Highly productive varieties of melons for the Moscow region - growing methods

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Growing a melon on your own plot is a tempting goal for an inquisitive summer resident. However, this idea is fraught with doubts. How will traditionally southern culture feel in the conditions of the Central region? Will it be able to form ovaries and will it have time to ripen? In fact, the technology for growing melons in the Middle Zone has long been used in practice. There are only two components to success: competent selection of varieties and correct agricultural technology. In the article we will tell you about the best varieties of melon for the Moscow region, give their characteristics and a detailed description.

Site selection and proper soil preparation

For quick rooting and good development of the plant, it is recommended to plant melons on the south side of the site. The soil should have good aeration. Sandy loam, loamy, gray forest soils and chernozems are best suited.

Harvesting melons

The acidity of the soil is neutral; cultivation on slightly alkaline soils is also allowed. Groundwater is no higher than 2-2.5 meters.

The site should have free access to sunlight and daylight. This crop grows very poorly in the shade.

Melon also does not like cold and gusty winds. Melon does not tolerate stagnant water and flooding. Therefore, it is recommended to plant it on flat plots of land.

Melon develops well and bears fruit in nutritious soils. Therefore, preliminary preparation is carried out. It is divided into two stages:

In autumn, humus is scattered around the perimeter of the designated area at a rate of 4 kg per 1 sq. m. meter.

Dig to the depth of a bayonet shovel. If the soil is heavy or clayey, sand must be added. It is evenly scattered on the ground before digging. For every square meter you need 5 kg of sand.

In early spring, spreading wood ash will help speed up the melting of snow. Its use also helps regulate soil acidity.

In April, it is recommended to water the area with warm water and cover it with film. It is pulled over special arcs with a radius of 2 m. After the frost has stopped and the soil has completely thawed, it is dug up. At the same time, 7 kg of humus and 45 g of nitrophoska per square meter are added to the soil.

You can replace humus with nitrogen fertilizers. Fresh manure can be added to the soil only in the fall; adding it in the spring is strictly prohibited. This will lead to the death of the plant.

Such preliminary soil preparation is necessary for any method of growing melon.

Further care

The melon bush needs to be shaped to achieve maximum output. To do this, pinch it as it grows, leaving 2-3 lashes. The number of fruits is also normalized; 3–5 fruit ovaries are left on one bush. They also pinch off the shoots above the fruits so that they do not draw food onto themselves.

Soil care

The row spacing and space between the bushes should be clear of weeds. Parasitic grasses suppress cultural plantings and create high humidity, which in turn attracts fungal spores.

The root system of the melon crop must be regularly saturated with oxygen. The tree trunk circle of plants is loosened to a depth of 10 cm . To protect the stems from overheating, the bushes are earthed up following the example of potatoes.

Watering

Young bushes are watered daily in small portions - 0.5 liters per bush. Water should not stagnate and should not fall on the foliage. As the bush matures, the water rate is increased, and with the onset of flowering, the interval is reduced to once every 3–5 days. Moisturizing the crop is completely avoided 2 weeks before harvesting.

Fertilizers

During the growing season, melon is fed about 3 times:

• the first - 14 days after planting, mullein infusion diluted with water (1:10);
• the second - during the flowering period, 200 g of wood ash is diluted in 10 liters of water;
• third - during the period of the beginning of fruiting, take 10 g of saltpeter, 20 g of potassium chloride, 50 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

Protection from diseases and pests

Preventive measures against diseases and insects include pre-sowing seed preparation and soil disinfection. Next, you need to observe crop rotation, clean the soil and monitor the norms of watering and fertilizing. Such a simple procedure as loosening the soil destroys the larvae of harmful insects.

Find out more about diseases and pests of melon and how to combat them.

It would be useful to get acquainted with measures to combat diseases and parasites:

1. Aphid - dangerous for foliage and stems. They destroy it using a solution of karbofos 60 g/8 l of water or by spraying with a soap solution of 100 g of grated shavings per 10 l of water.

