Terms and rules for planting watermelon seedlings and care (+ step-by-step photo of sowing)

Beneficial and harmful properties of watermelon for the body

Dear readers, did you know that watermelon berries contain vitamins C, H, PP, E, and the B complex of vitamins. Watermelon fibers include iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, and magnesium.

Benefit:

• Reduces cholesterol levels;
• improves metabolism;
• quenches thirst;
• normalizes the balance of alkali and acid;
• cleanses the liver and kidneys of harmful elements;
• improves vision;
• has a rejuvenating effect;
• removes fluid (helps lose weight);
• stops age-related changes in the body;
• increases milk production in nursing mothers.

According to natural parameters, watermelon is beneficial, but chemical additives during cultivation, added during ripening, can be harmful to the body.

If the rules of transportation and storage are not followed, harmful microorganisms develop on the peel.

Harm:

• nitrates cause poisoning and decreased immunity;
• microorganisms - dysbacteriosis and infectious diseases;
• Eat in moderation if you have kidney stones.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

Wash the purchased watermelon with laundry soap, do not take cut pieces.

Watch the video about the benefits of watermelon:

Preparing watermelon seeds for planting

Watermelon can be planted through seedlings and direct sowing in open ground. But the preparation of seeds is the same in both cases. Seeds are not always bought in stores. Sometimes they are taken from a watermelon you like, bought for food. The second case is not very reliable. Firstly, like most crops, watermelon has hybrids (F1). And there is no point in taking seeds from them: the watermelon that was eaten in the summer may grow completely different. Secondly, retail chains do not always sell watermelons that are grown in the appropriate climate. Therefore, it is better to find out which varieties are zoned and buy reliable seeds in a specialized store. If you are planting a watermelon not for the first time and you take the seeds from your harvest, you need to select the largest and tastiest specimens for this purpose.

Watermelon seeds remain viable for 6–8 years.

At first, the seeds can simply be calibrated manually: they are large, so choosing the most respectable specimens will not be difficult.

Watermelon seeds are known to everyone who has ever eaten this berry.

Some hobbyists rub the nose of each seed with sandpaper, making it easier for the root to come out. When planting several specimens, this is easy to do. But in mass production, of course, no one does this.

Disinfection

To disinfect, watermelon seeds are soaked for 20–30 minutes in a dark solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of potassium permanganate per 200 ml of water). Then rinse with clean water. To increase germination, some gardeners soak seeds in solutions of growth stimulants. Actually, pickling in potassium permanganate is really necessary, since it significantly reduces the risk of diseases. And the use of growth stimulants is an optional procedure: good seeds in warm soil already sprout well.

Hardening

When growing watermelon in central Russia, it is advisable to pre-harden the seeds. After disinfection, they are transferred to a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 12–15 hours. It’s even better to wait for the seeds to peck before hardening. To do this, they are kept in a wet cloth until several seeds open and roots appear. It is with the roots that the seeds are placed in the refrigerator. But in this case, the period of “exile” should be shorter: 5–6 hours will be enough. This hardening is a good preventive measure against many diseases. Before sowing, the seeds are slightly dried.

Soak

In fact, when preparing seeds for sowing, we already soaked them in at least a solution of potassium permanganate. If you refuse disinfection and hardening, then you can avoid soaking the seeds at all and plant them dry: the watermelons will sprout. But many gardeners want this to happen a couple of days earlier, and even without treating the seeds, they still soak them in water. It is better to do this two days before planting. First, the seeds should be immersed in hot water (50°C), and after it has cooled naturally, transferred to a wet cloth and kept in it near the radiator, not allowing it to dry out. It is more convenient to do this in a Petri dish. And in the absence of such a container - in any small vessel, not completely hermetically sealed.

A Petri dish is better suited than other vessels for soaking any seeds.

