How to grow melon in the garden. Five simple tips

Once upon a time, gardeners grew melon only in the southern regions of our country. However, today the picture has changed dramatically.

After the creation of new cold-resistant varieties with a short growing season, this delicious fruit is successfully ripening in the North-Western and Central regions, in Siberia, the Urals and the Far East.

Experts are still arguing about what type of melon fruit is. According to classification, it is a vegetable crop of the Pumpkin family. However, melon, like watermelon, belongs to melon plants, the fruit of which is a giant berry. Therefore, scientists classify it as a false berry.

In most regions of Russia (except for the southern ones), melon is grown through seedlings, otherwise it will not have time to fully ripen. Caring for it is quite simple, so anyone, even a beginner, amateur gardener can safely plant it in their garden.

In this article we will talk about how to properly grow melon on your site and tell you which varieties are best suited for this.

History of melon cultivation

Central and Asia Minor are considered to be the homeland of melon. It is assumed that the domestication of wild plants occurred in Northern India and the surrounding areas of Iran and Central Asia. This happened many centuries before our era. In Russia, this fruit appeared in the 15th-16th centuries.

Melon - a native of sultry Asia

Currently, melon is cultivated in almost all warm countries of the world. But it is believed that the most delicious fruits are grown in Central Asia.

Turkmenistan has celebrated the annual holiday “Turkmen Melon Day” since 1994. In Ukraine, where this culture is also loved, they hold a “Melon Fair”.

“Turkmen Melon Day” is celebrated annually in Turmenistan

When is the best time to plant in 2022?

Planting of crops that grow in abundant heat occurs during the day, in late May and early June. That is, they sow melon on the twentieth of April.

The lunar calendar will tell you when to plant the plant. He points out suitable methods for planting melon crops, paying attention to the phases of the Moon and its passage through all zodiac signs. We sow melons for seedlings in 2022, guided by favorable days for planting.

In 2022, according to the Lunar calendar, it is recommended to sow melons for seedlings:

• January 1, 5, 6, 27, 28;
• February 1, 2, 6, 7, 24 and 25;
• March 1, 4, 5, 27 and 28;
• April 1, 2, 7, 27, 28, 29;
• May 5, 25, 26.

These are the most favorable days.

Prohibited dates for sowing:

• in January - 10 and 25;
• in February - 9 and 23;
• in March - 9 and 24;
• in April - 8 and 23;
• in May - 7 and 22.

Description of the plant

Melon is an annual herbaceous plant. The round-faceted and slightly pubescent creeping stem, equipped with tendrils, grows from 1.5 to 2 m, and sometimes more. The leaves are very large, alternately arranged, and have a rounded-ovate or palmate-lobed shape. Attached to the stem with long petioles. The leaf blade also has pubescence, so it seems a little rough to the touch. Flowers and tendrils are located in the axils of the leaves.

Melon is a climbing plant reaching a length of 2 m.

The root system is powerful, because the plant comes from arid places where water is in great short supply. The branching of the root system can cover a diameter of 1 to 2 m, and the taproot penetrates up to 1.5 m in depth.

The melon fruit is called pumpkin and has a spherical or cylindrical shape. The outer shell of the fruit (exocarp) is leathery and elastic. Its color can be different - white, yellow, green or brownish, with or without stripes. The surface is also different - from absolutely smooth to rough. One plant can form from 2 to 8 fruits, the weight of which ranges from 1.5 to 10 kg.

The pulp is very juicy, aromatic, sweet. Some varieties have sugar levels as high as 20%. Medium density consistency. The color can have various shades from white to greenish (depending on the variety).

The color of melon pulp depends on the variety.

Inside the fruit is a cavity filled with seeds. There are quite a lot of them. Flat, narrow or broadly oval seeds have a white or yellowish tint. The surface of the outer cover can be glossy or matte.

Numerous seeds are hidden inside the melon.

How to distinguish male flowers from female ones

Melon is a monoecious plant. Male and female flowers can develop on it simultaneously. Melon pollen is heavy and sticky, so pollination requires helpers - bees or ants. But sometimes manual dexterity is also useful - in greenhouses or in bad weather, insects will not be able to help.

The first flowers to appear on a melon are male. Their number depends on the ripening period of the variety. In early ripening melons, flowers are formed in the axils of the 2nd or 3rd leaf, in late varieties - on the 4th or 5th. Before the first female flower appears, the melon manages to lay from 6 to 30 male flowers.

Melon flowers are divided into male and female

The difference between male and female flowers is in their structure. The male has 5 stamens on which pollen is formed. The female flower has a well-developed pistil, which forms an ovary after pollination.

Video: manual pollination of melons

Application

Melon is often used as a dessert. But the juicy pulp is good not only in its raw form, it is an excellent product for making jam, jam, melon honey, and candied amber fruits. Melon is also dried and canned.

