Juicy, sweet watermelon is the parting gift that summer gives us. In August, they begin to be sold almost everywhere. But summer residents strive to grow gourds on their plots by this time. At first glance, this is too difficult. But in fact, many summer residents are already successfully growing watermelons in the open field. Based on their experience, you can try to repeat the experience in your own country house.
In the south and in the north
Of course, much depends on the climatic conditions of the region. If in the Krasnodar Territory they can be grown without prior preparation, simply by sowing in open ground, then in Siberia it will be necessary to make significant conditions for arranging a greenhouse, since a short summer will not allow tender berries to ripen. But there is nothing impossible in this. You just need to correctly approach this issue.
Preparing for landing
There are two methods that are used depending onclimatic features.
- Seeds. To increase germination, it is recommended to pre-soak them in s alted water.
- Seedlings. If the region has a short summer and a long spring with frosts, then it is best to use this method. Then melons will be more likely to grow large, sweet berries.
Growing watermelons in the open ground is easiest in the Black Earth region and in the southern regions. Here, the landing time comes when the soil warms up to a depth of 10 cm, and night temperatures do not fall below +15 degrees. On light soils, the placement depth is at least 4 - 8 cm. On dense soils, reduce the depth to 4 cm.
Great areas are allocated for melons. The fact is that the nutrition of the plant is also carried out due to additional roots, which are formed along the entire length of the lash and provide the growing fruits with nutrients. Growing watermelons in the open field in the southern regions is a fairly simple task. Plants need only hot sun and occasional watering.
Features of growing in cool climates
In central Russia, summer is too short and often cool. Therefore, melons only have time to grow long lashes, but the berries risk remaining small and unripe. Growing watermelons in the middle lane in open ground requires a special approach and the creation of certain conditions.
To give the plant a chance to grow fruits before the cool nights that characterizealready for the second half of August, they are not sown in the ground, but seedlings are planted in advance.
First, the seeds must be soaked in s alt water. Floated seeds are discarded.
Uses a mixture of humus, peat and sod as soil. The quantity should be approximately the same.
From the moment of sowing to planting in the ground, about 35 days pass, so the sowing time must be calculated from the climatic features of the region. In central Russia, these are the first days of summer.
Growing seedlings
Fill prepared pots with soil and moisten with water. Now you need to place pre-soaked seeds in them. Pots need to tighten the film. The temperature for the formation of friendly shoots should not be lower than +25 degrees. It is permissible to reduce it at night to +18.
As soon as sprouts appear, the pots need to be moved to a cooler place. This is important so that the plants are hardened and not stretched. To do this, for 3-4 days, the seedlings are transferred to a room with a temperature regime of +17 degrees.
Then again return the temperature regime +22 - 25 degrees.
Water your seedlings regularly. Soon the plants should be fed. For this, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are used under the root.
Growing watermelons in the open field becomes possible as soon as the danger of night frost has passed. That is, around the end of May. A week before planting, it is necessary to subject the seedlings to the hardening procedure. To do this, we take the boxes out into the street, first for an hour a day, then for two, and so we gradually bring them to a full day. This should be started a week before planting in the ground.
Some Secrets
Growing watermelons in the Moscow region in the open field is associated with certain difficulties. And most of them lies in the fact that hot weather begins only with the onset of summer. Temperature fluctuations, cold nights and rains - all this prevents the plant from developing rapidly, releasing lush lashes and forming berries. Therefore, gardeners have come up with a number of tricks to enjoy sweet berries.
- Special shelter. The more time to give a watermelon, the more likely it is that he will have time to please with a good harvest. Therefore, it is best to plant them in the ground in early May. At the same time, three plants are placed in each well and covered with a bottle with a cut bottom. It is poured through the neck with warm water, after which it is covered with a second bottle, this time a five-liter bottle. Only when the plants have a third leaf will they need to be thinned out. Of the three, only one remains, but the strongest. These caps can be left until mid-June, until the plants become crowded under them.