   
   By parasitizing, the insect feeds on the juice of the green mass, this leads to curling of the leaves and their slow withering

2. Spider mite - destroys the green parts of the plant. The use of the drug “Agrovertin” is effective: 2 ml/1 liter of water, spray the entire bush.

   
   Affected melons gradually turn yellow and die

3. scoop - a gnawing insect destroys greenery, flowers and ovaries. Spraying with the drug “Decis” 1 g / 10 l of water is used against it.

4. Fusarium, gray mold — against fungi, prepare a solution from a mixture of substances: zinc sulfate 1 g, copper sulfate 2 g, urea 10 g. The mixture is diluted in 10 liters of water.

5. Powdery mildew — spray with a solution of colloidal sulfur prepared in a proportion of 100 g/10 l of water.

The most productive melon varieties for the Moscow region

In order for the melon yield to be as high as possible and the plant care to be minimal, it is necessary to choose the right crop variety.

In the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, it is better to grow early melons or mid-ripening varieties. The following types are particularly productive:

Collective farmer. Medium ripening variety. The shape of the fruit is spherical, the flesh is tender and juicy. Melon size up to 1 kg.

A pineapple. Mid-ripening oval-shaped melon. The fruits are large, weighing up to 3 kg. It tolerates transportation well and has a long shelf life.

Cossack 244. A melon variety that is classified as medium in terms of ripening and weighing up to 1.8 kg. The pulp is dense, juicy, sweet, slightly crunchy with a bright aroma.

Good harvest of melons

Tamanskaya. Early melon is oval shaped. A small mesh appears on the skin. The pulp is tender and juicy. Has high transportability. The weight of one melon does not exceed 1.3 kg.

Charlotte. Medium ripening variety. The fruits are oval, average weight 1.7 kg. The pulp is tender, orange, strong aroma, sweet taste. Suitable for fresh consumption and also used in cooking.

Ozhen. Medium ripening variety. It has high taste qualities. The average weight of the fetus is 1 kg. The pulp is tender, juicy, sweet, greenish-white in color. It has high productivity.

Golden. Mid-early variety. The fruits are round in shape, average weight is 1.9 kg. Has high tasting characteristics. The aroma is strong, the taste is sweet. The fruits can be used for preservation.

Cinderella. Early melon with high yield. The fruits are round in shape, large, the average weight of one melon is 2.1 kg. The pulp is juicy, aromatic, sweet.

New from Don. Early, highly productive variety. The pulp is sweet, crumbly, juicy. The fruits are medium size, up to 1.7 kg. The skin is dense, covered with a coarse mesh.

When choosing a melon variety for the Moscow region, you should take into account not only the ripening period, but also the branching nature of the species. It is also worth choosing varieties with high resistance to diseases and pests.

Melon varieties for the Middle Zone and beyond

Let's start from afar. All varieties can be divided into groups. Among the common ones (not only in the Middle Zone):

Cantaloupe (varieties and hybrids of the Western European Melon type): with a segmented rough surface, reticulate, thick pulp, characteristic green color on the inside of the rind, early ripening (photo below).

Among them are Blondie F1, Iroquois, Sweet Tooth and others.

Eastern European group: varieties of Russian and Ukrainian selection are included in it. Ripening dates from early to late.

The fruits are spherical, oval with a weakly defined mesh or smooth-barked, with cream, white, light yellow pulp.

Collective Farmer, Lada, Altai, Luna, Golden.

Far Eastern melon (Kassaba variety). The Mediterranean guest, living in both North Africa and Western Asia, is also grown in Europe and the USA. It has a smooth surface without mesh and sweet fruits.

Khandalyak.

Central Asian melon. These are the same Uzbek, Turkmen ones - famous throughout the world for their incredible taste and aroma, winter ones, stored for up to six months. The variety group is extensive: these are early, mid-late and winter representatives of the Khandalyak, Ameri, Ich-kzyl, Gulyabi variety types. Among the winter ones (Zard, Kulyabi), some winter specimens grow up to 20 kg and above.