In the Middle Ages, melon was the most popular food in Asia, especially during the long fasting period before Ramadan.

Melon is a wonderful and healthy dessert

Benefit

The healing properties of melon have been well known and widely used in medicine since the time of Avicenna.

Table: content of proteins, water, carbohydrates, fats

Nutrient composition	How much is contained in 100 g
Squirrels	0.6 g
Water	88.5 g
Carbohydrates	10.3 g
Fats	0.3 g

Melon is a low-calorie product. 100 g of pulp contains an average of 35 kcal, so the fruit is not contraindicated even for those suffering from obesity.

Melon can be called a real “first aid kit” due to the high content of various useful substances in its pulp. The peel and seeds are also actively used to prepare medicinal drinks and decoctions.

Melon can be safely called a real storehouse of nutrients.

For a long time, melon has been used as a remedy to help recover from a serious illness. The pulp stimulates the intestines and improves its microflora. Melon is useful for:

• anemia;
• atherosclerosis;
• tuberculosis;
• gout;
• scurvy;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• kidney and bladder diseases.

Used as:

• sedative;
• anti-inflammatory;
• laxative;
• diuretic.

Cosmetologists actively use the properties of melon to prepare tonic and nourishing masks. The pulp of the fruit, ground into a paste and applied to the face, will make the skin elastic, eliminate oily shine and give a delicate color. This mask should be applied regularly for a month.

But melon also has contraindications:

• should not be used by nursing mothers. In a baby, this can cause disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and painful digestion;
• It is not recommended to eat melon on an empty stomach;
• After taking melon pulp, you should not eat fermented milk products or drink cold water. This leads to indigestion;
• cannot be combined with alcohol;
• People who suffer from ulcers, diabetes or liver disease should use melon with caution.

Collection and storage of melon

Before you start harvesting melons, you should make sure that the fruits are fully ripe. To do this, you need to check the color of the pumpkin, and also examine the network of cracks that should be located on the surface of the peel. Ripe fruits, ready for harvest, can be easily separated from the vine; there is a net on their entire surface, and the pumpkin changes its color to yellow. But it should be noted that such melons are not intended for long-term storage; as a rule, they can last no more than 8 weeks. Fruits that will be stored for a long time have a medium mesh that covers only ½ of the pumpkin. Those fruits that are completely yellow and have a net on their entire surface should be immediately used for food. There are also varieties in which a net is not formed on the surface of the fruit; their degree of ripeness is judged by their color.

Keeping quality scale:

• low - these fruits are stored for no more than 14 days;
• short-lived varieties - they can be stored from 2 to 4 weeks;
• medium-life varieties - the shelf life of such melons is from 1 to 2 months;
• shelf-stable varieties - such fruits are stored for about three months;
• very shelf-stable varieties - the shelf life of these fruits is more than three months.

Late as well as mid-ripening varieties produce fruits that can be stored for about 6 months if they are provided with optimal conditions. And mid-early, early and some mid-ripening varieties cannot be stored for a long time; therefore, it is recommended not to store them, but to eat them immediately.

The fruits of late-ripening varieties, which can be stored for a long time, are selectively removed from the garden in a state of technical maturity, only after the necessary signs appear on the pumpkins. Melons should be picked with the stalk, which should reach 30 mm in length; they cannot be cut off. Fruit picking is carried out early in the morning or in the evening; during the heat of the day this cannot be done. After the pumpkin is picked, it should be left on the site for three to four days, and it should be turned over regularly every 5-6 hours. Then they are placed in storage, which should be cool (not cold), and it should also be Be sure to pre-disinfect by treating with bleach. You can also use smoke bombs to disinfect storage, which will destroy pests and all viruses. Once the room has been treated, it should remain tightly closed for several days. After this, the storage is very well ventilated, and then all structures made of wood must be whitewashed with freshly slaked lime. The fruits are placed in storage on racks, and the surface of the shelves must be covered in advance with a layer of chaff or sawdust. Fruits can also be stored hanging; for this they are placed in individual coarse mesh nets, and they are hung on a rack with crossbars. In the storage facility, the air humidity should be approximately 80 percent, with the optimal temperature being 2–3 degrees. Melons should not be stored next to apples and potatoes. Because of the potatoes, the fruits have a not very pleasant taste, and rot forms on them. And apples emit ethylene, which causes melons to ripen much faster, causing them to become overripe. Do not forget to systematically inspect the fruits, and those that show signs of spoilage must be removed.

Harvesting melons

Growing melon in seedlings

By growing melon in seedlings, you can get fragrant pumpkins a little earlier than usual. In addition, it will help gardeners in cooler regions cultivate tender crops.

