Processing of gourds types of ways. Technology of growing watermelons in open ground, soil selection, formation and care

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. In a compact garden plot, it is not necessary 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. Melons are watered only with water at room temperature, while making sure that it does not irrigate the leaves. Seedlings of gourds are quite capricious and require good lighting, warmth 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. Under 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.

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

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

At the time of planting 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 cut 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 sprout in the southern regions, where the absence of rain for a long time is considered normal. When the first fruits appear, watering is stopped. Irrigate melons should be carefully, making sure that water does not get on the root part of the stem. Otherwise, the culture may be damaged by rot.

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

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

plant formation

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

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

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

Features of growing in open ground

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

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

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

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

Are melons compatible?

Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side? These crops consume similar chemicals from the soil and need roughly 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.

Golden melons, pot-bellied pumpkins, sugar watermelons - all these are gourds. They are all relatives, but each plant has its own growing secrets. How to get a good harvest of gourds, the nuances of planting and care, agricultural techniques - so that all the relatives of garbuzov are alive and healthy.

Traditionally and erroneously, it is believed that good watermelons and melons grow only "in the south." And we are in a hurry to buy imported fruits, but we don’t even buy watermelon and melon seeds. But in vain! Modern varieties and hybrids can be successfully grown in our gardens.

Do-it-yourself watermelons, melons, pumpkins grown from seeds - they will not yield to the southern ones in taste. And nutritionists have long been talking about the benefits of these fruits. They contain a lot of carotene, potassium, phosphorus, organic acids, iron salts. In terms of useful qualities, they, in many respects, are in no way inferior to fruits.

General rules for growing gourds from seeds

All gourds need a lot of light and heat, moisture in the soil and dry air.

The peculiarity of gourds is their thermophilicity and the need for direct sunlight, without shading.
The temperature at which pumpkin, watermelon, melon develop best from seeds is above +20°C. For abundant flowering with female flowers and fruit set, the recommended temperature during the day is +20°С - +25°С, and at night it does not fall below: +18°С - +20°С.
At a temperature of +12°С, the development of melons slows down significantly, and at +10°С and below, it stops altogether. During frosts, melons and gourds can die.
The root system of gourds is powerful, well developed, so pumpkins, watermelons, and melons successfully resist drought. Pubescent leaves - prevent the evaporation of moisture from the leaf plate.
In order for the harvest of gourds to be plentiful, and the fruits tasty and large, it is necessary to ensure regular watering.
Increased air humidity in the place where melons and gourds are grown from seeds should be excluded. In high humidity, they can be affected by diseases. To keep the air dry - water under the root.
Seeds of gourds are sown in one place every 4-5 years. It is not necessary to sow gourds in one place every year. Bad predecessors for watermelon, melon and pumpkin:,. Good:, cereals, cereals, potatoes, etc. .
Melons and gourds respond well to top dressing, the number of female flowers, the formation of ovaries, the filling of fruits, their taste and quality increase.
From seeds, gourds can also be grown through seedlings. By direct sowing of seeds into the ground, it is better to grow only early and mid-ripening pumpkins and early watermelons and melons.
To get large fruits and more ovaries, whip pumpkins, watermelons, melons - pinch. One way: by the end of August, pinch the tops of all shoots that have an ovary. The second way: pinch the plant over 4-5 real leaves so that side shoots appear, and then remove the tops after 2-3 ovaries appear on each.

Different melons and gourds have their own characteristics of growth, development, and care. Let's look at the nuances of agricultural technology, choosing seeds of different varieties and growing crops.

Features of growing gourds

In the southern regions, you can grow any variety, and in cooler regions - the best melon varieties: super-early, reliable early, traditional, etc.

Grounds and illumination.

Neutral or slightly alkaline cultivated soils without stagnant water are suitable for growing melons. Good melons will only grow in full sun. Seeds are sown in fertilized soil since autumn.

Preparation of melon seeds for sowing.

Before sowing, dip the seeds in a 1% -2% salt solution. The best seeds will sink to the bottom. Rinse them with water and treat the sprouts.

Sowing melon seeds.

Sow seedlings in containers with a volume of 150 ml or more. Sow 3-4 seeds each. Before planting in open ground, seedlings should be 25-35 days old. Seedlings will appear within 6-10 days at a temperature of +25°C. Sowing depth 4 cm - 7 cm. In the garden, seeds are sown when the soil warms up to at least + 12 ° C

Planting a melon.

