Take care of watermelon at home. Delicious striped berry: how to grow a watermelon yourself

The best watermelons are brought from the southern regions, but you can get a good harvest of this huge striped berry in the conditions of the Moscow region; watermelons are planted even in the Leningrad region. It turns out that this is not difficult to do, you just need to know the basics of melon growing and make a little work. The basic operations are familiar to every gardener, and only a too cold summer can be an obstacle.

plant description

Watermelon belongs to the gourd family and is an annual plant. Most varieties have a long creeping stem that extends up to two meters. The leaves are dark green in color, large, with a strong dissection. The fruit according to the biological classification is a berry, very large, usually spherical in shape. In some varieties, it is not a ball, but an elongated torpedo-shaped berry. The mass of the fetus is significant: it can range from 500 g to 20 kg. Watermelon bark has different shades Green colour; most often it is covered with dark or light stripes, but it can also be monophonic. The flesh is juicy, in most cases red or dark pink, but there are varieties with an orange or yellow core. There are usually a lot of seeds, they are large, 1-2 cm long, flat, hard, black or brown.

How watermelon grows

The main part of the watermelon crop is obtained in the subtropical zone, much less - in temperate climate. In Russia, watermelon is grown mainly in the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus, but amateur gardeners are promoting the culture much further north. Watermelon comes from the African continent. This culture tolerates heat and drought, it needs warmth and bright sunlight. However, watermelon normally tolerates short cold snaps, is undemanding to the composition of the soil. The roots are able to suck water from considerable depths, so watermelon is able to grow even in conditions of moisture deficiency. At the same time, it responds well to artificial irrigation, which, in combination with planting on light sandy loamy soils, produces fruits of very high quality. Watermelon should be in the sun, and adult plants get water for themselves

Application

Watermelon is good for people of all ages. Its juice is dominated by simple easily digestible sugars - glucose and fructose, and in terms of the content of the latter, it is one of the champions among cultivated plants. Watermelon contains various organic acids, including folic acid, which is of great importance for the human body. Watermelon contributes to the regulation of fat metabolism, which determines its use in medicine and nutrition, contains iron salts and other trace elements. There is even the concept of a watermelon diet.

Watermelon is consumed mostly fresh, being a wonderful summer dessert. It can be eaten in an almost unlimited amount, although doctors warn against excesses in the presence of certain diseases. At the same time, during the mass harvest, watermelons are also used for various preparations. You can make juice from them, and when the latter is slowly evaporated, you can get honey-nardek. Very tasty candied watermelon is known. There are many lovers of salted and canned watermelons: small fruits, including those that are not quite ripe, are used for such blanks.

Varieties

All known varieties of watermelon are conditionally divided into early, mid-ripening and late. If we talk about our country, then late varieties (for example, Spring, Icarus, Kholodok) make sense to plant only in the southernmost regions; in Central Russia, only early varieties, such as Victoria, Skorik, Ogonyok, have time to fully ripen. Varieties of medium maturity (Lezheboka, Ataman, etc.) occupy an intermediate position. Among the "classic" varieties of watermelon, the most popular are the following.

• Ogonyok is an extremely popular early ripe variety, known since the times of the USSR. The fruits are small (about 2 kg), the seeds in them are very small, and the pulp has an excellent delicate taste. The bark is thin, its color is black-green with a blurred pattern. The variety is able to fully mature in the Central Black Earth, East Siberian and Far Eastern regions.
• Kholodok is one of the most famous varieties of late-ripening watermelons. The fruits are stored for more than 3 months, the variety is very productive, has an excellent taste. Kholodok appeared in the early 1990s, intended for planting in the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions. The bush is very powerful, with long (up to 5 meters) lashes, moderately resistant to diseases. The fruit is somewhat elongated, weighing about 4 kg, dark green with almost black stripes. Watermelon cannot be called thin-skinned, but it is well transported and stored. The flesh of the watermelon is bright red, very sweet, tender.
• Shuga baby - a variety included in the State Register not so long ago, is intended for the Central Black Earth region, but can be grown further north, as it easily tolerates cold weather, including in the spring. Variety of ultra-early ripening. The bush and leaves are medium in size, the fruit is round and rather small: the bulk of the specimens reach a mass of 1 kg, and only a few grow up to 4 kg. The fruit is thin-skinned, striped, the outside of the usual dark green color. The pulp is dark red in color, with very small seeds. Taste qualities are characterized as excellent. Since "Suga baby" is translated as "Sugar Baby", you can find a description of the variety under both names on the network, which can cause some confusion. So, describing the "Sugar Baby", they indicate that it is recommended for severe weather conditions, including for cultivation in Siberia, since it is extremely resistant to low temperatures. However, there is no variety under such (Russian) name in the State Register, but at the same time, the main part of the description corresponds to both Russian and English names. Variety of universal purpose: good not only fresh, but also in salting. Easily transfers transportation.
• Crimson Sweet is one of the trendy varieties grown in most European countries, of French origin. Watermelon of ultra-early ripening, but in its segment - one of the most large-fruited. Spherical fruits weigh an average of 10 kg, and can grow even larger. Coloring - classic watermelon, striped (lighter stripes on a dark green background), the flesh is dark red, without veins, very sweet and tasty, crispy. The fruits are transportable, well stored, and the plants themselves are drought and disease resistant.

Photo gallery: popular varieties of watermelons

Ogonyok is a well-deserved early variety that grows in almost all regions. Kholodok enters the shelves in September and can delight with its taste for several months. Sugar baby ripens very quickly, so it is planted in almost all regions.

In addition to those listed in this list, in recent years, various exotic varieties that do not fit into the familiar image of a striped berry with a red interior filled with numerous seeds have enjoyed some popularity. So, for example, there is a very expensive and scarce black watermelon. The Densuke variety is grown in Japan. Outside, it is completely black, glossy, without stripes, weighs 5–7 kg, and inside contains the usual-looking bright red flesh. True, gourmets who have tried it describe the taste not just as sweet, but as magnificent. At the same time, in Russia there are also domestic, very inexpensive, varieties that look like Densuke. Such, for example, are the Black Prince or the Black Excellent. They may not be as tasty, but they are not so expensive on the market either.
Densuke black watermelon is very expensive, but is it legal - gourmets decide

In recent years, yellow-fleshed watermelons have come into fashion. These are hybrid plants; Outwardly, they are no different from traditional watermelons, but inside they are yellow. There are almost no seeds in them (and sometimes not at all), the taste is very different from the usual. The pulp may contain flavors of mango, lemon, pineapple and other southern fruits. So, for example, about 10 years ago, Lunny watermelon was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. Like all other yellow watermelons, it is characterized by early ripening. The bush is of medium size, elliptical in shape, the fruit is small: its weight is from 2 to 3 kg. Outside striped, but the flesh is light yellow, tender, excellent taste. Capable of short-term storage (about a month).
Lunar on the outside is an ordinary watermelon, but inside it looks very unusual

Already in the middle of the last century, varieties of watermelons with a complete absence of seeds were bred. As a rule, such watermelons are sweeter, the shape of most varieties is oblong, and the mass is relatively small (about 4 kg).

A reasonable question: how to plant seedless watermelons? To do this, seeds are obtained by special crossing with other varieties, but this procedure leads to the fact that growing a seedless watermelon is somewhat more difficult than a regular one.

Seedless hybrids are, for example, Imbar F1, Regus F1, Boston F1. Thus, watermelon Boston F1 is included in the State Register of the Russian Federation and recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus region. Refers to early ripe hybrids, forms a long-branched bush. The fruit is spherical, light green, with narrow inconspicuous stripes. The usual weight is up to 4 kg, some representatives grow up to 10 kg, thin-skinned. The pulp is tasty, pink-red color. The fruits are well transported, but are stored for no more than two weeks after harvest.

Reviews of some varieties

Last year I decided to try to grow a watermelon in KALININGRAD for the sake of "pampering"! I chose the early variety "Spark" of the company "Siberian Gardener". Germination was 100%. Left only 2 pieces, the most active. Monthly sprouts landed in a greenhouse. They fit well with the tomatoes in the neighborhood))) Not climbing, I didn’t even have to remove the excess))) Soon 2 Watermelons appeared on each plant. He went on to crawl and bloom, but I pinched the whole thing, they would not have had time to ripen. By the end of August 3 watermelons were ripe. The fourth has not yet matured. Small in size but heavy. The flesh is orange-yellow. Juicy. Few bones! In general, I am completely delighted!!!

"Julia773"

https://otzovik.com/review_5744757.html

I never became friends with Kholodok in two seasons. He waved his hand at it, although, if it worked out, you can save it until the New Year. Even if there is no good cellar-basement, then on the glazed loggia it lies until slight frosts. And what a taste Kholodok has - watermelon for all watermelons.

"German"

http://dacha.wcb.ru/index.php?showtopic=47904&st=1280

And I like Suga Baby or sugar baby, watermelons are not very large, but very sweet and tasty.

