When to plant watermelons in open ground?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Watermelon is a melon crop. Its growth is associated with a warm climate. But at present, this crop is grown in various climatic conditions in their gardens and greenhouses. For information on when to plant watermelons so that they reach ripeness, read the article.

Description of watermelon

This plant survives on its long stems, which from the deep layers of the soil get nutrients for the fruit. Their length reaches four meters or more. They are curly in structure. Despite the fact that the stems are thin, they are able to withstand large fruits. The leaves are egg-shaped and pubescent along the edges. They grow in length up to 10-20 cm, and in width - from 6 to 17.

The flowering period of watermelons begins in summer. Their fruits are considered berries, and this seems unusual to many people. Under a dense, thick crust contains juicy, tasty, sweet and very fragrant pulp with a lot of large seeds.

How to choose the right site and prepare the soil?

The growth and development of plants, the formation and ripening of their fruits in many waysdepends on how the preparatory work is done. What do you need?

• To get a good harvest of watermelons, you need to create normal growing conditions for them. First of all, such a site is selected, which during the whole daylight hours will be heated by the sun's rays and not blown by strong winds. It is important that there are no drafts.
• Seedlings take root quickly and grow well in the area previously occupied by onions, alfalfa, cabbage, legumes. No need to plant watermelons in those beds where eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes grew before.
• When you have decided on the site, you should start preparing the soil. Watermelons are suitable for sandy and sandy soils. While the site is free from plants, it must be fertilized with manure, potash fertilizers, superphosphate. If it turns out that the soil on the site is heavy, it must be discharged. To do this, it is enough to add fine-grained sand, otherwise watermelons will grow poorly and bear fruit.

Preparing seeds for planting

For planting watermelons, planting material must be prepared. The steps for this procedure are:

• First, calibration is done, for which you need to pour the seeds on a horizontal surface and arrange them in separate piles, focusing on size. For large, medium and small seeds, containers are prepared with the appropriate parameters. This will increase their germination: large specimens will not oppress small ones. The seeds will sprout and grow evenly. Small specimens do not need to be thrown away. They aresuitable for planting, only seedlings from them will bear fruit later.
• The second step is scarification. It is optional, but desirable. It is carried out in order to make it easier for the sprout to reach the surface. To do this, just rub the “nose” of the seed with sandpaper with a fine texture.
• Then the seeds are heated. To do this, put them in hot water for 30 minutes. The procedure cannot be ignored, it is mandatory for watermelons.
• After this, the seeds are disinfected, for which they are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
• The last step is to dry the seeds. This should be done not on a battery or in an oven, but in a natural way. Seeds are laid out in one layer on a horizontal surface of a table or floor outside under a canopy. Be sure to exclude the sun and drafts.

To increase germination, seeds are germinated. Before drying, they are wrapped in a soft cloth made of natural fibers, moistened with clean water and placed on a plate next to a heat source. The condition of the rag must be constantly monitored, it should not dry out. Moisturize if necessary.

How to plant watermelons outdoors with seeds?

If the cultivation of the crop will be carried out in regions where a warm climate prevails, then the seeds do not need preliminary preparation, except for soaking. When the sprouts hatch, they are immediately sown in the ground. See below for how to plant watermelon seeds.

• In the spring, when the snow melts, underThe sun will warm up the soil. It is necessary to wait until its temperature reaches +13 ° C. Seeds should be kept in a container of water at room temperature until they germinate.
• In the garden or in the country, a site is selected for planting. Holes are made over its entire area, their depth is 10 cm. The distance between them should be large. Approximately one meter.
• Then, self-prepared fertilizer is poured into the bottom of each hole: humus is mixed with a tablespoon of ash and a teaspoon of ammofoska.
• After that, the seeds are placed in the hole, covered with soil and waiting for them to sprout. This happens two weeks later or a little earlier.
• Planting seeds in regions where the cold climate prevails is carried out at other times. When to plant watermelons in this case? Taking into account climatic features, planting seeds should be carried out at the end of the last month of spring or at the beginning of summer.

How to grow seedlings? Helpful Hints

When to plant watermelons for seedlings? It depends on the region of growth and the method of cultivation. If watermelons are bred in open ground, sowing seeds in pots (for example, in the climatic zone of Moscow) occurs at the beginning of April. When to plant watermelons for seedlings? Each climate zone has a different time for sowing seeds in pots. This is agreed in the lunar calendar.

For sowing watermelons for seedlings, small containers are used, it is better if they are peat. Soil is poured into them, but not to the very top, but threefour centimeters below. Then proceed to sowing the seeds. Three, four or five pieces are planted in each pot. They go deep into the soil only four centimeters, no more, otherwise they will germinate for a long time.

The pots are covered with a film - it will protect the soil from drying out. Then they are transferred to a cool place with an air temperature of + 17 … + 20 ° С. It is very important that the surface of the soil in the pots is always moist. It is clearly visible through the transparent film. Before germination, the film is not removed, and the crops are periodically watered with settled water at room temperature.