This is interesting: How I earn a million a month on a melon plantation: a story from a resident of the Orenburg region.

Melon varieties, familiar and unfamiliar: description, characteristics, photos

We will also get to new hybrids, Dutch and French. In the meantime, let's look at familiar varieties: maybe we'll take a closer look.

Cantaloupe (variety)

Variety (varietal type) Cantaloupe.
Who doesn’t know it: with a retinal dense crust - its gray mesh looks like cracks, with yellow-orange honey pulp, a true melon aroma.

A name with a story. Once brought as a gift to the Pope back in the 15th century from Armenia, he liked the melon so much that a decree was issued to grow the fruit in the province of Cantaloupe.

Ripens early - early ripening, good for transportation and storage. Grown in the south. In the middle zone - in hotbeds, greenhouses. But, let's be honest, it rarely looks like true southern.

Torpedo

Torpedo.
Well known in Russia and not only is the late melon with elongated fruits resembling almond grains, with honey-colored pulp, light milky, but no less aromatic. Her homeland is Central Asia, and we are used to seeing her only in markets and supermarkets at the end of August.

Will it grow in the middle zone? It will grow, but will not mature. As an experiment, you can plant the variety in a greenhouse. Ripening can be achieved, but there is a guarantee that there will be the same size and taste.

Galia

Galia.
The sugary beauty with a yellow rind with Israeli roots is famous for its size over 2.5 kg, grown in the USA, Europe, and South America. Round, yellow-skinned - almost orange, with a fine, rough mesh - you just want to pick it up and see what's inside. And there is unexpectedly dark, slightly greenish flesh. But it has matured - very sweet, very fragrant.

The variety is unpretentious, early ripening - we see it on the shelves in early August. Is it worth growing in the Moscow region? If you have a greenhouse and the strength to endure disappointment.

Collective farmer

Collective farmer.
Don’t rush to grin: “a rarity.” Yes, the variety is pre-war - cultivated since 1939, recommended by the State Register for the North Caucasus, Siberian region, was actively cultivated in the Astrakhan region, and reached the Far East.

Spherical, not the same size, it will please you with its taste - simpler, perhaps, than its southern sisters. Its pulp is not so dense, the peel is not so strong, not mesh - but it is loved by many generations for its unpretentiousness and cold resistance. And if you provide it with all the conditions, it is suitable for long-term (relatively) storage.

Aikido

Aikido.
The early ripening (70 days) hybrid, zoned for the Middle Zone, will surprise you with its compact spherical shape and will delight you with its taste. Among the disadvantages, timely harvesting is important: it ripens quickly. And for those who like very large ones, 2 kg will seem like a minuscule amount. But this is the secret of success and a guarantee of precocity, ripening in the Moscow region! And the taste is excellent: juicy, tender, melts in your mouth.

Golden

Golden.
A mid-season variety originally from the Krasnodar region. The vegetation cycle is up to 70 days - ripens by the end of August. Characteristic features: rounded-elongated, up to 1.5-2 kg, slightly flattened shape, weakly expressed mesh on an orange-yellow crust. And, of course, tasty dense and aromatic pulp, dense, for which it is loved by the townspeople. Valued for productivity, transportability, and relatively long-term storage.

Ethiopian

Ethiopian.
Medium-late ripening - you can enjoy it only in September. But it is an excellent size - 3.5 kg, dark yellow rind with a large mesh with cracks, a green stripe - true southern: alas, not adapted for northern latitudes, grown in the southern regions of the country. The pulp is orange, with an intense aroma, honey-like pulp without exaggeration.

New best varieties of melon: fruitful and sweet

From new products of foreign selection, Dutch, French, for commercial cultivation, for sale, and for personal melons. According to reviews, the following melon varieties are good for the Moscow region:

Reimel F1

Melon variety Reimel F1 (hybrid).
From Rijk Zwaan, rounded and elongated, weighing up to 2 kg and slightly higher for greenhouses and greenhouses. It showed stable ripening, excellent taste, and relative unpretentiousness.

