Well, what a summer without watermelons! This gourd is loved by all residents of our country, but not everyone knows how to grow a watermelon in open ground in the middle lane. This must be done correctly, so that already in August it would be possible to enjoy watermelons from your garden, and not imported ones at your own peril and risk.
Seedlings - the foundation of the basics
How to grow large watermelons? Why does not everyone succeed in the middle lane? Because this plant requires a lot of heat and sun. In order for the watermelons to ripen, you need a long summer weather. So what to do? You really want watermelons. There is an exit! Plant seedlings. To do this, already at the end of April, plant previously germinated seeds (two for each pot) in medium-sized pots. Feed your seedlings with minerals a couple of times. When three leaflets appear on it, you can plant on the street.
Fertile soil - delicious watermelon
Experienced melon growers who know how to grow a watermelon in the open ground are advised to take care of the preparation of the soil in advance, that is, in the fall. To do this, around October, outline the holes where you will plant seedlings in the spring. It is advisable to plant watermelons after onions, potatoes or cabbage. Add a mixture of humus, bird droppings, compost and sand to each well. If the earth is heavy, then a lot of sand will be needed. Leave this mixture on the surface, and dig it in the spring.
Strong seedlings - large watermelons
Watermelons in the middle lane are planted on the street around the end of May. When the seedlings will be a little more than a month, plant it in prepared holes (1 meter in diameter), 2 plants each. The distance between the holes is about one and a half meters. Pour the ground in advance with heated water. The main thing - do not plant too deep, a maximum of 10 cm. After planting, seedlings are mulched with peat.
Proper Care - Good Harvest
Agricultural technicians and amateur gardeners give recommendations on how to grow a watermelon in the open ground and how to care for it throughout the summer. They advise:
Watering a watermelon is plentiful only in extreme heat, in cloudy weather you need to do this sparingly. The roots of this plant reach a depth of more than a meter, so they will take the necessary moisture themselves.
A week after transplanting seedlings to the garden, feed the plant with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Then two more times every three weeks - mineral.
Pinch the lashes, leaving 3 of them and remove the extra ovaries on the stem, leaving no more than 2 on each lash. In general, a maximum of 6 ovaries should remain on each bush.
After each watering or rain, loosen the soil.
To do additional dressing, if only one fruit develops on the bush, and the rest turn yellow.
- Monitor the weather forecast for the first time after transplanting. If they promise frost, then cover the plant with film for the night. Do not forget to remove it in the morning.
Stop watering a week before harvesting.
Periodically turn the watermelons so that they evenly ripen.
- Use special drugs to control diseases and pests.
Eat to health!
Now you know how to grow a watermelon in the open ground, as well as how to care for it. If you follow the above recommendations, then be sure to pick the first juicy, tasty and ripe berries of this wonderful plant at the end of summer.