups are placed;
• protect plants from drafts;
• observe the timing of top dressing.

Weak seedlings of gourds

Possible problems with melon seedlings

The reasons why melon seedlings die are also related to watering, temperature and top dressing. However, there is another situation that you may encounter in your gardening practice - excessive stretching of the stems. Experts believe that the lack of light on the windowsill or other place reserved for growing seedlings is to blame. The length of daylight hours in April is insufficient, so you need to take care of additional lighting.

To stop the stems from stretching to the side towards the diffused light from the window, install one or more fluorescent lamps above them. Thus, you will extend daylight hours to the required 11-12 hours for proper growth and development of the culture. Additional illumination even plants that stand on the south side of the house may need it.

The plant may be too drawn to the light if there is not enough of it.

We plant seedlings of watermelons and melons in open ground

So, when the seedlings have grown stronger, and the temperature outside the window has stabilized and has ceased to fall below 13-15 ° C, you can safely plant them in open ground. It takes 1-1.5 months from the day the seeds are planted in peat pots until they “move” to the garden. Before planting, make markings on the bed to make sure everything is correct.

You need to plant young watermelons in a checkerboard pattern, making a distance of 1.5 m between the holes. The depth should be sufficient so that the entire root of the plants is underground, and the cotyledon leaves remain above its surface. If you don't have much large plot, it is allowed to plant seedlings at a distance of 1 m, but not less. In order not to make a mistake, you can watch a video demonstrating the process.

Video: Planting seedlings in the ground

After filling the hole with earth, it should be carefully tamped down so that the melon and watermelon seedlings remain upright. To prevent the spread of brown rot in the garden, sprinkle a little sand around each seedling. Then pour warm water over the bed so as not to injure the plants accustomed to heat. If necessary, organize protection from the scorching rays of the sun until the leaves become elastic.

As you can see, in order to taste watermelons grown in your garden or in a greenhouse, you need a little patience and work. Even a beginner in gardening can get a harvest. If questions arise during the process of growing seedlings at home, you can always contact a specialist for advice.