When to plant watermelon seedlings in 2022

Watermelon is a melon crop that can be grown in any region of the country. Watermelon seedlings are a task that not every knowledgeable gardener can handle. If you know the rules for growing and caring for the fruit, then there will be no special problems with growing it.

When you know all the intricacies of planting: the choice of soil, the date of planting the fruit, weather conditions, you will grow a good harvest without much effort.

Advantages of the seedling method

The emphasis of this method is that when planting seedlings in this way, they will be stronger. The seedling method allows you to grow young seedlings at home, and then transplant them into a place that you have prepared for growing melons.

Seedlings grown using the seedling method have early ripening, they have more stable immunity and thus can resist diseases and viruses

Secrets of growing square watermelons

Square watermelons have only one practical advantage - they are more convenient to store and transport. There is not much point in growing cube fruits. Perhaps the desire to grow a fruit of an exotic shape.

What you need to grow square fruits:

cubic transparent plastic containers;
the diagonals of the cube's faces should be slightly larger than the expected diameter of the fruit;
the cubes are reusable, collapsible, in one side there is a hole for escape measuring 3-4 cm;
there are many holes in the edges for ventilation;
a fruit the size of an apple is placed in a transparent cube.

This technology allows you to grow fruit of any shape, for example pyramidal.

Favorable days for planting watermelons in 2022

To determine the watermelon planting date in 2022, you need to consider some factors:

region;
melon variety;
weather.

When to plant watermelon seedlings in 2022? Sowing of the crop must be done in March and April.

Most accurate dates:

March 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 30, 31 - these days are best to plant greenhouse varieties.
April 1, 2, 8, 19, 27 – on these dates you can plant varieties that grow well in open ground.
In May, until the 11th, you can plant all the seedlings in open ground.
In June, you can plant completely different varieties of watermelons.

Unfavorable days for planting melons and melons in 2022

April from 9 to 11, as well as April 23, 24.
In May, it is better not to plant on the 12th, 13th, 20th and 21st.
There are quite a lot of unfavorable days in June - 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 30.

The optimal age of watermelon seedlings for planting in the ground is 25-35 days.
Now you know when to plant watermelon seedlings.

Watermelon planting time according to the lunar calendar for 2020

In order for the plant to grow and develop well, it is important not only to prepare the soil, but also to choose the right time for planting. Vegetable growers often resort to the lunar calendar. Favorable dates for 2020:

Planting on March 3, 10 and 11 will have the most positive effect on the growth of melons;
in April, favorable times for planting seedlings are the 9th, 15th and 23rd;
in May, it is recommended to plant watermelons on the 13th, 14th and 20th;
planting garden crops is undesirable on new and full moon days: April 8 and 25,
May 7 and 22.

The best varieties for forcing seedlings

The choice of varieties must be approached with great responsibility. It is important to understand which variety is suitable for your region of residence. When purchasing varieties, pay attention to the timing of early ripening, resistance and disease tolerance, and other indicators.

In this article we will talk about those varieties that can be planted in central Russia.

"Crimson Sweet." A fairly common type of berry. The ripening period of this species reaches up to 80 days after planting in the ground. This variety can bear fruit even in drought. Planting of the crop occurs in May, and harvesting occurs at the end of August and beginning of September. The berry peel itself is smooth, has shades of green, and is usually oblong in shape. The weight of the melon crop can vary from 5 to 12 kilograms if it grows in favorable conditions. The pulp of the berry itself is dense. When you cut a watermelon, its sides burst, which indicates its ripeness. taste honey, sweet.

"Spark." The ripening period of this fruit reaches from 75 to 87 days. It is recommended to plant in open ground when there is no threat of frost. The berry has a spherical shape and barely noticeable green stripes. The weight of the fetus is on average 2 kilograms. The pulp is orange in color, grainy, and juicy in taste.

"Siberian Lights" The fruits of this berry have a round shape. This crop is grown in open ground and greenhouses on light soil. This variety is sown in open ground at the end of May. Seedlings can be planted at the end of April, beginning of May. At the age of 30 - 35 days, they can be planted in open ground, when frosts no longer occur. The weight of the berry reaches 5 kilograms. Juicy, aromatic taste. With good care, you will get an excellent harvest.

"Ultra-early". This species differs from other species in that it is quite unpretentious and resistant to weather conditions. From sowing to harvest, development takes about 80 days. It has one more difference from other varieties: it is a fairly compact plant with a small number of side shoots. The fruit is round in shape with dark green stripes. The weight of the fetus reaches up to 5 kilograms. The middle of the berry is juicy and tender.

"Peasant". The fruit is planted in May. The ripening period of melons is about 10 days. It has an oval shape with a smooth surface and thick bark. The pulp is quite dense, granular – sugary and sweet. The weight of the berries varies from 5 to 8 kilograms.

"Emperor's Hat" The ripening period for melons is from 95 to 100 days for open ground. The advantages of this product: transportable, disease-resistant, can be stored for quite a long time. It has a juicy taste. The pulp is grainy. The weight of the fetus reaches 10 kilograms. This variety has an oval shape with black stripes.

Soil selection

Although all melons are picky about soil, choosing suitable soil for a watermelon is not difficult. These plants are indifferent to the amount of humus. Because of this feature, seeds can be germinated in sandy and sandy loam soils. If heavier soil is used, it must be loosened, otherwise the germination rate of the seed will decrease. Alkaline soil is absolutely not suitable for watermelon. You also need to pay attention to pH indicators: they should be within 6-8.5 units.