How to collect seeds

The quality of seeds from unripe melons is very low; in this case, there is no hope for a good harvest. Seeds are collected only from ripe fruits:

1. The melon is cut in half and the seeds are removed.
2. Rinse under running water to get rid of pieces of pulp.
3. Allow excess moisture to drain and lay out in a thin layer on a clean cloth or paper to dry in natural conditions. To prevent the seeds from becoming moldy, leave them in a well-ventilated place.

Do not dry melon seeds in the oven.

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Collecting melon seeds is not difficult at all.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in mid or late April, depending on the climatic conditions of the region. Small pots, preferably peat ones, are used as containers. Sow 3 seeds in moistened soil. Cover with a bag and place in a bright and warm place. Germination occurs at a temperature of 20–25°C during the day, at night - not lower than 18°C.

In order for melon seeds to germinate, you need to place the pots in a bright and warm place

Seedling care

The seeds germinate quickly, and shoots appear within a week. Examine them carefully and choose the strongest one. Cut the rest at soil level. You cannot pull it out so as not to damage the root system of the remaining sprout.

Procedure:

1. To prevent the seedlings from stretching out, they need to be kept on the lightest windowsill - the southern one. If your windows face other sides, additional lighting will help. For this, fluorescent lamps are used. The main thing is that the seedlings are illuminated for at least 10–12 hours.

   To prevent seedlings from stretching out, use additional lighting

2. Watering is a mandatory stage of care. The first moistening is carried out when the seedling develops one true leaf. You only need to water with warm water, making sure that moisture does not get on the leaves and stems. Excessive moisture can lead to seedling disease. To avoid the common blackleg disease, the surface of the soil is sprinkled with dry fine sand.
3. The room where the seedlings are located must be ventilated, this will help to avoid increased humidity. But make sure that the seedlings are not exposed to a draft.
4. During the growth period, seedlings are fed only 2 times. For this purpose, complex mineral fertilizers are used. The dosage is indicated on the label.
5. After at least 3 true leaves have developed on the seedlings, pinching is carried out to encourage the plant to form side shoots.
6. A week before planting in the ground, seedlings begin to harden. To do this, day and night temperatures are gradually raised to 15–17°C and 12–15°C, respectively. Ventilation during this period lasts longer than usual.

Picking

For melon seedlings, as for all pumpkin seedlings, the picking procedure is not carried out. Seedlings do not tolerate the transplantation process very well, which is why they are grown immediately in separate containers.

Landing rules

Main tasks during landing:

• get friendly shoots, and this is a guarantee that they will develop evenly;
• provide camphor conditions for plant rooting at the initial stage of the growing season.

Gardeners often use direct sowing in open areas.

The procedure involves performing the following actions:

1. A high yield of melons depends on the planting scheme. Since thickened sowing leads to worse flowering, decreased photosynthesis, and plant resistance to disease. Therefore, when making holes up to 5 cm in depth, adhere to the optimal planting pattern of 140x70 cm.
2. Equip the holes with wood ash and humus.
3. Place 3-4 prepared seeds in each hole. At the same time, it is important to know at what distance to place them. The distance between seeds should be 3-5 cm.
4. Cover the planting material with nutritious soil and compact it lightly.
5. If the weather forecast is unfavorable, cover the bed using film.

Expect shoots after 1-1.5 weeks. As soon as sprouts appear in the hole, weak seedlings should be removed, leaving only strong specimens.

Growing melon at home

For those who like to experiment, there are no obstacles, and growing a melon on a balcony or windowsill will not be difficult. After all, everything that melons love - warmth and light - can be provided to plants at home. Varieties with small pumpkins are quite suitable for growing on a balcony or loggia:

• Ozhen (from 0.8 to 1 kg),
• Altai (from 0.8 to 1 kg),
• Lyubushka (from 0.7 to 0.8 kg),
• Tender (from 0.9 to 1.1 kg).

You can start sowing melon at home starting in March, but no later than the first days of June. To do this you need:

1. Prepare containers with a volume of at least 5–6 liters. Fill them with universal soil with neutral acidity. If possible, purchase soil “For cucumbers” in the store.
2. Sowing is done with seeds. To do this, bury the seed 3 cm into moist soil, after mixing the soil in the hole with a spoonful of ash. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked, then they will sprout a little earlier.
3. You can first grow seedlings (sow seeds in April), and then transplant them by transferring them into containers on the balcony.
4. Light- and heat-loving melon should grow in the most illuminated place.

