Many summer residents probably had to be upset more than once about the unsuccessful cultivation of watermelons on their plots. You can enjoy the taste of a ripe juicy berry if you take into account the advice of specialists and experienced gardeners. In this article, we will consider the question of whether it is possible to plant watermelons at home, how difficult it is to care for them, and how often you need to fertilize and feed to get an excellent harvest.
Is it possible to grow watermelons at home in the country in the open field?
Growing a watermelon in your own garden is not as difficult as it might seem. In the open ground in the country, planting occurs in several ways:
- seed;
- seedling.
Sowing technology directly to the garden is used mainly in the warm regions of the country. As soon as the soil warms up to + 12 ° C, the preparation of seeds for planting begins. In more severe climate conditions, you cannot do without preliminary cultivation of seedlings. Otherwise, the berries tied on the stem will not have time to ripen before the end of summer.
The key to successful cultivation of watermelons in the open field is the correct choice of varieties, the growing conditions of which correspond to the climatic characteristics of the region.
Before planting, you need to sort the seed by size, removing damaged and affected seeds. Sizing (sorting) provides for a breakdown into groups according to size characteristics in order to ensure uniform growth of shoots. Otherwise, stronger shoots will not allow small ones to develop.
There is another preparatory procedure used by gardeners in the middle lane. This is scarification, the essence of which is the deliberate damage to the surface of the seed to stimulate growth. It is enough to rub the nose on fine sandpaper. In this case, the main thing is not to overdo it.
A mandatory step is to warm up the seed. To do this, he is kept in a thermos with hot water (+ 50 ° C) for about half an hour. All biochemical processes are accelerated due to the temperature effect.
Disinfection is considered an integral part of the preparation. The material is kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for about 20 minutes. After that, it remains to dry it under natural conditions (do not use an oven or battery).
The most popular varieties of watermelon for planting in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus
When choosing varieties of watermelon, preference is given to early and mid-season species. Regardless of where you are going to plant melons: in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, you need to choose the type of watermelon that will be suitable and will have time to ripen in these climatic conditions.
Pink champagne
The vegetative period lasts 80-95 days. The average weight of the fetus reaches 5-7 kg. The pulp is deep pink, juicy with a characteristic sweetness reminiscent of honey. The skin is dark green with yellowish stripes, medium thickness. The plant is quite unpretentious, tolerates moisture well.
Catherine F1
Vegetative period - 58-62 days, average berry weight - 7-8 kg. A covering material is used to provide conditions for rapid ripening. Large leaves and spreading of the stem prevents the root system from sunburn. The hybrid is appreciated for its high sugar content and dense, but delicate structure of red flesh.
Gift to the North
The fruit ripens in 75-85 days with an average weight of 10-11 kg. The plant is not very productive, but it bears fruit stably. The bright red berry pulp is juicy and crunchy with a characteristic watermelon sweetness. The skin has a striped color, the thickness is small. The variety is immune to disease and moisture. The crop is well preserved and transported.
Nelson F1
The variety belongs to the early maturing species, the fruit ripens in just 65 days. The shape of the berry is elongated, the color is striped with alternating dark green and yellowish tones. On average, a watermelon weighs 12-14 kg. The red pulp is very juicy and tender with a high sugar content.
Libya F1
From the moment the seedlings are planted, the fruit ripens after 62-65 days, which classifies it as a mid-early species. The ten kilogram berry has a round, slightly elongated shape with red flesh and an incredibly sweet taste. The plant is adapted to the climatic conditions of the middle zone. Among other varieties, it is the leader in yield, marketability and safety of fruits.
Rules for planting plants in open ground
Before planting seeds for seedlings at home, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the features of growing watermelons in the open field. This will help you get a good harvest, taking into account climatic factors.
Choosing seeds for planting at home
The seeds should be healthy with no signs of damage. Experts recommend giving preference to hybrids that are immune to many diseases, resistant to weather disasters, and a short growing season.
Inoculum preparation includes the following steps: calibration, warming up and disinfection. Scarification is optional.
Before sowing, you can slightly germinate the seeds by wrapping them in a damp cloth. After 1-3, a sprout will break out of the spout. The main thing in the process is not to let the napkin dry out. Then you can sow them in the ground according to a certain pattern.
Soil preparation for sowing
The culture does not tolerate transplanting, therefore, the soil must be prepared for subsequent transfer with the sprout into the hole. For this, soil of a loose structure is poured into a pot or other container. Melons and gourds grow well in soil enriched with humus and peat. Therefore, you need to fertilize it in advance. If the density of the earth is high, sand, peat should be introduced into it. Do not forget also about nutrients: superphosphate, wood ash, etc.
Planting: at what distance from each other should seedlings be planted in the ground?