- Lots of sun. The presence of fruit trees on the site is the norm. But for melons, maximum lighting is very important, so any shading will slow down the growth of seedlings. Only when the fruits begin to ripen can they be shaded with leaves or newspapers.
- Watermelon rot is something you may encounter during a rainy summer. Therefore, when the berries begin to be tied, it is required to put a plank under each of them. On it hewill ripen, up to being cut from the bush.
- Features of watering. In hot climates, watermelon roots go deep into the ground in search of water. In the northern regions, this leads to the fact that the roots begin to rot, because the groundwater is located too close. Therefore, they make special grooves between the rows and water only through them, without bringing water under the root.
- You should not leave a lot of fruits. A short summer will still not allow you to grow everything, and the bush will lose strength. Therefore, leave only the very first berries, in the amount of 5 - 6 pieces per bush. Pluck everything else without any regret.
Planting Care
Growing watermelons and melons outdoors only becomes difficult if the summer is very cold and rainy. In this case, without a greenhouse, it will not be possible to save plants and get a good harvest. But the weather does not depend on the gardener, but he will have to fulfill all the requirements for care anyway.
Regular care includes a number of activities:
- When 5 leaves appear on a plant, it is spudded to make the soil as loose as possible.
- It is very important to remove all the weeds in the area. They take away moisture and nutrients, are a breeding ground for pests, and can shade the vine from the sun.
- Water should be minimal. Usually melon manages exclusively with what falls in the form of precipitation. So the fruits are not watery, but very sweet.
- It is required to add a solution to the soilammonium nitrate. Concentration - 20 g per bucket. The second feeding is done when the first flowers appear.
Difficulties of growing in Belarus
With the onset of August, one can only be surprised at how many watermelons are brought for sale from various parts of the country, as well as neighboring countries. Growing watermelons in Belarus in the open field is not only possible, but also regularly practiced. The first thing you need to do is choose the right variety. Early maturing varieties showed themselves best. The growing season should not exceed 80 days, otherwise the watermelon simply will not have time to ripen.
Recommended varieties
Recommended varieties of watermelons such as Gift to the North, Borchansky, Garny. Often seeds of Trophy F1 hybrids are used. The secrets to growing watermelons outdoors can be summed up as follows:
- Choose a suitable site, closed from cold winds and sunny.
- Light, sandy ground.
- Compliance with crop rotation, that is, growing watermelons in one place only after seven years.
- Preparing seedlings.
- Infrequent watering and frequent loosening of the soil.
Observing these simple rules, you will get an excellent harvest. At the same time, many gardeners note the low complexity of such cultivation. Care for watermelons in the open field can be problematic only if it turned out to be a very cold and rainy summer. In this case, the vine rots.
Gardening in cold regions
Traditionally it is believed that Siberia is not a place for agriculture. But the people living here each time prove that they cope with such a task by five. In addition to potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes, they successfully plant more heat-loving crops. Growing watermelons in Siberia in the open field seemed to be a completely unsolvable task. But today varieties have been bred that grow successfully even in the coldest regions.
For the conditions of Siberia, varieties such as Crimson Sweet, Astrakhan, Ultra-early, Sibiryak are best suited. But even these varieties may not produce a good harvest in a region with a short summer, so it is important to observe the following conditions:
- be sure to prepare seedlings;
- grow watermelons in the open ground on a warm, high bed.
The main secret of success is warmth. The roots need a temperature not lower than +24 degrees. During flowering and budding, the temperature should not fall below +18 degrees. Of course, the climate is not subject to us, and sometimes in the midst of a hot summer there is a strong drop in temperature. For these purposes, it is recommended to have a covering material on hand that will save you from excess dampness and retain heat. Agricultural technology for growing watermelons in the open field in the northern regions has its own characteristics that must be taken into account.
For a better harvest
You can even cover the ground with black non-woven material before planting. Crosses are made in it and seedlings are planted. This will give you extra warmth.which the plant lacks. As the lashes grow, they need to be directed in different directions so that they do not interfere with each other. And under each fruit you can put a brick. It will give off heat, and the watermelon will grow faster.
