How to water melons in a greenhouse and open ground: frequency, rules

How often do you need to water melons and what does it depend on?

The frequency and intensity of watering melons depends on what stage of growth the plant is in. Before the melons bloom, they do not need too much watering; approximately once every two days, about 3 liters of water should be poured under each bush. As soon as the period of active flowering begins, the plant requires another type of watering, in which its frequency is reduced to 2 times every 7 days, but the volume increases to 6 liters. After the flowers begin to transform into fruits, watering is carried out even less frequently, approximately once every 10 days, and more water will be required - from 10 to 12 liters for each planting. Before harvesting, watering stops altogether; this occurs within 10-14 days.

How to tell if melons need watering

There are several signs that indicate that a melon needs watering:

• seeds do not germinate;
• seedlings are weak, grow poorly and slowly;
• the bush looks stunted, the root system is weak and poorly developed;
• leaves wither, become deformed and fall off;
• too few ovaries are formed;
• The fruits are small and irregular in shape.

General subtleties of watering melons

1. To water melons, you need to use warm water, the temperature of which is not lower than 22 degrees. This will help moisture not only remain in the soil longer, but also prevent the occurrence of various putrefactive diseases.
2. At each stage of plant development, the right amount of water is used, it varies from 3 to 10 liters.
3. With the appearance of flowers on the bush, the melon is watered more often, and a smaller volume of water is used. It is recommended to stop watering in the first week after the first flowers appear; this measure will help reduce the number of empty flowers and increase the number of female flowers.
4. You need to water the melon strictly into the ground, otherwise moisture that gets on the stem will cause rot.
5. Plant leaves do not like liquid getting on them. In addition, drops of moisture in hot weather can cause burns.
6. The area for watering plants should not be limited to the area near the root collar, since there are additional small roots on the vines that also need to be moistened.

Important! Melons do not need additional watering if the weather is rainy outside. Comfortable soil moisture for melon is 70%.

Simple rules

Summarizing the information and summing up, we can derive some useful tips for beginners:

• To moisten the beds, it is better to choose early morning or evening hours, however, frequent watering in the evenings (especially for greenhouse varieties) is fraught with the development of fungi and rot.
• It is better to use settled water for irrigation, which contains fewer impurities and is heated to an optimal temperature of +20-25 ° C.
• Ice water does not satisfy the nutritional needs of plants and provokes the development of fungal infections; An increased content of chlorine and metal salts leads to crop poisoning, which significantly reduces the quantity and quality of the crop.
• The most suitable methods are the use of a drip irrigation system (over a large area) and watering from a watering can with a spray nozzle (for several melon bushes).
• It is recommended to apply water directly to the root, avoiding contact with foliage, flowers and fruits, so as not to provoke sunburn and the development of rot.
• Water consumption should be normalized and depends mainly on the stage of development of the plant and its size (varies from 1.5-3 liters to 12-18 liters per bush).
• It is important to soak the plants not only at the root, but throughout the entire root zone, since melon rhizomes occupy a large space around the bush.
• Moisture should penetrate at least 25-35 cm deep into the ground, which will saturate the entire root system.
• The pattern and frequency of moistening depend on the stage of growth (at the beginning of the growing season, watering is carried out regularly and almost daily with small portions of water; at the stage of fruit ripening, the breaks between procedures are lengthened, and the volume of moisture applied is increased).
• Prolonged rainfall may be a reason to reduce artificial irrigation; at the same time, a small, light rain that slightly wets the ground does not affect the procedure according to the schedule.
• Rare but abundant watering at the stage of fruit ripening is an opportunity to obtain more aromatic and sweet melons.
• After each moistening procedure, it is important to carefully and thoroughly loosen the root zone around each shrub, which will improve the aeration of the root system and improve the air permeability and water permeability of the soil.

Regular, proper watering is an important stage in crop care, allowing you to obtain a luxurious harvest of fragrant, juicy, ripe melons.

Water for irrigation: a little more detail

Gardeners use different sources of water for irrigation. The main condition is to maintain a temperature regime in which the liquid used should not be below 22 degrees. Therefore, water from a well or water supply without preheating is absolutely not suitable for moistening the soil. It is best to pour water into a suitable large container in advance so that it heats up. Otherwise, the plant may become overcooled, the root system will become weak, and the melons themselves may develop various types of rot.