Suitable container

Watermelons do not like picking and take a long time to adapt to a new place after transplantation. Therefore, the life of a plant in the garden depends on the container in which the seedlings were prepared. It is better to choose peat or paper cups. Such a container does not have to be removed before moving the shoots into open ground. The roots will easily overcome such a barrier and strengthen themselves in the ground. The depth of such containers should not exceed 10 cm.

Peat tablets are not suitable for germinating watermelon seeds, because... they do not contain nutrients.

Seed selection

This stage of preparation must be approached with all responsibility, since the further outcome of all your work and efforts depends on it. A wide range of products allows you to choose exactly those varieties that are best suited to your climate.

What differences between watermelons can be:

Variety;
Immunity;
Rate of ripening;
Resistance to various diseases.

It is recommended to choose hybrid seeds for planting, as they are the most resistant to weather conditions and unfavorable factors that may be present in the external environment

What varieties of watermelons should be planted in different regions?

For Siberia and the Urals:

Cinderella;
Siberian;
Siberian lights;
Sugar Baby;
Ultra early;
Astrakhan.

For the Moscow region:

Crimson Suite;
Skorik;
Light;
Top Gun;
Chill;
Sugar baby.

For Ukraine and southern Russia:

Producer;
Light;
Top Gun F1;
Sugar Baby;
Skorik;
A gift from the sun;
Astrakhan.

For Bashkiria and the middle zone:

Watermelon is chilly;
Charleston Gray;
Light;
Photon;
Spring;
Leader;
Suga Baby.

Where to buy seeds:

Pre-sowing seed preparation

Before buying varieties, you need to pay attention to the packaging and study it carefully. In central Russia, the melon crop must have time to ripen before the onset of autumn cold weather. The bag of seeds must indicate in how many days the crop will sprout.

If 80 - 90 days, feel free to buy this variety, as they will sprout without unexpected surprises.

You should also pay attention to the expiration date of the seeds; it is better to buy fresh seeds that were prepared no more than three years ago.

Planting watermelon seeds in the regions: features, recommendations

If you decide to plant watermelon seeds, then consider the characteristics of your region. As we said earlier, the culture is thermophilic and requires a temperature of +16 degrees. Moreover, the specifics of care also differ depending on the region. For example, it is much more difficult to grow watermelons in Siberia because temperatures there are much lower than in southern Russia.

Central Russia

In this part of the country, watermelons are grown exclusively through the planting of seedlings. To avoid having to transplant seedlings from a container to a garden bed, it is recommended to use peat pots. The optimal time for moving to open ground is the end of spring. Gardeners also often place the crop in a greenhouse. There the seedlings will feel great in early May. At the same time, it is not recommended to plant seeds in open ground, because this can happen in some seasons. In the middle zone, Ogonyok, Skorik and Sibiryak take root best.

Moscow region

The Moscow region also belongs to the Middle Zone, but it is worth highlighting separately, since there are certain risks of growing crops. Here, a normal harvest can also be obtained exclusively through seedlings. It is not recommended to start doing this before mid-April. Gardeners often create special areas, fill them with organic fertilizers, cover them with black film and cut holes in it. The last time the seedlings are planted. Regardless of how you plant the crop, it is advisable to cover the beds with non-woven material. Watermelons will not be large, but only 2-3 kilograms in weight, but the taste turns out to be quite good.

Belarus

Here the climate is milder. Usually in winter there are no sudden changes in temperature, and they do not drop to high values. In addition, spring begins earlier. However, even here it is optimal to grow watermelons only through seedlings, which move to the garden bed only at the beginning of summer. It is also important to use covering material. Without it, productivity is greatly reduced.

Gardeners in the Gomel region, for example, sow watermelons immediately in open ground. But at first they always grow it under film. They also wait until the earth warms up to at least 12-14 degrees. As soon as the culture produces its first shoots, the film is immediately removed.

Chernozemie

In this region of Russia, the climate is considered transitional between the southern and middle zones. In these regions, both seeds and seedlings planted in open ground will do well. Most cultivation is carried out without the help of greenhouses. If you plan to immediately sow seeds in the ground, then the ideal time is the beginning of May. But frost is still possible, so do not forget to cover the crops with film.

Typically, watermelons are sown immediately after planting potatoes in the remaining space. In the Black Earth Region, summers are usually hot, and therefore the berries here grow large and very sweet. To obtain an ideal result, watering stops completely from mid-June. Usually watermelons have enough water that falls during the rains.

Ural

As a rule, summer in the Urals does not last long and is cold. Because of this, watermelons simply do not have time to ripen. Accordingly, planting seeds in open ground will not bring a harvest. Be sure to plant seedlings in the spring, and when they grow up, they move to the greenhouse. If you want to grow without it, then this is only possible in the case of early ripening varieties, since the warm season usually lasts no more than 70 days. Ogonyok, Skorik, Sugar Baby grow well in the Ural regions. The crop is sown in mid-April, and already at the beginning of summer the finished seedlings are moved under temporary shelter.

Calibration

The germination of seeds and the further development of young plants depend on this procedure. This issue must be approached with full responsibility. It is necessary to select the strongest and most viable seeds.

How to do it? Create a saline solution: pour 1 liter of water and add 50 grams of salt to a glass of water. Mix everything well. Empty and smaller seeds will float to the surface, while the best ones will remain at the bottom of the glass. These are the ones we need.

