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 for growing them and planting 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 high yield delicious fruits.

Melon is quite suitable for “neighborhood” with watermelon. Plants tend to grow. It is not recommended to plant them too close together.

Melons are prone to infection with various identical diseases. Therefore, if you plant nearby, you need to understand the risks of spreading diseases from one crop to another.

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings at home

Seeds are planted for seedlings approximately 60 days before planting in 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

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

Seeds 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 - 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 shadow 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 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of 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:

1. Holes should be made in the garden bed at a distance 0.5-0.7 meters apart according to a checkerboard pattern. Leave 70cm gaps between rows.
2. 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.
3. After planting, the crop should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
4. 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 For 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.

It is quite possible to grow watermelons and melons in your summer cottage. 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.

The juicy and sweet berry delights us every year with its exquisite taste and aroma. Today, not only residents of the southern regions of Russia can enjoy their own watermelons. In the article we will tell you how to grow watermelons in the open ground of some regions of the country, how to prepare the land, select suitable variety, plant this crop and care for it.

Do you plan to plant, in the Urals, in Siberia, you should prepare the land. Watermelon is a heat-loving crop. For its normal cultivation, you need to choose an appropriate place on personal plot. It should grow where the sun shines most. Sandy loam neutral alkaline soils are considered ideal for this crop.

They should be light, since the berry gets its juiciness from the root system, which should be located deep in the soil. Watermelon does not like weeds; you will have to fight them mercilessly. It is not recommended to plant these berries on lands that are located nearby groundwater. Soil with a lot of moisture is also not suitable. Specialists and experienced gardeners It is recommended to change the planting site annually. This will allow the soil to be enriched necessary elements. The best predecessors For juicy berries, winter wheat and alfalfa are considered.

The bad ones are melons and nightshades. In autumn, the soil must be fertilized with rotted manure at the rate of 5 kg per 1 square meter. Fresh cannot be used - it makes the crop vulnerable to various fungal infections. The soil still needs to be fertilized organic substances. Adding phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil will help speed up the ripening process of your favorite red berries.

Choosing a variety

Everyone is accustomed to the fact that watermelon is a southern guest. This homeland beautiful berries is South Africa, where the fruit was brought to the territory during the Crusades Western Europe. It appeared on Russian territory in the 16th century. If you choose the right variety, you can successfully grow watermelon in the Moscow region, in the Urals, and in Siberia. The varieties and hybrids Honey Gigant, Shuga Baby, Skorik, Sugar Baby, Gift of the Sun, Prince Albert F1, Prince Arthur F1, Rafinad, Rosario F1, Williams F1 are well suited for different regions of Russia. The term for their full maturation ranges from 75 to 80 days.

The most famous early variety of your favorite berry is. He has small size fruits - up to 5 kg, with a thin peel, painted in a characteristic dark green color. The center of the berry has a grainy structure and a sweet, pleasant taste. The variety can be grown in open ground and in a greenhouse. Normally resists decrease in temperature indicators.

Varieties Astrakhansky, Volzhanin, Melitopolsky 142, Bykovsky, Ataman F1, Muravlevsky, Yubileiny have medium ripening periods. The Volzhanin variety is a smooth and pleasant to the touch fruit with an elongated round shape. Its average weight is 5 – 6 kg. The pulp of the berry has a beautiful red-raspberry color and excellent taste characteristics. The middle has a slight degree of graininess. The variety has increased drought tolerance and responds well to weather vagaries.
Late and mid-late varieties include Vostorg, Vesenny Kustovaya 334, Yubilei, Podarok Kholodova, Kholodok, and Black Prince.

Such crops will take about 100 days to fully ripen. The Kholodok variety is the most popular mid-late variety. It matures in a period of 85 to 95 days. The fruits are not large in size, weighing up to 5 kg. The Kholodok variety is characterized by the presence of a strong peel, juicy and sweet pulp. It has good level transportability and long shelf life – when creating optimal conditions shelf life is up to 3 months.