Ninyurev

http://forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t=1991&start=945

Crimson suite is an early ripening variety, for Siberia it’s the very thing !!!, consistently producing even if not such large watermelons (at the moment the largest is 4 kg), but in past years, it seems to me, there were up to 6–7 kg , - I didn’t weigh it, because I bought the scales only last fall for the daily weighing of my “champion”. It seems that the weight of watermelons could be increased by a small normalization.

Ukolova

http://vinforum.ru/index.php?topic=349.0

Growing watermelon seedlings

In the south and in most areas of the Lower Volga region, watermelons can be grown by direct sowing of seeds in open ground, but in regions that are not warm enough for this crop, preliminary seedling preparation is necessary. Sometimes seedlings have to be grown in the south, if there is a desire to get the fruits of the latest varieties.

Planting seeds for seedlings

If the seeds are purchased in a specialized store and the manufacturer is not in doubt, pre-treatment of the seeds is not required. But if the seeds are taken from a watermelon bought for food, one must be careful. Firstly, it may turn out to be a hybrid, and then nothing good will come of it. Secondly, the seeds can carry hidden signs of diseases, so they must at least be disinfected. There is no need to check the seeds for germination: they are good for at least 6 years in a watermelon, but it is worth choosing the largest ones.

For disinfection, the seeds are soaked for 20–30 minutes in a dark solution of potassium permanganate, and then washed with water. When growing watermelon in the central region and in the north, it is advisable to harden the seeds (hold for about 12 hours in a damp cloth in the refrigerator). This stage will help in the prevention against most diseases. If you do nothing, you can just soak the seeds before planting, but soaking will only give a two-day advantage in seedling speed, can be sown dry.
Watermelon seeds are easy to handle: they are quite large

Based on the possible timing of planting 35-day seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse, it turns out that it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings in mid or late April (depending on the region). Since watermelons are painful to transplant, it is better to immediately sow the seeds in separate cups with a capacity of at least 250 ml and a depth of about 10 cm (it is best to use peat pots). In extreme cases, it is possible to pre-sow in a common box, followed by careful seating in pots. Soil - a mixture of equal parts garden soil, sand, humus and peat, or a store-bought mixture.

Before sowing, the soil is slightly moistened and the seeds are buried to a depth of about 3 cm, pouring a layer of clean sand of 0.5–1 cm on top. cm.

seedling care

Seedlings are easy to care for. Immediately after germination, the "garden" should be placed in the bright sun and lower the temperature to about 18 ° C, and after a few days return it to 22 ° C during the day and 18 ° C at night. In the future, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil and lighting: daylight hours should last at least 12 hours, so the seedlings may have to be slightly highlighted. It is necessary to water under the root, but lightly: the soil should be slightly moist.

After 5-7 days after the seedlings have hatched, they must be thinned out: if the sowing was in pots, leave one at a time, if in a box, remove obviously superfluous ones. The next day after thinning, you can give top dressing: a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizer (according to instructions) or infusion of ash.
Watermelon seedlings manage to grow into a rather big bush in a month

A week before planting in the ground, watermelon seedlings are accustomed to fresh air, periodically taking them out to the balcony. By the time of planting in the garden, it should be strong bushes with 4-5 real leaves.

Is it possible to pick watermelon seedlings

In the classical sense, picking a watermelon is unacceptable: the slightest damage to the central root leads to the fact that further work will be meaningless: even if the seedlings do not die, there is no need to wait for a normal harvest. But if the sowing was done in a common box, when the first true leaf appears, you can plant watermelons in pots, taking out each seedling from good ball land and without disturbing the root system. This can be done only if you have a lot of experience in gardening and in case of emergency: so that the seedlings do not even feel that they were being manipulated.

Care of watermelons in the open field

Watermelon is a heat- and light-loving plant, therefore it is planted when real heat sets in and on a sunny bed. Despite the fact that an adult bush does not seem very large, a watermelon needs a lot of space, plantings should not be thickened: this culture loves space.

Planting watermelons in open ground

Watermelon is placed in a place protected from the north winds; if possible - on a small hill, so that water does not stagnate, from which the roots can rot. The best soils are light loams or sandy loams with an environment close to neutral. It is better to plant them in the place where garlic, onions, peas or cabbage grew last year. Do not plant watermelon after nightshade vegetables. As for any garden inhabitants, the garden bed must be prepared in the fall, digging up the soil with any fertilizer, except for fresh manure. Shortly before planting seedlings, the soil must be loosened by adding a liter jar of ash per square meter. He loves watermelon and magnesium, so it is advisable to apply magnesium-containing fertilizers in a small dose (about 5 g per 1 m 2).

Watermelons are planted when daytime temperatures reach about 15–20 ° C, and at night - not lower than 8 ° C. The distance between plants in a large field is maintained from 1.5 to 3 meters, but in the country, of course, there is not so much space. However, the holes cannot be closer than half a meter from each other, but it is better to use a 100 x 70 cm pattern.

Watermelon seedlings are moved to the garden in the usual way:

1. In selected places, holes are made with a scoop somewhat larger than pots with seedlings.
2. Half a cup of ash is added to the dug holes, mixed well with the soil and lightly watered.
3. Carefully taking out well-watered seedlings (in no case damaging the roots), they plant it, slightly deepening it.
4. Water each bush with warm water under the root, then pour clean sand into the bed with a layer of about 1 cm, placing it at least around each plant.

Watering

Watermelon tolerates drought well and does not require heavy watering. It is watered only before the formation of fruits, moisture is especially needed during the period of rapid growth of the leaf apparatus. Until the end of flowering, the soil should be constantly slightly moist, but not waterlogged. It is necessary to water under the root, preferably in the evening, by this time the water is warming in the sun. After watering, shallow loosening is necessary. It is accompanied by weeding, but as the bush grows, the watermelon itself suppresses weeds, and weeding will soon be forgotten.

During the pouring and ripening of watermelon berries, the soil, on the contrary, is dried a little: by this time, powerful roots form at the watermelon, penetrating to a meter depth and extracting a sufficient amount of moisture from there. Intense rains that occur in the second half of summer, rather, harm the quality of the crop, making the fruits less sweet.

top dressing

Watermelons are fed moderately; special care must be taken in the use of nitrogen fertilizers, it is better not to use them unless absolutely necessary: ​​the nitrogen contained in the complex fertilizer will be enough. The first time top dressing is applied a week and a half after transplanting watermelons into the garden, the second time - a month later. It is better to take mullein infusions, adding wood ash to them, and if they are not available, ammophoska or azofoska (according to the instructions for the preparation). As soon as the fruits are tied, feeding should be stopped: the watermelon will find its own food.
It is convenient to carry out fertilizing with special formulations for gourds.

Formation of a bush (pinching shoots, trimming extra lashes and breaking out stepchildren)

In the process of growing a bush, watermelon lashes must be periodically shifted so that they do not intertwine with each other. But this is far from the most difficult: it is important to form a bush correctly, removing extra shoots from time to time. When forming a watermelon plant, the main task is that it does not waste its strength on the growth of unnecessary green mass, but directs the maximum of nutrients to the formation and ripening of the crop. In addition, some of the fruits have to be removed, since all those that are tied up, the bush will not be able to provide food even on the most fertile lands. All pruning operations should be carried out on a fine sunny day so that the cut or pinching places dry quickly.

The formation procedure depends on the area in which the watermelon is grown. This work is most important in the northern regions, where the summer is short, and every warm day is important in the issue of crop maturation. In addition, the course of the procedure also depends on the variety of watermelon: the formation of a bush is most important for large-fruited varieties. All work on crop rationing should be carried out when the berries grow from egg. There are several approaches to creating a properly fruiting watermelon plant.

• According to the first option, three to six fruits are left on the main stem (depending on their estimated size), and all ovaries are removed from the side shoots. At the same time, the side shoots are not allowed to grow and are pinched over the fourth leaf. The point of leaving short shoots is that they provide nutrition to the main stem. But as the fruit grows, side shoots are gradually removed, starting from those closest to the roots.
• In the opposite variant, on the contrary, fruits are grown on lateral shoots, leaving one berry on each (for powerful bushes - a maximum of two), and in total - from 4 to 6 copies per bush. Three leaves are left above the fruits, the rest of the side shoots are pinched. The fruits formed on the main stem are removed.
• The toughest option is not to leave side shoots at all. Up to five fruits are left on the main stem, but so that there are 4-5 leaves between them. It is believed that the nutrition from these leaves should be enough for the formation of fruits, especially if the variety does not imply the possibility of obtaining very large berries.

How to figure out which option to choose? It seems that there is no point in thinking about this for an ordinary summer resident, but you just need to remember a few rules:

• do not leave more than six fruits on the bush;
• on each shoot, leave only one berry in the case of large-fruited varieties and a maximum of two in the case of small-fruited ones;
• after the watermelon grows to the size of a fist, leave a maximum of 4–5 leaves above it.

