Growing melons and melons in the central regions of Russia. Rules for planting and growing watermelons and melons

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 medicine to cleanse the body. Melon crops are heat-loving and grow in warm climates, so to grow them and plant watermelons in open ground you need to have special knowledge.

Be sure to find out in advance whether it is possible to plant melons if there are cucumbers, peppers, pumpkins or zucchini growing nearby.

Melons belong to the pumpkin family. The crops are very healthy and contain a huge amount of vitamins. If you learn how to grow these plants correctly, you can get a high yield of 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 crop to another.

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings at home

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

It is impossible to obtain from last year's watermelon seeds good harvest. The best seeds to plant– 5 years ago. It is important to understand that only some early-ripening varieties with a ripening period of up to 70-85 days are suitable for our climate. Better to give preference hybrid varieties, which are more adapted to unfavorable 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, everything that has surfaced can be safely thrown away. Watermelon seeds germinate more slowly than melon seeds. Therefore, it is recommended to scald watermelon seeds with boiling water for better germination and only then sow.

Preparation for planting and soaking

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

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

Planted in each pot 2 seeds each to depth 5 cm. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle. Cover the top of the container cling film and put in a warm place +25 degrees.

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

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

Planting in open ground

When planting in open ground, you need to focus on climatic conditions, the selected crop variety, and the readiness of the 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 or wind.

Melons and watermelons need rich soils, as well as those that withstand moisture well. The ideal option is sandy and sandy loam soil with a hydrogen index of 6-7 units.

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

Preparing watermelon seedlings

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

A week before planting in open ground, seedlings should be hardened to a daytime temperature of +16+20 degrees.

Open ground planting scheme - depth and distance

To plant in open ground, you must adhere to the following rules:

Holes should be made in the garden bed at a distance 0.5-0.7 meters apart according to the scheme in checkerboard pattern. Leave 70cm gaps between rows.
Seedlings are placed in holes so that there is only a few top leaves. The soil should be flattened and sand should be sprinkled around it to protect the plant from rot.
After planting, the crop should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
To protect a young plant from the scorching sun, you need to cover the sprouts with moistened caps made of plastic or paper for 2-3 days.

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

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. Hill up the crop as the side loops develop. To prevent the plant from spending all its energy on gaining mass during the growth period, you need to pinch the main stem. For 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 vine, it is recommended to tie the fruits in nets and hang on a support. The fruits are placed on foil linings to prevent rotting.

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

Advantages of planting in open ground:

in warm weather you can achieve maximum ripeness fruits;
daily watering of the crop is not necessary;
You can increase productivity by following the basic rules for selecting soil and planting seeds for seedlings.

Grow watermelons and melons on summer cottage 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.

Growing watermelons and melons in middle lane Russia is associated with some peculiarities. Experienced gardeners have the skills to grow exotic crops in areas that are harsh to heat-loving plants. In Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl regions You can find exotic plants that are not typical to grow and bear fruit in these regions. If certain conditions are met, fruits such as watermelons and melons can be grown even in Siberia. How to grow watermelon in central Russia?

Growing melons and melons in the Non-Black Earth Region is challenging task, since it is necessary to create plants the necessary conditions during the period of growth. The correct choice of variety and compliance with the requirements for planting crops will please you with a good harvest.

First of all, you need to know which varieties will grow and bear fruit under conditions of not quite suitable air temperature and humidity.

This issue must be given due attention and you should not chase large and thin-barked varieties, otherwise the planted plants, which can bear fruit only in favorable climatic conditions, will simply die. In this case, your energy and time will be wasted.

When choosing watermelons and melons, preference should be given to early-ripening varieties, the period from germination to the first harvest of fruits is 60-75 days. Mostly this is melon, which bears small fruits of 2-3 kg.

Despite their small size, the grown fruits have an excellent sweet taste. These varieties of watermelon include:
Ultra early,
Gift of the sun
Cossack,
Astrakhansky,
Ogonyok,

Leader.

And early ripening varieties of melon should be chosen as follows:
Rainbow,
Solar,

Autumn.