Video “Growing watermelons in the country”

Landing

If you plan to grow watermelons in the open ground conditions of the Moscow region, you must take into account the climate of the region. This territory cannot boast of a particularly warm climate. But if you approach the selection of varieties wisely and take into account some of the features of planting and caring for the crop, you can get a rich harvest of your favorite berries in various parts Moscow region. In the summer, the region experiences severe and frequent night frosts, so growing berries here must begin with planting seedlings. Watermelon seeds have thick skin and are recommended to be germinated. Place in a thermos to warm up for several hours at a temperature of approximately 45 degrees.

Wrap in a wet piece of material. Place in a solution of potassium permanganate. Place the fabric with the seeds in a plastic bag and place it next to the battery. Open slightly a couple of times a day so that the sprouts receive oxygen. The sprouts that appear a week later are placed in peat pots or containers with special soil. Water and leave in a warm, dark place. After two weeks, your seedlings will be ready to be planted in open ground. We plant them in the regions of the Moscow region after the third leaf appears. This period usually falls in the second half of May. The seedlings are placed under film. They are placed on special arches.

Planting of seedlings is done in loosened soil. There is no need to deepen the root system of seedlings, so as not to provoke their rotting. The shelter is removed when the seedlings have produced viable shoots and the temperature outside has stabilized. The seedlings are placed where there is no wind. The distance between seedlings should be 50 - 70 cm. Do not forget to install a garden scarecrow, since the crows of the Moscow region can harm your developing crops.

Residents of the Urals have been successfully growing watermelons in open ground for many years. Getting a good harvest of your favorite berries in the Urals is not easy, but it is possible. It is necessary to purchase seeds from trusted places and carefully select them. Elements of seed material that have even the slightest defects cannot be planted. Dense layer The lands must be loosened. The seeds are pre-germinated - placed in water at a temperature of 50 - 60 degrees, drained, soaked again and wait for sprouts. In the Urals, good harvests of your favorite berries can be collected in a successful summer. The seeds are stored in a warm place, where they are placed in the last month of summer. It is advised to treat them with potassium permanganate for about 15 minutes and rinse in water.

At night, apply a solution of ash. The yield of watermelons grown in open ground is several times lower than those grown in a greenhouse. The seeds are germinated in separate cups with fertile soil, covered and left in a warm place. Before planting, they are hardened and taken outside. They make them warm raised beds. When the snow melts, rotted manure is placed on them in a layer of 0.5 m. The width of the bed is more than 80 cm, the length is at least 4 meters. The soil mixture for each seedling bush is prepared from sand, peat, fertile soil or leaf humus, taken in equal parts. Places for holes are formed at a distance of 80 cm between them. Planting of seedlings in open ground in the regions of the Urals is carried out in early June using the felling method. The root collar sits at the same level at which it was in the cup. At first, the seedlings are covered with a protective film at night.

In Siberia, it is possible to grow watermelons, despite the fact that the summer here is short, frosts at night occur until the beginning of June, and in August it is no longer so hot. Watermelon is a wayward berry. It will need a lot of light and moisture, and the beds will have to be heated.

Before planting, seeds are soaked in hot water and planted on seedlings when they have cooled down. It is recommended to place swollen seeds in plastic cups to the waxing moon. In Siberian conditions, seedlings are considered ready after a month. To heat the holes, sand, ash, humus or compost are placed in the hole, then covered with film or glass. Shallow grown seedlings are transplanted into a heated hole.

You should first pour about 2 liters into the hole hot water. So the soil in any of the regions of Siberia will be able to warm up to a temperature of 40 degrees. In those regions of Siberia where the soil is heated 6–8 cm deep to 10–12 degrees, planting can be done without growing seedlings. This is done at the end of April - beginning of May. It is permissible to plant seeds a couple of centimeters deeper if the soil is dry or the spring is not rainy. The seedlings are moved into open ground under a film. The sprouts can be covered with cut bottles. Holes when planting crops in the regions of Siberia are watered warm water. Subject to simple rules watermelon can grow and develop normally in any corner of Siberia.

Our compatriots, who prefer to grow watermelons on their own plots, are encouraged by the experience of neighboring countries. For example, in Belarus, good harvests of this sweet and juicy berry have been successfully obtained for a long time. This is achieved by following technology, planting patterns and the use of covering materials. Since the climate of Belarus is not conducive to the growth of such a heat-loving crop. But Belarusian gardeners manage to obtain ripe watermelons not only in the southern and central, but also in the northern regions of the country. The key point For the normal development of this crop in Belarus it is necessary to prepare the soil in the fall.