Watering melons must be properly combined with fertilizing. These plants love fertilizers that are applied directly to the soil in the form of a solution. If the usual rate of liquid during a specific period of planting growth is 7 liters, then the amount of fertilizing that you plan to apply should be subtracted from it. As a rule, this volume is about 1 liter. It is added to the soil in the evening after the sun's activity has decreased, while it is advisable to carry out regular watering early in the morning. Such simple mathematical calculations are carried out every time before feeding the melon, which allows you to avoid waterlogging of the soil and ensure maximum absorption of nutrients from the ground.

Benefits of drip irrigation

Drip irrigation, of course, is a universal and most convenient watering system for melons. First of all, it allows you to regulate and control the amount of water supplied for irrigation each time. This is especially true for those regions where there are problems with the standards of water used.

It is also important that with drip irrigation, water only wets the soil, without affecting or disturbing the leaves and root collar of the bushes.

Attention! It is very convenient to add the required fertilizer rates to the water during drip irrigation.

In addition, automatic drip irrigation will help you not to forget about the next procedure and will save time and energy for other garden tasks.

Rules for watering melons in a greenhouse

Melons prefer to grow where the air is quite dry; they do not tolerate excess moisture. Therefore, the proximity of other crops in the greenhouse should take this condition into account. For example, it is almost impossible to grow cucumbers and melons due to their different requirements for air quality. But tomatoes, peppers or eggplants will be excellent neighbors. Once the melons are planted in the greenhouse, they do not need additional watering for several days.

In the first days after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse, they will not require watering. It should be especially intense during the period when the plant’s ovaries are forming, which is when the liquid is needed for the normal development of the future crop. But as soon as the fruits grow the size of an orange, stop watering. Otherwise, the melon will be tasteless and bland.

Important! The absence of watering during the fruit ripening phase will give the melon a subtle sweet aroma and prevent deformation of the fruit.

In a greenhouse, plants need to be watered with very warm water, the temperature of which should be in the range from 30 to 33 degrees. Only in this way will evaporation be less intense and the moisture in the soil will remain longer.

When watering melons in a greenhouse, you should carefully ensure that water does not fall directly on the plantings themselves. Overmoistening them can provoke the formation of rot. Gardeners recommend using furrow irrigation, which is dug a short distance parallel to the main row of plantings. After flowering begins, the intensity of watering should be reduced, and all containers containing water should be removed from the greenhouse so that the air is not too humidified due to strong evaporation.

Watering melons is best done in the morning or evening hours, when the sun is not so active. Gardeners consider drip irrigation the best method for moistening the soil under a melon.

Important! When growing melon in a greenhouse, you need to periodically ventilate the room so that condensation does not appear on the walls and roof.

For better growth and development of plantings, once every 7 days you need to combine watering with the application of fertilizers, which are added to the soil at the root.

If you want to get tasty and aromatic fruits, you need to maintain a clear balance in watering and fertilizing. Only the correct care procedures for these plants, regardless of the method of growing them, will allow you to reap an excellent harvest.

Site selection and preparation

Melon is a heat-loving crop, so for planting it is worth choosing bright areas that are well warmed up by the sun's rays and maximally protected from the winds. Nearby residential or outbuildings, fruit and berry bushes and trees growing nearby, as well as backstage crops like corn, sunflowers or legumes planted in 2 rows along the perimeter of the melon bed can serve as shelter from drafts.

The best predecessors for melon, from the point of view of crop rotation, are:

• cucumbers;
• onion;
• garlic;
• cabbage;
• corn;
• spices;
• winter grains;
• peas;
• beans.

Melon cannot be planted in an area where the following crops previously grew:

• pumpkin;
• tomatoes;
• carrot.

Melon does not tolerate proximity to potatoes and cucumbers, but can grow fully near turnips, basil, radishes and radishes. At the same time, the location of growing melons should be changed every year, since it is impossible to get a good harvest from the same area for two years in a row.

You can return the melon to its original place of growth without reducing its yield in the 5th year.

Melon produces a good harvest on light, medium-loamy soils with neutral acidity. It is also possible to grow the crop on saline soils, but heavy, swampy beds are unacceptable for it.