Although melons are drought-resistant, they require special care and optimal conditions for growth and fruiting.
Firstly, you need to know that the temperature for seed germination should not drop below 17°.
Secondly, the temperature for normal plant growth during the day should be 25-35° and at night not lower than 18°.
Thirdly, it is necessary to provide the melon with a humidity level of 60-70%, so as not to create conditions for the proliferation of fungi.

Fourthly, it is important to know that each bush consumes 200 ml of water per day.

Growing melon in the middle zone occurs in seedlings with further placement in a greenhouse. Planting of melon seedlings occurs when 2-3 leaves appear on the plant stem. The process of germination of seeds into plants occurs in 30-35 days, as with watermelons. Watering melons should be done carefully to avoid getting the leaves wet. It is advisable to add a little sand and wood ash to the soil for seedlings.

Several seeds can be planted in one pot to a depth of up to 5 cm. After 7 days, the first sprouts appear. They need to be thinned out and one of the strongest sprouts left, which will give a good harvest.

Growing watermelons and melons (video)

Seedling care

Since melons and melons are light- and heat-loving, growing watermelons in the middle zone should only occur through seedlings. This means that the seeds must be germinated before planting and then planted in the soil. The further development of the crop and the number of fruits depend on compliance with optimal conditions during the period of seedling growth. Before planting, the seeds must be treated in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect the plants from various diseases. To make the melon grow faster, the seeds should be wrapped in thick cloth and placed in water for 12 hours, then allowed to dry and swell.

Next, you should select pots, the diameter of which should be 10 cm. Growing 2 plants is allowed in one container. Particular attention should be paid to preparing the soil, consisting of peat, humus and turf soil.

Despite the fact that the seedlings are prepared in mid-April, they do not need to be illuminated. But the pots should be placed in a dark place, preferably on a windowsill on the south side, since watermelon loves light. To ensure that the seeds germinate together, the seedlings can be placed on glass balcony or loggia. Regardless of the location of the pots, the air temperature should be 20-25° during the day and about 18° at night.

While growing seedlings, fertilizing should be done twice, which should consist of complex mineral fertilizers. You also need to pay attention to the location of the pots: the leaves of the seedlings should not touch. To prevent this, you should periodically move them apart.

The growing period for watermelon and melon seedlings is 30-35 days. A week before planting the plants, it is necessary to carry out a hardening procedure. That is, reduce the air temperature during the day to 15-17°, and at night - to 12-15°. Also at this time, increased ventilation of the room is required.

It should be noted that the conditions for growing watermelon and melon seedlings in the middle zone have some differences. On the main and side stems of watermelon seedlings, female flowers are formed, in the place of which fruits grow. And on melon seedlings, female flowers appear first on additional stems, and then on the main one. Therefore, melon seedlings should be pinched at the top above 3-5 leaves before planting in the ground.

Rules for planting seedlings

Cultivation of melons and melons in the middle zone should be carried out in a greenhouse or under film to protect watermelons and melons from low temperatures. Planting of seedlings occurs in mid-May, and at this time there are sometimes frosts, and plants love warmth and light.

At the indicated time, when 3-5 leaves appear on the stem, the seedlings can be planted in a greenhouse or open ground under a film. This procedure should be carried out in the afternoon. If planting occurs in dry, hot weather, then the melon should be temporarily covered from the scorching sun. You should not grow watermelons or melons in the same place where a pumpkin previously grew. It is best to choose an area of soil where no plants or crops have yet been grown.

Watermelon loves light soil, the acidity of which should be at 6.5-7.5 pH. Before planting, a plot of land should be fertilized with peat or fresh manure to protect the melon from diseases. You can add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers that ensure plant growth, thus accelerating the flowering phase.

The principle of a greenhouse is based on solar heating of plants. It is necessary to prepare in advance land plot, fence it off with a net or trellis and cover it with film. Typically, gardeners grow other heat-loving crops in a greenhouse before planting watermelon and melon seedlings. After which melons are planted. This method helps the earth to warm up properly.