   For home-grown melon, choose the brightest and warmest corners

5. Water the plant only with warm water, being careful not to get it on the leaves and stem. It is best to pour water along the edge of the pot. Water only after the top layer of soil has completely dried. Adjust the frequency depending on weather conditions.
6. Monitor the humidity level. If this indicator is high, the melon may be sick.
7. Try to give nitrogen-containing fertilizers before flowers form. During this period, feed azophoska - 1 tbsp. l. for 3 liters of water. 1 liter of solution is enough for one plant. During the flowering period, balcony melon prefers phosphorus-potassium fertilizing - 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 2 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. If the plant is slow in growth, pamper it with organic matter (mullein or chicken droppings), adding the prepared solution after watering.
8. Balcony culture needs a garter. But making a trellis is half the battle. A melon, unlike a cucumber, does not have tendrils and will not curl itself. Therefore, the whip needs to be wrapped around the twine and tied with cotton fabric or rope. This must be done as it grows.
9. Melon at home also requires shaping. The first pinching is done above the 5th–6th leaf. Tie the side shoot that replaces the main stem to the trellis. On hybrids, on the contrary, the main stem is not pinched, but is done on the side shoots, above the 2-3rd leaf, to avoid unnecessary thickening.
10. If you have an open balcony, then insects can handle the role of pollinators. But it’s still better to play it safe and pollinate the flowers by hand.
11. You should leave 2 to 3 fruits on the plant. They should be located at some distance from each other. To prevent the fruit from breaking the lash or breaking off, it needs to be tied up. When the fruit reaches the size of a tennis ball, it is wrapped in a net and tied to a trellis.

    Pack the ripening fruit in a net and tie it up

12. For diseases and pests, use the same preparations as when growing in open ground.

What kind of soil does melon like?

Melon is a heat- and light-loving plant that does not tolerate shading, so you need to choose the sunniest garden bed for it. The crop grows well in hot and even dry weather, but humidity above 70% is no longer very good for it. Melon has very powerful roots, penetrating up to a meter deep and extracting the necessary moisture from there. The plant, which is not very large in appearance, requires a large free space for its comfortable existence, so you cannot save on the beds. When choosing a location, it must be taken into account that the plants must be protected from northern winds. At the same time, it is better if it is a small hill where excess water does not accumulate. Moisture has a detrimental effect on melons, causing rot and fungal diseases.

Melons should be exposed to sunlight as much as possible.

Melon is very demanding regarding the chemical and fractional composition of the soil. The plant loves light soils, preferably medium loams with an acidity close to neutral. If clay predominates in the area, when digging it is necessary to add river sand (half a bucket per 1 m2). Acidic soils should be limed in advance by adding dolomite flour, chalk or slaked lime. When choosing a place in the garden, you need to remember what crops grew there before. The best predecessors are garlic, onions, legumes, cabbage, corn, and cucumbers. Melon grows poorly after carrots and tomatoes. It should not be planted after repeated cultivation of melons. They can grow in one bed for a maximum of two years in a row, after which a five-year break must be provided.

As with most vegetable plants, it is better to prepare the bed in the fall, although there will be time for this in the spring: melon is not planted very early. The area must be dug up with a shovel, adding the necessary fertilizers. For 1 m2 of bed, about a bucket of rotted manure or good compost is required. In the spring, you need to go over the bed with a cultivator, first adding superphosphate and wood ash (40 g and a half-liter jar per 1 m2, respectively). In order for the soil to ripen and warm up faster, immediately after the snow melts, you can cover the soil with plastic film.

Growing methods

There are many ways to grow a juicy dessert. From traditional ones - spread out or on a trellis, to unusual ones - in a bag or barrel.

Melon in a barrel without a bottom

This method is perfect for central Russia, where summer is not very warm. For melon, a simple barrel is not entirely convenient. There is too little space, because it is advisable not to let the lashes outside, since the temperature difference can negatively affect the harvest. And in case of bad weather, the sissy can easily be covered with film or other covering material. Therefore, sheets of iron connected together or a large container are just right.

Install such a bed in advance:

1. All remnants of vegetation are placed at the bottom of the container: branches, dry parts of plants. They will not only serve as drainage, but heat will be generated during decomposition.
2. Then fresh grass, hay, humus and fertile soil are laid on top.
3. Everything is watered with water or Baikal fertilizer, which will help the plants to rot better.
4. The structure is covered with cellophane on top and left until the beginning of May.
5. You can plant soaked seeds in the second half of April or seedlings in mid-May, but always under cover.

Video: garden melon

In the bag

This method is useful for those who grow melon on the balcony. But, if you take a larger bag, then it is quite possible to get a harvest in a small area. Of course, thin cellophane bags are not suitable as a material. You need large ones, made of durable polyethylene. Fertile universal soil is suitable for balcony culture. Don't forget to install a trellis. In a garden structure, you can fill the volume in the same way as when growing in a barrel.

Video: growing melons in bags

On a warm bed

This design is an exact copy of the barrel growing method described above. The only difference is that the box is constructed not from metal, but from boards.