When planting melons, make nests of 3-4 plants in each hole. Distance between nests - 50 cm - 70 cm in a row. Row spacing - from 120 cm. When planting, add a complete complex to the landing site.

Melon care.

When 5-6 true leaves appear, remove the weakest plants from the hole, leave 1-2 of the strongest. Feed the plants several times a season. Water regularly, under the root. 203 weeks before fruit ripening, stop watering. Then the melons will be sweeter.

When choosing watermelon seeds, please note that the most delicious are medium-late and late varieties, and the earliest ones will definitely have time to pour and ripen regardless of the weather. The most popular varieties:, oval with light green skin, with bright yellow flesh - a variety, etc.

Grounds and illumination.

Watermelons love light sandy soil, enriched in autumn with compost or humus. And sunny places without the slightest shading.

Preparing watermelon seeds for sowing.

In a 3%-5% salt solution, the best seeds will sit on the bottom. Rinse them, treat with a stimulant and sow.

Sowing seeds of watermelon.

The timing of sowing watermelon seeds for seedlings is determined as follows: the age of the plant for open ground is 30-35 days. Shoots appear within 10 days. When the soil warms up to + 12 ° C, it can be sown in open ground. Sowing depth: 4 cm - 6 cm.

Planting a watermelon.

Several sprouts or seeds - form 3-4 plants in holes. After a month, 1-2 of the strongest plants are left. The distance in a row between nests is from 50 cm. Between rows: from 150 cm.

Watermelon care.

Top dressing is carried out regularly, like a melon, once every 2 weeks, starting from the moment 3-4 true leaves are formed. To prevent the lashes from being whipped by the wind, you can sprinkle them with peat or other mulch. Watermelons do not like their leaves to turn over and break. The ends of the lashes are pinched according to the general rules for melons.

Of all melons, pumpkin has one of the longest maturation periods. For most varieties, it is 110-120 days from germination to harvest. There are seeds of early pumpkin varieties, usually they are short climbing or bushy plants, with fruits weighing up to 2 kg (portioned). Pumpkin has the ability to ripen during storage and be stored at room temperature for several months without loss of taste. And there is a pumpkin, the seeds of which are formed without a hard shell, they can be eaten without peeling -.

Grounds and illumination.

The pumpkin plant itself is unpretentious and will survive on any soil. But in order for sweet, ripened fruits to grow from seeds, cultivated, light, nutritious soil is needed. You can plant a pumpkin in light partial shade, but the whips will rush to the light and the best fruits will only be in a lighted, well-warmed place.

Preparing pumpkin seeds for sowing.

Choose the fullest and largest seeds, treat them with a stimulant before sowing.

Sowing pumpkin seeds.

In order to get larger and more mature fruits, and a richer harvest, grow seedlings. Sowing in both beds and containers is done to a depth of 4 cm - 6 cm.

Planting a pumpkin.

Seedlings and seeds are planted in a garden bed when the temperature at night no longer drops below + 12 ° C. Plants are planted in nests, holes up to 50 cm in diameter are made in advance, and filled with fertilizers. Large-fruited pumpkins are grown - 1 plant per nest, hard-barked and nutmeg - 2-3 plants each.

Pumpkin care.

Fertilize and water your pumpkins regularly, especially when the fruit is in full bloom. During weeding and loosening, lightly spud the bushes.

It is possible to grow gourds - pumpkins, watermelons and melons of good quality and sugar content in any region of Ukraine. To do this, you only need to follow the recommendations for growing and buy seeds of varieties suitable for you.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

Melon crops include one- or perennial plants of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), which have long outstretched or climbing stems with tendrils: watermelon, melon, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, etc. The most popular, for obvious reasons, are watermelons and melons, which are cultivated for juicy fruits with high taste. Watermelon and melon are eaten mostly fresh as a dessert. However, jam, jam, molasses, watermelon honey (nardek, bekmes) are also made from the fruits of these gourds, candied fruit, marshmallow and pickles are prepared, they are still quite widely used in the canning and confectionery industry. From the seeds of many plants of the gourd family, valuable vegetable oil is obtained.

As part of this article, we will look at a seasonal watermelon growing business. Watermelon owes its high popularity to its valuable dietary, taste and nutritional properties. Watermelon contains high amounts of sucrose and fructose, which give it sweetness, and watermelon pulp and skin contain various beneficial amino acids, macro- and micronutrients, including antioxidants, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, folic acid and sodium.

