Watermelons were once a rarity in the gardens of Siberia. The heat-loving culture hardly survived in the local climate, often the grown fruits were far inferior in taste to their southern relatives from Astrakhan. But times are changing, now growing watermelons in Siberia does not seem unbelievable. Thanks to local selection, it was possible to breed varieties that have time to mature in a short summer. Moreover, they are fully sung in the fields, acquire a sweet taste and aroma. But not every gardener manages to grow a watermelon on his own plot. Because it requires special knowledge in cultivating this crop.
So that watermelons can grow and develop properly, they need to choose a site that is well lit and located on the south side. If the land was used to grow other crops, it is necessary to bring humus or sod land into it during the autumn digging. In order for the cultivation of watermelons in Siberia to be successful, mineral fertilizers must be applied to the soil. Top dressing is carried out in the spring. To plant watermelons make holes or furrows. The best time for planting gourds in Siberia is considered to be the middle of May, when the earth had thawed and warmed up well. Seeds are immersed in soil to a depth of three to four centimeters. Four to five seeds can be planted in one hole. Then they are covered with earth.
Growing watermelons in Siberia from gardeners requires patience and special knowledge. So, after planting seeds, they must be mulched. For this purpose, compost, humus and sawdust are used. When sprouts with 2-3 leaves appear, they must be thinned so that the watermelons do not grow small. Abundant watering of plants is carried out with warm water (from twenty-two to thirty degrees) once every 2 weeks. Then the bed must be covered with cellophane film.
When warm weather sets, and on summer nights the air temperature is kept at not lower than eighteen degrees, then growing watermelons in Siberia allows you to remove the film. Watering stops two weeks before the fruit ripens. During their growth, it is necessary to pinch the side shoots and the main stem. As a result, two to three lashes should remain on each bush. In August, when the cooling begins, the beds with watermelons must be covered again with a film. In September, you can selectively pick ripened fruits. As a result, the gardener's table is decorated with a large, sweet and fragrant watermelon, the photo eloquently testifies to this.
In Siberia, in order to preserve the grown crop of watermelons, they are canned for the winter. There are many ways and recipes. For example, watermelon honey is prepared from ripened fruits . To do this, pulp is taken out of the watermelon along with the seeds, crushed, the resulting juice is filtered through gauze. For 400 grams of watermelon pulp, you need to take 800 grams of sugar, one glass of water and three lemons.
The operation of boiling the juice and filtering it is repeated several times until the initial mass volume decreases by 10 times, then it is poured into cans and rolled up for the winter. It is possible to preserve watermelons in pieces. For this, the fruits are washed, cut into slices together with the peel. Then put them tightly in jars and pour boiling water for 10 minutes. Then the water is drained. For one 3-liter container add 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, 70 grams of vinegar and two tablespoons of honey. Then pour jars of watermelon with boiling water, roll them up and cover them with a blanket. As a result, in the winter you will find a very tasty treat.