Requirements for organizing a greenhouse:

The greenhouse should be 170-200 cm high.
Ventilation is required to avoid fruit rotting.
When transferring seedlings to the soil, you should handle the plants carefully so as not to damage them. root system.
The holes must be made so deep that the roots protrude several centimeters above the ground.
Seedlings should be planted at a distance of at least 70 cm between rows and 50 cm between holes.
It is recommended to tie the melon vertically to the net to ensure proper lighting for the fruits.
Lateral and non-fruiting shoots need to be removed when 2-3 fruits have formed on the trunk.
When warm weather sets in, the film should be removed to allow bees access for pollination.
During cultivation, plants should be fertilized twice.
It is necessary to provide the crops with water: they should be watered twice a week, spending 200 ml of water on each bush.

What else do you need to know

In addition to the greenhouse, watermelons and melons in the middle zone can be grown under film. This is the easiest way. The height of the structure can be 70 cm. Row spacing should be 50 cm; 2 stems can be placed in one hole, pointing them in opposite directions. The conditions for planting and caring for crops are the same as in a greenhouse.

Depending on the weather, around the middle or end of June, the film should be removed and the soil loosened. When 1-3 fruits have appeared on the plant, the remaining ovaries should be removed and the top should be pinched. Thus, the melon will use its strength to fill the fruits. Boards must be placed under the trunk of each plant, otherwise the fruits may rot.

Harvesting melons is one of the most important stages in growing watermelons and melons.

This should not be rushed, since the fruits may not yet ripen. The ripeness of a melon is easily determined by its color and characteristic aroma. With watermelon, things are more complicated: to determine the degree of its ripeness, you need to knock on the fruit. If you hear a dull sound, he is ripe.

There are additional signs of maturity: patterns become distinct, wax disappears.

Growing watermelons (video)

As you can see, it is possible to grow a watermelon in the middle zone. The main condition is to choose the right varieties of melon and watermelon. But this is still a risky activity, since weather conditions may prevent you from achieving success in gardening: rainy summer or spring frosts. Follow the above recommendations, and you will definitely be able to grow an excellent harvest that will be the envy of all your neighbors.

Gallery: watermelons in the middle zone (15 photos)

Preface

In order for planting 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 proper care.

It is very important to prepare a greenhouse where you will grow melons and watermelons. The main condition for selection is its height. Some gardeners choose low greenhouses for planting melons, 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.

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

Greenhouse with watermelons and melons

Preparation of the greenhouse begins in the fall. First of all, you need to examine the condition of the greenhouse. If there are any breakages or cracks, they must be repaired - melons and watermelons are very afraid of the cold, and the slightest drafts can kill the seedlings. You also need to take care of the soil. First, dig up the soil, remove all weeds and remnants of previous crops, then add a little bit of mown grass and rotted manure and leave it until spring. There are other ways to improve the soil:

when digging the soil deeply, apply to each square meter soil 20 liters of rotted manure, adding a spoonful of superphosphate and 3 spoons of nitrophoska;
prepare a special soil from lowland peat, sawdust, manure and mineral fertilizers in a ratio of 4:3:3:3.

The most important - right choice suitable variety. In Russian conditions, the varieties that grow best are: Ogonyok requiring minimal care, and Cinderella, Sugar baby or Siberian. In general, it is better to choose varieties from your region that have adapted to the climate. The fruit set period should be short, which will also serve as an additional guarantee good result. Alas, our summer cannot boast of a very long period, so 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– selection of seeds. Poor seed material will ruin any efforts. First of all, you can only buy seeds 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 choose melon varieties with medium-sized 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 sowing dates. It is best to plant seeds in mid-April. For this you can use peat pots, which can protect the root system from damage during transplantation. Containers with a diameter of about 10–12 cm are suitable for planting seeds. If you take pots larger than big size, seedlings can be ruined by excess moisture when watering. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked, left for a couple of hours in warm water with the addition of an immunostimulant. This treatment 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 the soil mixture with your own hands, you need to mix the soil with humus in a 1:2 ratio, add a boatload of nitrogen fertilizer and three spoons of phosphorus fertilizers. If you don't have fertilizer on hand, add a little to the soil. wood ash or potassium sulfate. Plant the seeds sideways, which will allow the cotyledon leaves to break through the shell more quickly. Deepen the seed into the soil a couple of centimeters and cover with soil. Optimal temperature for germination – about +23 °C. And be sure to cover the pots with film, creating the microclimate necessary for the seedlings.