The question of the need for soaking falls into the realm of “laziness.” Most manuals advise soaking almost all vegetable crops. But if everything is done “as written,” a working person will have neither strength nor time left for the rest of his life. Therefore, we often omit operations that seem unnecessary to us. The author of these lines (who lives in Saratov) has never pickled watermelon seeds or soaked them. This is not to say that we always produce good watermelons; this does not happen year after year. But, at least, this does not affect the emergence and growth of the watermelon bush.

Types and varieties of watermelon for growing on the windowsill and balcony

I will not repeat that not all varieties are suitable for home cultivation. I studied and compared the characteristics for a long time before implementing my idea. Below I will describe in the table the positive and negative features of the species.

Friends, according to the parameters, I liked the “Ultra Early” variety more; I will describe in detail how I grew a watermelon vine from seeds on the windowsill in my apartment.

Which varieties to choose

Watermelon is a plant of the southern regions; for full growth it needs a sufficient amount of heat and light; if the first is easy to provide, then short daylight hours are a problem. When growing watermelons at home, it is better to give preference to selected species that are tolerant of low light. The second point worth paying attention to is early maturity. The seed turns into a flowering, well-developed plant within a month; about two more months should pass before the fruits fully ripen. The following varieties are well suited for cultivating watermelon at home:

• A gift from the sun;
• Siberian;
• Ogonyok;
• Ultra early;
• Sugar baby.

For planting, large, even, undamaged seeds are selected that are potentially capable of producing strong seedlings.

How to properly grow watermelon in an apartment from seeds

Dear readers, ask where to start, of course, with choosing a place, seeds, container and soil.

Choosing the optimal place in the house

Dear gardeners, watermelon prefers sun and warmth; it will not grow in the shade.

I was lucky - an apartment with a window facing south, where the handsome man settled.

Yellow watermelon ripening in a basket

Selecting and preparing a pot

Watermelon roots are long and do not like transplanting. I chose a pot with a length of 50 cm and a diameter of 45 cm. I poured 2.5 cm of expanded clay onto the bottom for drainage and made 4 holes so that moisture would come from the tray; the tray was 4 cm deep.

Have you tried growing watermelon from seeds?

Not really

Soil selection

Friends, I pay special attention to the soil; watermelons grow on loose, sandy and fertile soils - I mix the planting soil in advance.

How I cook:

• I mix humus, sand, and turf in equal proportions.
• I add 5 tbsp. l. wood ash.
• I disinfect for 30 minutes. in a microwave or oven at 100 degrees.

Seed preparation

While the soil is resting, I am working on the seeds that I ordered from the online store.

1. To harden, I placed the seeds in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
2. I took it out of the refrigerator and left it in the room for 6 hours.
3. The hardening process was repeated 3 times.
4. After hardening, soaked for 20 minutes. seeds for disinfection in a pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate temperature 50 degrees).
5. Placed it between cotton pads soaked in Zircon solution (2 drops per 1 tbsp.).

Sowing rules

Friends, I planted the hatched specimens (on the 4-5th day) in a peat cup, 2 pieces each. to a depth of 2 cm. I placed the cups in a tray on the south window sill. I spilled boiling water on the peat a week before planting.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

The germination temperature of watermelon seeds is 20-25 degrees.

It's not just watermelon that grows well on the south side! See how to properly grow persimmons from seeds at home. It's not difficult at all!

Seedling care

I covered the window in front of the seedlings with tracing paper so that the young growth would not get burned. The seedlings were watered once every 2 days through a tray. 14 days passed, I removed the weak one from the 2 sprouts in the glass.

Look at the video on what to do if the seedlings have stretched out:

When to plant seedlings

After culling, I transplanted the seedlings into a pot on the 30th day. The permanent place of residence of a watermelon is a pot with a volume of 5-15 liters; the roots grow vigorously throughout the entire period. 2 days before replanting, I stopped watering so that the peat did not fall apart.

The transplanted specimens are pinched after the 6th leaf, and ovaries will appear on the side branches.