Raised beds are an excellent opportunity to grow heat-loving crops

On the trellis

The method is used when growing crops on a balcony or in a greenhouse. It allows you to significantly save space and provides plants with high-quality care, which will definitely result in high yields and low disease rates.

1. The method involves the construction of a U-shaped frame - the columns are buried in the ground so that they rise 2 m above ground level, their tops are connected with planks for greater stability.
2. The distance between columns in a row is at least 2 m.
3. Then a soft wire is tied to the crossbar.
4. One end is attached to the crossbar, the lower end is lowered to the growing melon and secured to the plant.
5. Subsequently, the growing lash is carefully wrapped around the wire and tied.

When growing melons using a trellis method, you can stretch a coarse, strong mesh between the supports.

Melon grown on a trellis is easy to care for.

Spread method

This method is considered the most natural and simplest. It is used when growing sweet fruits in open ground. Planting scheme for this method: the distance between plants in a row is at least 60 cm, row spacing is 1 m. The stems of the plant should not be intertwined. To prevent the shoots from being blown away by the wind, pin them to the soil using wire staples.

Growing melons spread out - the easiest and most natural way

How to plant a melon

Competent agricultural technology for growing melons involves performing a number of sequential actions, the first of which should be the selection of the optimal timing for sowing seeds or transplanting young plants to a permanent place of growth.

An equally important task will be the correct choice of site, along with the organized preparation of seed material, not to mention compliance with the technical requirements for carrying out the planting event itself. In order not to make a mistake in your decision, you should listen to the following recommendations from experienced gardeners.

Deadlines

In the southern regions, it is practiced to sow melon seeds directly into the ground, but this option is not suitable for the middle zone, since the fruits that have set will not have time to ripen before the end of the season. For this reason, the plant is propagated only by seedlings, sowing seeds in seedling containers or a greenhouse only at the end of April.

It is possible to transplant strong seedlings into open soil only after daytime air temperatures have stabilized at +15...+20ºC, with nighttime drops to a maximum of +6ºC. To successfully adapt seedlings to new conditions, the soil must warm up to at least +10ºC.

In the middle zone, such suitable conditions are created no earlier than the month of May, therefore, planting of grown seedlings should not be done earlier than the middle, or better yet, the end of this month. Sometimes warming can occur earlier, but the problem is that the weekly warmth is often replaced by recurrent frosts, characteristic of the specified growing region.

For comparison, in the northern regions, melon seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth no earlier than the first weeks of June.

Important! Like many other plants, in the initial stages of its development, melon is very vulnerable to any adverse factors, so while it is growing slowly and is not well established, it is better to play it safe and cover the plantings with non-woven covering materials, and use more durable shelters at night.

Seed selection and preparation

There are many different varieties of melon on the modern market, so choosing the right one for you will not be a problem.

At the same time, there are a number of general rules for purchasing planting material:

• always visit only stores with a good reputation;
• check the integrity of the package with seeds and their expiration date;
• do not buy faded or wet packaging;
• Make sure of the quality of the melon seeds by asking the seller for the appropriate confirmation certificate.

If you are not sure about the appropriateness of the purchase or do not trust the points of sale of planting material, then you can prepare the seeds yourself.
True, sometimes it happens that a strong plant grown from last year’s seeds does not produce the proper harvest, since fruit ovaries simply do not form. This scenario for the development of events is also possible, therefore, for sowing this year, it is advisable to prepare melon seeds that are three or four years old, which have been stored in a dark and dry place all this time.

Seeds suitable for sowing will always be large, heavy and free from disease or pest damage. Pre-planting seed treatment is based on spraying them with boric acid (with the addition of zinc sulfate) or soaking them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, in which the seeds must remain for at least 12 hours in a row.

To ensure rapid germination of the sown crop, it is appropriate to know how to germinate melon seeds. There is nothing complicated in this process, because you just need to wrap the seeds in moistened gauze or sprinkle them with wet sawdust, leaving them in this state for 2-3 days.

Site selection and crop rotation

Melon is a southern plant, so when choosing a place to plant it, you need to select only well-lit and sun-warmed areas that are not exposed to cold wind currents. The crop has special requirements for the level of lighting, therefore, if there is not enough sunlight, it is possible to stretch out the vines, on which fruit ovaries will not form in the future.

Preparation of the site for planting begins in the fall and involves digging up the soil with a spade and then applying 3–4 kg of organic fertilizer (for example, rotted manure) per 1 m² of territory. If clay soils predominate in the selected location, it is advisable to add river sand to the substrate (0.5 buckets per 1 m²), which helps to increase its looseness.

With the arrival of spring, the bed needs to be dug up again and, if necessary, fertilized with potassium-phosphate mixtures, mixing them with soil in the proportions indicated on the packages (on average, approximately 10 g of mineral fertilizer is consumed per 1 m²). The soil ready for planting should be light, nutritious and close to neutral in acidity (pH no more than 7.0).