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

Melons also require good lighting, so be sure to place the pots with the crop on the windowsill. If there is not enough light, illuminate the plants using lamps both from above and from the sides. If there is little lighting, watermelon seedlings will begin to stretch out and weaken.

If you want to grow a good harvest, be sure to follow 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 approximately +23 °C, and the night temperature should not be lower than +12 °C.

Planting melon seedlings in a greenhouse

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

The planting scheme is simple: just plant the seedlings in loosened soil and at a distance of about 50 cm from each other. At the same time, there is no need 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 have become a little stronger.

Watermelons and melons planted in a greenhouse require minimal care. However, some activities are considered mandatory. So, remember the correct temperature regime. Despite the fact that watermelons are considered heat-loving plants, temperatures above +30 °C can cause them to die. Therefore, during hot weather, always leave the windows open to provide fresh air.

For watering, it is better to use warm water, and you need to water strictly at the root - droplets of water falling on the foliage can lead to rotting. You need to water the plant in doses, trying not to be too zealous, since excess moisture in the soil can lead to serious fungal diseases. Just be careful when caring for the plants - if the leaves begin to fade, then it’s time to go get 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 a little wood ash. At the same time, feeding, especially chemicals, can be carried out before the fruits ripen to avoid nitrates getting into them.

Watering watermelons with water and fertilizers

After the ovaries become the size of a plum, select the strongest ones on each vine and cut off the rest, even if they have flowers. As a result, there will be one fruit on each vine. Also, on the main shoots you need to cut off the growing 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 bees can 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 apply them to the stigmas of the female flowers. Do this at least 2 times. In this case, it is advisable to carry out the work in the morning. And remember that after a fall, male flowers only live for a few hours, and without pollination there will be no fruit. To attract bees, you can simply spray the plants with water and honey. Now all that’s left is to water the plants and wait for the fruits to ripen.

It’s 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; ripe fruits also make a dull sound when tapped. After that you can collect them. To extend the shelf life of fruits, they should be thoroughly wiped. And the harvested crop must be placed in cardboard boxes, covered with paper or cloth. If necessary, watermelon or.

The main pest of seedlings is, which is very similar to 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 to spray the seedlings with insecticides. True, work must be carried out no later than a month before harvesting the fruits.

Pest melon aphid

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

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

Watermelons and melons in open ground in our country are grown in regions with a hotter climate. In July-August, residents of the middle zone feast on juicy fruits brought from Krasnodar region And Astrakhan region. It is in these areas that melons ripen best, because there are created for them optimal conditions: hot climate and long daylight hours.

Watermelons and melons in open ground in our country are grown in regions with hotter climates

Many gardeners are trying to grow exotic crops in the middle zone. However, this experience is not always successful. Since the thermal period is quite short, tender crops simply do not have time to ripen in open ground. Therefore, if you want to get an unusual harvest, grow seedlings in advance.

It is necessary to plant seeds for melon seedlings at the end of March or at the beginning of April. The seedlings grow quite quickly. From the moment of planting the seeds until the formation of full-fledged seedlings, no more than a month passes. In order for the seedlings to bring a good harvest in the future, it is necessary to take care proper care and pay due attention to cultivation.