The selected area with soil favorable for melons must be prepared in the fall, adhering to the following rules:

• In the fall, dig the bed shallowly using a spade, adding humus or manure as fertilizer at the rate of 4-5 kg ​​per 1 sq. m. m. If the soil on the site is clayey, it must also be dried by adding 1/2 a bucket of river sand per 1 sq. m. m. Leave the bed in this form until spring.
• With the arrival of spring, dig up the area again, sprinkle with dry peat or dust with wood ash to speed up the melting of snow. Afterwards, the area must be covered with film or non-woven material to ensure maximum heating of the soil.
• When the surface layer of soil warms up to +13°C, perform deep loosening, adding superphosphate (40 g per 1 sq. m) and potassium salt (20 g per 1 sq. m).

Immediately before planting, re-dig the area with the application of nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 15-20 g 1 sq. m.

Rules for watering melons in open ground

Beginning gardeners may mistakenly think that melon needs abundant watering, especially on hot days. But for them, excessive soil moisture is just as dangerous as drought. If the roots do not receive enough liquid, this will have a detrimental effect on the entire planting: the leaves will begin to wither, the flowers will fall off, and the fruits will crack and become deformed.

Important! Despite the fact that melon fruits contain the lion's share of moisture, there is no need to water the plants during their formation. Otherwise, it will have a detrimental effect on the taste of the crop.

When planting a melon, you need to prepare in advance for future watering. It is planted so that the bush is on a small hillock, around which a shallow ditch is dug. This is where liquid for watering or fertilizing will be poured. Plantings need to be moistened when there is no solar activity, for example, at dawn or after sunset. It is important to avoid dripping on the leaves and trunk, as well as on the base of the stem.

Important! If the weather outside is excessively hot, then the number of waterings should be increased to 2 times a day, dividing into morning and evening.

Plant roots go deep into the soil, so a dry surface layer of soil is not an indicator of the need for watering. Therefore, before watering, you need to dig up the soil a little and remove about 10 cm. If you find wet soil there, then watering can be postponed for a while. And if the soil does not stick together into a ball, then the bed needs to be moistened.

In the south of Russia, it is more advisable to use special irrigation systems; on an industrial scale, the water is not preheated, but due to the fact that the drops enter the soil one by one and are small in size, they heat up quickly enough and do not harm the roots.

In the central regions, it is better to use another method of irrigation - dig shallow grooves and pour warm water there.

In the table we have indicated the main watering parameters for different stages of plant development

Your data is for normal temperature conditions typical for the region. But when it gets colder, rains or heat, the amount of watering needs to be adjusted.

What to water for good growth

You can water tomatoes not only with plain water, but also with nutrient solutions that have a beneficial effect on plant growth and their productivity. We are not talking about industrial fertilizers; in the collection of folk recipes there are many available means applicable for this purpose.

What did previous generations of summer residents feed on tomatoes in the era of general shortage?

Yeast

Yeasts enrich the soil with micro- and macroelements, proteins, amino acids and vitamins. As a result of the chemical reactions that occur after the addition of yeast, the soil is saturated with useful substances and oxygen, and its structure is improved.

The plants themselves increase immunity and resistance to adverse conditions, the roots become more powerful, and more ovaries and fruits appear.

You can easily notice the difference in the appearance of tomatoes watered with regular water and with yeast fertilizer.

Yeast accelerates the process of decomposition of organic matter in the soil and improves its microflora.

The mixture is easy to prepare yourself right at your summer cottage. You can use both fresh and dry yeast.

1. To prepare a standard solution, one packet of dry yeast (or 100 g of fresh) is diluted in 10 liters of lukewarm water and 1 tbsp is added. l. Sahara.
2. All components are thoroughly mixed and allowed to brew for several hours.
3. The composition turns out to be concentrated; before use, it is diluted with plain water in a ratio of 1:5.

Ash

Ash has been used as a fertilizer for cultivated plants for several hundred years. The extraordinary popularity of ash fertilizer is associated with its natural composition and good efficiency.

• Calcium plays a leading role in this type of nutrition.
• In addition, the fertilizer contains potassium orthophosphate, magnesium carbonate and sulfate, and sodium chloride.