General information about watermelons

In our country, watermelons are grown on an industrial scale in the Volga region and in some areas of the southern regions, as well as in the Crimea. Watermelons are heat-loving plants that are well cultivated in the steppe climate with long, hot, dry summers, so in these regions they ripen freely in the open air, acquiring excellent taste. In the middle black earth regions of Russia, as well as in more northern regions, watermelons are usually grown not in the fields (in open ground), where they simply do not have time to ripen in a season, but in greenhouses (under a film). Watermelon has a powerful root system, which provides the plant with enough moisture and nutrients for the ripening of large juicy fruits. The main root of watermelon plants can penetrate the soil to a depth of up to two meters, and the lateral roots form a large number of roots of the second and third orders, reaching a depth of 3-4 meters.

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At first, the vegetative mass of plants develops rather slowly, since the root system grows intensively during this period. But already 20-30 days after germination, the plants begin to grow actively, forming side shoots. Their growth can reach two meters in just one day. The timing of the flowering of watermelon depends on its precocity. As a rule, flowers can be observed already a month and a half after the emergence of seedlings, and flowering continues until the end of the plant's growing season.

Watermelon flowers, as a rule, are dioecious, that is, both male and female flowers can form on the same plant. In the most common varieties, however, bisexual, that is, hermaphroditic, and male flowers are more often formed, and in some species, female, male, and bisexual flowers. It is possible to distinguish female and male flowers by size: the former, as a rule, are larger, have a wide five-lobed stigma on a short style. Bisexual flowers are similar in appearance to female ones. They differ only in that they form both stamens and pistil at once. The flowers open in the morning at dawn and fade in 15-16 hours. Female and bisexual flowers open earlier than male ones and, if fertilization does not occur, remain open during the next day. Male flowers fade after a few hours.

Depending on the duration of the growing season (that is, from the moment of germination to the onset of the biological maturity of the plant), varieties and hybrids of watermelon are divided into several main types: ultra-early (up to 70 days), early (71-80 days), mid-ripening (81-90 days ), medium-late (91-100 days) and late-ripening (over 100 days). Keep in mind that ultra-early and early-ripening watermelons tend to be less sugary and more watery than mid- and late-ripening ones. However, for industrial cultivation, these varieties are considered more preferable.

Watermelon fruits can vary greatly in shape, color and size. In most cases, they have an oval-round shape with an average diameter of 20-25 cm and an average weight of 3-6 kg. The surface of the watermelon bark is usually smooth, but there are also segmented fruits, and the thickness of the bark depends on the variety, cultivation method and soil quality. In most fruits, the thickness of the bark is from one to one and a half centimeters. In some varieties, the thickness of the bark does not exceed half a centimeter, and in thick-skinned watermelons it can reach 4 cm. Watermelons with an average thickness of stern of 1-1.5 cm are still the most popular. Although thick-skinned watermelons are more convenient to transport and store longer, but buyers, as a rule, they do not want to overpay for the "extra" weight of the inedible fruit bark. Thin-skinned watermelons have a very short shelf life and require careful transportation.

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Watermelon flesh is usually red, but in some varieties it can be orange, yellow, or even pearly. However, experienced entrepreneurs rely mainly on traditional rather than exotic varieties. Seeds also differ in shape, color and size. They can be large, medium or small in weight from 30 to 150 grams / 1000 pieces. black, yellow, white, reddish brown or even greenish. Seed germination is usually maintained for 4-5 years.

Of all the species of these gourds, the common watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is the most widespread. It is a herbaceous annual plant with spherical, oval, cylindrical or flattened fruits with bark of various shades from white and yellow to dark green with a pattern of stripes or spots. Its flesh is usually pink, red or crimson, but there are also varieties with white or yellow flesh. The stems of this culture are thin, creeping or curly, very flexible. They can be up to four meters long. The seeds of the common watermelon are flat, often bordered, with a scar. This plant blooms throughout the summer months, while the fruits usually ripen no earlier than August-September.

Growing watermelons in open ground

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To begin with, you will need to choose suitable varieties for growing watermelons on melons. Approach this issue with great care. Do not pay attention to the bright pictures on the sites and the assurances of the sellers. To get started, read the growing guidelines or consult an experienced agronomist. When choosing, pay attention to the fact how many days this variety will need to ripen.

Astrakhan, or Bykovsky (white), monastic (green with white stripes and with red or gray seeds), Kamyshinsky (of the same color), Crimson Sweet (early) and a number of others are considered the best varieties of gourds. Seeds are usually sold in packs of five for 35-45 rubles per package. At the same time, some suppliers set a minimum purchase lot - from 500-700 rubles.

