9 steps to growing a rich harvest of watermelons

It seems possible to grow watermelons on your site only for a resident of the southern regions. However, it is not. The plant itself is unpretentious in cultivation and you can grow it without problems in your greenhouse, even in the north. Let's see how to do this.

Watermelons: Choosing a variety

Before you start growing a watermelon, you need to decide on its variety, since not all varieties will be able to grow in a greenhouse. Early varieties are suitable for greenhouse conditions (Cinderella, Ogonyok, Suga Baby, Pannonia, Krisby F1). When shopping for seeds, do not try to choose a watermelon with a large fruit. Smaller species will grow faster.

Seedling preparation

When buying seeds, we look at the ripening conditions in a particular climate. We also pay attention to the ripening period, if it is small from germination to ripening, then we buy. It is better to buy seeds in specialized stores. It is not recommended to take seeds from the watermelon itself, as they germinate very poorly.

Before planting, the seeds are prepared. The seeds are lowered to the bottom of the glass, water is poured, the seeds that have surfaced are thrown away. The rest are immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes for disinfection. After that, the seeds are placed in water at a temperature of about 25 degrees. This is done to improve seed germination. A growth stimulant can also be added to the water. Then the seeds are washed and wrapped in damp gauze. After the seeds hatch, they can be planted. They put them in pots or bottles with the top cut off. One pot, one seed. Pots or bottles are filled with a mixture of soil with humus and mineral fertilizers. The seeds are placed on their side in the ground to a depth of 2 cm and sprinkled with earth. For germination, you need a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees and daylight hours at least 12 hours, so you need to additionally use a lamp.

As soon as 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts, the seedlings can be transplanted into the greenhouse.

Landing in the ground

A polycarbonate greenhouse with a height of at least 2 m is well suited for growing watermelons. Since watermelons are very stretched and will need to be tied to trellises.

A week and a half before planting seedlings, they prepare the ground. The top layer is removed, hay with humus is laid out in its place and fertilizers containing nitrogen are poured. Everything is well watered. Throw the soil back and cover it with a black film so that the earth warms up properly.

The beds in the greenhouse should be at least one meter wide. Saplings are planted in holes 10-15 cm deep at a distance of half a meter in a checkerboard pattern. The plants are removed from the pot without damaging the earthen lump and placed in a pit, covered with earth, watered and mulched.

Watering

You need to water the watermelon often, two to three times a week with warm water in the evening. After the plant has bloomed, cut watering to once, and when it begins to bear fruit, to once every two weeks, so that the fruits do not become watery. Make sure that water does not fall on the plant itself, but only under the root. If the summer is hot, then sprinkling can be done. After watering, carefully loosen the soil.

It is imperative to ensure that there is no high humidity in the greenhouse, i.e. no condensation formed on the walls. Excessive moisture contributes to the development of diseases and the spread of insect pests. To prevent condensation from forming, ventilate the greenhouse more often, especially if the temperature has reached 30 degrees.

Top dressing

The first feeding is carried out when the shoots reach 25 cm in height, the second during flowering, the third during the ripening of the fruits. We fertilize with mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. Chicken droppings can be used.

Pollination

For pollination, you need to attract insects to the greenhouse. To do this, you can spray the plants with a sweet solution or plant melliferous flowers in the greenhouse.

You can also artificially pollinate flowers. To do this, we pluck the male flower, rip off all the petals from it and contact it with the female one.

Watermelons: Pinching and Garter

When the plants have reached 35 cm, they need to be tied up.

When the first two or three fruits appear on the shoots, the size of a chicken egg, all the other ovaries on the shoot are pinched in order for the plant to devote its strength to the development of these two or three fruits.

If the fruits appear on the lower shoots, and they can lie on the ground, then put a board under the fruit so that it does not rot. Fruits that are high above the ground need to be tied up. To do this, we place the fruits in a net and tie them to a trellis. This is necessary so that the escape does not break off under the weight of the fruit.

Cold protection

Watermelons are afraid of the cold, so they need to be protected from it. When the seedlings are still small, they can be closed at night. When the plants are already large, you can create a comfortable temperature at night with water bottles. To do this, fill the plastic bottles with water and place them in the greenhouse so that they are thoroughly heated. You can paint them black for faster heating. At night, these mini batteries will give off heat.

Watermelon and Harvesting

Make sure the crop is ripe before harvesting. On the watermelon, the white stripes should turn light yellow. If you knock on the fruit, you should get a dull sound. The fruits are cut with a sharp knife, leaving a 3cm stalk. It is better to harvest the crop 3-4 days after the last watering, so they are better stored.