Selected seeds can simply be dried. Stronger seedlings develop better, thereby destroying poorer and smaller seedlings. When you size the seeds, they grow more uniformly and abundantly.

There is another option for sizing seeds: simply scatter all available seeds on the surface and manually select large and powerful seeds. Everything is simple here: large seeds have more nutrients, which will further affect the growth and harvest of your crop.

After what crops and next to what can a watermelon be planted?

To sow seeds in open ground, you need to select an area where vegetables from the legume, cruciferous, nightshade, onion, or root vegetables families used to grow. You can also plant after: corn, sunflowers, greens or green manure.

Greens and early varieties or crops are planted next to the melons, which will have time to grow before the watermelon harvest. And if you plant tall plants - sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes, corn, this will protect the melon from strong winds and sun.

It is not recommended to plant: melons and cucumbers, as they can cross-pollinate, especially melons.

Warming up and soaking

It is important to understand how this stage is useful.
When you heat and soak the seeds, the speed of biochemical reactions in the cells increases sharply, which leads to a rapid increase in seed germination. Female flowers also develop much faster thanks to this procedure. Step by step steps:

The seeds must be soaked in water for several hours. You can place them in some special bag. The water should be 50 -60 degrees, no more and no less.
Next, you should place this bag in potassium permanganate for 25 - 30 minutes. This point will help kill all the “infection” of your crop.
After soaking in the solution, remove the bag from the water and let all the liquid drain. All seeds are removed and placed on paper or a sandy surface to dry. Leave for about several days (two or three) until sprouts appear. Be sure to leave the seeds in a warm room. Make sure the temperature is room temperature.

Sprouted watermelon seeds

If you purchased seeds in a store, you do not need to go through all these stages of work, but can immediately plant them in the ground.

In order for your plants to be adamant to temperature changes, stable and unshakable, it is necessary to carry out the hardening stage. It is also useful because after hardening, the harvest will be more abundant and larger.

Transplantation into open soil

Watermelon has a large root system. Therefore, if you took a transparent plastic pot for planting, you can see white roots that spread throughout the soil in the container. Soft pots can be carefully cut, but from hard ones you will have to carefully remove the soil yourself.

The age that seedlings must reach for planting in the ground is 25-40 days, when developed leaves have grown and the stem of the plant has become strong, the watermelon can be replanted. To do this, you need to dig holes that are 1.5-2 times larger than the pot where the seeds grew. Place a clod of earth with seedlings in the middle of such a hole and, without damaging the roots, cover it with humus or soil. At the end of the procedure, pour in plenty of water.

On a note! If you planted seedlings in one container, you will have to resort to picking the seedlings. Do this very carefully so as not to damage the root. The seedlings will have to be thrown out if the main root is damaged.

Hardening

This method can usually be used in different ways. Everyone chooses the necessary option for themselves.

1 hardening option. Temperature drop. The swollen seeds can be placed in the refrigerator or room where the temperature is not higher than 0 degrees. Place for several hours, stirring occasionally. If you do all this in the spring, then you can immerse the seeds in the snow for several hours.

Don’t forget to put them in some kind of bag before immersing the seeds in the snow.

Hardening option 2. Variable temperature. Swollen seeds can also be placed either in the refrigerator or in a room where the temperature is below 6 degrees. The need for exposure in this room is about 6 hours. Next, you should leave this bag of seeds in a room where the air temperature reaches 18 - 20 degrees. The time period is 6 hours. It is necessary to repeat the procedure several times (preferably 3 times).

Before sowing, it is advisable to dry the seeds a little

Thus, it becomes clear that planting watermelon seeds for seedlings takes more than one day. The process is quite labor-intensive.

Sowing seeds

Before sowing watermelons for seedlings, seeds can be germinated by placing them in a thin layer on damp toilet paper or gauze for 24-36 hours at a temperature of 26-28 °C. It is better to germinate the seeds, then we know how many plants can grow, how many pots need to be prepared. It is better to soak the seeds in water with the addition of fungicides to prevent contamination of the seeds during germination.
Soil is poured into the pots. It is advisable to keep the soil in the room for a day before sowing so that it warms up. The substrate is leveled, watered, and allowed to settle.
1 watermelon seed is planted in each pot. If you sow 2 seeds, then after germination the weak sprout will have to be removed. Sowing depth: 1-2 cm. Sprinkle the seed on top with a layer of soil sifted through a sieve or mixed with sand.
We irrigate the soil with a spray bottle. Cover with film and place on a sunny, warm windowsill. The temperature in the room should not be lower than 22 degrees Celsius; at temperatures below 20 degrees, watermelons do not germinate. Adult seedlings can withstand lower temperatures, but seedlings cannot.
Every day you need to remove the film, wipe off the condensation that has accumulated on it, ventilate the soil so that it does not bloom, and irrigate with water if necessary.

The minimum temperature for germination of watermelon seeds is 20 °C, the optimal temperature is 28-30 °C. In such conditions, seedlings appear in 7-10 days. At a temperature of 30-35 °C, seeds germinate in 5-6 days.

Selecting a landing container

For subsequent transplantation of sprouts into the ground or greenhouse, you need to be careful and remember that when choosing a container, you can damage the roots when you remove the sprout from the container. Many people simply use plastic pots. Many people also choose peat and paper cups.