Watermelon seedlings before transplanting

Aftercare

Without proper care, growing watermelons is impossible. The plant requires appropriate watering and feeding. The taste of the berries depends directly on the soil moisture. Care is divided into four stages: watering, feeding, trimming vines and protecting from harmful insects.

Watering

When growing watermelons in open beds, drip irrigation is used. This helps to feed the plant periodically.

Watermelons require abundant but not frequent irrigation. For normal development of the bush, the soil humidity should be 75%. If the beds are on sandy soil, water the plant more often.

When the fruits begin to ripen, watering is reduced, and 10-12 days before harvesting it is completely completed.

Top dressing

The bait consists of 3 stages. In this case, you need to follow the rule - at least 2 liters of liquid fertilizer per bush:

1. A week after planting the seeds, you need to water the bushes with a solution of mullein (1:20).
2. With the active development of lashes, a second feeding with nitrogen fertilizers is performed.
3. When ovaries form, watermelons are fed with a composition of 25 g of ammonium, 15 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfur mixed in 10 liters of water. Add fertilizer to pre-made furrows located at a distance of 20 cm from the watermelons.

Trimming lashes

With a short and cold summer season, some varieties do not ripen completely. Therefore, there should be no more than 4 berries on one bush. The excess is cut off.

On a note! There are female flowers on the central vine of the bushes - they do not need to be trimmed. Only the side lashes are removed.

Pest Control

The aphid is located on the back of the leaf blade and sucks the juices from the bush. The leaves curl and dry out. To protect watermelons, you need to periodically weed the weeds. When pests appear, the bush is treated with special preparations, for example, “Iskra”.

In addition to aphids, plants are exposed to various diseases: bacteriosis, sclerotinia, rot, verdigris. Horsetail decoction is used to combat it. For 1 liter of water, 2 tsp is required. plants, the decoction is cooked over low heat for 20 minutes. In case of severe infection, the product “Kuprosat” is used.

To prevent diseases, seeds are treated with Baktofit for 2 hours before planting. If the bush has been infected, it is removed to protect healthy plants.

Caring for watermelon at home

Dear readers, I transplanted the seedlings - half the battle is done. All that remains is to bring what we started to the finish line; no difficulties are foreseen. By following the rules for caring for watermelon, taking into account negative influence factors, by autumn there will be a watermelon on the table.

Unlike watermelon seeds, pea seeds are small, which causes trouble. I told you how to dry peas at home to save them for the winter and for spring sowing. Try it, it's easy!

Illumination

Dear, do not forget, the daylight hours for watermelon ripening are 12 hours. In cloudy weather I turn on fluorescent lamps, on sunny days in the evenings I illuminate it for 4 hours from sunset.

Temperature

I monitor the temperature during the ovaries, the norm for ripening is 25-30 degrees during the day and 19 degrees at night.

Air humidity

Southern watermelon berries love a hot climate with moderate humidity of 75-80%; there is no need to spray the vines.

How often to water a pot

I water as the soil dries out, on hot days in the morning or evening. I make sure that the soil does not dry out to the bottom; a little damp is normal.

Top dressing

Dear friends, I feed young shoots in 3 stages.

Stage 1: after the formation of 3-4 leaves (I don’t count the cotyledons), I fertilize them with homemade nitrogen. Before fertilizing, I water it with settled water so as not to spoil the roots.

How I mix:

• In 1 l. I dilute 2-3 tbsp of warm water. l. used coffee grounds.
• I add 3 tbsp. l. wood ash.
• I insist 15-20 minutes.
• I pour it under the root.

Stage 2: I add potassium-phosphorus mixture after 7 days.

How I cook:

• Mix in 500 ml. warm water 2 tbsp. l. crushed eggshells with 3 tbsp. l. ash.
• I stand for 2 hours.
• I water in the morning after the soil is moistened.

Stage 3: I water it in the evening after 3 weeks with complex fertilizer for fruit plants “Kurnik”. 2-3 tbsp. l. for 500 ml.