Raymond F1

Melon Raymond F1.
The Dutch hybrid from Nickerson Zwaan is one of the best, larger than most pineapples, incl. for the Moscow region. Early (86-90 days).

Round-elongated, yellow-green peel with a net, ripens, with good taste and minor claims to agricultural technology, tolerant of fungal diseases in cold, humid climates. It is grown in open ground (on spunbond) and indoors. Weight from 2 to 2.5 kg and slightly higher.

Ambrosia

Melon Ambrosia F1.
Cantaloupe variety, from the Burpee company. Mid-early (86-90 days). A flat-rounded beauty with a characteristic green stripe on the inside of a gray-mesh rind - the smell is truly Ambrosia. Grows in the Moscow region within 1 kg. It is valued for its rare aroma and honey taste, sweet, but not the most sugary: Brix 14. And for the fact that it grows, according to reviews, ripens, although it comes from the southern regions: it is grown in the Moscow region, Leningrad region.

Nevo (Manuela) F1

Melon Nevo F1.
An ultra-early hybrid, from pineapples from Clause, ripens 10-14 days later than the Raymond variety (up to 55-60 days). Consistently productive, unpretentious, sweet - Bix level 18. With a bright yellow, not thick rind, medium-pronounced cracks with large cells, very fleshy, tall in the cut.

Dakaro F1 (Hazera)

Dakaro F1.
An early (65-70 days) hybrid weighing about 1.5 kg in the middle zone, up to 2.5 kg or more in the southern regions. Originator Enza Zaden. The pineapple type, with bright yellow fruits with a moderately rough fine mesh, snow-white flesh and excellent taste, is valued by gourmets and grown commercially for sale. Suitable for growing indoors, on a trellis, or planted. Brix 7-13%.

And also new, sweet and productive varieties of melon:

• Bijour;
• Delano;
• Forban;
• Rikura;
• Bravoir;
• Sokkar.

Melon varieties for the Moscow region: the best, time-tested and melon growers

In the Moscow region, in the Leningrad region, they are cultivated mainly by seedlings. Melon really doesn’t like it when its roots are disturbed: it is grown without picking, grown in large containers, from where it is moved by transshipment into open ground.

You can’t delay it: after 25-30 days, the melon will be overgrown, and its delicate root will react with stress to the transplant.

What about dry sowing? It’s possible, but not necessary: ​​the percentage of similarity is lower. Plants are weaker. And most importantly, the growing season with the seedling method is reduced by a month.

Important! In greenhouses and greenhouses, melon does not like high humidity - it needs relatively dry air, less than 85%. It also does not like abundant, infrequent watering.

Planted according to the scheme 1.5-2 m between rows and 0.7-1.2 m in a row. When sowing in the ground, the planting depth is about 4-5 cm. In each hole - up to 3-4 seeds at a distance of up to 10 cm: in case of death.

The main shoot after 4 leaves is pinched to form female flowers on the side ones: like many representatives of the species, the same cucumber, there is a male ovary on the main shoot.

It is also grown on a trellis, raising the shoots vertically. It is also grafted onto other crops (pumpkin, for example). However, agricultural technology is a long story: let’s figure out the choice first.

Gold of the Scythians F1

Zlato Skifov.
High-yielding mid-early (70-80 days), originator Gavrish. Fruits – 1.2 kg, round, aromatic. The yellow peel is dense, thin, mesh. The pulp is yellow-cream, sweet.

Princess Svetlana

Princess Svetlana.
The productive melon variety is 6.3 kg/m2 variety, ripening in 105 days. The bush is long-leaved, with medium and large weakly dissected leaves. Fruit - 1.5 kg, round in shape, segmented, peel - white, smooth. The aromatic orange pulp has a dessert taste. After removal, it remains fresh for 16 days.