The best precursors for melon are considered to be clover, perennial herbaceous plants, potatoes, cabbage, onions (for turnips) and grain crops. It is undesirable to plant melon in places where watermelons, melons, cucumbers, squashes and zucchini, which have similar diseases and the same pests, grew before it.

Did you know? In Rus' they learned about melon only in the 15th century.

–
XVI century, after it was brought to the territory of the Lower Volga region from Central Asia. However, mass distribution of the crop was not observed at that time and only wealthy people grew it indoors.

Sowing pattern and depth

In order for planted melons to eventually form large and sweet fruits, it is worth leaving at least 75 cm of free space between neighboring bushes, and about 1 m between rows with plantings. When planting seeds directly into the soil, it is advisable to deepen them into a heated and prepared substrate to a depth of not more than 3 cm, after fertilizing it with 50–100 g of wood ash and watering it with water at room temperature.

When placing seeds in holes, do not skimp on planting material. By throwing 3-4 seeds into one place, you give yourself the opportunity to choose the most viable and strong plant after the young shoots appear, and weak specimens can always be removed. After covering the planted seeds with soil, place a removable film cover over them, which will only speed up the growing of melon seedlings.

In the middle zone, you can plant seedlings at home, having previously prepared small pots with a volume of 200 ml. Whether it is worth complicating the task or whether it is easier to grow a melon in the garden - each summer resident decides for himself, but in any case, one should not forget about the climatic features of the area: in late spring, it is worth spending time and starting to grow young plants at home on the windowsill.

During the entire growth period, seedlings must be kept at an air temperature of at least +16ºC and provided with good lighting.

The grown seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place of growth after 3–4 true leaves appear on it, following a pattern of 75×100 or even 60×120, if the area of ​​the bed allows. In rare cases, melons are planted in a circle, calculating the space so that one plant grows inside, and another 5-6 bushes are planted in circles.

Familiarize yourself with the benefits of consuming melon for diabetes, pancreatitis and pregnancy.

Features of growing melons in different regions

Gardeners not only from warm regions want to grow this southerner who loves the warmth of the sun. Therefore, melon is moving even to the north - to the Urals and Siberia. But each climatic region has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when growing melons.

• The most suitable conditions for cultivating a heat-loving crop can be safely called Ukraine, the southern regions of Russia (Lower Volga, North Caucasus, Krasnodar) and Crimea. Here you can safely plant seeds in open ground or seedlings. A sufficient amount of sunlight, and it needs at least 12 hours, allows you to grow various varieties, from early ripening to late: Augustine,
• Aikido,
• Alice,
• Babor,
• Victoria,
• Golden,
• Idyll,
• Miron,
• Autumn,
• Prima,
• Raymond,
• Tamanskaya,
• Southerner;

Regions located in central Russia have similar climatic conditions, but the weather there is still more capricious. Varieties suitable for growing under these conditions include:

Collective farmer,

Turkish Delight,

Roksolana,

Solar;

In the conditions of the Central region, Moscow and Leningrad regions, Belarus, melon is most often cultivated as a greenhouse or greenhouse crop. But it is also possible to grow fruits in open ground under such conditions. The key to success is a correctly selected variety, with a growing season of up to 90 days, with good resistance to cold weather, shade tolerance and resistance to fungal diseases. You need to plant already grown and hardened seedlings in the ground. The ideal variety for this climate is Princess Svetlana;

In the Urals and Siberia, it is best to grow melon in greenhouses using the seedling method. But you can take a risk and try growing it outdoors. To do this, you will have to build a warm bed in the sunniest area. To prevent the delicate plant from freezing, use a covering material, water the plant only with warm water and monitor the humidity level, preventing it from increasing. Early ripening varieties are recommended:

Altai,

Collective farmer,

Lolita,

Tender,

Dewdrop.

When growing melons in cool areas, try to place planks under the fruit to prevent the melon from rotting from moisture. Also, the fruits need to be turned to the other side from time to time.

Video: growing melon

Seed preparation

Planting melons in open ground requires the use of only high-quality seed. Seeds can be purchased at nurseries or prepared with your own hands, but you need to take material that is 3 years old.

There are several methods for preparing seed:

1. You can determine the suitability of seeds by using the method of immersing them in a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. Those that are not viable will quickly float to the surface, they must be thrown away, and those that have sunk to the bottom should be heated in hot water for 20-30 minutes.
2. Immerse the planting material for 12 hours in a composition containing boric acid and zinc sulfate. Then rinse with running water and dry.
3. Immerse the seeds in warm water, remove them from the liquid after 2 hours, and keep them at a temperature of +18°C. Then send the material to the refrigerator for 16-18 hours and return it to the heat again for 6 hours. This will increase the productivity and resistance of future plants to diseases.