Please note the following:

It is especially important to choose seed material wisely. It is better if it is zoned for those regions in which watermelons and melons will grow in the future. It is not recommended to buy seeds from unverified manufacturers. It is much safer to purchase them in specialized stores.
It is better to prepare the soil for planting seeds yourself. To do this, you need to mix 1 part of fertile soil with 3 parts of humus. To make melons grow healthy and strong, you can add to the soil complex fertilizers. It is desirable that they contain potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. If you don’t want to waste time, you can purchase ready-made soil for melons in a specialized store.
Seedlings of exotic crops are very fragile and delicate, so picking them is not recommended. It is better to immediately plant watermelon seeds in individual peat pots. If you neglect this recommendation and place several seedlings in one large container, they will interfere with each other during active growth. If suitable containers for planting are not at hand, you can use cut-off plastic bottles.
Watermelons and melons are very heat-loving, so it is important to choose the right place to keep them. It is better to place the seedlings on the windowsills on the south side. It is desirable that young plants have the opportunity to bask in the sun's rays throughout the day. It is also worth taking care that the room where the melons are grown is warm. Otherwise, it will not be possible to grow strong and healthy seedlings.
Don't forget about regularly moistening the soil. Watering is required as the top layer of soil dries out. It's important not to overdo it as cultures are not big fans high humidity. Several times during the time they live on the windowsill, the plants need to be watered with mullein solution.

It is necessary to plant seeds for melon seedlings at the end of March or at the beginning of April. Seedlings grow quite quickly

A seedling is considered grown if it has at least 5 true leaves. Tender crops can be planted in open ground only after the threat of night frosts has disappeared. As a rule, the optimal time is late May or early June.

Watermelons in the Moscow region in open ground (video)

Before you start growing watermelons in open ground, you need to decide on a planting location. Exotic crops will feel most comfortable in an area that is illuminated by bright sun throughout the day. In this case, you need to ensure that the open ground in this place is reliably protected from strong gusts of wind and drafts.

The soil for melons should be fertile and fairly light. It is desirable that it retains moisture well. The best option- sandy or sandy loam soil. If watermelons and melons are grown on such land, the fruits will be more juicy. Acidity should range from 6.5 to 7.0 pH.

It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground using the square-nest method. If you have not heard of it, we recommend watching the corresponding video. The distance between two seedlings should be about 0.5 m. The most suitable row spacing is at least 0.7 m.

Tender crops can only be planted in open ground after the threat of night frosts has passed.

Melons in open ground must be covered for the first time. plastic bottles with the bottom cut off. This will create a mini-greenhouse effect and speed up acclimatization. In addition, the fence will help in case of an unexpected drop in temperature. After a week, when the plant enters the active growth phase, the mini-greenhouses can be removed.

Care for melons

It’s clear how to plant finicky crops. Now we should talk about how to care for them in the future. It's actually quite easy. It is enough to follow a few simple rules.

Like vegetables, melons and watermelons in open ground require regular hilling, loosening the soil and weeding. It should be remembered that tender melons do not like weeds.

Particular attention should be paid to watering. When moistening the soil, you need to be very careful so that the liquid does not get on the leaves. In hot, dry weather, melons should be watered no more than once a week. In this case, hydration should be plentiful. During the period when flowers are forming, the plants' need for water increases. But during fruit ripening, the need for watering, on the contrary, disappears.

Several times a season, melons are fertilized according to the following scheme:

The first fertilizing is carried out soon after planting has taken place and the plants have taken root. Fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are used.
Repeated feeding is carried out during the period of active growth of vines. This time they apply organic fertilizers. Manure and chicken droppings. You can add potassium salts.
The final time, melon and watermelon are pampered with fertilizers during the formation of the ovary. You can prepare the preparation for feeding yourself. To do this, you need to dissolve 1 tsp in 1 bucket of water. superphosphate, 1 tbsp. l. ammonium fertilizer and 1.5 tbsp. l. potassium salt. The composition is thoroughly mixed and poured under each bush in a volume of 1.5-2 liters. Preferably at a distance of 16-18 cm from the stems.

Particular attention should be paid to watering. When moistening the soil, you need to be very careful so that the liquid does not get on the leaves.