Peeling is carried out, and after 2 weeks - plowing. In early spring Gardeners in Belarus are loosening the soil. In the fall, the soil is fertilized with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Early ripening hybrids Romanza F1, Eureka F1 and other varieties are popular in Belarus. 30-day-old seedlings are planted in open ground in late May - early June. A nutritious earthen mixture is used, just like ours. The seeds are germinated and the seedlings are hardened off. On their plot, gardeners in Belarus plant crops at intervals of 140 by 60 - 70 cm. Gardeners from Ukraine and many other countries have been able to do this for many years. Since in many regions of Ukraine the climate is well suited for the normal growth of this crop.

Watering and care

Watering watermelons that grow and develop in your garden bed should be stopped only when fruit begins to set. Further, caring for crops involves breaking through fragile seedlings, loosening the soil, weeding it, destroying unwanted weeds, and applying recommended fertilizers. Melons grow normally if there is enough light. To obtain a large and juicy fruit in open ground conditions, it is important not to thicken the plantings; ideally, there should be one plant per hole.

On square meter no more than 3 landings should fit. To speed up the growth of your favorite berries, it is recommended to use shelters while providing proper care. These include ordinary individual and group films. Even protecting the beds with ordinary film can increase the temperature and bring the moment of ripening closer by 2 - 3 weeks. The film will become reliable protection and from harmful beetles, which can cause melons and melons a lot of trouble. When caring for plants, specialists and experienced gardeners suggest installing tunnel shelters in the beds with frames made of vines or wire rods.

To prevent plants from being damaged by the sun, shelters are removed in early June on a cloudy day. If you open the beds under the scorching sun, infection may develop. To attract bees, it is recommended to plant honey-bearing plants near watermelons. They have proven themselves well in caring for crops by spraying them with solutions of sugar or honey.

Video “All about growing watermelons”

From the video you will learn how to properly grow watermelons in open ground and get the maximum yield.

Juicy sweet watermelons are always associated with summer and sun. The crackling of the striped peel under the edge of a knife, the characteristic aroma and melting, refreshing pulp. What could be better than, forgetting about business for a while, and enjoying a slice of ripe berries. Today you can treat yourself to watermelon at almost any time of the year. Supermarkets always have these giant berries, although they are grown on the other side of the world or in a greenhouse.

The most delicious watermelon is the one that is saturated with the power of the sun and grows not under a film, but in the garden.

Many gardeners are wondering how to grow watermelons in the country? Today, all the conditions for this exist. Thanks to the emergence early varieties and hybrids, even residents of the Non-Black Earth Region can plant their own melons and get a harvest of watermelons. How to grow watermelons in open ground? What kind of care does the crop require, and when can the first fruits be harvested?

Preparing watermelon seeds for sowing

Of all the melon crops, watermelons have the most difficult seeds to germinate. To ensure that the shoots are friendly and strong, the seeds are first immersed in salt water. This will make it possible to identify and remove non-viable, light specimens, and use those that are heavier and sank to the bottom for sowing.

However, this is not enough. Shortly before planting, the seeds are heated for 3–4 hours at temperatures up to 55 °C or left in the sun for a week in order to disinfect the seed in this way. Then the seeds are soaked in warm water, which will speed up germination and give the sprouts additional strength.

Planting watermelons with seeds

In the Black Earth Region and the southern regions, where watermelons are grown on summer cottages and industrial melon fields, the crop can be planted in open ground by seeds.

The best time for this is when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 12–15 °C. For sandy and other types of light, loose soils, the depth of planting watermelon seeds is 4–8 centimeters, but if the soil is heavy and dense, it is more correct to bury the seeds no more than 4–6 cm. And the smaller the seeds, the smaller the grooves for planting them. .

Melon crops, especially during the ripening period, require good nutrition, which is provided by the main root system and small roots formed on individual vines. Therefore, when growing watermelons in open ground, quite a lot of time is allocated for planting. large area, the size of which depends both on the type of soil and on the variety, as well as on the expected load on the plant.