Babor F1

Babor F1.
Mid-late hybrid from Clause, France, long shelf life, ripening in 70-100 days. Productivity – 50 t/ha. The fruits are creamy yellow, large - up to 3 kg, with slightly wrinkled skin and sweet, dense white pulp.

Blondie F1

Productive - up to 5 kg/m2, mid-season (80-90 days), small-fruited hybrid of the Cantaloupe variety. The fruits are 950-100 g, white-green, striped, segmented, oval, with a thin peel and dark orange sweet pulp, a delicate, not particularly intense aroma (photo at the beginning of the article).

Galileo F1

Galileo F1.
Mid-season hybrid from Gavrish, bears fruit on 80-85 days. The fruits are medium-sized, 1-1.5 kg, round, with yellow, smooth, mesh skin. The pulp is thick, greenish in color, sweet.

Cinderella

Cinderella.
Early (60-70 days), variety. Oval fruits – 1.3 2 kg, light yellow, aromatic. The peel is reticulate, the sweet pulp is up to 3.5 cm thick, and contains 8-9% sugar. After picking, it is well stored for 20 days.

Marquise

A productive mid-season variety belonging to the pineapple type. Fruits – 1.2 kg, elliptical in shape. The peel is thick, dark green, mesh. The pulp is medium thick, juicy, white-green, sweet. After picking, it can be stored for about 30 days.

Melon varieties for Siberia and the Urals

Zoned, adapted for the region, with very short ripening periods. But, alas, closed ground culture: in open areas this would be a very risky undertaking. By seedling method and in a greenhouse, melon grows in Western Siberia, and in Khakassia, and on both sides of the Urals, and ripens in Yekaterinburg and often shows excellent results. It is only important to choose the variety.

Altai

Altai.
An early ripening (up to 70 days) variety from the Poisk agricultural company with compact, medium-climbing bushes and oval-shaped fruits, weighing 800-1600 g. The pulp is granular, light orange. The peel is yellow-orange, soft and smooth. They keep well until the new year.

Wintering

Late-ripening (mid-late) melon variety with a long shelf life for the Urals, for growing in film greenhouses, tunnels, greenhouses, ready for harvesting in 90 days.

Wintering.

The bush is powerful, climbing, medium-sized leaves. The fruits are yellow-green, oval, weighing about 2-2.5 kg. The peel is covered with a coarse mesh and is resistant to cracking. The light green pulp is slightly crunchy, juicy and tender, containing 8.5% sugar.

Productive – 338 c/ha, well stored – up to 3.5 months and transported.

Lesya

Lesya.
Mid-early (64-86 days) variety, characterized by friendly yield. The fruits are 2-2.5 kg, oval, yellow-orange, aromatic, with a smooth skin. Thick flesh with excellent melon flavor, buttery and tender. Tolerates transportation well. Productivity 4 kg/m2.

Melon varieties for the south

What can I say: they ripen, delight with sweetness and size, both in open ground and in greenhouses for an early harvest.

Amal F 1

Amal F1.
Favorite of melon growers: large-fruited - 2.5-3 kg, high-yielding, early hybrid from Clause. The fruits are elongated oval, creamy yellow, with a dense mesh skin. The juicy pulp is richly creamy, very aromatic, sweet – 7% sugar. Ripens well and can be transported.

• Kubanochka. Mid-ripening - 74-92 days, variety with medium-climbing bushes and oval fruits - 1.8-2.5 kg. Sweet white pulp up to 5 cm thick contains 8-11% sugar. After picking, it is well stored for 12 days.
• Honey Princess. Mid-early - 75-95 days, a variety cultivated in greenhouses and temporary shelters. Fruits – 1.5-2 kg, yellow-orange, round. The peel is yellow, mesh, the flesh is light, crispy, with a delicate sweet taste.
• Southerner. High-yielding - 12 kg/m2 or more, mid-season variety, ripening in 70-90 days. Bright yellow fruits - up to 2 kg, sweet and aromatic. The peel is mesh, the flesh is creamy and juicy.