Young rooted watermelon sprout

Pollination

Friends, at home, watermelon needs help with pollination.

How I pollinate:

1. Early in the morning, I pick a male flower without an ovary (empty flower).
2. There are more barren flowers on the bush than ovaries.
3. I apply it to a female flower with a small watermelon (ovary).
4. Pollination alone is not enough; I repeat the process 2-3 times in the morning.
5. If the pollinated ovary does not turn yellow and enlarges, pollination was successful.

Comrades, I realized that growing a watermelon is half the battle; you also need to preserve it. I spent a long time fiddling around and not in vain! Find out how to store watermelons at home so that they last until the New Year.

How often is a transplant needed?

Dear readers, watermelons do not like transplanting.

I replant an annual plant once, a peat cup with seedlings, into the main 5 liter pot with soil.

Features of care during flowering

When the first flowers appear, dear readers, it is important not to miss the moment of pollination. I described how to pollinate above in the “pollination” section.

1. After pollination, I water in the morning and evening; the slightest drying out leads to the dropping of the ovary.
2. I remove the lateral shoots of watermelon vines, leaving 2 branches with 1 ovary on each.
3. I water the bush once a week with complex fertilizer “Naturamine” 20 g. (Naturamine is a biostimulator of growth and early maturation).

Features of care during fruiting

Dear friends, when the ovary begins to grow, I pinch out the shoots. This way the nutrients go into the fruit, the watermelon will be sweet and ripen on time. To ensure that the fruits grow environmentally friendly, I do not apply fertilizer.

Features of care in winter

In winter, watermelon plants need special care.

1. Adding lighting.
2. I reduce watering to once every 3 days, watering through a tray.
3. I water it with warm water.
4. I remove the ovaries; they won’t ripen in winter.
5. I add fertilizer (1 tbsp eggshells + 1 tbsp ash + 1 tsp iodine + 500 ml water) once every 30 days.

Watermelon is undoubtedly a healthy berry, but legumes are also important for the body. I advise you to read how to freeze peas at home to preserve their medicinal properties, because they are so beneficial for the functioning of the heart.

Is your indoor watermelon bearing fruit?

Not really

Harvesting

When the fruit ripens, its stalk dries out and the rind becomes glossy and smooth. Check the ripeness of the watermelon by lightly flicking it with your fingers. If it is ripe, the sound will be dull and deep.

The weight of home-grown berries usually does not exceed 600-800 g. If the plant has enough light, watermelons will be as sweet and tasty as fruits brought from the south.

Pests and diseases of watermelon

Dear readers, viruses like sweets - watermelon berries have a lot of diseases.

To prevent fungal infections:

• monitored watering, excess moisture and cold water are harmful;
• I remove yellowed leaves;
• if it gets cold in the room, I put on a heater;
• I water it with a manganese solution once a month.

Viral diseases are spread by insects and contaminated soil:

• installed mosquito nets on the windows;
• I disinfect the soil before use (scald it or heat it in the oven);
• I hung sticky trap tapes nearby.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

It is better to prevent a disease than to fight it.

If prevention did not save the watermelon, I will tell you in detail about diseases and pests and how to get rid of them.

White rot, gray rot, black rot - 3 types of rot affect the plant from bottom to top, black rot appears on the roots.

How to get rid of:

• removed diseased areas;
• coated with paste, prepare a paste of manganese, water and chalk in the proportion of 10 parts water + 1 part manganese + 10 parts chalk;
• I spray it again with a 5% copper chloride solution;
• After 2 days I sprinkle the soil with ash.

Copperhead (Anthracnose) - This fungus produces yellow-brown spots on the leaves and black cankers on the stems and trunk.

How to treat:

• Sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture (500 ml water + 5 g Bordeaux powder);
• after 12 hours, irrigated with a cuprozan solution (100 ml of water + 80 g of cuprozan suspension);
• removed diseased leaves and stems.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that covers the green mass of the plant with a white coating.