Melon crops are planted only when hot weather finally sets in. As a rule, this is the middle-end of May (in the southern regions) or the beginning of June. Watermelon belongs to heat-loving plants, it does not withstand frost and does not tolerate temperature drops to 5-10 ° C. For the normal development of the plant, the temperature should be from 20-25 ° C and above (optimal - 30 ° C). Of great importance is the humidity of the air (it should ideally be 60%) and soil. On the one hand, thanks to a powerful root system, watermelon survives even in arid regions. However, if you want to get large, juicy and tasty fruits, then you need to maintain soil moisture at a certain level.

As mentioned above, watermelon seeds remain viable for 4-5 years. At the same time, two-year-old seeds are considered the most suitable for sowing, since plants grown from fresh seeds (from the previous crop) are not particularly prolific. In extreme cases, annual seeds can also be planted, but in this case it is recommended to warm them up to 60 ° C for a couple of hours. To obtain uniform seedlings, melon seeds are pre-sprouted. To do this, they are wrapped in gauze, dipped in warm water for four hours, and then laid out on wet burlap, wrapped in cloth and kept in it for two days. After that, they can be planted in the ground.

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If you want to plant watermelons earlier than usual (in the second half of May), then you can grow them in seedlings using peat cups, as gourds do not tolerate transplanting. When planting watermelon seeds early, they must first be hardened off to increase their resistance to cold. To do this, they are first soaked, and then hardened for 1-2 days at a temperature of 0 to 20 °C.

Watermelon prefers mechanically light or sandy soils that warm up quickly in the sun. It is best if perennial grasses, winter wheat, corn for silage, green fodder or legumes were grown on the field before melons. Experts recommend returning watermelon crops to the previous place of cultivation of the same or other crops of the pumpkin family no earlier than in 5-8 years. However, this rule is often not respected.

Experienced people advise laying watermelon seeds in the soil not vertically, but horizontally on their side. Thus, it will be easier for the leaves to break through the thick shell of the seed. In open ground, watermelons are planted in rows or nesting. Take into account the fact that one plant should have a fairly large space. This requirement is due, firstly, to the length of the lashes, and secondly, to the size of the fruits, for the ripening of which plants need a very large amount of nutrients. Watermelon seeds are sown manually in shallow holes 4-6 cm deep. 2-3 seeds are placed in one hole, then it is filled with water and covered with earth.

Shoots appear, as a rule, on the tenth - eleventh days of sowing. After another week, the first leaf blooms, and the main shoot begins to form at least two weeks later, or even later, depending on the variety. Caring for gourds is standard - weeding and loosening the soil, removing weeds and regular watering. For the whole season, you need to weed and loosen the melon at least four times, but water it - from 3-4 to 9-12 times per season, depending on the weather and the condition of the plants. When the central leaves of plants begin to wilt, this is a sure sign that they are not getting enough moisture. Watermelons need to be watered with warm water (temperature from 15 ° C) to the very root. Watering should be relatively plentiful so that moisture penetrates deep into the entire arable layer. Water consumption is from 50 to 100 cubic meters per hectare. In not very dry weather, the next, more abundant watering is done after the formation of the ovary and when the fruits reach a weight of 3-5 kg. In this case, the water consumption can be 150 cubic meters per hectare. It is extremely important to develop your own schedule and watering rates, depending on the region and weather conditions, and strictly adhere to them. A lack or excess of moisture can cut the resulting yield by more than half. With excessive watering, there is a high risk of developing various fungal diseases of plants, and excess moisture during fruit ripening can adversely affect their quality: watermelons will turn out unsweetened and watery.

At the beginning of growth, melons and gourds are recommended to be fertilized with cowshed infusion (rotted manure). After harvesting, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied for digging melons (half the dose of phosphorus and nitrogen and half the dose of potassium). In some manuals, you can find recommendations for additional fertilization of melons in the spring with nitrogen fertilizers. However, they must be used with extreme caution. Excessively large doses of nitrogen fertilizers reduce the taste of fruits, which, although they grow larger, do not have a characteristic sweet taste. Moreover, high levels of nitrates can be harmful to human health.