The melon review could go on for a long time: there are hundreds of varieties, and there are thousands in the world collection. Therefore, let’s stop and wish you a pleasant viewing, the right choice of the best melon variety, and a good harvest!

How to choose seeds and prepare them for planting

The quality and volume of the harvest always depends on the condition of the planting material. Therefore, seeds for planting melons must be purchased only from specialized retail outlets.

What to pay attention to:

Manufacturer and price. It is better to purchase products from well-known manufacturers. On the modern market, melon seeds are presented in different price categories. But we must remember that high-quality planting material cannot be very cheap.

Integrity of the bag. There should be no damage: tears, punctures, signs of liquid filling.

Melon seedlings

Shelf life. Expired seeds have a low germination rate. And in some cases they may not germinate at all.

If melons are planted for the first time, it is recommended to purchase several zoned varieties. Such planting will guarantee a harvest and will allow you to choose the most suitable species for a particular area.

When independently harvesting melon seeds, you should use for planting only those seeds that have been stored for at least three years.

Before planting, special treatment of melon seeds is necessary. If they do not have a special shell, they are pickled in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then soak for 12 hours at a temperature of 20-23 degrees in a dense layer of gauze.

In this case, the gauze must be moistened every 4 hours. Afterwards, the seeds are laid out on burlap and left to germinate. When at least 5% of the seeds have hatched, they can be sown.

When growing this melon crop in the Moscow region, it is recommended to harden the planting material.

To do this, soaked, swollen melon seeds are kept at a low temperature of -3 degrees for three or two days. This increases the resistance of an adult plant to cold and promotes early fruit set.

Preliminary preparation and hardening are necessary to reject empty seeds and improve the germination of planting material.

When is the best time to plant melon?

It is possible to grow a good melon in the Moscow region in open ground only through seedlings. It is better to sow seeds for seedling material no earlier than April 15th. By this time, the daylight hours are already so long that additional lighting is not needed. In addition, if you sow the seeds earlier, then by the time they are transplanted into open ground, the seedlings will be more than a month old, and such plants take root less well.

Melon seedlings should be transplanted into the garden bed no earlier than the third ten days of May. At this time in the Moscow region there is still a high probability of sudden cold snaps and even night frosts, so the bed must be covered with film at night. To prevent the tender sprouts from freezing, plant the melon in a greenhouse made of film, which can simply be dismantled when the weather warms up.

Methods of growing melon in the Moscow region

In the middle zone, it is not always possible to grow melon in open ground. Therefore, experienced gardeners often use the following methods of growing melons in the Moscow region:

• Greenhouse
• Greenhouse
• Warm beds

Growing melon in open ground

Typically, gardeners use film greenhouses. But melons can also be grown in greenhouses made of glass, polycarbonate, or reinforced polyethylene film. These can be stationary or folding structures.

The main requirements for a melon greenhouse are a height of at least two meters and rigid trellises. Such conditions are necessary for vertical cultivation of melons.

The principle of a greenhouse is similar to a greenhouse. But these structures are low, no higher than one meter.

Therefore, they create inconvenience when caring for the plant. The covering must constantly be lifted and put back in place after excavation work has been completed.

Using warm beds to grow melons in the middle zone, you can get a good harvest in any summer season. To prepare such a bed, you should remove the fertile layer of soil and put it aside. Place heated manure in the resulting trench.

To do this, they specially break it up and form heaps 1.5-2 m high. After a few days, a pungent odor appears. This means that it can be laid in a prepared trench.

A layer of at least 30 cm. After the beds are covered with fluff lime. Norm: per square meter 1 kg of powder. Then a fertile layer of soil mixed with peat, sand and humus is laid.

Of all the growing methods, greenhouse cultivation is considered the most practical. In a small area you can get a good harvest of melon.

Under such conditions, the fruits do not grow large, but their number is significantly greater than with other methods. The consumption of fertilizers and humus is also significantly reduced.

