Do you have a lot of free land in your garden? Try planting the biggest berry - watermelons. They are unpretentious and they do not require much trouble.
Pick the seeds
First you need to determine the seeds. It is better to choose such varieties of watermelons that do not ripen for long, but also varieties that are sung very quickly are also better not to get. For the garden, the best option would be such varieties as Sugar Baby or Spark. When buying, also specify where the seeds were brought from. If from the south, then it’s not a fact that they will be adapted to the natural conditions of your strip. Watermelons can be grown in spring. The first step is to grow seedlings. After all, planting watermelons in the garden is dangerous because of the risk of sudden frost. They can ruin a landing. Pots for seedlings of watermelons need to choose a medium diameter. Do not make any cuts on the seeds, supposedly for an earlier shoot! Before planting the seeds in a pot, they must be kept for 10 minutes in warm water. Then deepen into the ground by 3-4 centimeters. It is necessary to monitor the temperature in the room where the pots with seeds are. It should be between 18 and 23 degrees. And when shoots appear, try to adhere to a temperature of 18 degrees.
Watermelon Seedling: Care
In late May - early June, seedlings can begin to be planted in the ground. It will be better to cover the watermelons with some material after planting. A few days before planting watermelons in the ground, seedlings should begin to temper. During the week, you need to gradually extend the time the plant stays without shelter. If the temperature does not fall below 8 degrees at night, you can try to leave the seedlings open at night.
How to plant watermelons: choosing a place
The place must be sunny and warm. The best option is for it to be accessible from the south to the sun and closed from the north and west from cold winds. Wells are best done from north to south in a row. The distance between them should be at least 60 centimeters. Pits are made about 50 cm deep, they need to add 2-3 buckets of compost or humus, one third of a bucket of sand and a little superphosphate, better than double. Mix all contents thoroughly. You can mulch the soil, as a result there will be no need to constantly weed, and for the root system, thanks to mulching, almost ideal conditions will be created. On the covering material, holes are cut into which seedlings should be planted. Watering can be done on top of the material, it passes water well.
Top dressing
Watermelon seedlings took root and began to grow, which means that you need to start feeding them. For the first feeding, chicken litter or mullein is well suited. Then after 12 days, feed again, but with mineral fertilizers, watering watermelons must be strictly warm water, especially if the weather is hot. Watering should be frequent, but watering can be stopped from the beginning of August.
Time to harvest
So, how to plant watermelons, figured out. Now let's see when you can harvest. If summer pleases with warm days, then the first watermelon can be ready for use as early as the twentieth of July. But the main crop is usually harvested from mid-August. If the weather is still hot at this time, then do not rush to harvest, watermelons can still grow until September. So grow and enjoy the sweet results of your efforts. Now you know what you can plant in the garden. Everyone can do this, since planting watermelons, and even more so growing and caring for them is not difficult at all.