With proper care (with regular weed removal), suitable climate, favorable weather conditions, fertile soil and watering, 20-40 tons of crops can be harvested per hectare of sown area when grown on the ground, and 40-70 tons when grown on film. As we mentioned above, the ripening process for early-ripening fruits takes 60-85 days, for mid-ripening and late-ripening fruits - an average of 100 days. You can determine the maturity of the fetus by its appearance - the elasticity and brilliance of the bark, its color, and the brightness of the pattern. If you hit a ripe fruit with your palm, the sound will be deaf. When squeezing such a watermelon, a crackling of the pulp inside is heard. In cool weather, ripe watermelons can remain on melons for up to a month. However, in extreme heat, they burn out in less than a week under the scorching rays of the sun, so take care of the room for storing ripe fruits and timely harvesting in advance.

Growing watermelons in greenhouses

If you want to get an early and / or more abundant harvest, if you plan to grow watermelons in regions whose climate is not suitable for gourds, then you can not do without greenhouses. The following varieties of watermelons are suitable for greenhouse cultivation: F1 Gift to the North, Cinderella, Ultra Early, F1 Charleston near Moscow, Ogonyok, Pannonia F1, F1 Pink Champagne, Siberian, F1 Krimstar ".

Seedlings for the greenhouse are recommended to be sown in the second half of April. For forcing seedlings, a special mixture is prepared, which includes three parts of humus with one part of the earth, a tablespoon of potash and nitrogen fertilizers, three tablespoons of phosphorus fertilizer. Also, if you do not use mineral fertilizers, you can add a glass of wood ash and one teaspoon of potassium sulfate per bucket of soil mixture.

As with sowing seeds in open ground, when planting seedlings, they are laid to a shallow depth - up to 2-3 cm. Before germination, the soil with seeds should be kept at a temperature of 22-25 ° C. When the first shoots appear, the temperature can drop at night to a maximum of 15-17 ° C.

In general, care for watermelon seedlings is the same as for cucumber seedlings. It is necessary to provide the shoots with a long daylight hours - from 12 to 14 hours, otherwise, if there is a lack of light, they will begin to stretch too quickly, giving long but weak shoots. You can provide the necessary lighting with the help of special lamps that are used for greenhouse crops. A week after germination, it is recommended to shade the seedlings with a black film from 18 to 8 hours (from evening to morning). On the tenth day after the shoots appear, the plants are fed with mineral fertilizers (10-15 grams of potassium chloride, ammonia sulfur, 20-25 grams of superphosphate per 10 liters of water).

Do not forget to prepare the soil in the greenhouse in advance for planting seedlings. It is planted only in "warm" beds. To prepare them, a week before planting, a layer of earth 15-20 cm thick is removed from the soil. Hay with humus is laid in this trench, which is sprinkled with nitrogen fertilizers and abundantly moistened with hot water, and then covered with soil and black film. After the soil warms up to at least 10-12 ° C, it will be possible to plant seedlings in it to a depth of 10 cm. - in the third decade of April - the first decade of May. When the lashes appear and as they grow, they are tied to the trellises, and the fruits themselves, due to their large weight, are recommended to be hung in nets. For the rapid growth of plants, the lashes are pinched, leaving three leaves above the fruit and removing weak shoots.

The greenhouse must be regularly ventilated, avoiding drafts. It is desirable that insects that pollinate female flowers get into the greenhouse. However, you can do it yourself. To do this, carefully monitor the appearance of male flowers, which fade very quickly. With manual pollination, they are plucked, the petals are carefully removed and the anthers are applied to the stigma of female flowers several times. Experts advise doing this in the morning at an air temperature of about 20 ° C, but only on condition that the night before this the air temperature did not drop below 12 ° C.

Do not forget to leave enough seeds after harvesting for the next crops. Watermelons that grow from these seeds resist various diseases better and grow faster.

Ripe watermelons are sold to wholesale companies, private sellers, directly to end customers and through fruit and vegetable stores. With small volumes, it is most profitable to sell watermelons on your own, since wholesale prices differ from retail ones at times.

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

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

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

Melons belong to the gourd family. Cultures are very useful and contain a huge amount of vitamins. If you learn how to properly grow these plants, 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 culture to another.

And melons and watermelons tend to run wild

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings at home

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

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

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

Preparation for planting and soaking

Soak. Each 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.
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.

It will take about 40 days to grow watermelon seedlings.

when the seeds germinate, move them to sunlight at a 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 love nutrient soil and sunny plots of land

Melons and watermelons need rich soils, as well as those that can withstand moisture well. The ideal option is 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.