As you can see, with the help of ash, plants receive a set of the most important elements for them.

The substance can be used in dry form, but an ash solution is more convenient to use. It is not necessary to water tomatoes with this mixture often; it is enough to apply the product 2-3 times during the growing season.

To prepare the solution, add 100 grams of ash to 1 bucket of water and leave to infuse for 5-6 hours. Use 0.5 liters of ash solution per plant.

Ammonia

Ammonia is another simple but effective fertilizer. Essentially, it is a 10% ammonium hydroxide solution in which the amount of nitrogen is 80-82%.

What is important is that the nitrogen compounds in ammonia are in an easily digestible form, unlike fertilizers such as urea, ammonium nitrate, and manure.

It is recommended to use ammonia when no growth is observed or the tomato leaves become smaller and lose their green color.

• You can water tomatoes with ammonia solution before flowering begins.
• In the future, large doses of nitrogen are undesirable for plants.

Usually, to stimulate the development of a tomato, two such feedings are enough.

Preparing the solution is very simple:

1. For 10 liters of water you need to add 2-3 tablespoons of ammonia and stir.
2. Fertilizer consumption for each bush is 1 liter.
3. 10 days after this, you can give the plants phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.

Proper watering of melons at different stages of development

Let's consider the features of watering a melon depending on the stage of its growth.

Melon in seedling stage

After emergence, seedlings of watermelons and melons should be watered frequently and sparingly. The main requirement is to prevent the soil in the pots from drying out without causing waterlogging.

The optimal soil moisture level should always be maintained within 50%. A week before transplanting into open ground, stop watering the seedlings.

Important! If it rains during the period after planting watermelon and melon seedlings, then watering is not carried out at all, and if cloudy weather without precipitation occurs, they are watered once a week.

Before transplanting into open ground, the area is moistened very generously. The humidity level should reach 90%. After 2 days, seedlings are planted.

After transplant

The first watering of plants is carried out 7 days after transplantation. It is carried out at the root using a watering can with a long “nose”. The frequency of adding water is every 2 days. Consumption per plant - 2 liters. If the soil is moist at the time of the next watering, reduce the frequency.

In the flowering stage

In the first days of flower formation, it is recommended to avoid watering. Then it is enough to irrigate the melons 1-2 times a week, pouring up to 7 liters of water under one plant. Attention! Gardeners often make the mistake during this period of watering watermelons and melons excessively. This leads to the formation of empty flowers and the falling of flowers.

Jpeg

During the formation of ovaries

Your crop has already grown and become a little stronger, but still requires additional care. At this stage, it is important to remember that you need not only to water the melon correctly, but also to carry out additional care measures. Watering rules remain unchanged compared to the previous stage. And additional care should consist of weeding weeds and loosening the soil to facilitate access of oxygen and water to the root system. As for weeds, they take away all the nutrients.

In the fruiting stage

At this stage, it is permissible to reduce watering. An already sufficiently developed root system will itself provide the plant with moisture, drawing it from the lower layers of the soil. It will be enough to water the melon once every 7 days, pouring at least 10 liters under one plant. It is very important to prevent water from getting on parts of the bush, especially the fruits, so that rot does not develop. When the fruits reach the desired size, it will be possible to stop moistening the soil altogether. Timely removal of weeds at this stage remains relevant.

Pests and diseases

Violation of melon agricultural technology in open ground leads to the plant becoming ill with various ailments, among which the most popular are:

• Fusarium . Caused by fungi, it leads to a decrease in the yield and taste of melon. It manifests itself as a sudden lightening of the leaves, which acquire a gray tint and become covered with spots. After a few days, the plant rapidly withers and dies. The plant becomes infected through the root system, and the risk of an epidemic appears when growing melon in the same area for two years in a row. To save a melon at the stage of bud formation, the plant should be treated with a concentrated solution of potassium chloride, and the affected leaves should be collected and burned. As a preventive measure, you should adhere to the following measures:
• do not plant crops in the same bed for 6-7 years;
• before sowing, soak the seeds for 5 minutes in a solution of 40% formaldehyde;
• water the beds evenly, avoiding excessive soil moisture;
• loosen irrigation furrows.
• Powdery mildew . Often it is this fungal disease that leads to the death of the plant. On its leaves, stems and vines, bluish-whitish spots appear, which over time acquire a brown tint. As a result, the leaves dry out and die, shoot growth slows down and fruit development stops. In the fight against powdery mildew, the beds need to be treated with sulfur powder at the rate of 4 g per square meter. m. Repeat the procedure every 10-12 days until 20 days remain before harvest.
• Anthracnose (verdienne) . The disease manifests itself in the form of pinkish-brown spots and holes on the leaves, fragility of the lashes, deformation and rotting of the fruits. To combat anthracnose, you need to treat the plant with Bordeaux mixture 3-4 times.
• Downy mildew . When infected with this disease, yellow-green spots form on the leaves. To get rid of them, the plant needs to be sprayed with an aqueous solution of urea (1 g per 1 liter of water).

The plant can also become ill with viral diseases like cucumber or watermelon mosaic. In this case, the affected seedlings must be destroyed, since they cannot be cured.

When grown in open ground, melons are also threatened by various parasitic insects - aphids, spider mites, wireworms, cutworms, and tobacco thrips. To repel them, young seedlings should be treated with systemic insecticides, and adults with contact preparations. Such products as Fufanon, Confidor Maxi, Actellik, Fitoverm are popular among gardeners.

Frequency and intensity of watering melons for different irrigation methods

When growing the crops in question, you can use several irrigation methods:

• manual;
• into the rows from a hose;
• drip.

Important! After each watering, be sure to loosen the soil around the plants and between the rows to evenly distribute the liquid in its lower layers.

Manual

This method is suitable for those who grow very small quantities of fruit. This is done using a bucket or watering can. Water is poured under the root. The advantage of the method is the ability to control the amount of liquid entering the soil, as well as the complete elimination of the risk of moisture getting into the sinuses of the leaves. The disadvantage of such irrigation is the impossibility of its implementation over large areas.

When watering by hand - 2-3 liters per plant before flowering, then 7 liters during the flowering phase, then - 10-12 liters at intervals of once a week.

From the hose

Water is supplied from a hose into furrows 5 cm deep, made in the central part of the row spacing. The technique allows you to supply a large amount of water to a large area in a short time. The hose can be freely connected to any container that supplies water. In addition, this technique prevents water from entering the above-ground part of the plants.

When using a hose, add as much water at a time as is needed by all plants of a particular growing season growing in a row. For example, in a row there are 20 plants that have not yet entered the flowering phase. This means you need to supply 3 liters of water for each. Accordingly, 3×20=60 liters of water are needed for each row. The amount of water in subsequent phases of the growing season is calculated in the same way (see the amount for each plant in manual watering).

Drip

Recently, instead of manual watering (with a watering can or bucket under a bush) and from a hose, summer residents have been using the drip method of irrigating melons and melons. Its advantages: saving energy, time and water consumption; the soil does not erode under the bush; water does not get on parts of the plant; Fertilizers are applied simultaneously with watering. Such systems are bought in a store or built independently, connecting hoses to each bush. Irrigation is carried out as needed. Experienced gardeners turn on the system daily, in the morning or evening, for about an hour (regardless of the growing season). This gives each plant up to 1-2 liters of water.

Did you know? Melon peel, like watermelon peel, is used in cooking. It is used to make unique side dishes for various dishes and candied fruits.

A little about melon

Melon is a popular herbaceous annual. It has powerful roots extending 40 cm into the soil. The stem of the plant is branching, creeping, about 4 m long. The fruit is a false berry, the size of which depends on the variety and growing conditions. Melon seeds germinate a week after planting. The plant produces flowers of different sexes. In greenhouse conditions it needs pinching. The fruits complete development approximately a month after setting.

It requires light and heat; the optimal air temperature for growing is 25°C during the day and 19°C at night.

Loves space. Does not tolerate damp, shaded areas and lowlands. The optimal soil for growing good melons is light loam, black soil.

Important! The crop also develops well on sandy loam soils, but it also requires more water. After all, the light structure of the soil allows moisture to evaporate quickly enough.

Thanks to its long root, the plant is able to obtain moisture from a fairly large depth, so excessive watering is not required and is even contraindicated.