If you decide to grow watermelons, do not forget to properly care for the growing canes. They need to be evenly distributed throughout the bed to prevent intertwining and damage. Weak and fruitless shoots should be removed regularly. And the fruits of melons and watermelons need to be turned over from time to time so that ripening occurs evenly.

As you can see, planting and care in open ground is quite simple. The main thing is that the result is worth the effort.

Melons in open ground in Siberia (video)

Growing melons from seeds

Residents of southern Russia begin to enjoy warm days much earlier than residents of other regions. Therefore, melons can be planted in open ground directly from seeds. Growing watermelons in this case is extremely simple.

Choosing a place to plant melons and watermelons must comply with the same conditions as when searching for a site for seedlings. The main requirement is plenty of lighting throughout the day.
Before planting the seeds, it is recommended to soak them in warm water for several hours. To make growing watermelons even easier, you can add a growth stimulator to the liquid.

Planting and care in open ground when using seeds are practically no different from similar actions when using already grown bushes. In most cases, seed is planted in small holes. You can put 2 seeds in each hole at once. As soon as the shoots appear, you need to carefully distribute them in different directions. This way the melons will not interfere with each other during active growth.

How to understand that melons and watermelons are ripe

If planting watermelons and melons in open ground was correct, melons will ripen already in August. They say about the ripeness of watermelons:

drying of the bract;
glossy shine and bright color peel;
lack of hairs on the stalk;
a ringing sound when tapped on the surface of the berry.

To correctly determine that a melon is ripe, it is necessary to examine its leaves and vines. In ripe fruit they wither and turn yellow. There are also several signs that indicate that a melon can be picked.

Since everyone knows from childhood that watermelon is a southern crop, many gardeners do not even try to grow this large berry on their own plot. And in vain, because you can plant watermelons and melon seedlings even in Siberian conditions! 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 intricacies of their cultivation.

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

Large sweet watermelons can be grown on your own plot

How to choose and prepare seeds correctly

If you do not live in southern latitudes, choose early-ripening varieties with a ripening period of 70-90 days. Typically, seedlings are planted in the ground in May, so late-ripening varieties may not mature. Ask the seller for help and ask what varieties of melons are bought from him most often. If you don’t know much about these cultures, this tip will help you make the right decision. Don’t risk buying planting material just because of the beautiful packaging.

Among the early ripening varieties, watermelon “Ogonyok”, “ Sugar Baby", "Chill", "Krymson Suite" and "Astrakhansky". Their ripening period is on average 65-70 days. The weight of ripe berries is 3-5 kg. If we take the popular watermelon “Kholodok” as an example, its fruits, with proper care, will weigh 4-4.5 kg. One such beauty is enough for the whole family to enjoy at dinner.

This is what a ripe Ogonyok watermelon looks like

As for melons, early ground melon is considered one of the favorite varieties. It ripens in 90-110 days and has slightly oval-shaped fruits weighing up to 3 kg. This variety is distinguished by its juicy, dense pulp. Among the quickly ripening varieties, it is also worth highlighting the varieties “Altaiskaya”, “Kolkhoznitsa”, “Pineapple” and “Zolushka”.

It is better to choose seeds that were collected 2 or 3 years ago. If you sow unseasoned seed, the plants will have many male flowers, but female flowers are needed for the ovary.

You need to choose watermelon seeds carefully

After purchasing, you need to prepare watermelon and melon seeds for sowing as seedlings:

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

What do hatched seeds look like?

Preparing soil and containers for seedlings

Properly prepared soil for watermelon and melon seedlings is already half the success. You will need 3 parts cow humus and 1 part turf (a layer of soil that is cut off along with the roots of dry plants). The second option is to mix 3 parts of low-lying peat with 1 part of sawdust and 0.5 parts of humus. The last component is necessary so that the soil for seedlings of watermelons and melons has enough nutrients for rapid growth.

pots are made from natural material;
peat serves not only as a container, but also as a fertilizer;
porous walls allow water to pass through quite easily, and air also passes through them;
roots can grow through the pot without resting against the wall and without becoming deformed;
The pots are quite durable and hold their shape.