The advantage of cups is that you don’t have to pull out the plant before planting it in the ground. The roots of the plant will very easily and quickly cope with this obstacle and establish themselves in the way they need in the ground.

It is important to know that the depth of the cups should not be more than 10 centimeters

Possible problems

Problems after planting a seed and the formation of seedlings are rare and only due to non-compliance with care standards and recommendations. This includes not only the appearance of diseases or pests, but moments of growth and development.

Seeds cannot shed their shells

If watermelon seeds cannot shed their shell, this indicates their underdevelopment.

To help the crop free itself from it, the following procedure is carried out: throughout the day, additionally moisten the seed 3-5 times. Pulling off dry or wet skin is prohibited.

Uneven shoots

Uneven seedlings indicate improper lighting. Not all sprouts have enough of it. Therefore, care must be taken with increased attention to the conditions of detention.

To do this, check the shading and the duration of full illumination (at least 12 hours).

The seedlings died

When asked what to do if the seedlings are dead and the stems at the base have darkened, good advice can be given: follow the watering rules. This problem only occurs when the soil is over-moistened.

Provided that there are several watermelon seeds in one container, then the problematic sprouts are removed, and healthy ones are treated with a disinfectant or potassium permanganate (weak solution).

The seedlings stretched out

If watermelon seedlings stretch out, it means that watering and temperature standards have not been met.

To avoid problems of this kind on cloudy days, the recommended temperature is lowered by 2-3 degrees. Humidity is normalized and watering is reduced.

Traditional cultivation of watermelon seedlings

There are no particular difficulties in growing. Let's take a closer look.

It is necessary to properly prepare the soil for growing. Here you can make the proportions 0.5 parts humus, 1 part sawdust and 1 part turf soil. Everything needs to be mixed thoroughly and well.
Capacity. Choose separate pots so that the roots of the plants are not damaged when transplanting into the ground. The best option for pots is 10 cm.
Proceed directly to landing. First, fill the already prepared soil halfway, then plant the seeds 4 - 5 centimeters deep (1 or 2 is possible). Next, cover with the remaining soil. Important! Don't forget to moisten the soil before sowing. In the future, make holes with any stick or you can use a simple pencil.

The pot must be covered with regular cling film and left for 35 - 40 days. Should be kept indoors at room temperature

How to sow watermelon seeds for seedlings

In order to properly plant watermelon seeds for seedlings at home, you need to know not only the scheme of the event itself, but also the features, technology and tricks of all preparatory activities, which include preparing the land, seeding material, and containers.

Seed selection and preparation

If you want to grow watermelons not in the south, that is, in the middle zone, Siberia, the Urals, Leningrad region, then you need to choose early ripening zoned varieties that have a short growing season - 70-90 days. Otherwise, the watermelons simply won’t have time to ripen and you won’t get a harvest. For example, good varieties are “Ogonyok”, “Producer”, “Kholodok”, “Gift of the Sun”, “Sugar Baby”, “Crimson Sweet”, “Skorik”, “Photon”.

Advice! It is recommended to choose hybrid seeds for planting because they are the most resistant to adverse environmental factors.

To plant watermelon seedlings, it is recommended to use seeds at the age of 2-3 years , it is on them that female flowers are formed, from which the fruits will form (male flowers will grow from young seed).

It is recommended to prepare seeds before planting seedlings at home. First of all, you should check them for viability:

To do this, fill a glass with warm water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of table salt.

Place the seeds in water.

Stir lightly with a spoon and leave for 10 minutes.

Seeds that have sunk to the bottom can be planted, but those that remain floating on the surface are not viable and most likely will not sprout, although you can try.
Specimens that have settled to the bottom must be washed under running water and dried before planting.

The next stage of preparation is heating the seeds in warm water , which will stimulate the formation of female flowers in future plants. To do this, you need to immerse the seeds in hot water (temperature 60 degrees) for 2-3 hours. It is convenient to first immerse them in a gauze or fabric bag and then lower it into the water.

After warming up, it is recommended to disinfect the seeds . To do this, immerse the seeds (again, you can do this in a bag) in a dark solution of potassium permanganate (soak for 30 minutes) or Fitosporin-M (according to the instructions). But seeding material can be disinfected using any other fungicide suitable for treating seeds.

After the above manipulations of preparing watermelon seeds for planting, it is recommended to carry out germination, which will significantly speed up the emergence of seedlings:

To do this, you need to place the seeds on a damp cloth or gauze, previously folded in several layers.

Cover the seeds with another piece of material.

Place the whole thing in a plastic bag.

Place in a warm place where the temperature is maintained at 22-25 degrees Celsius. And then check every day to see if the seeds have sprouted. When they sprout, you need to sow them.
If after 7 days some specimens do not hatch, then there is no point in planting them; they will not germinate in the ground either. You can safely reject them.

By the way! An excellent way to prepare seeds is to soak them in a solution of a growth stimulant drug, for example, Zircon, Energen, Epin-Extra. Manipulation will improve germination.

Soil preparation

To sow this crop, you can use special soil for pumpkin (melons) , the packaging may say “For cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, melon, watermelon.”

You can make suitable soil for growing melon seedlings with your own hands, for example, from the following ingredients:

turf land (1 part);
humus (2 parts);
river sand (2 parts);

Advice! Watermelons love sandy soils, so it is recommended to add this component to the substrate before planting!