According to the advice of experienced gardeners, the third method is the most suitable, especially for growing crops in cold regions.

Melon in a greenhouse

The greenhouse will help out gardeners living in cold climates. This option is also suitable for those who want to get an earlier harvest of fragrant fruits. The main task is to provide the melon with a sufficient food area, take care of a stable temperature, normal humidification and air exchange.

Small secrets of successful fruiting:

• successful cultivation will be ensured by varieties resistant to fungal diseases;
• plant the best prepared seedlings;
• do not forget that pollination is your concern, because bees do not fly in a greenhouse;
• Grow melon indoors only on a trellis.

A greenhouse is the key to a successful melon harvest in cold climates

Melon varieties for open ground

Melon varieties should be selected depending on the region in which you plan to sow the seeds.

For the southern regions and middle zone

Gardeners often give preference to the following varieties:

• Titovka . Ultra-early ripening, with a growing season of 55-70 days. The fruits have a thin skin that can be orange-yellow or pure yellow and orange. The pulp is dense and thick, white in color and richly fragrant in taste. May be subject to long-term transportation.
• Early 133 . An early ripening variety with a growing season of 60-79 days. It bears oval-rounded fruits covered with a yellow skin. The pulp is thick, dense and white, somewhat reminiscent of Titovka. The variety is highly resistant to fungal infections and withstands transportation.
• Pineapple . It is a mid-early variety with a growing season of 70-80 days. The fruits have a rounded-elongated shape, intense orange color, close to brown. The flesh is light pink, juicy and quite sweet with a slight pineapple aroma.
• Golden . A mid-season variety that produces a harvest 70-80 days after planting. The fruits are round in shape and yellow-orange in color. The pulp is white with a strong melon aroma. The variety does not grow in conditions of high humidity, but withstands diseases and weather changes with decreasing temperature.
• Collective farmer. Like Zolotistaya, it belongs to the mid-season varieties. The growing season ranges from 79 to 95 days. The fruits have a spherical shape, orange-yellow skin with a thin mesh and dense light yellow pulp. Melon gives off a delicate aroma and has a moderately sweet taste. It has high shelf life and is recyclable.
  

  All of the listed varieties produce fruits weighing from 1.5 to 2 kg.

• Blondie F 1 . Mid-season hybrid with a growing season of 80-85 days. The fruits have a round and slightly flattened shape, thin skin with a slight beige tint and aromatic white pulp. Their weight averages 400 g, but under favorable conditions it can reach 700 g.

For northern regions

Under these conditions, it is worth growing varieties that are highly resistant to low temperatures. These include:

• A sybarite's dream . An early variety with a growing season of 50-55 days. The fruits are distinguished by their original elongated shape and green striped skin. On average, the weight of one fruit is 400 g. The crispy pulp has a whitish tint, a specific honey aroma and taste. The variety has a high yield, bears fruit continuously until frost and is rarely affected by diseases.
• Cinderella . An early ripening variety with a growing season of 60 days. The fruits have a round shape, yellow skin with a convex mesh pattern and white juicy pulp with a rich aroma. The average weight of one melon reaches 1.5 kg. The variety withstands temperature changes and is highly resistant to various diseases and pest attacks. Disadvantages include short storage and poor transportability due to the excessively thin crust.
• Altai . An early ripening variety, the growing season of which is from 62 to 70 days. The fruits ripen oval-shaped with an open yellow color. The pulp is very tender and literally melts into a crisp. Can be used for recycling. The variety is characterized by high shelf life and resistance to transportation, but is easily susceptible to various diseases.
• Wintering . It belongs to late varieties with a growing season of more than 90 days and is more suitable for cultivation in the Urals. The fruits ripen, weighing up to 2.5 kg, have a yellow-green skin and a large mesh. The pulp is light green, juicy and tender. The variety is resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew, and is well transported and stored.

Many gardeners plant several varieties at once, creating a kind of varietal conveyor. Thus, it will be possible to find out which varieties produce the best harvest in specific climatic conditions and are distinguished by excellent marketability and taste.

Diseases and pests

Regardless of whether a melon is grown outdoors or indoors, it can be susceptible to various diseases if it does not receive proper care. Southern culture is not immune to the invasion of harmful insects.