Even when the formation of the bush seems complete and the active growth of the fruits and the increase in their mass begin, stepchildren will periodically appear from the axils of the left leaves - additional side shoots. It is worth making it a rule to inspect the lashes weekly and break out stepchildren, preventing them from increasing in size. True, at this time it is already undesirable to turn the whips over, so this should be done very carefully. As the fruits grow, plywood or boards should be placed under them so that in a rainy summer they do not rot, lying on damp ground.
All available schemes for the formation of watermelon plants provide for pinching most of the stems and leaving only a few fruits on the bush

How to grow a square watermelon ("Japanese" technology)

A square (more precisely, cubic) watermelon is good only because it will take up less space during storage or transportation of the crop. This “miracle” has no other advantages, and there is not much point in trying to grow it on purpose. But lovers of such exotic can get square striped berries from any variety they like. To do this, you need to somehow make cubic containers of transparent plastic of the appropriate size.

What does appropriate mean? The diagonal of the face of the cube should be slightly larger than the diameter of the proposed watermelon, which will grow in this container. In a too cramped dwelling, a watermelon will not really ripen, and in a too spacious one it will not be completely “square”: only 6 flattened sides will turn out. In order for the cube to be reusable, it must, of course, be collapsible, and in one of the faces you need to make a hole with a diameter of 3-4 cm to escape with the fetus. In addition, numerous smaller holes are needed for ventilation, otherwise the berry in this cube will simply rot.
The future square watermelon spends almost all its life inside a transparent cube.

Further, everything is very simple. As soon as the watermelon grows to the size of an apple, it is placed in a mold and continue routine care watching how he feels. You may have to water a little more, turn the cube over, push the fruit in it while it is small. But as soon as he grows up and starts to rest against the edges, he will begin to take the form of a cube. Obviously, in a similar way, you can grow not only cubic watermelons, but also, for example, pyramidal ones.

Treatment for diseases and pests

Watermelon is a heat-loving plant, but otherwise it is completely unpretentious. With proper care, it rarely gets sick or is attacked by pests. Most often, in amateur melon growing, even no spraying is required; in large farms, of course, preventive treatments are carried out. To prevent possible diseases (rot, spotting, powdery mildew, anthracnose), for example, such well-known drugs as Fundazol or Decis, as well as traditional Bordeaux liquid, are used. Each of them is capable of destroying certain pathogens, and if necessary, you should carefully study the instructions.

Watermelon has few pests. The most common are melon aphids, wireworms, and various mites. To scare away most of them, it is enough to spray watermelons with products based on garden plants or simple household preparations. So, against aphids, infusions of tobacco dust or wood ash (with small additions of laundry soap) help well. Wireworms and leaf-eating caterpillars are collected by attracting them to sweet baits placed in small holes: sweetened infusions of garlic, mustard, wormwood, hot pepper, tomato tops.

Harvest and storage

When the crop approaches the ripening stage, the question arises: when should the watermelons be cut? After all, the fact is that fully ripe berries are very poorly stored, and if you want to eat a delicious watermelon right from the garden, you have to wait until it becomes as tasty as the variety allows. Those watermelons that have not yet reached the so-called first stage of maturity are also poorly stored.

Of course, until you cut a watermelon, you will not know exactly what it is inside: it happens that even the most experienced melon growers make mistakes. On the cut, everything is simple: if the color of the pulp and seeds corresponds to the varietal characteristics, the watermelon is ready. A slightly unripe specimen (the flesh is lighter than normal) could reach full ripeness and gain sugar during storage. But you will not cut berries in the garden!

There are several signs of ripeness:

• when the watermelon ripens, the matte surface of the peel turns into a shiny one;
• the crust should be firm and not pierced by light pressure with a fingernail;
• in a fully ripened watermelon, the stalk becomes dry;
• a good sign is a yellow spot where the watermelon was in contact with the ground or bedding;
• if you knock on a watermelon, then the ripening specimens make a ringing sound. Muted tones - in fully ripe and, conversely, green (well, it's not so difficult to distinguish them from each other).

The lightest are late-ripening watermelons, but they must also be removed correctly. The berry is cut with a pruner or a sharp knife along with a stalk about 5 cm long. When transporting to the storage, watermelons should lie on a soft bedding, and in the storage itself - also on a bedding, preferably straw, and only in one layer. During storage, they must be periodically inspected, discarding specimens that begin to deteriorate. The best temperature in storage is from 6 to 8 °C, air humidity is not higher than 85%. But even the lightest varieties can rarely last more than three months.

Growing watermelon at home (in a bucket)

If the house has a sunny window sill or balcony, you can grow watermelon on them. True, it requires a lot of free space, and it is almost impossible to get a berry weighing more than 1 kg. The whole process consists of the same stages as usual, only from small seedling pots, plants with a clod of earth are transferred to a large pot, with a volume of at least a bucket, and preferably from 15 liters. Of course, you can immediately sow the seeds in a bucket (not forgetting to make drainage holes in the bottom).

On one plant at home, you can leave no more than two fruits, but after they successfully tie. And they will tie only under the condition of artificial pollination.

The owner must know how the female flowers differ from the male ones, and pollen from the male flower (on a thin stalk) must independently pollinate the female one (with a thick stalk).

Otherwise, you need to monitor the temperature, soil moisture and give the watermelon more light.

Greenhouse watermelons, the use of nets

In the cold climate zone, watermelons can only be grown in a greenhouse. There, beds are prepared in advance, introducing humus and mineral fertilizers into them. Watermelon seedlings are planted when night temperatures in the greenhouse do not fall below 6 ° C, which happens in the center of Russia around the end of April. Although, of course, in the greenhouse you can sow watermelons and seeds, immediately in the garden.

Since space in the greenhouse has to be saved, watermelons are planted somewhat thicker, and trellises are arranged to guide the lashes. Plants are usually planted according to the scheme of 50 x 70 cm, and early varieties are planted at all, two plants per hole, directing the shoots in different directions. If the windows and doors in the greenhouse are almost always kept closed, at the right time there may not be flying insects in it, there is no wind there, so artificial pollination has to be carried out.

If a watermelon is grown on a trellis, the fruits do not lie on the ground, but are at a certain height, so they may fall as they grow. In this regard, when a berry grows to the size of an apple, it is often placed in spacious nets of any material that are firmly tied to the trellis. At the same time, the fruits do not lie on the ground and, therefore, do not rot. In addition, when in a grid, they are evenly lit from all sides, which leads to earlier ripening.
Nets fixed on the trellis allow watermelons not to fall and ripen better

Barrel growing, film application

Our summer residents are well-known experimenters, and in the pursuit of saving space, they have invented many unique ways to grow vegetables. So, many vegetables, flowers and even strawberries are often grown in old unusable barrels with a volume of about 200 liters. You can do the same with watermelons. Various garbage is placed at the bottom of the barrel, which acts as drainage, and as it rots, fertilizer. Grass is poured on top, good humus, and then fertile soil. Since the metal barrel warms up well in the sun, this substrate always remains warm.

You can immediately sow seeds in the barrel or plant seedlings (depending on the climate), but in any case, at first the watermelon must be covered with non-woven material. There is enough space in the barrel for two plants. A trellis is not needed here, and the growing lashes will hang down, where flowers will appear near the surface of the earth, and then fruits. Watermelon care is normal, only more abundant watering may be required.

Some gardeners instead nonwoven fabric cover planted seedlings polyethylene film. As a temporary measure, this approach can be used, but prolonged exposure of watermelons under the film can lead to root rot. The film can be used both in an ordinary garden bed and in a greenhouse, but only for a short time. Its only true use is to cover the crops in order to create greenhouse effect for fast growth. In the future, you can make holes for seedlings and hold the film for some more time so that the earth does not cool down. But long-term maintenance under polyethylene for watermelons is detrimental.

Features of growing watermelons in different regions

Trouble-free cultivation of watermelons is possible only in the south, other regions have their own rules, but all of them are mainly aimed only at creating warm conditions for this berry.

Watermelons in the south of Russia

In the southern regions (starting from Volgograd), only amateurs who want to get very early harvests are engaged in seedlings. In industrial production, watermelons are sown immediately in open ground, starting from mid-spring. They are watered only at first, before flowering, and then the melon, in fact, grows by itself.

Already starting from the Central Black Earth region, options are possible. Here, cultivation is used both through seedlings and without it, and sowing in a garden bed is possible already in early May. Greenhouses are usually not needed.

For the first time, many summer residents cover crops with a film. Some sow watermelons immediately after planting potatoes, in a free place. Since the second half of June, they have not been watered at all; precipitation is usually sufficient.

Central regions of Russia, Ural region

In the central regions of the country, and even more so in the Urals, to get a crop in open field possible only in seedlings. Seedlings (better - in peat pots) are planted in the garden at the end of spring, but greenhouse cultivation is also often used, planting seedlings immediately after the May holidays. Only early varieties are used: Ogonyok, Skorik, Sibiryak, and in the event of an unsuccessful summer in the open field, even they may not ripen and be used only for salting.