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

Outdoor Landing Pattern - Depth and Distance

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

Holes should be made in the garden at a distance 0.5-0.7 meters apart in a checkerboard pattern. Leave 70cm spacing between rows.
Seedlings are placed in holes so that the surface remains only a few top leaves. The soil should be crushed and sprinkled with sand around to protect the plant from rot.
Harvest after planting should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
To protect a young plant from 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 of ammonium nitrate 20g per bucket of 2 liters for each bush. During the period when the buds appear, you need to feed melons with infusion of mullein.

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

Features of growing melons

To 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.

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

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

Advantages of planting in open ground:

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.

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

(OKVED 2) 01.13.2 Cultivation of gourds

General information about watermelons

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Growing watermelons in open ground

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Growing watermelons in greenhouses

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Do not forget to leave enough seeds after harvesting for the next crops. Watermelons that grow from these seeds resist various diseases better and grow faster.

Sysoeva Lilia

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Many gardeners grow gourds(watermelons, melons, pumpkins) of various types and varieties in their summer cottages. As a result, many questions often arise. For example, do you need to pinch the shoots, like cucumbers, at the beginning of growth? What are the soil requirements? How often should pumpkins and melons be watered in summer? The fight against diseases of these plants is also important.

Here are some expert advice on the subject.
Melons and gourds are heat-loving plants. Seed germination begins at a temperature of 13-15 ° C for melon, 16-17 - for watermelon, 12 - for pumpkin. The most favorable for the growth and development of plants is the average daily temperature above 15°C, optimal for pumpkin - 20°C, for watermelon and melon - 22-30°C. Plants of gourds light-loving, and when darkened, the yield, sugar and taste of the fruit are reduced. Melon plants are relatively resistant to air drought in the presence of moisture in the soil. Plants are especially demanding of moisture during the period of seed germination and emergence of seedlings. Pumpkins need moisture and consume it in greater quantities than melons and watermelons.

The lack of moisture in the soil and the dryness of the air during flowering and fruit growth have a negative effect. Excess moisture at this time reduces the sugar content in fruits, palatability, and contributes to the spread of diseases.

Gourds grow and develop better on light soils with a sufficient content of organic matter, pumpkins grow well on heavy loamy soils when organic fertilizers are applied. Good results are obtained by local application of 300-500 g of humus, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt to the wells. Melons and watermelons are best grown on light, well-warmed soils located on gentle southern and southwestern slopes, protected from the winds.

Before sowing, the seeds of watermelons and melons are heated for 5 hours at a temperature of 50 ° C and at 60-70 ° C for 2 hours, then disinfection is carried out in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 25-30 minutes, followed by washing with running water . It can be disinfected with a 0.5% solution of copper sulphate for 24 hours (against bacteriosis). Pumpkin tolerates early sowing better than other gourds, so sowing in open ground in the southern regions of Siberia, in particular in Altai, is carried out on May 10-20, watermelons and melons - on May 18-25. Pumpkin seeding scheme: 200×100 cm and 200×20 cm 2-3 plants per hole to a depth of 5-8 cm, watermelon and melon according to the scheme 100×100 cm, 150×60-70 cm and 150×100 cm 1-2 plants per hole or 1 plant per 1m2. Seeding depth 3-6 cm, depending on the size. For watermelons and melons, it is better to make ridges 10-15 cm high and 30-40 cm wide or ridges. In the soil, first add humus or compost at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 linear meter and the same amount of sod land, 15-20 g of nitrogen fertilizers and potash and 30-40 g of phosphorus. Dig everything carefully. When growing melon and watermelon through seedlings, sowing is carried out in humus-earthen cubes or pots 7x7x8 cm in size, filled with a mixture of soddy soil, humus, peat or sawdust in a ratio of 1:1:1. Seedlings 15-20 days old (from seedlings) take root better, which are planted in the ground on June 10-15, when the threat of frost has passed. In order to get ripe fruits of melon and watermelon 10-15 days earlier, seedlings are planted under temporary shelters in the phase of 2-3 true leaves on May 20-25.

When growing gourds in open ground, it is better to irrigate in the phase of 2-3 true leaves or when planting seedlings, at the beginning of flowering and in the first period of fruit growth. Water abundantly and no more than 1 time per week. After watering and rain, loosening is necessary, especially on heavy soils. When ripe, watering is stopped.