Table: diseases and pests, treatment and prevention

Diseases and pests	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention
Powdery mildew	Appears as whitish spots on leaves and stems. Spreading over the surface, the spots acquire a brown color. The leaf dries out, becomes brittle, and curls up. Growth slows down, fruits become smaller and lose sugar content.	Treat melon beds with 80% sulfur powder. The norm is 4 g per 1 m2. After 20 days, you can repeat the treatment. The last procedure is carried out no later than 20 days before harvest.	Remove infected plant debris from the garden bed and burn it. Do not allow moisture to get on the leaves and stems when watering. Regulate watering and avoid excessive soil moisture.
Fusarium	The disease begins with browning of the stems and root collar. In warm weather, the leaves turn yellow and dry out. The fruits do not set, and those already formed do not grow. The plant dies very quickly - within 7-10 days.	It is almost impossible to detect the disease at an early stage. Therefore, it is best to dig up and burn the diseased plant. Treat the hole with a solution of copper sulfate.	Maintain crop rotation. Before planting, treat the seeds with a 40% formaldehyde solution for 5 minutes. Regulate watering to avoid excessive humidity.
melon aphid	Sucking insects accumulate on the underside of the leaf and feed on the sap of the plant. The leaves begin to dry, the flowers fall off. Aphids can become carriers of viral diseases that cannot be treated.	10% solution of Karbofos. 30% Actellic solution.	Water the plant only with warm water. Conduct weekly inspections to check for insects. Get rid of weeds.

Photo gallery: how to recognize diseases and pests

Powdery mildew appears as white spots

It is almost impossible to save a plant from fusarium

The melon aphid hides on the underside of the leaf

Preparing containers and soil for seedlings

Since melon has delicate roots, it is recommended to plant it in disposable cups, special containers or peat pots.

Soil for sowing seeds can be prepared independently from the following components:

• peat – 9 parts;
• sand – 1 part;
• wood ash - 1 cup per 10 liters of soil mixture.

Another soil option for growing melon seedlings:

• humus or compost;
• turf land;
• peat.

All components are taken in equal parts, sand and wood ash are added.

Before use, it is recommended to disinfect the soil mixture with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. But it is best to use a solution of special preparations Baikal-EM 1 or Fitosporin. It is very good if the substrate is prepared in the fall. Then containers with soil can be kept outside until spring, where all fungi and pest larvae will die under the influence of frost.

Problems encountered when growing melons

Sometimes inexperienced gardeners fail when growing melons. But there is nothing irreparable.

Table: problems and their solutions

Problem	How to fix it
The melon produces only male flowers and empty flowers.	The melon must be pinched above the 4-5th leaf. Female flowers are formed on the emerging side vines.
The melon blooms, but there is no ovary	This often happens when growing melons in greenhouses. Pollinating insects rarely fly there. Therefore, flowers need to be pollinated manually.
The plant's leaves are turning yellow	This can happen for several reasons: water scarcity; lack of nutrients; melons are planted too densely; melon aphid or spider mite. Carefully inspect the plants and eliminate any errors.
Spots appeared on melon leaves	When watering, try not to get water on the leaves - the sun's rays can cause burns. If pests are found, carry out treatment measures.
The fruits are cracking	When the fruits ripen, stop fertilizing and moistening the plants.
Fruits rot in the garden	Do not water the melon while it is ripening. Place a board under the fruit so that it does not lie on damp ground.

When the melon begins to ripen, stop watering and fertilizing, otherwise the fruit may crack.

Sowing time

Seeds are sown only in well-warmed soil, since seedlings should not appear before the last frost. Thus, the optimal sowing time can be determined by the melon growing region:

• Steppe zone - from late April to early May;
• Forest-steppe zone – second ten days of May;
• Polissya and Carpathian region - the third ten days of May.

Thus, for cultivation in the Forest-Steppe it is worth choosing early-ripening and mid-ripening varieties, and in Polesie and the Carpathian region - exclusively ultra-early ripening ones.

In the regions of the northern zone, melon is grown by seedlings or by sowing dry seeds in open ground. The optimal time for sowing will depend on the specific method of growing melon:

• Rassadny . Seeds are sown for seedlings in the second half of April. The seedlings are transferred to open ground 4-5 weeks from the moment of sowing. There is no need to rush into replanting, since it must be done with the arrival of stable heat.
• Dry sowing in the ground . This is carried out at the end of May, but under one condition - if during the spring the bed was covered with film or other non-woven material. When sowing, the cover is not removed. You need to make small cross-shaped slits in it for sowing.

Caring for melon seedlings

Since the planting of planting material takes place after the germination process, the wait for sprouts is not long: 7-10 days. When peaks appear, the air temperature is reduced. Monitor changes during the day and night. So during the day the air should be warmed up within +18- +20, at night – 23-25 ​​degrees.

In addition to the temperature regime, a lot of light is needed. If necessary, supplement the light with phytolamps. The light minimum is 12 hours. The lack of these conditions leads to problems with seedlings.

The most important activity remains watering. During the week (before the peaks germinate), soil moistening (by drops) and ventilation are carried out daily.

With the appearance of two leaves, along with watering, feeding with mineral fertilizers (necessarily complex) is carried out. The second application of mixtures should occur 5-7 days before transplantation.