When planting in greenhouses, many alternate watermelons with cucumbers, although this can hardly be considered reasonable: watermelon is a resident of arid regions, and cucumbers need moist air. But with timely ventilation and proper temperature control, both crops can bring good yields.

Video: growing watermelons in greenhouse conditions

Northwestern region, Leningrad region

Until recently, it was believed that it was unrealistic to grow watermelons in the open field in the north-west of the country, but in recent years there have been more and more reports that enthusiasts manage to do this even in Karelia and the Murmansk region. True, luck is variable and depends on how the summer turned out, and the fruits are not very tasty. But in greenhouses, watermelons in the Leningrad region have been grown for a long time and quite successfully. But even greenhouse cultivation involves the use of only early varieties and requires considerable effort. Among agronomists, it is believed that the unspoken border of growing watermelons, even in greenhouses, runs along the line St. Petersburg - Kirov: in the more northern regions, "the game is not worth the candle."

Watermelons in the Far East

The heat in the Far East region is quite enough for growing watermelons in open ground, there are even zoned varieties, for example, Ogonyok, Early Kuban, Skorik, although it is possible to ripen any other varieties, except for very late ones. Sowing seeds directly into the garden is, of course, risky, so they practice the seedling method.

The only difference between the Far Eastern technology and the traditional one is that in the second half of the summer there are often long and heavy rains, as a result of which watermelons can rot. They cope with this simply: they are planted on high ridges, from which excess water drains. The size of the ridges is any, convenient for use. In suburban areas, they are made about a meter wide, raising them above the furrows to a height of 20–25 cm.

Ukraine

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe, so the climate is very dependent on the region. And if in the north of the country it is similar to the one near Moscow, then in the south it is ideal for cultivating gourds. In the south of Ukraine, they do not know the concept of "seedlings", they sow watermelons right in the field or garden in late April - early May, and care for them is minimal. In the north, it is also possible to sow seeds in a garden bed (at the end of spring), and to pre-cultivate seedlings.

Growing watermelons is not always a lottery: with some experience and luck, normal fruits can also be obtained in central Russia. And already at latitudes south of Kursk or Saratov, this striped berry is a traditional resident in the beds of garden enthusiasts. You can enjoy delicious sweet fruits directly from the garden with some effort, but they are small: the technology for growing gourds is available to every summer resident.

Plant watermelon (lat. Citrullus lanatus)- herbaceous annual, species of the genus Watermelon of the Pumpkin family. Watermelon is a melon culture. Watermelon is native to South Africa - Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa. The colocynth species, related to watermelon, is still found here, which is considered the ancestor of the cultivated watermelon. This culture was cultivated in ancient Egypt, in the 20th century BC: watermelon seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Evidence that the watermelon was known to the ancient Romans, who ate it fresh and salty and also made honey from it, can be found in the verses of Virgil.

The watermelon fruit was also grown in China, where it was called the "melon of the West", and the Arabs, who used it before meals to cleanse the body. Crusaders brought watermelon to Europe, and it appeared on the territory of modern Russia in the 13th-14th centuries AD. Today, China is the world champion in watermelon cultivation, closely followed by Turkey, Iran, Egypt, the American states, as well as Uzbekistan and Russia. Watermelons grow best in climates with long, hot, dry summers and short, cold winters.

Planting and caring for watermelon (in brief)

• Landing: watermelon seeds are sown in open ground when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 15-16 ˚C. Sowing seeds for seedlings - in late April or early May, planting seedlings in the ground - in late May or early June.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: sand or sandy loam with a pH of 6.5-7.0.
• Watering: once a week, spending 3 buckets of water per 1 m² of land. In the heat, they are watered twice as often, and the aisles are also moistened. After the formation of fruits, watering is gradually reduced, and 2 weeks before harvesting, they stop completely.
• Top dressing: 2 weeks after planting in the ground, the seedlings are fertilized with a solution of ammonium nitrate (20 g per 10 l), spending 2 l under each bush. You can replace saltpeter with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20), adding 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride to a bucket. Another top dressing is done during the budding period: one plant should have 6 g of superphosphate, 4 g of ammonium nitrate and the same amount of calcium chloride.
• Reproduction: seed, seedling and seedless.
• Pests: melon aphid, wireworms, gnawing scoops.
• Diseases: root, white and black rot, powdery mildew, downy mildew, anthracnose, olive and angular spotting, viral mosaic.

Read more about growing watermelons below.

Watermelon berry - description

The watermelon has thin branched stems, curly or creeping, most often smoothed-five-sided, reaching a length of 4 m. At a young age, the stems are covered with dense pubescence. Watermelon leaves are petiolate, alternate, pubescent, harsh, rough on both sides, triangular-ovate, heart-shaped at the base, 8 to 22 cm long, 5 to 18 cm wide. Watermelon flowers that bloom in summer are female, male and hermaphroditic, with boat-shaped bracts. The fruit is a watermelon berry, a multi-seeded juicy pumpkin with a smooth surface and juicy, sweet pink or red flesh, although there are varieties with yellowish flesh and a rough rind.

Sowing watermelon seeds

Growing watermelons in open ground is carried out by seed method, seedlings and seedlings. In warm areas, seeds can be sown directly into the ground, prepared in advance and warmed up to 12-14 ºC. Before sowing, the seeds are kept in a thermos with water at a temperature of 50 ºC until the sprouts hatch. In holes about 8 cm deep, located at a distance of 1 meter from each other, place a tablespoon of ash, a teaspoon of ammofoska, a kilogram of humus and thoroughly mix the additives with the soil. Then they pour 2 liters of water into the hole, wait for it to be absorbed, put two or three seeds flat in the hole at a distance from each other, cover them with soil and trample it down. After sowing, the bed is not watered.

The first shoots may appear in a week or so. If you sow the seeds in cold ground, the emergence of seedlings will have to wait longer, they may even die. To prevent this from happening, sow the seeds in the ground no earlier than the third decade of May. The shoots that appeared in the development phase of 3-4 true leaves are thinned out, that is, weak shoots are removed by cutting them off just above the surface of the bed.

Growing seedlings of watermelon

In areas with a short summer, watermelons are best grown in seedlings. The cultivation of watermelon seedlings begins in May with sowing seeds in separate containers of at least 0.3 liters in order to avoid intermediate transplanting or picking, which pumpkin is so poorly tolerated. Planting watermelons for seedlings is carried out in the ground, which should consist of peat, soddy soil and sand in equal parts. For five liters of this soil mixture, add 50 g of potassium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and dolomite flour, as well as 100 g of double superphosphate.

A few days before planting a watermelon, the seeds are heated for half an hour in water at a temperature of 55 ºC, and then germinated in wet sand at a temperature of 25 ºC. Only after the seeds have tiny shoots, they are sown 2-3 pieces in separate pots on the surface of the previously described soil mixture, sprinkled with sand on top, cover the cups with film or glass and transfer to a warm place where the temperature is not lower than 30 ºC. When shoots appear in a week, the film is removed, and the temperature is lowered to 16-18 ºC for nine days.

Caring for watermelon seedlings includes feeding, watering and, if necessary, organizing additional artificial lighting, since watermelon needs a twelve-hour daylight hours. Water the seedlings in several stages, allowing the water to soak in, but make sure that water does not get on the leaves of the seedlings. In the development phase of 3 true leaves, seedlings are fed with a solution of complex mineral fertilizers or liquid mullein.

10 days before planting the seedlings in the garden, the seedlings begin to harden: they are taken out to the balcony or terrace for an hour or two, daily increasing the time spent in the fresh air until they bring it to 24 hours.

Watermelon pick

How to dive watermelons? As already mentioned, gourd seedlings do not dive for fear of damaging their root system. They don't even get pinched.

Planting watermelon in open ground

When to plant watermelon in the ground

When to plant watermelon seedlings in the garden? Planting watermelons in the ground is carried out four weeks after sowing seeds in the development phase of the fifth or sixth true leaf - at the end of May or the first decade of June. Choose for watermelons a wind-sheltered, well-heated and well-lit area on the south or southeast side, on which perennial grasses (alfalfa, sweet clover, sainfoin), winter wheat, cabbage, onions or annual legumes were grown before watermelons.

It is not recommended to grow watermelons after plants such as nightshade (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers) and pumpkin (melon, zucchini, squash, and watermelon). After you harvest watermelons, it will be possible to grow pumpkins in this area only after 6-8 years.

Soil for watermelon

The soil for watermelon is preferably sandy or sandy with a pH of 6.5-7 units. The preparation of the site is carried out in the fall: for digging, 4-5 kg ​​of rotted manure are applied per m², as well as 40-45 g of superphosphate, 15-25 g of potassium salt and 24-35 g of ammonium sulfate per unit area. In heavy soils, one or two buckets of sand per m² are added. Fresh manure is not used to fertilize the soil.