• If watermelons are sown in rows, gaps of 0.7 to 1.5 meters are left between the bushes. In this case, the row spacing should be at least one and a half meters.
• When using a square planting pattern, a distance of 0.7 to 2.1 meters is established between plants.

The main thing is that as the plantings grow, they do not become overly thickened, and all the berries that set have enough light, moisture and nutrition.

Seedling method of growing watermelon

In the conditions of the middle zone, for example, in non-chernozem regions, as well as during a cold, long spring in the southern regions, watermelons can be grown in open ground through seedlings. From the moment of sowing to transplanting young plants into the ground, it usually takes from 25 to 35 days. It is most convenient for sowing to use peat pots with a diameter of about 10 cm, which are filled with a mixture of an equal amount:

• humus;
• turf land;

The seeds are buried 3–4 centimeters into moist soil, after which the pots are left under film until germination at a temperature not lower than 20–25 °C; only at night the temperature can drop to 18 °C.

When sprouts appear above the ground level, the seedlings are transferred to a cooler room. At a temperature of about 17–18 °C, watermelon seedlings will have to stay for 3 to 4 days, which will allow you to get strong sprouts and prevent them from stretching. Subsequently, the temperature of about 22–25 °C during the daytime hours is returned again.

Regular watering is carried out with warm water, trying not to get on sheet plates. A week after the sprouts peck, the seedlings are fed under the roots with fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus.

Since melons are heat- and light-loving crops, well-lit areas are chosen for young watermelon plants. warm rooms or greenhouses, but a week before the seedlings enter the open ground, they must be hardened. To do this, seedling boxes are placed on open air first for 2–4 hours, then the time is gradually increased. In early June or at the end of May, watermelon seedlings are planted in the beds.

Choosing a site and soil for growing watermelon in the country

To obtain a good harvest from watermelon grown in the country, it is important that the area intended for planting:

• was well lit;
• closed from cold winds;
• provided the plants with proper nutrition.

The best soil for melons is light, fertile and loose. It is optimal if country beds sandy and sandy loam soil, enriched with humus or other well-rotted organic matter since the fall.

The best predecessors for watermelons are legumes, cruciferous crops, including cabbage and radishes, as well as potatoes and tomatoes.

Before growing watermelons in open ground, care should be taken to prepare the beds and fertilize the soil. Per meter of beds in the spring add:

• 24–35 grams of ammonium sulfate;
• 40–45 grams;
• 15–25 grams of potash fertilizers.

1-2 plants are planted in pre-moistened holes located at intervals of 1–1.5 meters or immersed one at a time peat glass in such a way that the cotyledon leaves remain above the soil level. After planting, the bed is mulched with sand and the plants are protected from the sun. The same is done when seedlings appear if watermelons in open ground are grown from seeds.

In the first week, while the acclimatization process is underway, watermelons are watered with warm water.

Features of watering and feeding watermelons

It is impossible to grow a watermelon in the country without providing the plant with proper watering and fertilizing. Without water, it’s difficult to talk about the juiciness of sweet berries, but you don’t need to overdo it, otherwise you won’t achieve that much-loved sugar pulp. Before the flowers appear, watermelons are watered moderately, and when the ovary appears on the vines - more generously.

At a summer cottage for watermelons, it is convenient to use systems that can be used to regularly fertilize the plants.

When growing watermelons at the dacha, you need to remember that the crop loves rare but abundant watering, which is extremely necessary in the hot season, in conditions of deficiency of natural moisture. A comfortable soil moisture level for watermelons is 85%. On sandy soil, which does not retain moisture well, the beds are watered more often, and on black soil and clay soils- less often. When the berries are full and their ripening begins, watering is carried out less frequently, and then stopped altogether.

The feeding schedule for watermelons grown at the dacha includes three procedures, during each of which approximately 2 liters of liquid fertilizer should be provided per plant. A week after planting in the ground, watermelons are watered with a solution of 10 liters of water:

• 40–50 grams of superphosphate;
• 30–35 grams of ammonium sulfate;
• 15–20 grams of potassium salts.

When active growth of lashes begins on the plants, watermelons should receive a second feeding with half the concentration of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. With the beginning of the formation of the ovaries, another fertilizing is carried out, adding a solution based on:

• 20–25 grams of ammonium sulfate;
• 10 grams of superphosphate;
• 35 grams of potassium salts.