You can also make a soil mixture for planting this crop from the following components:

humus (0.5 parts);
sawdust (1 part);
lowland peat (3 parts).

You can make soil with the following composition:

garden soil (2 parts);
river sand (1 part);
humus (1 part).

Selecting a landing container

To grow watermelon seedlings at home, it is extremely important to initially choose the right container in order to subsequently avoid picking and when planting plants in open ground to avoid injury to the root system.

The ideal option for planting is individual peat or plastic cups, pots , cut bottles that have a diameter of about 10 centimeters, a volume of 500 milliliters or more (ideally 1 liter). You can also plant in cardboard containers for kefir and milk.

The container must have drainage holes , with the exception of peat pots, which already allow moisture to pass through perfectly. If there are no holes in the container, then you need to make them yourself, for example, with a nail, soldering iron, or scissors.

Master class with photos on sowing watermelon seedlings

Step-by-step photo instructions will help you properly plant watermelon seeds for seedlings at home:

Step 1: Place drainage at the bottom of the container.

For example, perlite, fine expanded clay, broken brick. The optimal thickness of the drainage layer is 2 centimeters.

Step 2: Fill the cup halfway with soil.

As a rule, when filling a container with soil mixture, leave 2-3 centimeters to the edges. When sowing watermelon, you need to fill only 1/2 of the container , because then when further growing seedlings you will need to fill up the soil.

Step 3: Moisten the soil thoroughly.

In this case, you need to use only clean, settled water, not from the tap!

Step 4: Make a hole in the center of the container.

The optimal depth of the hole is 3-4 centimeters. It is convenient to make a hole using a pencil, wooden stick or finger.

Step 5: Sow the hole.

As you can see in the photo, watermelon seeds are very large, so they are easy to sow simply by hand:

Step 6: Fill the hole with soil.

Compact the soil very lightly.

Step 7: Water thoroughly.

Step 8: Cover the container with a lid or film.

This action is necessary to create greenhouse conditions that are necessary for successful seed germination.

Using peat pots

You can also grow seedlings in peat pots. What are these pots good for? They contain all the necessary nutrients that are needed directly for sprouting.

The principle of operation is similar to the previous one. Let's take a closer look below.

It is necessary to properly prepare the soil for growing. Here you can make the proportions 0.5 parts humus, 1 part sawdust and 1 part turf soil. Everything needs to be mixed thoroughly and well.
Next, you need to prepare and germinate the seeds (everything is unchanged here, you can see how this is done a little higher). When the root reaches 1 - 1.5 centimeters, you can proceed to sowing.
Prepare pots with a diameter of at least 10 centimeters and fill them with ¾ of the mixture (how it is made is described a little higher). Next, place the already germinated seeds in the pots.
After planting, it is necessary to sprinkle the crops with the mixture and compact them a little with your hands so that they do not become bare when watering. Otherwise, there may be no harvest at all.
Water the crops carefully. Advice. You can place peat pots in containers that are the right size. This way the walls of the pots will not dry out very quickly.

Selection of containers, soil preparation

Watermelons do not tolerate transplantation well, so seedlings need to be grown in such a way as to at least injure the root system of the plant. To do this, it is better to sow the seeds in peat pots, and then plant them in the ground together. In the ground, the peat pots will gradually soak and turn into fertilizer, and the plant will take root further.

Each seed is sown in its own pot.

The optimal diameter of the pots is 10-15 cm. A larger diameter of the pots is not needed, especially if the seedlings are planted not in peat pots, but in ordinary ones. When transplanting, the roots will occupy the entire space of the pot and such a plant can be carefully removed and replanted in the garden. Then the watermelon seedlings will take root better.

The soil for watermelons should be:

fertile;
preferably compost;
slightly damp;
best pH 6-7.

You can prepare the soil for growing seedlings yourself by mixing compost, garden soil and sand in a ratio (1:2:1).

Growing stages

We are moving on to the next stage of growing melons. There are several stages here. Let's look at each in more detail.

Planting seeds in open ground

The most optimal time for planting seeds is when the air temperature reaches 14 - 15 degrees, and the mail is warmed 10 centimeters deep. In this matter, you need to be sure that there will be no frosts, therefore, you can start sowing the crop at the end of May.

To plant melons, you need to prepare holes, which must be 1 meter in diameter, the depth of the hole must be at least 30 centimeters . What should be in the hole:

Humus - 1 kilogram.
Ash 1 tablespoon.
Nitroammophosphate 1 teaspoon.

Next, the hole should receive approximately a couple of liters of water. After soaking, plant 4 or 5 seeds in the hole at a depth of 5 - 7 centimeters. Next, cover everything with soil and compact it well so that the roots are not exposed.

After planting the seeds, do not water the garden bed.

Next, you need to water the beds abundantly when you notice that the soil begins to dry out. Carry out the procedure at least once a week.

When the first shoots appear, you need to thin out so that as a result there are 1 or 2 plants left in the hole.

Caring for watermelon after planting

Everyone understands that after planting the seeds, one should not forget and think that the watermelon will then grow by itself. It is also necessary to monitor the melon crop, water, thin out, weed and carry out other manipulations if you want to have a good, large, sweet fruit.

It is necessary to feed the seedlings every two weeks. But after planting you need to feed it after the first week. How to prepare watermelon fertilizer: 15 grams of superphosphate, 10 grams of ammonium nitrate and 11 liters of water. Before fertilizing, the soil must be moistened and only then fertilized. After the procedure, it is also necessary to clean the soil by dousing it with water.