How to plant watermelons in open ground

Make holes in the garden at a distance of 1-1.5 m from each other in a checkerboard pattern, leaving row spacings 2 meters wide, and pour 1.5-2 liters of water into each hole. Seedlings are buried in the holes along the cotyledon leaves, the soil is tamped after planting, and then the surface of the area around the seedlings is sprinkled with sand within a radius of 10 cm in order to prevent root rot. Pour the seedlings with warm water and protect them from the sun's rays until the seedling leaves restore turgor.

Growing watermelon in a greenhouse

In areas with cold and short summers, watermelons are grown in greenhouses, since the vegetative period of the crop sometimes lasts about 150 days, and there are much fewer truly warm days in the northern area. To speed up the process, first, watermelon seedlings are grown at home, and then they are planted in a garden bed in a greenhouse under a double film coating. You already know how to grow watermelon seedlings.

It is necessary to start growing it in the third decade of April, and planting watermelons in a greenhouse is carried out when the soil in it warms up to 12-14 ºC. The soil on the beds is prepared in advance: a week before planting the seedlings, a layer of soil is removed from the beds with a depth of a shovel bayonet, hay with humus is laid in the resulting trench, which is sprinkled with nitrogen fertilizer on top and watered with hot water. The removed layer of soil is laid on the hay pillow and the bed is covered with black covering material, which can be removed just before planting.

Seedlings are planted to a depth of 10 cm in holes arranged in one row at a distance of 70 cm from one another. As the lashes develop, they are tied to a trellis installed in advance. For normal fruiting, you need to let a few bees into the greenhouse. But since male flowers live only a few hours, do not risk the future harvest, take care of pollination yourself: pick a few male flowers, carefully remove the petals from them and apply their anthers to the stigmas of the female flowers. It is desirable that each female flower be pollinated by several male flowers.

It is necessary to engage in artificial pollination in the morning, when the air temperature in the greenhouse is 18-20 ºC. It is very important that the night temperature on the eve of this important event is not lower than 12 ºC.

In order to accelerate the growth of lashes, pinch them in such a way that there are no more than 3-5 leaves above the fruit, and remove weak shoots altogether. From the ovaries, leave no more than 5 pieces on each bush, remove the rest. For the first time, watermelon fertilizer is applied to the grooves dug at a distance of 20 cm from the bush, when the lashes reach a length of 25-50 cm, and it would be best to feed the plant at this time with a solution of mullein (1:10) or liquid fermented chicken manure(1:20). The second top dressing is applied before the start of the budding process, and the third - after the formation of the ovaries, but both times the grooves are already made at a distance of 40 cm from the bush. Like the first time, watermelons are fed with mullein or liquid chicken manure, since organic matter is the best fertilizer for watermelon.

When the fruits start to increase in size, turn them over from time to time so that they ripen evenly. Don't forget to ventilate the greenhouse.

watermelon care

How to grow watermelon

Watermelons in the open field do not need annoying care, however, there are agrotechnical measures that cannot be neglected. These include thinning seedlings, watering, weeding, loosening the soil, pinching lashes. In the development phase of 3-4 true leaves, thin out the seedlings, leave one or two in the hole, and cut the rest just above the soil surface. Although some gardeners successfully plant extra seedlings, they take root well and bear fruit.

When the ovaries appear, leave no more than 6 fruits on the bush, and under those that lie on the ground, place some non-rotting material - roofing material, a piece of plastic or foil.

watering watermelon

Watermelons are watered once a week, but plentifully, at the rate of 3 buckets per m² of land. When the heat comes or it's time for flowering, it is necessary to carry out 2 such abundant waterings per week, moistening not only the soil around the bushes, but also the aisles - the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe plot. When fruits are formed, watering is gradually reduced to a complete cessation two weeks before harvest. In total, watermelons are watered 3-4 times during the summer: with the development of 5-7 leaves, during the flowering period and at the beginning of fruit formation.

A day or two after watering at the beginning of the growing season, loosen the soil in the area to a depth of 6 cm and at the same time remove weed grass from it. When the watermelons close the rows, the weeds will no longer harm them, so loosening and weeding can be stopped, especially since the root system of the plant extending in different directions is very easy to damage with a chopper.

Top dressing watermelon

Two weeks after planting, the seedlings need to be fed. How to fertilize watermelons in open ground? The first time it is best to apply ammonium nitrate by dissolving 20 g of fertilizer in a bucket of water, using 2 liters of solution for each bush. You can replace saltpeter with a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20), adding 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of calcium chloride to a bucket of solution. The next dressing is applied during the budding period, and it consists of 4 g of calcium chloride, 4 g of ammonium nitrate and 6 g of superphosphate per plant. If you will be applying dry fertilizer, then water the area before and after applying it.

Pests and diseases of watermelon

What's wrong with watermelons? Most often they are affected by white, gray, black and root rot, powdery mildew - real and false, anthracnose, angular and olive spotting and mosaic. With careful preparation of seed and soil for planting and proper care of melons, watermelons, as a rule, are not affected by either diseases or pests. But it doesn’t happen year after year, and anything can happen, so the best way to protect your melon is to be able to quickly identify the disease and know how to treat watermelons from a particular disease.

powdery mildew caused by a fungus. The leaves of plants are covered with a grayish-white coating, under which the leaves die off, and the fruits become tasteless, unsweetened, deformed and rot.

downy mildew, or peronosporosis, also excited by the fungus, but at first only old leaves are affected and only after that young ones. Angular light yellow spots appear on them, and a grayish-purple coating forms on the underside. The fruits become ugly and stop developing.

olive blotch looks like irregularly shaped spots covering all the ground parts of the plant, causing the leaves to become corrugated, and olive-colored ulcers appear on the stems and petioles of the leaves. The ties dry and fall off.

angular spotting, or bacteriosis, is carried by insects and looks like whitish oily spots on the ground parts of the plant, as a result of which holes appear in the leaves and they fall off, the stems wither, the fruits become soft, transparent and stop growing.

anthracnose, or verdigris- too fungal disease, from which brown or yellow spots appear on the leaves of watermelon with yellowish-pink pads, and in wet weather the spots become covered with a pink bloom. If the defeat is severe, the watermelon dries up and dies.

White, gray, black and root rot also fungal diseases, each of which can destroy both a single bush and the crop as a whole. White, black and gray rot destroy the leaves, stems and fruits of watermelon, and root rot destroys the roots of the plant.

cucumber mosaic, unlike all the diseases described above, it is a viral disease that cannot be dealt with. It manifests itself by the appearance on the leaves of a mosaic pattern in green and light green tones. The plant lags behind in growth, swellings, tubercles and dots appear on the fruits.

Of the pests, watermelons are most harmed by melon aphids, gnawing scoops and wireworms.

wireworms- These are the larvae of click beetles, resembling hard pieces of wire and feeding on the seeds and seedlings of watermelon.

melon aphid dangerous in itself, because it feeds on cell sap ground units watermelon, and as a carrier of such a dangerous disease as mosaic, because there is no cure for it.

Gnawing and winter scoops they lay their eggs on the plant, and the caterpillars that emerge from them feed on the watermelon, gnawing its roots, causing the watermelon to turn yellow and die.

watermelon processing

The fight against watermelon diseases is carried out by treating with fungicides - Fundazol, Bordeaux mixture, Skor, Decis and others. What kind of fungicide you need, it is better to find out in a specialized store where you can buy chemicals to kill any fungus and find out how to treat watermelons with this drug. However, it will be better for your melons and for your health, instead of using fungicides, observe crop rotation, comply with the agrotechnical conditions for growing crops and take proper care of ripening watermelons.

If you follow all the rules, the plants will not get sick with a fungal disease.

As for harmful insects, the aphids are destroyed by dusting the plants sprinkled with water with a mixture of ash and tobacco dust in equal proportions, and 20 minutes after treatment, the soil is loosened on the site, thereby destroying the fallen insects. Scoop caterpillars are lured into pieces of cake or plant residues of a sweetish taste and are collected, just like wireworms. To do this, they make depressions of 50 cm in the soil, throw cake there, pieces of sweet root crops and cover these traps with shields, which are removed after a day or two, and the insects that have gathered there are destroyed. We remind you that usually, like diseases, pests infect weakened and neglected plants.

Collection and storage of watermelons

Before picking watermelons, you need to make sure that they have reached the first stage of removable maturity - it usually occurs 5 days before full maturity. If you skip this step and remove the watermelon later, it will not last long, and if you store an unripe watermelon, it is unlikely to ripen in storage. You can determine the state of the first maturity by the color of the pulp and seeds, characteristic of each variety of watermelons. If you remove the watermelons in time, when the flesh in them is pink, then during storage it will gradually turn red - the watermelon will ripen already in the mat, without losing sweetness.

The longest stored watermelons are late varieties, which have a denser and thicker peel, and the pulp has a rough structure. Early-ripening and mid-ripening watermelons are removed as they ripen and eaten or processed - they are made into jam, salted or pickled, and the fruits of late-ripening varieties intended for storage are cut with a pruner or a sharp knife along with a 5 cm long peduncle just before frost. Do not tear the berry from the stem, as it often begins to rot at the place of separation.