The nutrient mixture is applied into furrows prepared in advance at a distance of 15–20 cm from the bushes.

Decrease in share nitrogen fertilizers associated with the possibility of accumulation of nitrates in the pulp of berries. Also, this measure will push the plants not to gain green mass, but to ripen.

Caring for watermelons grown in the country

Caring for watermelons growing in open ground consists of:

• regularly loosening the soil under plants;
• in watering and fertilizing melons and melons;
• in removing weeds;
• in the fight against pests and plant diseases;
• in protecting the lashes and ovaries from freezing.

The soil under the plants is loosened to a depth of 7 cm, not only after planting, but also after watering and rain, until the vines and foliage cover the spaces between the individual bushes.

To protect the ovaries and shoots from the wind, it is useful to secure the lashes to the ground using wire pins or by sprinkling sections of the stem with moist soil.

If there is a risk of moisture stagnation or insufficient light in the area where watermelons grow, trellises are built for the plants and, when the vines begin to grow, the shoots are transferred from the ground to durable ones. vertical supports. This same technique is useful if there is not enough space in your dacha to grow watermelons using the traditional melon method. As they grow, the shoots are distributed along a trellis or laid out on the ground so that one lash does not shade the other.

If a watermelon in the country is grown on a trellis, it is recommended to leave only one main vine, on which, after flowering, depending on the variety and climate, 3 to 6 fruits should be formed. The remaining shoots are pinched in the early stages of growth, and then, when the ovaries reach the size of a five-ruble coin, the top of the fruiting stem is removed.

When growing watermelons in open ground using the melon method, pinch out all shoots after 3–6 ovaries, remove stems emerging from the leaf axils and female flowers.

It is interesting that the cut side vines can be rooted and you can also get a high-quality harvest from them, albeit late and small.

If there is a threat of frost in the area where watermelons grow, the plants are protected with cardboard or special covering material.

When to pick watermelons?

The ripening ones are easy to recognize by their changed color. With cucumbers and zucchini, the main thing is not to delay picking so that the vegetables do not lose their juiciness and beneficial properties. When to pick watermelons, how to tell them apart ripe berry from the one that still needs to warm its sides in the sun?

The earliest ripening varieties of watermelons in the central part of Russia can produce a harvest only by mid-August. At the same time, mass harvesting is not carried out at the dacha plot, except in cases when the berries in the melon patch are in danger of frost. While the warm season lasts, the ripest watermelons are cut from the vines:

• with glossy dense bark;
• with a dull sound audible when tapped;
• with a smooth stalk, without the hairs inherent in the green ovary;
• with a dry bract and tendrils at the base of the leaf.

All these signs of ripeness must be considered together and only then should the watermelons be picked, otherwise it is possible that the cut berry will turn out to be unripe.

However, when watermelons are used for storage or transportation, it is better to pick the berries a few days before they are fully ripe. Such watermelons, being in a dry, warm room, can ripen without losing any useful properties, no taste or aroma. But only watermelons collected in a fully ripe state are suitable for obtaining seeds.

Growing watermelons in the middle zone - video

If you follow certain rules, you can get a good harvest of watermelons in your garden or dacha. This culture requires long and warm summer. You can plant watermelons in open ground in all regions of Russia, with the exception of Siberia.

Caring for striped berries should include watering, thinning, fertilizing, loosening the soil and pruning. Watermelons are susceptible to diseases such as powdery mildew, olive spot, and rot. In case of infection, watermelons are treated with fungicidal preparations.

Features of growing different varieties

The plant is native to Africa. The culture belongs to the Pumpkin family. The stems of watermelon are thin and highly branched. They can be curly or creeping. They can reach 4 m in length. Young leaves have thick pile. Then they become rough, hard, and have an egg-triangular shape. In length from 7 to 23 cm. Inflorescences are female, male and hermaphroditic. They have a boat shape. The fruit is a berry with many seeds. The flesh is usually pink or red, and the outer shell is green (usually with light stripes).

There are many varieties of watermelon, but they are all conditionally divided into 2 types - woolly watermelon and African tsamma melon (wild species).