Watermelons love water very much and they need to be watered with special cravings during the formation of leaves and stems. And when the fruit begins to ripen, you need to reduce the number of waterings so that the fruit gains sugar content

Watering a watermelon

Watermelons love water very much. They need to be watered fairly generously once a week. During periods of extreme drought, it is necessary to water not only the roots and holes, but also the spaces between the rows. Simply put, you can water the entire garden bed. In the future, watering can be reduced.

It is necessary to completely eliminate water two weeks before harvesting so that the fruit gains sugar content. After planting a couple of days, it is necessary to loosen the soil by 6 centimeters and remove the weeds.

When the watermelons have already closed rows, there will be no need to weed them because the weeds will not cause harm

Feeding watermelon

After the seeds are planted, you need to wait about two weeks and only then can you start feeding them. You need to add 20 grams of ammonium nitrate to a bucket of water.

Next, water each hole with 2 liters. The next stage of feeding will be during the period when budding begins. Here the composition will be slightly different. 4 grams of calcium chloride, 4 grams of ammonium nitrate and 6 grams of superphosphate - per plant.

Here you can choose to use fertilizer. Either dry or mixed with water. If you feed dry, water the crop generously after feeding.

How to plant watermelons in open ground with seeds: instructions

It is quite possible to plant watermelon seeds directly in open ground. To ensure a good harvest, take into account all the planting features. Otherwise, you risk ruining the culture.

First of all, it is important to figure out what is the optimal distance to choose between future bushes. Watermelon is a crop that requires a lot of space. If you adhere to the standard planting scheme, then the distance between rows should be 2 meters, and in rows - 1 meter. Place 5-10 seeds in one hole. As soon as seedlings appear, thinning is carried out. Leave the strongest shoots.

There is another landing scheme. It is called square-nested. In this case, the distance between the holes can be 70-280 centimeters. In this case, it will depend on which variety you are planting. Accordingly, the more compact the variety, the smaller the distance between the holes.

Long distances between plantings are needed to get enough sunlight. If crops are placed too close to each other, they will not receive the amount of nutrients they need.

The next thing to consider is the seeding depth. The best option for small seeds is 4-6 centimeters, for large ones - 6-8 centimeters. If you make the depth greater, it will be difficult for the sprouts to hatch. Accordingly, the germination time will increase. The composition of the soil is no less important in this case. For example, on sandy soil the planting depth should be 7-8 centimeters, on sandy soil - 5-7 centimeters, on loam - 4-5 centimeters. But in the northern regions it is not worth embedding materials deeper than 4 centimeters.

You can also grow watermelons under film. Then sowing is possible already in March. Accordingly, the harvest will appear faster. When using such a shelter, high humidity is maintained and a greenhouse effect is created. This causes the seeds to grow faster.

The ridges are placed on the site at a distance of 70 cm from each other. Then a film is put on them. It should overlap two ridges at once. A standard width of 1.5 meters should be sufficient. The distance between rows should be 2.5 meters. When the ridges are ready, seeds are planted in the holes at a distance of one meter from each other. It is recommended to place the holes in a checkerboard pattern.

The number of seeds added to the hole may vary. In this case, the selected variety matters. If it is inexpensive, then feel free to put 2-3 grains in a hole. Also, after the first shoots appear, the weak ones are removed. For expensive varieties, one grain is placed in a hole. When everything is done, the earth is moistened and covered with film.

Growing watermelon in a greenhouse

How to grow seedlings was described earlier, now it’s time to transplant the watermelon into the greenhouse. Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the greenhouse. To do this you need:

Clean the soil, or better yet, remove it. Typically, a thickness of about 20 centimeters is removed. In its place it is necessary to lay a thick layer of straw or humus; you can put it all together - this will even have a better effect on the harvest. Sprinkle nitrate fertilizers on top. To ensure that the fertilizer dissolves and the straw becomes moist, water the entire area well. Fill the removed soil on top and cover with a dark blanket (ordinary dark film will do). Planting work on this soil can be carried out within a week.
Next you need to do some digging. When you dig, fertilize the soil with humus if planting is planned in the near future. If you plan to plant in a few months, you can simply fertilize with manure.
Make beds, the height of which should be at least 30 centimeters. Fill the mixture with river sand and garden soil (10 kilograms per 1 square meter), adding mineral fertilizers to it.

Watermelon roots grow better in soil with a pH level between 6 and 7. The temperature before planting should be at least 12 degrees.

As the fruits begin to grow and enlarge, be sure to turn them over so they ripen evenly. Remember to ventilate the room

Caring for watermelon seeds in open ground: features, recommendations

Watermelon in the garden
Of course, you can plant watermelon seeds. However, it is equally important to care for the sprouts. When growing crops, it is important to regularly water and loosen the soil. Experienced gardeners recommend marking the holes during planting, for example, with pegs, so as not to lose rows when loosening.

As the leaf mass and lashes grow, fertilizing is carried out. This can be done by using 150 g of urea and the same amount of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium salt. This amount is enough for 10 square meters. When applying fertilizers, the beds must be watered.

When growing leaves, special attention should be paid to irrigation. This procedure is also important during flowering and the appearance of ovaries.

But during ripening, watering, on the contrary, is undesirable, because too much moisture can lead to cracks in the fruits, as well as deteriorate their taste.

Irrigation is carried out with warm water once a week. However, it should be plentiful.