For storage, choose medium-sized watermelons with a thick rind, shiny and intact - it should not have any dents, cracks, soft spots, or scratches. When transporting, do not drop or place watermelons on a hard surface, do all work with gloves. When laying watermelons, make sure that they do not touch each other - this measure will help to avoid infection of the fruit with rot.

Optimal conditions for laying watermelons: temperature 1-4 ºC at an air humidity of 75-85%, as well as good ventilation. We offer you the following storage options:

• collect dry moss in the forest in sunny weather, lay it in a thick layer on the bottom wooden box, put a watermelon on top and cover it with moss on all sides, then put other watermelons, wrapping each of them with moss;
• wood ash can be used instead of moss. Watermelons sprinkled with ashes in a box or barrel are lowered into the cellar and stored in it under a tightly closed lid;
• dip each watermelon into a clay or alabaster mash of thick sour cream consistency, let the coating dry and lower the fruits into the cellar;
• instead of clay or alabaster, wax or paraffin can be used: melt them in a water bath, cover each fruit with a layer about five millimeters thick and lower the processed watermelons into the cellar;
• wrap each watermelon with a dense natural cloth, put it in a net and hang it in the cellar from the ceiling;
• make racks in the cellar, put a thick layer of straw on their shelves and lay watermelons on top so that they are wrapped in straw;
• find a dark, cool place in the apartment where no light penetrates, place watermelons there and turn them over daily.

How and wherever you store watermelons, make it a rule to check in what condition they are, at least once a week, in order to notice the spoiled fruit in time and not allow it to infect other watermelons with rot. With the right variety, place and storage method, you can enjoy watermelons until spring.

Types and varieties of watermelons

Actually, an ordinary watermelon, which we grow and buy in markets and stores, is a species of the genus Watermelon, in which there are two varieties:

African Melon Tsamma (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) , growing in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa, and familiar to all of us woolly watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) , which is found only in a cultural form. Moreover, Asian, European and American breeders had a hand in creating many varieties of this variety that exist today. Here we will introduce you to the varieties of this watermelon.

Varieties of watermelons for open ground are divided into early, mid-ripening and late, suitable only for areas with long warm summers. When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account its resistance not only to cold, but also to drought, diseases and pests, as well as the need for fertilizers and the ability to grow. So, the early varieties of watermelons:

• american Victoria Hybrid, ripening 62 days or a little more, with a rounded fruit weighing up to 10 kg;
• grade Skorik with small light green fruits weighing up to 4 kg with scalloped, blurry stripes along the edges with delicate, sweet red pulp of high palatability and thick skin;
• Jenny- ultra early American hybrid, ripening from 54 days and forming 4-6 on each bush standard size white-green fruits weighing up to one and a half kilograms, with thin dark stripes, very thin peel, seeds no larger than grape seeds and bright, very tasty pulp;
• Stabolite- the best of the seedless hybrids, ripening from 62 days, with powerful and large elongated fruits with very tasty pulp. It is pollinated with the help of varieties Lady, Trophy from the Nunems variety series;
• spark- a variety of Russian selection with small fruits up to 2 kg in weight with a thin skin and tasty pulp;
• Dolby is an American large-fruited, stress-resistant hybrid that matures after 60 days.

Mid-season varieties:

• Couch potato- the ripening period of this variety is from 75 to 90 days. It is drought-resistant, rarely affected by diseases and pests. Medium-sized light green with prickly stripes, fruits up to 5 kg in weight with a thin peel have a red-pink, pleasant-tasting pulp of medium density;
• Top Gun- one of the most popular fruitful American varieties, ripening in 70-75 days with large rounded fruits weighing up to 10 kg and crispy dark red flesh with small seeds. Watermelons of this variety are perfectly stored and resistant to anthracnose;
• Dumara- a productive hybrid, ripening from 75 days, with oval-cubic fruits with sweet, tender pulp and very tender seeds;
• Antey- a hybrid with tender and record-breaking sweet pulp of oval-cubic fruits. From fertilizers prefers organic;
• Ataman- disease-resistant variety of domestic selection, ripening in 66-86 days, with rounded prickly fruits weighing up to 10 kg with red tasty pulp of medium density.

Watermelons for open ground late varieties:

• Spring- this variety can be grown not only on melons, but also in a greenhouse. Elongated-spherical smooth fruits weighing up to 3 kg with a dense, barely noticeable green mesh on an olive-colored background contain grainy, tender and sweet dark red flesh. This variety ripens in 105 days;
• Icarus- productive, drought-resistant variety, ripening in 88-110 days. Fruits weighing from 3 to 16 kg are dark green in color with weakly pronounced stripes and very strong bark. The pulp is red-raspberry, very sweet. The variety is perfectly stored, it can lie until March;
• Chill- the most common late-ripening variety, ripening in 100 days, with large, from 15 to 25 kg in weight, ellipsoid, slightly segmented fruits with a strong green bark in an almost black stripe, hiding a very sweet, bright red flesh with a pink tint. Fruit shelf life - 3 months;
• Melania- a hybrid of the Early variety, ripening after 80 days, with oval fruits weighing up to 12 kg. The bark is green with wide dark green stripes, the flesh is crisp, dark red, with small seeds.

Fans of outlandish plants are invited to try their luck in growing a Japanese variety of watermelon, rare in our area, from the island of Hokkaido Densuke with an almost black bark or a giant-sized American hybrid California Cross. The smallest watermelons are Pepkinos, which can be thrown into the mouth entirely. And for those who are irritated by the bones in the watermelon berry, we offer the seedless variety Red King. Seekers of new gastronomic sensations will certainly like the nutmeg-flavored watermelon of the Vector variety, bred by a breeder from Astrakhan, which also boasts the creation of the Lunny variety - a watermelon with yellow flesh and a hint of lemon.

Watermelons and melons are heat-loving crops, so you need to choose a sunny place for their planting. In cloudy and cold climatic conditions it is difficult to grow a good crop. The most optimal daytime temperature for them will be from 26 degrees and above, and at night - not lower than 19. You also need to monitor the heating of the soil - its temperature should not fall below 20 degrees.

When cultivating melons and gourds, it is necessary to observe the peculiarities of the irrigation regime. In different periods of growth, it differs significantly. So, during the growing season, plants need frequent watering, and after that, once a week is enough for them. It is important to take into account the weather phenomena, if it rained heavily, watermelons and melons do not need to be watered. It is also desirable to refuse it during fruit ripening. However, here you need to make sure that the earth still does not dry out.

Proper watering of watermelons and melons

In order to harvest a rich harvest of gourds, you need to provide them with optimal conditions for growth. AND proper watering is of great importance here. Only warm water around 21 degrees should be used so that the soil temperature does not decrease. When watering with cold water, the plants stop developing, and the roots begin to rot. In such conditions, you can generally lose the crop.

Watering should be plentiful - for one bush of watermelon or melon, at least 5-8 liters of water are required.
The regularity of watering depends on the growing season of plants. During flowering, watermelons and melons especially need frequent and plentiful watering. However, it is important here to ensure that water does not fall on the leaves and flowers - you need to pour under the root. When the fruits begin to ripen, watering is stopped.

Watering watermelons can be facilitated by using a regular plastic bottle with a cut off bottom. Such funnels are dug near each bush and filled with water. When all the liquid is absorbed into the soil, it is topped up. Thus, the earth receives water as much as it needs.

Watering a melon has its own nuances. Small sprouts are watered under the bush, and when the plant grows up, it is necessary to make grooves between the rows and fill them with water. by the most favorable time watering for melons is evening, as the soil is as warm as possible. In especially hot and dry periods, you need to water the plant twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

Feeding watermelons and melons

It should also be borne in mind that gourds need top dressing, which is produced according to a special scheme:

• Start fertilizing almost immediately after planting. As soon as seedlings of watermelons and melons have adapted to open ground, they need additional feeding with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
• The next top dressing is done during the growth of the lashes. During this period, melons need an increase in organic matter in the soil, so at this moment they are fed with chicken manure, manure and potassium salts.
• The last time feeding occurs when the plants begin to form ovaries. You need to fertilize with a special mixture that you can do with your own hands. For a bucket of water, you need to take 1 teaspoon of superphosphate, 1 tablespoon of ammonium and 1.5 tablespoons of potassium salt.

Extra Care

In order for watermelons and melons to grow tasty and large, it is necessary to ensure that the shoots do not intertwine with each other, but lie freely. The weakest of them, as well as the barren ones, must be removed so that they do not take away extra strength from the plant. For uniform ripening of fruits, they must be turned over regularly.

Watermelon is native to areas of South Africa with high temperatures and low humidity. The culture is thermophilic and drought-resistant, it needs light in large quantities. Shade and cloudy weather will not allow the watermelon to develop normally and give a good harvest. But still, these berries are grown not only in the south, but also in more northern regions.