Varieties: melon is not a friend to melon

Disappointment is what often awaits a summer resident who encroaches on a beautiful bag of seeds. After all, this variety is sugar, honey - but it grew sour and as big as a fist, and did not ripen. And there is no need to blame an unscrupulous producer, there is no need to look for flaws in agricultural technology: the southern variety will not reveal the taste and potential in the Middle Zone.

Why? They are not adapted to the climate. And - grown without seedlings.

Three mistakes of melon growers in the Middle Zone and Moscow region

• Wrong choice of variety;
• Seedless growing method;
• Errors in agricultural technology.

Regarding the seedling method - detailed instructions: Planting melon seedlings: when to plant in 2022 and how: instructions, timing.

As for agricultural technology, in short:

• The seedlings are planted in a permanent place in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
• In open ground until mid-June, it is better to keep plants under a film: warm, moist air is important.
• And there is no need to rush: the southern beauty does not tolerate cold soil.
• Minimum temperature - +15...+18 From the ground - this is so that the plants remain alive. And in order to develop the root - higher. Therefore, growing in a greenhouse is optimal.

How to grow strong and healthy melon seedlings

Regardless of the growing method, melon seeds are not planted directly into the ground. The seedlings are pre-prepared. It is sown in March. At the end of May, or better yet, in the first ten days of June, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place of growth.

To grow strong seedlings you need:

Buy pots for seedlings. It is better to use peat or paper ones, since melon does not tolerate transplantation very well. Planting a plant in a new place in these pots significantly reduces the risk of its death.

Ripening melon

Prepare a nutrient soil mixture. To do this, peat and sand are mixed in a ratio of 9:1.

For 10 liters of such soil, add a glass of wood ash, 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium phosphate. To disinfect peat, it must be steamed. You can also use ready-made soil for seedlings.

Plant the seeds. Sawdust drainage is placed at the bottom of the pots. Cover them with the prepared soil mixture and lightly pour water on top. This is necessary to compact the soil. Then the soaked seeds are deepened into containers by 2-3 cm. The pots are covered with film and kept in a warm place until the first shoots appear.

Topping. After the seeds have sprouted, the film is removed from the container and the pots are placed on the windowsills on the south side. When the sprouts enter the phase of 4-5 leaves, you need to pinch them.

Observe the light regime. If the sprouts quickly stretch upward and are pale in color, it is necessary to provide them with additional lighting. To do this, the pots are placed under a phytolamp. It should be at a level of 10 cm from the top leaf of the plant.

When growing seedlings, special attention must be paid to watering. It is carried out as necessary, but the soil should not be over-moistened. This can cause rotting of the root collar (black leg).

When watering, it is also recommended to apply fertilizing. The first time you can fertilize the sprouts in April with mullein solution.

It is prepared in a ratio of 1:10 with water. The second time the seedlings are fed before planting. To do this, you can use any complex fertilizer.

Growing melons in the field

Growing melon seedlings is not a very difficult process. By following all the basic recommendations, you can independently prepare high-quality planting material.

Expert opinion

Yulia Yurievna

I have a large garden and vegetable garden, several greenhouses. I love modern methods of cultivating plants and mulching the soil, and I share my experience.