To get larger and sweeter berries, it is important to form the bushes correctly. Please note that there should not be more than four fruits on one plant. In addition, do not forget about removing the whiskers and pinching the shoots.

No less important is the prevention of diseases, as well as the control of them and pests. Most often, watermelons are affected by the germ fly, melon aphid and wireworm. If you find one of these insects, then treat it with special preparations, for example, Fitoverm. During an invasion, chemical agents can already help, for example, Decis, Aktara and Fufanon.

Watermelons most often suffer from diseases such as anthracnose, powdery mildew and downy mildew. It is necessary to carry out their prevention. To do this, use colloidal sulfur, Ordan or Hoi.

Watermelon transplant

Watermelon can be transplanted either into open soil or into peat pots.

Transplanting watermelon into open soil

Before transplanting, the first thing to do is check the soil to see if it has warmed up enough. The optimal temperature for watermelons is considered to be 15 – 18 degrees. Only then proceed to this operation.

The area that you have chosen for seedlings must be dug up to the bayonet of the shovel, since the watermelon roots deep enough inside

It is also necessary to apply fertilizer to every square meter of area. What is included in the fertilizer: 10 liters of humus or compost, 200 grams of wood ash and 20 - 40 grams of mineral fertilizer. After fertilizing the soil, repeat the procedure of digging the soil.

Transplanting seedlings in peat pots

First make holes. Leave some distance. Make approximately 2 holes per 1 square meter. Then remove the top of the pot and carefully place it in the hole. You need to water the hole and fill it with soil. Until constant warmth sets in, cover the soil with some kind of insulating material. Afterwards, you can remove the material.

Planting pattern and depth

There are different schemes for planting watermelons in open ground, their choice is influenced by:

cultivation method (watering or without artificial irrigation). Plants grown without watering take up less space, so they can be placed more densely;
watermelon variety (early or late ripening);
estimated fetal weight (3–5 kg or more than 8 kg). The higher the planting density of watermelons, the smaller the fruits will grow.

When planting watermelons, take into account that the plants grow widely and should not interfere with each other:

in the garden bed, early varieties are placed at a distance of 1.4x1.4 m or 1.4x0.7 m;
watermelons of mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties are planted according to a 2x2 m pattern; 2.1x1.4 m; 2.1x1 m.

The smaller number shows the distance between plants when planting, the larger number - between the rows.

The higher the planting density of watermelons, the smaller the fruits will grow.

The depth of planting seed in open ground can vary from 3 to 8 cm and depends on:

on their size (the smaller the seed, the shallower the planting depth);
type of soil (incorporation is deeper on light soils than on heavy soils);
soil moisture (seeds are placed on a moist layer).

The seedlings are planted a little deeper than when growing in a pot, so that the root collar is not damaged by winds.

Pests and diseases of watermelon

Powdery mildew. It is most often caused by a fungus. How to determine. The leaves begin to become more grayish with a white tint, as if plaque, and accordingly they begin to die, which leads to a tasteless fruit.

If the fungus is not detected in time, this can lead to deformation of the fruit and death altogether.

Perenosporosis. Also, the pest is quite strong. It's the same fungus. The difference is that the infection occurs first on old leaves, only then does the fungus spread to young leaves. The color of the fungus is also different: the top of the leaf is covered with yellow spots, and the bottom is visible with a light purple coating.

If the fungus is not immediately recognized, it can lead to the cessation of fetal development.

Olive spot. Here the stems bear the brunt of the disease. The leaves also become covered with spots, ulcers form on the stems, as a result of which the ovaries dry out and fall off.

Medyanka. Infection from the fungal family. As a result of infection of the fruit, the leaves acquire yellow spots with pink pads. If the infestation is severe enough, the watermelon dries out and dies.

Melon aphid. This is dangerous enough in itself. It feeds on the juice of parts of the watermelon, which leads to the death of the fetus. You will not save your fetus, since there are no vaccines against it.

Gnawing owls. Egg deposition occurs on the leaves of the fruit. Next, larvae emerge from the eggs and begin to feed on the watermelon itself and its leaves. The fruit dries and dies

Useful tips for growing watermelons and melons

Oxygen is extremely important for melons. To ensure its flow, it is necessary to carry out loosening. Its depth is at least 10 cm. After the appearance of side loops, regular hilling is introduced into the complex of care measures.

During active growth, melons often direct all their energy to the development of the fruit. For this reason, the plant suffers and weakens. To prevent this option, the main stem is pinched. It is necessary to ensure that no more than three full-fledged shoots develop on each plant; excesses should be removed in a timely manner.

Particular attention is needed during the period when the ovaries appear. No more than 6 of the strongest and strongest ovaries should be left, the rest should be removed.

During ripening, the load on the plant increases significantly, as there is a noticeable increase in mass. To protect the plant, the fruits are placed in a net and suspended. Foil must be placed under them, otherwise the fruits may begin to rot if they come into contact with the soil.

A week before harvesting, you should stop watering to get a juicy, sweet and aromatic watermelon or melon. It is necessary to remove fruits only after full ripening. The exception is transportation of the crop or expected long-term storage. Then you can pick unripe berries, so they will withstand long-term transportation well and have time to ripen.

Collection and storage of watermelons

You can start harvesting melons at the first stage of harvest maturity. Typically, this stage occurs five days before the fruit is fully ripe. If you harvest ahead of schedule, then the likelihood that the product is not ripe is high enough. And if you harvested the crop after the watermelon has ripened, then the likelihood that it will not last long also remains high.