Features of planting watermelons in open ground

Before planting watermelons in the garden, you need to prepare the land, seeds and familiarize yourself with the rules of cultivation.

Site preparation

The soil for watermelons should be light and fertile, virgin sandy loamy chernozem is preferred. On clay soils, they grow worse.

It is undesirable to plant watermelons after legumes, cabbage. It is good if earlier there were tomatoes, onions, rye or winter wheat on the site.

It is also necessary to apply mineral fertilizers per 1 sq. m:

• 30 g of urea or ammonium nitrate;
• 30 g of superphosphate;
• 20 g of potash fertilizers.

Excess fertilizing is harmful: greens grow better than fruits, and nitrates accumulate in watermelons.

Seed selection

First you need to choose a variety that matches the climate of the region. In the middle lane, it can be Light, Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet.

Watermelon seeds are various shapes, sizes and colors

1. Warm the seeds in the sun for a week or dip them in a gauze bag in hot (50–60 ° C) water for 5–10 minutes.
2. For disinfection, hold them in a pink solution of potassium permanganate (with a concentration of 0.5-1%) for about 20 minutes, rinse and dry natural way. For getting good harvest can be soaked in a solution of trace elements - manganese, boron, molybdenum - with a concentration of 0.05% for 16 hours.
3. With a seedless sowing method, after warming up in hot water, the seeds are dipped in a solution of Zircon or Cytovit (1 ampoule per 2 liters of water). When they swell, you can sow.
4. To speed up germination, the seeds are germinated. To do this, they need to be wrapped in a wet cloth, put in a warm place with a temperature of + 20–25 ° C and constantly moistened, preventing drying out. Remove the top layer several times a day for airing. When sprouts appear, seeds can be sown immediately in the ground or on seedlings.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Watermelons should be sown in the ground, warmed up to + 12–14ºC, 10 cm deep. In cold soil, they may not sprout or suffer from pests. Usually sowing is done in late April-early May, but in each region you need to focus on climatic conditions.

Watermelon seeds in the open field germinate within 5-7 days with good quality and warm soil. If the earth is not warm enough, seedlings may be delayed for 2 weeks.

The main thing is that, as the plantings grow, they do not turn out to be overly thickened and that all the berries that have started have enough light, moisture and nutrition.

The distance between the rows is made at least 1 m, since the plants have long lashes and they can stretch up to 1.5–2 meters. The depth of the hole is 5–8 centimeters.

5-6 seeds are placed in one hole to ensure germination. If everyone breaks through, choose one, the strongest plant.

Planting watermelon seedlings

In regions with a short summer, watermelon seedlings are grown. Seeds are sown a month before planting, that is, if heat is established in the region at the end of May, then seedlings are planted at the end of April.

Germinated seeds are placed in cups with soil, watered with warm water and covered with glass or polyethylene to create greenhouse conditions. Shoots appear on the 3-5th day.

Seedlings need to be provided with a favorable regime: a temperature of + 20–25ºC and lighting, natural or artificial, for 10 hours a day, no less.

After two weeks, the plants are fed with a water-soluble complex fertilizer, organics do not need to be applied. Watering should be plentiful, but not frequent, twice a week is enough. Be sure to loosen the soil.

Soil for seedlings of watermelons - a mixture consisting of humus, soddy soil and river sand

Within 7 days before planting, it is necessary to harden the plants: take them out to Fresh air at first for 2-3 hours, then gradually increase the time. On the eve, you need to water the seedlings well and spray them with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. Seedlings should have at least 4 leaves. Plants are transplanted into the garden very carefully, along with an earthen clod.

Growing watermelons in open ground

In order to grow high-quality fruits, it is necessary to observe the agricultural technology of their cultivation, performing the main activities:

1. Periodic weeding and loosening the earth around the bushes.
2. Regular watering.
3. Top dressing.
4. Pinching shoots.
5. Treatment for diseases and pests.

Bush formation

When the bushes grow and several apple-sized fruits are formed, they begin to form. The side lashes are cut off, leaving 2 watermelons on each, the main one is pinched so as to save 2 leaves after the fruit.

The formation of a watermelon should be carried out on a dry sunny day - then the cut point will dry out faster

The cut parts are not pulled out so as not to damage the plant and ovaries. They dry quickly and do not interfere with the development of watermelon.

How to form a watermelon lash - video

Growing watermelons on trellises

In the southern regions, watermelons do not require a garter, they are grown on the ground. Here they receive enough light and heat, are not susceptible to diseases.

In more northern areas with a humid climate, tapestries are sometimes used. This is done if there is a risk of moisture stagnation on the site or there is not enough space and light. In the north, small-fruited varieties are usually grown. They can be tied to a trellis, like cucumbers.

Fruits that reach the size of an apple or more are hung in nets that hang from the trellis.

What is done for the trellis device:

1. On both sides of the beds, stakes with a height of at least one and a half meters are installed, a rope is pulled between them. If necessary, increase the number of stakes.
2. Others are tied to this rope, descending to the bushes. They serve as a support for the vine and determine its direction.
3. The lowered rope must be attached to the stem of the plant or to the ground.
4. The grown berries are placed in nets and tied separately to the trellis so that they do not fall under the influence of their weight.

Watermelons from the moment of sowing need constant care. They need to be loosened, watered, fertilized, protected from pests and diseases.

Weeding

Row spacing begins to be loosened even before germination. To know the location of the holes, lighthouse crops are sown in them, which will germinate earlier: radish, lettuce and others. When watermelon shoots appear, they are removed along with weeds.

Weeding should be carried out several times during the growing season.

Watering

It is necessary to regularly water the plants during the period of growth of leaves and stems, setting and formation of fruits. This is done as the soil dries up, no more than 1 time per week. During fruit ripening, watering is undesirable, as it can lead to cracking and deterioration of taste.

There will be no severe harm from the lack of watering, the plant is drought-resistant, and its roots penetrate to a depth of more than 1 meter.

Watering should be stopped when the fruits become glossy. During the growth period they are matte.

Melon growers are advised to remove the fruit only 15–20 days after it has ceased to increase in size.

fertilizers

Top dressing is carried out at the beginning of the formation of lashes of plants, before rain or watering. For 10 sq. m must be entered:

• 150 g of ammonium nitrate or urea;
• 150 g of powder or 60 g of double granular superphosphate;
• 50 g of potassium salt.

Subsequent top dressing is carried out during the period of flowering and mass fruit set. With a weak development of plants, you can feed them with slurry. For its manufacture, the container is filled with manure by a third, topped up with water until it is full and mixed. One part of the slurry is diluted in 10 liters of water. Consumption of solution for 1 plant - 1 liter.

Treatment of watermelons from diseases and pests

The preservation of watermelon during the growth period involves the use of both agrotechnical protection measures and chemicals.

Agrotechnical protection measures

They consist in strict compliance with the requirements for sowing and growing plants:

1. Compliance with crop rotation: the return of melons to their original place no earlier than after 5 years.
2. Seed treatment and dressing 1–2 months before sowing.
3. The location of plantings on well-lit and warmed up light sandy loamy soils. Do not use heavy clay soils for watermelons.
4. Deep plowing and sowing seeds at optimal times.
5. Application of mineral fertilizers and trace elements.
6. Constant fight against weeds, prevention of thickening of plants.
7. Refrain from excessive soil moisture, frequent watering.

Chemical methods of protection

For the treatment of plants, the following preparations are used:

• Karatan FN 57, 18.25% s. item to combat powdery mildew. Consumption rate for a concentration of 0.1%: 0.8–1 kg/ha. Spraying is carried out three times a season, the last time 20 days before harvesting;
• Fentiuram for processing before sowing at the rate of 3 g of powder per 1 kg of seeds mixed with flour paste. This will get rid of the sprout fly;
• Bazudin is applied to the soil during sowing to destroy wireworms;
• BI-58 is used for spraying sprouts against mites;
• Fitoverm is used against aphids and thrips;
• Sherpa, 25% a.e. effective for combating winter and field scoops. Consumption - 0.24–0.32 l / ha, process 20 days before harvesting;
• Decis, 2.5% a.e. (the consumption rate of the drug is 0.25–0.5 l / ha) is taken for spraying plants in the germination phase against cutworms. If necessary, during the flowering period, another processing is performed.

Prevention of diseases of watermelons - video

Cultivation in the regions

Each corner of the country has its own climatic features. The timing of planting, the need to use only local varieties, the method of arranging the beds depend on this.

Ukraine

The south of Ukraine is a fertile place for growing watermelons in the open field. They take root in any soil, if they are not loose and not acidic. Fertilizers are applied to increase fertility.

The cultivation of watermelons in Ukraine begins in late April-early May, the latest is mid-June.

Strong winds in southern Ukraine can damage whips. To avoid this, grooves are made, the stem is laid in them and sprinkled with earth, leaving the ends of the lashes free.