Sprouts will appear in about seven days. If the seeds were not germinated before planting or they were deeply planted, then this will happen a little later. For pots with young plants, choose a place in the room so that it is well lit by the sun. It is important that the temperature is within the acceptable range: + 16 … + 24 ° С. In order for the seedlings to get used to the low temperature, it must be taken out into the street for a short time. When to plant watermelons? This should be done when the seedlings are strong enough - then they will quickly take root in a new place.

Planting watermelon seedlings

How to plant watermelons in open ground? In order for these plants to grow comfortably in the selected area, the earth is first dug up and loosened well. Planting seedlings is recommended 30 days after sowing seeds. This time falls on the last week of May or the first decade of June. The best time to land is in the early afternoon. How to plant watermelons in open ground? Technologyplanting is as follows:

• Holes are dug up to a depth and diameter of up to 50 cm. Gaps of one meter are left between them. It is better to arrange the pits in a chessboard pattern.
• In each well you need to add: humus, sand, superphosphate - 5-7 l, 3 l and ¼ of a glass, respectively.
• From above, the hole is covered with loose soil to form small mounds.
• Holes are made to a depth of 10 cm, and 0.5 liters of water is poured into each.
• Seedlings are taken out of the cup, lowered into the hole, covered with earth, which is well compacted. From above, the near-stem circle of the plant is covered with a thick layer of sand.
• Seedlings are watered and covered for a while to avoid direct sunlight on the leaves, otherwise they will take a long time to rise.

Caring for seedlings in the open field

The planted plants are under stress as they are placed in a new environment. To make the acclimatization process faster, seedlings need to be looked after.

• Thinning. This procedure is carried out with the appearance of three or four leaves. Plants are thinned out, one or two are left in the hole, all the rest are removed.
• Weeding. Watermelons are very clean plants, they do not tolerate weeds. Therefore, they will often have to be fought, especially at the beginning of growth. Very soon, the seedlings will grow up, take the form of bushes, and then the frequency of weeding will be reduced. Weeds will no longer be able to harm mature plants.
• Pinching. They do itso that the lashes grow faster. Pinch curly shoots at the level of two or three upper leaves. At the same time, weakened lashes are removed. Three to five ovaries are left on each bush.
• Loosening. This procedure is carried out constantly, since watermelons prefer airy soil.

Irrigation

When planting watermelons in the ground, you need to be prepared for the fact that they will often have to be watered, otherwise they will not draw juice well. Striped berries should be watered regularly, once a week, in hot weather - twice. To do this, use a lot of water: three buckets per square meter of area. You need to moisten not only watermelon bushes, but also the free area between them. With the appearance of fruits, watering is reduced, and before harvesting it stops altogether (two weeks before).

Feeding

Plants need it already a couple of weeks after they were planted in the ground. An aqueous solution of ammonium nitrate is used as a fertilizer. One bush will require two liters. The second dressing is done when the buds begin to form. Calcium chloride, ammonium nitrate 5 g each, superphosphate - 1 g more are added under one bush.

Planting watermelons in a greenhouse

Watermelons are a thermophilic culture. In the distant past, they were grown in regions corresponding to such a climate. But now there are opportunities to get tasty fruits in cold climates. Only here they do not grow in open ground, but in greenhouses. How to plant watermelons in a greenhouse?

• First you need to plant seeds insoil boxes. Allocate a place for planting in the room to put containers with planting material.
• Then prepare the beds for planting watermelons. This is done as follows: the top layer is removed from the soil, a trench is formed. Humus, nitrogen fertilizers are poured into it and soil is poured on top.
• After that, the seedlings are transplanted into the beds (they will germinate from seeds just by this time). Landings are covered with a film of polyethylene in two layers. When to plant watermelons in a greenhouse? The optimal time for this procedure is the end of April.
• To plant sprouts, dig holes of small depth - from 10 to 11 cm. Between them leave gaps equal to 70-100 cm.
• A trellis should be installed near each hole. It is needed to tie growing stems to it, as they are curly, and they need to cling to something.
• To improve the fruiting of watermelons in the greenhouse, you need to launch bees, but not a whole swarm, but several individuals. They will pollinate the flowers.
• When the shoots begin to sprout intensively, they should be cut off immediately, but first of all they get rid of the weak and sick.
• Plants need he althy supplements as they grow, so they should be fed with mullein or chicken manure.
• A prerequisite for growing watermelons in a greenhouse is its regular airing. This should not be forgotten.

Caring for watermelons in a greenhouse

When the growing lashes begin to bloom, watermelons must be pollinated by hand, otherwise the ovaries will not form. Each lash in greenhouse conditions can withstand the load, notmore than two fruits. But if you leave only one striped berry, it will be much larger.

Watermelons are grown using a trellis. Each fruit is wrapped to avoid contact with the ground. Watermelons growing in a greenhouse are much weaker than those growing on melons. Their lashes cannot support the weight of the fruits and fall to the ground. If not wrapped, they may rot.

If a lot of side shoots have formed and they branch in the opposite direction from the support, they are cut off. Plants need to be constantly turned towards the sun, as the lashes need good lighting, otherwise the leaves and fruits will not form well.