Melon plants form the crop mainly on shoots of the first and second orders and, to speed up maturation, do pinching the main shoot over 5-6 m real leaf. Then, when the ovary reaches a size of 5 cm, pinch the lateral shoot over the 2-3rd leaf after the ovary. In watermelons and pumpkins, the first female flowers are formed on the main stem, so pinching them at an early age delays ripening. For all gourds, to accelerate ripening, a month before the first frost, it is necessary to pinch the tops of all lashes. Bacteriosis, anthracnose, fusarium wilt, ascochitosis are the main diseases spread in the region on melons and gourds. Disease control measures on pumpkin (melon) crops. 1. Disinfection of seeds and selection of disease-resistant varieties. Disinfection of seeds against bacteriosis is carried out: a) in a 0.5% solution of copper sulphate for 24 hours; b) soaking the seeds for a day in a 0.02% solution of zinc sulfate, followed by airing to flowability. Against anthracnose, to increase plant immunity, seeds are soaked in a 0.2% solution of trace elements (manganese, copper, boron) before sowing. 2. Since the source of diseases, in addition to seeds, are plant residues, it is necessary to remove them from the site, and place the pumpkin in the old place in 3-4 years. 3. During the growing season of plants against the listed diseases, the plants are treated with a 0.1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. Against bacteriosis and anthracnose - spraying with a 0.15% solution of copper sulfate. With ascochitosis, especially on the stems, the affected areas are powdered or coated with a mixture of copper sulfate and chalk or crushed coal. With Fusarium wilt, the soil is also the source of infection. Therefore, before sowing and planting seedlings, water the soil with a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate; introduction of trichodermin into the soil, both during planting and during the growing season.

Everyone knows that today buying vegetables in the market from unknown people is quite risky for many reasons.

But there is a way out: grow vegetables in your area. However, in the middle lane, where summer is short for the ripening of watermelons and melons, this is quite difficult to do. But probably!

Do you want an early harvest? Plant seedlings on the window!

Not everyone knows that melons, which are generally planted in central Russia with seeds in the soil in early June, it is quite possible to start growing them already in March on your window.

Why do people rarely use this method? Yes, it is very difficult to simply transplant seedlings of cucumbers, melons, watermelons - their roots are tender and quite sensitive to various kinds of injuries.
It is for this that melon seedlings are prepared in special peat pots, which are then planted directly in them.

And if there are none, then you can make a container ... from plain paper!
On a bottle, for example, a deodorant with a diameter of 3-4 cm, a strip of a sheet 9-10 cm wide is wound so that about 4 cm remains free on the edge. This will be the bottom of the container. It must be crushed in such a way that a glass is obtained. Then the container is carefully removed from the template and filled with earth. This is where the seed is planted.

Seedling care is normal: sunlight, regular watering. It is only important not to fill the glass with water so that it does not get wet right on the window.

In late May - early June, seedlings can be planted in the ground just as directly in a cup. During watering, it will get wet in the ground, and the roots will freely penetrate deep into. This is all the more useful because paper (or a peat cup) protects the roots from the cold for some time. And the need to penetrate the walls of the container is some “charging” for them. So they will become stronger and stronger.

The sprout will be covered by a matryoshka-greenhouse - let it not be afraid of frost at all!

You can plant seeds directly into the ground. They also do this at the end of May. And so that our seedlings do not freeze, they are covered with plastic bottles. And there is one trick here.
A liter eggplant cut from below is covered with a seed or seedlings, slightly sinking its edge into the ground. You can cover its edge with sand. It is best to remove the cover - it will interfere with watering.

On top of the second shelter will be a larger plastic container of 3 or 5 liters. It is also cut off from below and placed on top of a small one. The lid is left closed. And watering can be done through the neck of the bottles. Of course, during this procedure, the cover is removed.
When the seedlings no longer fit under the bottom bottle, it is removed, leaving only the top. It can be kept over seedlings until mid-June.

Melons are very susceptible to heat and light - this is not a secret. Therefore, they should be planted only in open space, where there are no shading.

Although there are some difficulties here: in extreme heat, plants can burn out. Therefore, on such days it is better to cover gourds from the rays with burdock leaves and newspapers. If possible, you can even pull an awning over them to create a shadow.

Curls, my watermelon curls - it will taste sweet!

So that the melon bushes do not fill the ground around, do not interfere with weeding and watering, it is best for them to make a support - let them crawl up, clinging with their antennae! This is both aesthetically pleasing and convenient, and protects the shoots from decay.

Watering water, but do not rot the entire crop!

