How to grow watermelons in central Russia?

How to grow watermelons in central Russia? Watermelon culture is thermophilic, so you can not often find it in central Russia. Many gardeners are simply afraid to grow this berry for fear of not getting a harvest. Of course, it is not so easy to achieve success, but it is still possible. If you carefully and competently take care of the plant, in the fall you can enjoy delicious, sweet and juicy fruits.

How to choose a variety?

Using the seeds of a purchased watermelon is a bad idea. Usually, the berries located on the shelves are brought from the southern regions of our country, or even from abroad. That is why they are unlikely to be suitable for the middle lane. Therefore, it would be more correct to choose hybrids purposefully bred for our climatic conditions.

Also worth choosing:

a) Frost-resistant varieties that can withstand small spring frosts.

b) Early or mid-season hybrids that mature for about 70 days. This is due to the fact that the middle part of Russia does not always boast a hot and long summer, and watermelons, as you know, need a lot of sun and heat.

The best varieties

1. "Spark". Perhaps one of the best and most popular varieties for the region. The fruit has a dark green skin. The pulp is bright red, the taste is very sweet and pleasant. The berries ripen approximately 80 days after germination.

2. "Ultra early". The fruits are round, yellow-green in color and have dark stripes. Inside, the watermelons are bright red, tasty and juicy.

3. "Kai F1". Hybrid is great for server regions. The fruits are in the shape of an elongated ball and taste great, the peel is dark green with yellowish stripes. In the context, the watermelon is red-crimson. The ripening period lasts about 75 days.

4. "Siberian giant". This watermelon is similar to those commonly found in stores. The fruits are large enough, spherical, slightly elongated. Thin green crust with yellowish stripes. The flesh of the watermelon is bright red, the taste is wonderful.

5. "Ataman". The fruits have a very unusual, light green color and a spherical, elongated shape. The variety is early ripening, ripening in about 72 days. The inside of the watermelon is bright red, sweet and juicy.

How to grow watermelons in Russia: preparing seedlings

When you have selected the right seeds, you need to start planting. You can plant seeds directly into the ground, but it is better to pre-prepare the seedlings.

1. Before planting seeds in pots, you need to help them germinate. To do this, moisten a small piece of cloth, cotton wool or cheesecloth in water and place the seeds there. Then we leave it all in a warm place and wait 2-4 days.

2. After the seeds have hatched, we plant them to a depth of 1-2 cm in a container with soil specially designed for seedlings. The soil must be moistened first.

3. We put our pots on the windowsill so that they can receive a sufficient amount of sunny color.

4. The soil in containers should not dry out. It must be watered once every 3 days. But if necessary, you can do it more often.

5. In a few days, the first shoots will appear. Provide them with the necessary amount of heat and light.

How to grow watermelons in Russia: planting watermelons

When our seedlings have grown enough, they can be transplanted into the ground. This should be done about a month after the first shoots, that is, somewhere at the end of May. At this time, the earth should already warm up to the optimum temperature for watermelons (13-15 degrees Celsius).

First of all, we dig holes for seedlings. If the land is not fertile enough, add agrochemicals to the wells (17 g of potash + 13 g of phosphorus + 15 g of nitrogen).Before planting, the soil must be well moistened.

You can plant seedlings both in open ground and in a greenhouse. If you chose the first option, then you need to choose a well-lit area where there is no shadow. You can also insulate watermelons with a covering material.

Watermelon care

1. Watermelons do not need to be watered very often, 1-2 times a week. This will be quite enough, since watermelons can tolerate drought well.

2. It is necessary to loosen the soil regularly as well as to water it. This will ensure the flow of oxygen to the roots, which is necessary for the successful growth and development of watermelons.

3. Get rid of weeds as soon as they arise. This usually needs to be done about 1 time per week. Do not skip this step at all, weeds take away a large amount of useful microelements from watermelons.