When the harvest occurs on time, the flesh of the watermelon is pink in color and while the fruit lies, it ripens and the color of the pulp becomes redder.

In order for the product to be stored longer, it is necessary that the rind of the fruit is smooth and does not have any defects in the form of scratches, cracks, etc. How to store melons:

Collect moss in the forest and find a box. Cover each watermelon with moss and place in a box. Remember that there can be several watermelons in a box, but they all must be protected with moss.
You need to find a dark and cool place in the apartment. Place your harvest there. Turn it over every day.
If you have a cellar, sprinkle straw on the racks and place watermelons on it. Also cover each watermelon with straw.

When to plant watermelons in a permanent place?

The main rule for a gardener is to plant seedlings in the evening or on a cloudy day. Watermelons should be well watered 3-5 hours before. Of course, there should no longer be frost in the morning. A temperature favorable for watermelons is required: during the day +20... +30 ⁰C, at night not lower than +16... +18 ⁰C. The seedlings are shaded for the first 2–3 days.

Video: What should seedlings look like when planting, plus how important it is not to damage the watermelon root

Watermelon is a capricious crop. It is worth studying its features before you start growing seedlings. So, the roots are very sensitive to transplantation, and water and nutrition are taken from the depths. The above-ground green part needs a lot of light and warmth. But you can’t expose the seedlings too harshly to the sun. To get a good harvest of watermelons, you need to try not only when growing in a permanent place, but also at the seedling stage.

Author: Marina Volkova
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I live in Siberia. I have my own house and my own plot) In the articles I share my experience, I learn something myself together with you) Rate the article:

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Seed germination - timing and testing

High-quality planting material is the key to a good harvest. An indicator of the quality of watermelon seeds is their germination rate. In most cases, when preparing for the next season, gardeners audit the seed material of various crops, discovering that some of them are already more than one year old. What to do in this case, throw it away and buy new ones, or can it still be used for planting? It is enough to know that the germination of watermelon seeds lasts for 6–8 years.

In addition, there is a way to test watermelon seeds for germination, which is also suitable for other melons. To do this, you will need sawdust, which is first doused with boiling water several times (every half an hour). You will need to prepare a container, for example, a tray or small box, which is filled with raw sawdust. The seeds are laid out in rows with a distance of 2–3 cm. A gap of 1–1.5 cm is made between the seeds. Then the seed is sprinkled with sawdust and compacted, and the container is placed in a warm place with a temperature of +23–27˚С and wait for the sprouts to appear. To determine the percentage of germination, a simple calculation is performed: if 6 out of 10 seeds germinate, it means the germination rate is 60%.

Caring for watermelons

Watermelon is a drought-resistant crop and does not require abundant watering. It is necessary to water only before fruit set, especially during the period of intensive leaf growth. During fruit ripening, to increase sugar content, the soil, on the contrary, is slightly dried. Watermelon is very light-loving, especially in the first months of development. The main activities at the melon farm come down to the following activities:

moderate watering. Until fruit set, the soil should be constantly moist, but not swampy. Watering is best done in the evening, watering at the roots. After moistening the soil, loosening is required;
weeding. In this, watermelon is no different from most garden dwellers. As it grows, it itself begins to suppress the development of most annual weeds;
the location of the lashes in the garden bed. They must be periodically rearranged so that they do not intertwine with each other;
fertilizing The first is 7–10 days after planting the seedlings in the garden. The second one is in another month. It is better to use infusions of organic fertilizers with the addition of ash; if not, use azophoska strictly according to the instructions on the package. Feeding should be stopped after fruit formation begins;
artificial pollination. It may be needed when growing watermelons in a greenhouse. If insects do not fly into it, you need to pollinate the flowers manually using a regular brush;
plant formation. No more than 5 fruits are left on the bush. Excess side stems must be pinched.
protection from rotting. As watermelons grow, it is worth placing plywood under these berries to prevent possible rotting in case of rainy weather.

Preventive spraying

Watermelon is an unpretentious plant. With proper agricultural technology, it is rarely susceptible to diseases or pest invasions. To prevent possible diseases, various drugs are used, such as Fundazol, Decis, Bordeaux mixture. Each of them is intended to treat specific diseases, so you must read the instructions before use.

Watermelon has few pests. To combat aphids, plants are sprayed with infusions of ash or tobacco dust, after which the soil is loosened. Wireworms and various caterpillars are collected using sweet baits placed in small holes. To repel most insects, spraying watermelons with folk remedies is sufficient. These can be infusions of garlic, mustard, wormwood, hot pepper, tobacco dust, tomato tops. Treatment is carried out once a week.

Watermelon berry - description

Watermelon has thin branched stems, climbing or creeping, most often smoothed-pentagonal, reaching a length of 4 m. At a young age, the stems are covered with dense pubescence. The leaves of watermelon are petiolate, alternate, pubescent, harsh, rough on both sides, triangular-ovate, heart-shaped at the base, from 8 to 22 cm long, from 5 to 18 cm wide. Watermelon flowers that bloom in summer are female, male and hermaphroditic, with boat-shaped bracts. The fruit is a watermelon berry, a multi-seeded juicy pumpkin with a smooth surface and juicy, sweet pink or red flesh, although there are varieties with yellowish pulp and a rough rind.