Treatment method:

• I pick off infected leaves;
• I spray with karatan solution (25 g of karatan suspension + 100 ml of water);
• After 2 days I repeat the irrigation.

Angular spot (bacteriosis) is a viral disease; brown oily spots and sores appear on the leaves.

Method of treatment:

• Treated with fenthiuram (1 g + 5 l of water);
• removed the affected areas.

Mosaic is a virus that infects the above-ground part, growth stops, and blisters form on the foliage.

How to treat:

• Before planting, the seeds were soaked in a manganese solution for prevention;
• I remove diseased leaves;
• sprinkling with warm tobacco tincture (50 g + 2.5 liters of hot water).

Aphids are small insects that feed on plant sap.

How to get rid of:

• I infuse tobacco with ash for 12 hours in the proportion of 1.5 liters of warm water + 100 g of ash + 20 g of tobacco.
• Before irrigation, I remove insects with a damp cloth into a bowl.
• I carry out the treatment 3 times every 2 days.

You’ve learned how to fight pests, expand your knowledge, see how to properly dry gooseberries at home. There is no such thing as too much useful information, write it down in your notebook and share it with your friends.

Feeding watermelon

Watermelon does not need to be fed. But then its fruits will certainly be small. When choosing fertilizers, everyone decides for themselves whether they should be organic or chemical.

When choosing chemicals, the main thing is not to add substances in doses greater than the norm indicated on the package. This is harmful to both the plant and the owners. You can use Kemira complex mineral fertilizer.

The first feeding is carried out in cups. If you don’t have time before replanting, wait at least a week for the plant to take root and the root system to get stronger. In the first stages of development, watermelon needs to receive more nitrogen, and during the formation of the ovary - phosphorus and potassium.

Fertilize again after 3 weeks. During this period, nitrogen is not needed; they are limited to a mixture of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.

For those who are afraid to use mineral fertilizers, you can apply organic ones. They are easy to prepare yourself. To do this, collect the above-ground part of the weeds and grass mowed with a lawn mower. Place it in a jar and close the lid.

Install on the balcony or outside the apartment, because the smell during fermentation will not be very pleasant. But the resulting composition contains a sufficient amount of nitrogen and potassium. There are also organic acids that promote plant growth, and antibiotics that suppress the development of fungal diseases.

There will be little phosphorus in such fertilizer. Therefore, it is advisable to add superphosphate to the infusion, 50 g for every 10 liters of infusion.

Fertilizing with humus infusion will be useful for watermelons on the balcony. It can be purchased at the store or pre-prepared from organic waste.

Disease and pest control

If gray or brown spots appear on the leaves and stem of the watermelon, this means that a fungal disease has occurred: powdery mildew, anthracnose, fusarium. It is better to fight fungi on the balcony without using chemicals. It is recommended to spray the plants with a solution of Fitosporin.

Biofungicide for plant protection

Before planting, for prevention, the soil is watered and the plants are treated with HOM or the same Fitosporin.

Sometimes plants are affected by pests. These can be gnawing cutworms, whiteflies, melon aphids, and spider mites. To control pests, it is best to use the biological product Fitoverm.

When the watermelon grows to a decent size on your balcony and its tail begins to dry out, pick the fruits. They can be eaten immediately or stored for no longer than 2 months in a cool, dry place.

Features of growing watermelon on the balcony

On the windowsill, dear readers, the watermelon is cramped. The question arose of how to grow a watermelon on the balcony. I found out the differences in cultivation, and it turned out that the method of growing on the balcony is not particularly different from that at home. If the balcony is insulated, the watermelon will like to grow on the balcony subject to a number of conditions.

1. Install fluorescent lamps for illumination (add light in winter and in the evening).
2. Protective nets on windows are required.
3. Do not create a draft.
4. Install a heater in winter.
5. Water at room temperature.