All varieties are divided into 3 groups.

Early ripening ones include:

• Skorik.
• Victoria.
• Ogonyok.
• Dolby.
• Stabolite.
• Jenny.

The following are considered mid-season:

• Ataman.
• Couch potato.
• Top gun.
• Atey.
• Dumara.

The later ones include:

• Spring.
• Icarus.

Currently, even varieties have been bred in which the fruits have a lemon taste and the flesh is yellow. There are also hybrids with black skin.

The following varieties can be grown in the Moscow region:

1. 1. Skorik. The fruit is in the form of a ball weighing no more than 3 kg.
2. 2. Light. The harvest is stable, but small. Typically the weight is up to 2 kg.
3. 3. Crimson Sweet. Translated as “raspberry sugar”. Among the early ripening varieties, the fruits are the largest - up to 8 kg.
4. 4. Lazy. Fruits up to 4 kg. They have a fairly long shelf life - up to 3 months. Thanks to this, you can enjoy this watermelon even on New Year’s Day.

In Siberia, watermelons can only be grown in greenhouses. They must be strong. Polycarbonate or glass are suitable. In addition, another feature of growing watermelons in Siberia is that only seedlings are used here, and seeds cannot be placed in open ground.

The most suitable varieties of watermelon for Siberia are as follows:

1. 1. Chill. Withstands low temperatures well. The variety is early ripening. The growing season takes no more than 100 days. Fruits weigh up to 7 kg. The pulp is juicy and sweet. Another advantage is the long shelf life of the berries - up to 1 year. It has good transportability.
2. 2. Ultra early. This variety is considered quite early ripening. Its growing season lasts up to 2.5 months. The pulp of the berries is sugary. They weigh 4-5 kg.
3. 3. Photon. This is a mid-early variety. It takes 80-100 days to ripen. The plant is not demanding on the soil, is resistant to diseases, the number of seeds in the berry is small, and the pulp is tender. The weight of the fetus is 3-6 kg.
4. 4. Charleston Gray. The variety is recognizable elongated shape large fruits. They weigh up to 10 kg. The culture is unpretentious in care.
5. 5. Siberian Lights. This variety was bred specifically for areas with harsh climatic conditions. The plant is resistant to low temperatures, lack of lighting and drought. The crop almost never suffers from fusarium. The bark of the berry is dark, without stripes. There are few seeds. Fruit weight - up to 4 kg.
6. 6. Siberian Giant. This is another variety that is bred for northern latitudes. It is characterized by frost resistance, large size (the fruit weighs up to 7 kg), long periods storage
7. 7. Ultra early ripening. The fruits are stored for a long time. The plant is resistant to powdery mildew and anthracnose. The culture is unpretentious in care.

Landing rules

Watermelons can be propagated through seeds and seedlings. The first option is suitable for regions with warm climatic conditions.

Sowing seeds should be done in the spring as follows:

1. 1. Select a site. The soil on it should have time to warm up to 13 0 C.
2. 2. Soak the seeds in clean water until the sprouts hatch.
3. 3. Make holes in the area. They should be 10 cm deep. The distance between the holes should be 1 m.
4. 4. Place fertilizer in the hole. It is recommended to mix humus with 1 tsp. ammophoska and 1 tbsp. l. wood ash.
5. 5. Place the seeds there and sprinkle with substrate.

The first shoots usually appear within 1.5-2 weeks. If you plant watermelon seeds in open ground in regions with a cold climate, you must wait until the end of May or the beginning of June. You can also plant under film - a kind of greenhouse. In this case, the harvest is obtained much earlier. Some people prefer to cover the space between the holes with black film. This attracts the sun's rays and prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil.

Another method is seedling. It is suitable for northern regions.

Landing is carried out as follows:

1. 1. Prepare the substrate correctly. It is recommended to mix peat, fine sand and turf soil.
2. 2. Select pots. They should be large and wide. You need to make holes at the bottom to drain excess water.
3. 3. Place watermelon seeds in special containers. This is recommended to be done in late spring. Keep containers in a warm place with a temperature of about 30 0 C.
4. 4. Care for sprouts. Water the seedlings periodically. It is necessary to ensure that water does not get on the seedlings. If necessary, you need to turn on additional lamps to improve lighting.
5. 5. Carry out hardening. This should be done 2 weeks before planting the sprouts in open ground. It is necessary that they get used to such conditions. For this purpose, a container with planting material should be taken outside or onto the balcony for 1-2 hours. Gradually you need to increase the interval - add an hour every day.