Variety Krasen - Ukrainian early ripening watermelon with a smooth black-green surface and tender juicy pulp

Varieties and hybrids of local selection are grown here:

• early ripe:
  • Charivnyk,
  • Orpheus,
  • Kakhovskiy,
  • Krasen,
  • F1 debut,
  • Wound F1.
• mid-season:
  • Alliance,
  • Knyazhich,
  • Kherson.
• late ripening:
  • Sunrise,
  • Snowball.

Transbaikalia

Summer residents have been growing watermelons in Transbaikalia for more than 20 years. Seeds of early ripening watermelons are used:

• Light;
• Sugar baby;
• Watermelon is ultra-early.

These varieties are medium-sized - 1.5–2 kg.

In mid-April, watermelon seedlings begin to grow in peat cups. They are planted in a permanent place when 3-4 leaves appear, when the soil warms up well. Usually it is the end of May.

How to make watermelons take root in open ground:

1. A week before planting, seedlings are hardened, leaving for a few minutes, then for several hours a day on the street at a temperature of + 15–17 ° C.
2. Under the watermelons make a high bed.
3. Holes are dug in it, where they put dry grass for insulation, then compost, sand, fertilizer or ash.
4. Watered with warm water with potassium permanganate and planted seedlings with a clod of earth.
5. Arcs are made above the bed and covering material is laid.

To protect against pests and diseases, plantings are sprayed with an infusion of garlic or nettle, which can be alternated.

From below, the bed is heated from decaying residues, and from above, heat is retained thanks to the covering material.

Kuban

The warm climate of the Kuban allows you to sow seeds directly into the ground. Planting dates are from late April to late May, depending on the variety. Harvested after the 20th of June.

In dry years, local watermelons can suffer from spider mites. If lesions are found, they are treated with acaricides 2-3 times with a weekly interval.

They try to harvest watermelons in the Kuban before the first night frosts come

Bashkiria

In Bashkiria, there is also experience in growing watermelons, although the region is located north of the Moscow region and the climate is colder here. Morning frosts can last until June, but watermelons are planted in May, protecting with covering material. Experienced gardeners sprinkle sand under the whip so that the fruits do not rot. In Bashkiria, it is recommended to plant only early varieties so that the crop does not die from the early onset of cold weather:

• Sorento F1;
• Earthling;
• Crimson Sweet;
• Top Gun F1;
• Kai F1.

First, seedlings are grown in cups, and then they are planted in warm soil. You can sow immediately with seeds in the ground, but then it is necessary to mulch the ground and cover the plantings with a film, which is cut when 2–3 leaves appear at the seedling sites.

For insulation, arcs are installed above the bed, a thermal sleeve is laid in the middle (a sleeve based on fiberglass coated with heat-resistant silicone), filled with water, and covered with agrotex on top.

Lovers of sweet and juicy berries are trying to plant it in various parts of the country. And not without success! So, do not be afraid, but you should at least try to grow a watermelon in your area. We hope that the experiment will be successful!

Watermelon is a favorite treat not only for children, but also for adults. The juicy pulp of this berry refreshes well and quenches thirst in summer heat. If in the South a watermelon grows without any problems, then in the middle lane it is necessary to have certain knowledge in order for the plant to survive in the open field. The gourd culture reacts extremely positively to a warm climate and negatively to the cold, but first things first.

The site where you plan to grow this plant should be chosen with particular scrupulousness. There should be no shade at the site of the future plantation, the site should be as much as possible illuminated by the sun. The soil must be sandy ideal, but sandy loam is also suitable. Watermelon roots penetrate deep into the soil, from where they are saturated with moisture and saturated with sweetness, for this reason, dense, clay soil will not work. To make the soil the most porous, it must be dug back in autumn period. The acidity of the soil should not be higher than 7 units.

An excellent option would be to use areas where potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage or wheat used to grow. It is worth noting that growing melons in one area for the second year in a row will turn out to be a failure for you. Before planting, do not ignore the clearing of the area, the watermelon will not tolerate extraneous neighbors in the form of weeds or other vegetation.

Good time to grow

Unfortunately, if the summer of the year turned out to be cool, then no tricks will help you get a juicy, and most importantly, sweet watermelon. It is worth being ready for a rich harvest only when the summer turned out to be successful, with hot, sunny days.

Planting a plant should begin as early as the end of May, by this period the soil will be warmed up quite well. If planting will be carried out by seedlings, then start seed preparation from the beginning of May. However, in any case the last word remains subject to weather conditions. If at the beginning of May you only have to dream of warmth, then you should not rush into landing.

Seed preparation

Planting watermelons occurs in 2 ways - seedlings and seedless.

seedling method

The berry has dense and fairly hard seeds that require pre-soaking. Just half an hour is enough, but make sure that the water is warm. Seeds that float in water are unsuitable for planting, they can be safely disposed of. Cover the container with seeds and water with polyethylene and leave it in the sun, under its direct rays. So you create an analogue of a greenhouse. It is important that the temperature in such a greenhouse during the day does not fall below 25, and at night below 20 degrees.

After the seeds have hatched, they can be transferred to a cup with earth. Typically, this procedure can be carried out in late April or early May. When choosing a glass, remember that the root system in it should not be crowded. Damage to the roots for a watermelon will be fatal. Before planting, mix the soil with mineral composition and humus.

While the seedlings are growing, they will have to be fed for the whole process several more times. Plant several seeds at once in one glass, counting on the fact that one of them may not germinate. If both seeds give a sprout, then in the future they will simply be divided.

A sprout is healthy and suitable for transplantation, on which at least three healthy leaves have formed. Before planting, loosen the soil and add compost to it. Seedlings sit at a distance of 20 cm from each other. If you plant several sprouts in one hole, then later they should be deployed so that they grow in different directions. Recesses for seedlings should not exceed 10 cm in depth. When planting, the leaves must remain above the ground. At the end of the process, the seedlings are abundantly watered with warm water, so it will take root better.

seedless way

If the weather is already warm enough outside, you can plant watermelons without using seedlings. As in the previous version, the seeds should be soaked in warm water. After the seeds have hatched, you can start planting them, but no longer in a glass, this step can be skipped. It is worth noting that the method of planting watermelons immediately in open ground is permissible only if the weather forecast unequivocally denies the sudden onset of cold weather.

Several seeds are planted in one hole, prepare the holes in advance at a distance of 25 cm from each other. For excellent harvest mix in a ratio of 1 to 1 soil, humus and ash. In this mixture, add a few bed of mineral fertilizer. Add 1 tablespoon of this mixture to each well. Put the seeds in the holes and cover with humus on top. This way you will prevent the formation of a crust in top layer soil.

watermelon care

Despite the fact that melons are considered unpretentious in their growth, it is worth knowing some of the nuances in order to get a rich harvest.

1. Imitation of a greenhouse. Weak sprouts are covered with material on top to prevent them from dying and getting a ripe berry ahead of time. To create a homemade greenhouse, stick a few pegs along the edges and stretch tight polyethylene between them. Such a greenhouse should be maintained until the end of June. When it comes time to shoot the film, it's best if it happens on an overcast day. This will allow the plant to adapt more easily. If you choose to remove the film on a hot, sunny day, you may end up burning the sprouts.
2. Watering. Excessive watering is unacceptable for watermelon, he prefers to eat groundwater. The powerful root system of the plant successfully takes moisture from the lower layers of the soil. It is also impossible to overdry the watermelon, so it will not differ in its juiciness. The normal frequency of watering is several times a week.
3. Fertilizers. Already a week after planting seedlings in open ground, it needs to be fed with ammonium nitrate. In 20 liters of water it is necessary to dissolve only 10 grams of the substance. After such top dressing, fertilizer with the usual mineral composition once every few weeks will be sufficient. In addition to fertilizers, do not forget to hill the soil. It is vital for a watermelon to have loose soil, and experienced gardeners completely forbid walking and trampling down the ground next to a watermelon planting.
4. Molding. This part is important in the care of watermelons. If the lashes of the plant have grown very long, they can be safely tied up or nailed with earth so that the wind does not hurt. A month later, the formation of the first ovaries begins. When these ovaries reach the size of a large plum, the largest ones are left, a few pieces, the rest are removed. This procedure is called pinching. When a plant produces fruits, it provides them with all the necessary nutrients that they take from the soil. When there are too many of these fruits, they will remain small, since the plant is not able to provide all of them with the necessary amount of components for growth and ripening. In order for the fruits to be large and tasty, several pieces are removed at the very beginning. On one bush, usually no more than pieces of watermelons are left.

Learn more about watermelon care here:

When watermelons begin their ripening, they can be turned from side to side about 1 time in 10 days. If the soil began to rot, it is worth putting a few boards under the berry, which will reduce contact with the ground.

Harvesting

The harvest traditionally takes place in August. In order to determine the degree of ripening of a watermelon, it is enough to carefully examine it. A ripe fruit will have a shiny skin and a dry tail. Peduncle at ripe berries won't be hairy. If you knock on the fruit, you will hear a dull sound, it is for him that experienced gardeners understand that it is time to harvest.