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It is very convenient to use special plastic glasses for any varieties of melon that are cultivated in the Moscow region. They have a stable shape, drainage holes and are usually black in color. The latter quality helps retain heat in the container. Transplanting seedlings from such cups is also easy to do using the transshipment method. You just need to put a little pressure on the glass and the earthen lump will easily separate from the walls. If for some reason this does not happen, you should simply cut off the plastic. As a soil mixture for seedlings, you can take leaf and turf soil in equal proportions as a basis. Approximately half of the mass of such land should be added with humus. The mixture must be mixed and 30% of deoxidized peat of the total volume of the substrate added. If the soil is too dense, you can add a little more cultivator. They can be sand and old sawdust. You need to fill the glasses 80% with the resulting substrate, then make 1.5 cm indentations and place the seeds. We recommend pre-germinating melon seeds for the Moscow region. To do this, take a small piece of fabric made from natural fibers and moisten it with warm water. Next, melon seeds are placed on the fabric and covered with another layer of fabric. The resulting package should be placed in a warm place and moistened several times a day with warm water from a spray bottle and ventilated. When white sprouts appear, the seeds are ready to be planted. This procedure will speed up the development of seedlings and allow you to immediately discard seeds that will not germinate. It is important that the sprouts do not grow too much and do not get mixed up. Typically, germination time is 1-3 days, depending on the variety. If the tip of the sprout has darkened, the seed should not be planted. We recommend planting the seeds in stages, waiting until each one hatches. For germinated seeds, it is better to use tweezers for planting. It is important to carry out the first watering with warm water. You can add a little manganese to it to prevent blackleg. During the process of seedling growth, we recommend carrying out preventive watering with a fungicide at least once more. Melon is a very heat-loving crop. Therefore, to prevent fungus, not only correct watering is important, but also protection from the cold. For this reason, during the germination period it is necessary to ensure a temperature of about 25 degrees. Then, you should maintain it at least 18 degrees. If transplantation is carried out in open ground, it is important to first harden off the seedlings. When the temperature stabilizes, containers with seedlings should be taken out into fresh air. First, the seedlings are left for 1.5-2 hours, increasing the duration of walks over time. Dinahs must spend several nights outside before being released.

Melon varieties for open ground

In Russia, several agricultural firms are engaged in melon breeding. The most famous are “SeDeK” and “Search”. The melon breeding station of the Poisk company is located in the Volgograd region. But the SeDeKa melon plant is right in the Moscow region. It is logical to assume that the seed material from this particular manufacturer will be better adapted to the required conditions.

“SeDeKa” has a good selection of early varieties in its assortment. Comparative characteristics of the most interesting ones are presented in the table:

Melons of the “Princess” series demonstrate high adaptability to the Moscow region climate. Already in early August, the bushes have up to five full-fledged ripening pumpkins weighing 600 grams each. By this time, the leaf apparatus of plants retains “combat efficiency”.

But there are also disadvantages. Monitoring reviews of these varieties showed that, for all their attractiveness, melons from the “Princess” series are inferior in taste and aroma to Canary Honey. This variety requires a lot of effort, but the quality of its pulp is much higher. You need to be especially careful when choosing varieties for outdoor cultivation. Even adapted plants will require shelter if the temperature drops below +15⁰C.

The ripening crop must be protected from birds and rodents. You can use ultrasonic repellers or simply wrap each pumpkin in agrospan.

Growing seedlings

Melon seedlings 30 days after germination, optimal size for planting

In the Moscow region, it is possible to grow melon only through seedlings, followed by planting in open ground. Planting melon seeds for seedlings begins after April 15, when the daylight hours are already long enough and the plants do not require additional lighting.

This should not be done earlier: plants that are too large and older than one month do not take root well in the soil. But you should choose the sunniest window in the apartment for pots with melon sprouts. Ideally, this should be an insulated glazed balcony.

Separate pots are used to grow seedlings so as not to damage the root system when transplanting. To make the seeds germinate faster, they are soaked or germinated in gauze. The pots should be placed at such a distance that the plants do not touch each other with their leaves. The optimal temperature in the room is + 20-25 0C during the day, and 18-20 0C at night.

7-10 days before planting, the seedlings are hardened off, ventilation is increased and the day and night temperatures are lowered by 5 0C. During the growth period, seedlings need to be fed twice with a complex of mineral fertilizers. Seedlings are planted in the ground about a month after germination, when each plant already has 3-5 leaves.

Planting seedlings in the ground

It is important to know: melon has a growth characteristic. Female flowers on melon plants first form on the side shoots and then on the main shoot. Therefore, it is recommended to pinch the top over the 3-5th leaf. This can be done during the period of seedling growth.