Watch the video on how to form watermelon lashes:

Small sweet watermelons on the balcony

Flowering and fruit formation

After about two months, the indoor watermelon begins to bloom: first the male flowers appear, then the female ones (they can be distinguished by their rounded stalk). Since there are no natural pollinators indoors, fertilization can be done by simply touching flower to flower or using a soft brush. Before this, female flowers can be treated with a special stimulant.

When the watermelons begin to grow, you should select 1-2 and remove the rest. To prevent the plant from breaking under its own weight, the fruits must be placed in a net and tied to a trellis or placed on the ground, having previously placed boards under them (otherwise they may rot). For the fruit to ripen, it needs 11 leaves; it is advisable to remove all the rest, as well as the top of the vine. It takes about a month from fertilization to maturity. A ripe watermelon can be identified by its dried stalk; when tapped, it makes a ringing sound. As you can see, growing watermelons on a windowsill is not that difficult!

How to propagate indoor watermelon

Dear friends, watermelon reproduces by seeds.

1. From the ripe fruit I take the largest and densest seeds.
2. I rinse off the pulp.
3. I dry it on a sheet of paper, without sunlight in a ventilated area.
4. I store it in a paper bag until spring.
5. Before sowing, I check them for germination.

How to plant and care is described in the article above. You can buy a bag of seeds at the store.

Have you figured out how to propagate watermelon? I advise you to switch gears and read about proper storage of peas at home. The pea crop gets along well with watermelon; plant a couple of peas next to the melon vine for an experiment.

FAQ

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

Ask your question

If you have questions while reading the article, my friends will answer the frequently asked questions.

When will the watermelon fruits appear?

Ripening time depends on the variety. • Ultra-early varieties ripen in 40-45 days. • Early - 45-55 days. • Late – up to 90 days

Is the taste of indoor watermelons different from ground watermelons?

Indoor ones are sweeter than ground ones.

Why doesn't my homemade watermelon bear fruit?

Reasons for not bearing fruit. • Little sun. • Temperature is low. • Not pollinated. • Small pot. • They did not pinch in time to form female ovaries.

Features of sowing

The rapid growth of watermelon is ensured by a powerful root system. For its development, the culture requires a large supply of nutrients. Since it is quickly depleted in a limited space, spacious containers are used.

Watermelon loves good air access to the roots. Sandy loam soil has high aeration qualities. The necessary soil with a neutral reaction can be purchased at a specialized store, where it is already enriched with nutrients, or you can make it yourself. In the latter case, take 1 part of turf soil, sand, humus, and add one tenth of ground wood ash.

When preparing the soil mixture yourself, it must be disinfected. There are 3 effective ways:

On a note!

Cassettes are suitable for growing watermelon seedlings. But then an intermediate transplant will be required.

It is better to start sowing in the spring, when the level of natural light is high. In our opinion, it is worth refraining from work in the autumn-winter period, since, in addition to the need to constantly add additional light to the watermelons, it is more difficult to ensure a high temperature regime. Sequence of steps during sowing:

1. The selected containers are filled with soil.
2. Place 2-3 seeds in each.
3. Sprinkle with substrate and moisten with a spray bottle.
4. The crops are covered with glass to create greenhouse conditions - high temperatures and humidity.

The melon culture is heat-loving, which is what it owes its origin to. For seed to germinate, the soil temperature should be 15-16 °C. The optimal temperature for sprouts to appear is 25°C. With this indicator, the seedlings will be pleased with their friendly appearance after 7 days. The critical minimum at which the seed material will simply die is 10° C.

While crops are kept in a mini-greenhouse, they are regularly ventilated and watered if necessary. After germination, the glass is removed. When several true leaves develop, the crops are pulled back, leaving the strongest seedling in each container. If sowing was carried out in cassettes, after the appearance of the 3rd true leaf, the seedlings are planted in a larger container. In our opinion, there will be enough nutrients for watermelon growth and fruiting in a 10 liter container. But you should not immediately sow the crop in such containers: the soil may begin to sour, which will lead to the development of diseases.