Growing seedlings in peat containers

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

Timing for sowing watermelon and melon seeds for seedlings

Even in winter, gardeners begin to wonder when they should plant watermelons and melons for seedlings this year in order to get a good harvest. And this is correct - each region has its own climate characteristics, so updating the forecasts will not be superfluous. Thus, the timing of planting watermelon and melon seedlings in the middle zone and in Siberia differs significantly.

The optimal planting time is the end of March, the deadline is the beginning of April (approximately 27-30 days before planting 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 harvest. 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 according to lunar calendar, remember the most important rule - you can’t sow on full moon. The second quarter of the waxing moon phase is considered an excellent time that promises a rich harvest. This is the period when you can plant not only watermelons, but also other fruits with seeds (tomatoes, peas, bell pepper and others).

It is best to plant the seeds in separate cups, but if you plan to do this in a box, maintain a distance of 10-12 cm between the holes. Fill the planting container 2/3 with prepared soil. You can add a little drainage to the bottom. For planting, you should select the hatched seeds, immediately determining at what depth to plant watermelons for growing seedlings.

Better to grow in glasses rather than boxes

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

How to care for watermelon and melon seedlings at home

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

until seedlings emerge, 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 melons prefer a moderate level of soil moisture, watermelon and melon seedlings at home should be watered frequently and sparingly. If the soil in the planting pots is allowed to dry out, the plants may become sick. It will be difficult to correct this oversight, because fragile roots are sensitive to the slightest lack of moisture. The same can be said about its excess.

The seedlings should be watered with warm water so as not to cause shock. From watering cold water they weaken and may die. The optimal 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 seedlings watermelons

How to properly feed young plants

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

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

Preparation:

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

A small package of fertilizer is enough for fertilizing.

This will be an excellent foundation for active growth.

The second feeding is carried out 14 days after the first. The weight of fertilizers 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 microelements to grow. No need to buy other fertilizers - two feedings planting material will be sufficient.

Possible problems with seedlings and their elimination

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

What to do if watermelon seedlings die

The first reason for damage to young plants is improper watering during the growing process. Most often this is excess moisture, because many gardeners are too careful about irrigating seedlings and do not allow the soil to dry out at all. Because of excess moisture the vessels passing through the plant stem are affected. In other words, fusarium develops - a dangerous disease. It is also provoked by low temperature.

If you notice signs of fusarium, you need to remove the diseased plants so that they do not infect healthy ones. Externally, this disease can be identified by the yellow tint of the leaves and the appearance of rot in the root zone. If these signs are detected, do not delay removing the infected bushes - these young watermelons will still not be saved.

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

choose disinfected soil for planting, disinfect the tools you will use, especially if they were used on the site;
maintain a stable temperature in the place where the glasses with the culture are placed;
protect plants from drafts;
observe the timing of fertilizing.

Weak melon seedlings

Possible problems with melon seedlings

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

To stop the stems from stretching towards the diffused light from the window, install one or more fluorescent lamps above them. Thus, you will extend the daylight hours to the necessary 11-12 hours for proper growth and development of the crop. Even plants that are located on the south side of the house may need additional lighting.

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

Planting watermelon and melon seedlings in open ground

So, when the seedlings have become stronger, and the temperature outside the window has stabilized and stopped falling below 13-15 ° C, you can safely plant them in open ground. From the day the seeds are planted in peat pots until they are “moved” to the garden, 1-1.5 months pass. Before planting, mark the garden bed to ensure everything is done correctly.

Young watermelons should be planted 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. To avoid making a mistake, you can watch a video demonstrating the process.

Video: Planting seedlings in the ground

After filling the hole with soil, it should be carefully compacted so that the melon and watermelon seedlings remain in an upright position. To prevent brown rot from spreading in the garden bed, sprinkle a little sand around each seedling. Then water the bed with warm water so as not to injure the plants that are accustomed to the heat. If necessary, provide protection from the scorching rays of the sun until the leaves become elastic.

As you can see, to taste watermelons grown in your garden or 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.