Mandatory preliminary preparation area before moving the seedlings into open ground. The soil should be well heated and loosened. The place should be chosen with protection from strong winds and drafts. Watermelon seedlings feel best in areas where legumes, alfalfa, and cabbage were previously grown. You should not choose a place where eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper. Ideal option is sandy loam or sandy soil. It is necessary to add potassium compounds and superphosphate to it. If the soil is too heavy, then fine river sand is added to it.

Planting watermelon sprouts in open ground is as follows:

1. 1. Dig holes. The distance between them should be 1-1.3 m. 1.5-2 m should be left between the rows. It is recommended to place the sprouts in a checkerboard pattern.
2. 2. Deepen the seedlings into the holes and sprinkle with substrate. There should be shoots with leaves on top.
3. 3. Place sand near the seedlings. It will prevent diseases such as root rot.
4. 4. Water the seedlings.

In the future, all that remains is to take care of the culture.

Nuances of care

Watermelon care is as follows:

1. 1. Thinning the sprouts. As soon as they appear, some need to be pulled out - only the weak or sick ones. If healthy seedlings have sprouted too close to each other, they can be planted in different places.
2. 2. Watering. It should be timely and regular, once a week. For 1 sq. m of plot is required 3 liters of water. It should be poured not only at the root of the plant, but also in the places between the rows. It is best to use rain or settled water room temperature. During hot weather, it is necessary to water the crop twice a week. When the fruits begin to appear, watering must be gradually reduced, and 2 weeks before the berries are picked, it should be stopped completely.
3. 3. Loosening the soil. This must be done the next day after watering. By loosening the soil, the roots gain access to oxygen. At the same time, you can remove weeds. The grass is not dangerous for watermelon, since it root system quite branched. Weeding should be done carefully so as not to damage it.
4. 4. Feeding. The first time it should be carried out 2 weeks after planting the crop. To do this, use chicken droppings, mullein or ammonium nitrate. As for the last substance, you will need 20 g of product per 2 liters of water. This is enough for one bush. If you use mullein, you will need to prepare a solution in a ratio of 1:10. When using chicken manure, you need to make a solution in a ratio of 1:10. For each bucket of such solutions, it is necessary to add another 15 g of double superphosphate and the same amount of calcium chloride. The second time fertilizing should be done when the fruits begin to set. In this case, it is recommended to use superphosphate and ammonium nitrate. You can mix 4 g of calcium chloride and ammonium nitrate with 3 g of double superphosphate. This is enough for 1 bush. Fertilizers are supposed to be applied in powder form, but then you need to water the crop. The mixture can be dissolved in water.
5. 5. Trimming. No more than 5-6 fruits should be left on one bush. They should be the largest and healthiest in appearance. The rest will have to be cut off, otherwise all the fruits will not be able to develop fully.

As for diseases, watermelon suffers from the following:

1. 1. Powdery mildew. A whitish appearance appears on the leaves. gray plaque.
2. 2. Peronosporosis. Also called false powdery mildew. Not only does a gray coating appear on the leaves, but also spots yellow color.
3. 3. Anthracnose. Pink-yellow pads form on the leaves.
4. 4. Olive spot. Spots appear on leaves and stems irregular shape. The latter also become corrugated.
5. 5. Bacteriosis. Oily patches appear on leaves and stems.
6. 6. Rot. It comes in root, black, white and gray. The cause is a fungus.
7. 7. Cucumber mosaic. The disease cannot be cured. A peculiar ornament appears on the leaves.

Although watermelon is considered an unpretentious crop, if not proper care Such diseases develop quite quickly. Fungicides control fungal infections. The plant cannot be saved from bacterial and viral infections. Among the insects that are dangerous for watermelon are cutworms, wireworms and melon aphids. Insecticides help with them.

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How to grow a watermelon and not be left without a harvest - we share our tricks!