Seeds are planted in open ground no earlier than the 20th of May, when warm weather sets in with a temperature regime of + 14 ° C and above. Seeds are sown for seedlings in the second half of April. In one pot with a diameter of 10 cm and a height of 12-14 cm, 2 seeds per 3 cm are buried.After germination, you need to leave a stronger sprout, and remove the other. The main conditions for good germination of the material:
- moderate watering;
- temperature regime + 25-30 °;
- lack of drafts;
- good illumination.
Under favorable conditions, the shoots will appear after 6-8 days. Further, the temperature drops to + 18 ° until the formation of a shoot of 4-5 cm. After removing the weak seedling, you can increase the mode to + 25 °.
At the time of transfer to the garden, the shoot should already have at least 4 leaves (age 30-35 days). 5-7 days before transplanting, the seedlings need to be watered less and the temperature should be set not exceeding 20 °.
It is better to transplant in the morning, so water the pots well in the evening. It is also advisable to treat the shoots with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. The seedling is transferred into the hole with the soil and deepened to the cotyledon leaves. The interval between bushes is 70-100 cm.
How to care after planting on the site?
Young shoots need protection, therefore, after transplanting, the bed is covered with a film. You need to ventilate the shelter regularly to prevent condensation. You can remove protection completely in June.
To attract bees for pollination, it is recommended to plant honey plants near the melons. If it rains during the pollination period, you need to do it manually
Watering rules
Melons and gourds love moisture, but you should not overdo it with irrigation. It is enough to water the beds once a week. After the disclosure of female flowers on the plant, the moisture rate decreases. After the fruit has formed, irrigation is not required.
Top dressing and fertilization for melons
After 12 days, the seedlings need to be fed with a nutrient mixture. based on fermented mullein (10 parts of water and 1 part of manure). A couple of weeks later, a second complementary food is introduced with the addition of superphosphate (50 g per liter of solution), ammonium sulfate (15 g), potassium sulfate (30 g) to the mullein.
Similar groundbaits are used when growing seeds outdoors.
Reproduction
The culture is propagated with the help of seeds. In nature, this is facilitated by the round shape of the berry. After overripe, it opens and seeds spill out along with the juice. The zealous owners, eating a delicious watermelon, wash the black grains in clean water and dry them. Store at room temperature in a dry place until the next season, after which they are grown in seedlings or non-seedlings.
How to properly grow melons in the garden: the main mistakes
In order not to repeat the mistakes of other gardeners, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the most common ones.
- Giving preference to one or another variety, it is worth studying the ripening period of the berry. Mid-late and late species should be discarded, no matter what taste they have.
- Often, seeds are thrown deep into dense soil. In such a land, the plant does not develop well. Clay or heavy soil must be diluted with sand and peat to make the structure loose. You need to sow seeds at a considerable distance from each other.
- You should not choose a plot overgrown with perennial weeds for melon. Burian will kill young shoots, preventing them from spreading and blooming.
- The opinion of some summer residents that the watermelon loves partial shade is considered erroneous. Planting under trees and bushes will not allow the berry to ripen, the culture loves a lot of sun.
- Cultivation of melons without treatments for pests and diseases casts doubt on obtaining a good harvest.
- The lack of nutrients in the soil reduces the fruiting period and the quality of the berries. The berry definitely needs top dressing and fertilization.
Pests and problems of growing watermelons
The culture is susceptible to the same diseases as cucumbers. It:
- peronosporosis;
- ascochitis;
- powdery mildew;
- anthracnose.
When growing, the same preventive measures and treatments are used as for cultivating pumpkin plants: Ordan, colloidal sulfur, Abiga-Peak, HOM, etc.
Of the pests are considered dangerous:
- aphid
- wireworm;
- meadow moth;
- scoops;
- sprout fly.
If you detect the presence of insects or products of their vital activity, you should not hesitate with processing, most of the crop or all melon can die. If biological products did not give the desired effect after application, chemical insecticides should be used: Tantrek, Aktaru, Decis, Fufanon.
Correct harvest
You need to remove berries from the garden at a certain time. If you do this later, the watermelon will not be stored for a long time. The interval between the first stage of maturity and full ripeness is only 5 days, so it is important not to miss this period. Correctly harvested crop does not lose the sweetness and firmness of the pulp for a long time.
The following signs indicate the ripeness of the fruit:
- drying of the tail;
- formation of a clear pattern on the crust;
- the disappearance of gray plaque;
- the presence of yellow spots on the surface of the berry;
- the smell resembles that of freshly cut grass;
- during tapping, a ringing sound is heard.
A hint of the ripeness of the berry can be the approximate ripening time of the fruit:
- early varieties - 32-35 days;
- medium varieties - 40-45 days;
- late varieties - 50-53 days.
It is quite possible to grow a delicious juicy berry on your site, given all the nuances and rules. Even if you grow watermelons in Khabarovsk or Bashkiria.The watermelon culture, although unpretentious, still requires attention. Diligence and work will certainly be rewarded with a generous harvest with a record-breaking berry.