Another problem for gardeners in central Russia is that sometimes the fruits lying on the ground rot, just a disaster! Especially on cold and rainy days.
And in order to prevent this incident, experienced melon growers pour a pile of sand at the root neck of the plant - a hill of 2-3 cm. You can use hay or straw.

And many more put planks under the fruits. Others even put nets on them and hang them from supports - and it is not difficult for the bushes to hold them, and they do not come into contact with the ground, and worms and slugs will not get to the fruits.

And there are those who care about the convenience of storing melons. After all, round fruits have the ability to ride, which creates some inconvenience. And if the ovary is immediately placed in a transparent container with a flat bottom, for example, in a five-liter plastic eggplant, then the fruit will gradually fill it and take the shape of a rectangle. This is how you can kill two birds with one stone at once: protect the vegetable from rot and give it its original shape.

We water the melon on the sidelines - we will have a bountiful harvest!

In the northern regions, groundwater often lies quite close to the surface. And the roots of gourds grow intensively in depth. But, reaching the aquifer, they begin to rot.
Cunning gardeners figured out how to deceive nature. If you water the plant not at the roots, but somewhat on the sidelines, then this trouble can be avoided. In this case, the roots will grow in breadth, feeling the moisture.

We just make a groove along the bed - we pour water there during irrigation. But do not forget to loosen and mulch the groove the next day to avoid the formation of an earthen crust. Yes, and watering after the formation of ovaries should be reduced. It is needed only in the heat.

We cut off the extra lashes - we do not interfere with the harvest!

To get the most delicious fruits already in August, you need to take care of this in advance. To do this, you should trim the extra lashes - the plant spends its strength on them, and absolutely all the fruits that have begun to ripen in the conditions of the middle lane will not be able to ripen, this is a proven fact.

Therefore, watermelons need to cut out all the side lashes, leaving only the main one - female flowers form on it. Leave no more than 6 ovaries on one bush.
For melons, the main lash above the 6th leaf should be removed. Also, do not allow the plant to "feed" more than 5-6 fruits.

Using the useful tips shared by experienced experts, even a novice gardener will be able to pamper his family with gourds grown with his own hands.

Video about growing watermelons 20-35 kg.

Melons and gourds are heat-loving plants. Seed germination begins at a temperature of 13-15 ° C for melon, 16-17 - for watermelon, 12 - for pumpkin.

The most favorable for the growth and development of plants is the average daily temperature above 15°C, optimal for pumpkin - 20°C, for watermelon and melon - 22-30°C.

Plants of gourds light-loving, and when darkened, the yield, sugar and taste of the fruit are reduced. Melon plants are relatively resistant to air drought in the presence of moisture in the soil. Plants are especially demanding of moisture during the period of seed germination and emergence of seedlings.

Pumpkins need moisture and consume it in greater quantities than melons and watermelons.

Melons and watermelons are best grown on light, well-warmed soils located on gentle southern and southwestern slopes, protected from the winds.

Pumpkin tolerates early sowing better than other gourds, so sowing in open ground in the southern regions of Siberia, in particular in Altai, is carried out on May 10-20, watermelons and melons - on May 18-25. Sowing scheme for pumpkin: 200x100 cm and 200x20 cm, 2-3 plants per hole to a depth of 5-8 cm, watermelon and melon according to the scheme 100x100 cm, 150x60-70 cm and 150x100 cm, 1-2 plants per hole or 1 plant per 1m2. Seeding depth 3-6 cm, depending on the size.

For watermelons and melons, it is better to make ridges 10-15 cm high and 30-40 cm wide or ridges. In the soil, first add humus or compost at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 linear meter and the same amount of sod land, 15-20 g of nitrogen fertilizers and potash and 30-40 g of phosphorus. Dig everything carefully.

When growing melon and watermelon through seedlings, sowing is carried out in humus-earthen cubes or pots 7x7x8 cm in size, filled with a mixture of soddy soil, humus, peat or sawdust in a ratio of 1:1:1.

Seedlings 15-20 days old (from seedlings) take root better, which are planted in the ground on June 10-15, when the threat of frost has passed.

In order to get ripe fruits of melon and watermelon 10-15 days earlier, seedlings are planted under temporary shelters in the phase of 2-3 true leaves on May 20-25.

In watermelons and pumpkins, the first female flowers are formed on the main stem, so pinching them at an early age delays ripening.

For all gourds, to accelerate ripening, a month before the first frost, it is necessary to pinch the tops of all lashes.