How to grow melons in the middle lane

Suitable varieties

Not all melon varieties can be grown in the middle lane. The climate of these latitudes is characterized by a small number of warm and sunny days, frequent rains, an average temperature of 20–25 ° С, while the cultivation of Asian varieties requires a temperature of 35 ° С and higher. Therefore, southern varieties should not be planted in open ground, since they can only grow in accordance with the variety in their homeland.

For central Russia, you need to choose varieties of the early (60–70 days) and middle (80–90 days) ripening periods. As a rule, they have small (1.5–2.5 kg), but rather sweet and tasty fruits. For this territory, about 80 varieties (hybrids) of European and Central Asian selection have been zoned. These subspecies are perfectly adapted to the climate of the middle zone and even the northern regions, they are practically not inferior in taste to their varietal types, and they are distinguished from the original only by the small size (weight) of the fruits.

Almost all varieties or hybrids intended for cultivation in the middle lane are summer, ripen in 60–80 days, the fruits are small, they are not stored for long, so they are immediately eaten.

The most common varieties include:

• The collective farmer is the most famous mid-season variety, the fruits are small (up to 1.5 kg), round, with a greenish-orange peel, the flesh is white, very soft and juicy. Such a melon grows well and bears fruit not only in central Russia, but also in all countries of the former CIS.

• Cinderella is a very early (55–65 days) hybrid, small fruits (1–1.5 kg), bright yellow with a barely noticeable openwork mesh, white flesh, very tender and juicy, has a sweet taste.

• Aikido is a new early hybrid, small fruits (up to 2 kg), yellow peel, slightly rough, greenish-white flesh, very sweet in taste (sugar is 10-13%). The variety is resistant to many diseases, including powdery mildew and late blight.

• Altayskaya is an early (65–70 days) melon variety of the West Siberian selection. The plant is distinguished by very powerful and long (up to 2 m) lashes. The melon itself is medium-sized (0.9-1.3 kg), the skin is thin, intensely yellow in color with a pronounced reticular pattern, the flesh is yellow in the middle, and greenish towards the edge, tender and juicy on the palate.

• Golden - very common in central Russia, mid-season melon, undemanding to conditions, resistant to diseases. Small (1.5–2 kg) bright yellow fruits are distinguished by good transportability and preservation, the melon pulp is rich yellow, sweet, and very aromatic.

• Pineapple is a mid-season (80–90 days) variety with golden-orange oblong fruits, the skin is thin, slightly rough, covered with a pronounced reticular pattern. The pulp is white, slightly pinkish, very sweet, with a characteristic taste and aroma of pineapple. Melon varieties are Pineapple, F1 Sweet Pineapple, American Pineapple.

• Fairy Tale is an early maturing (60–65 days) variety included in the State Register of the Russian Federation as a crop suitable for growing in any part of the country.The fruits of this melon are small (1.5–1.8 kg), round, the flesh is juicy, crispy, sweet and aromatic.

• Assol is a mid-season (80–90 days) melon of the West Siberian selection. The variety is universal - it is intended for growing in any strip, both in the garden and in greenhouses. Small (up to 1 kg) fruits of this melon have an original spotted or striped greenish-brown peel, the flesh is pale white, sugar.

These are the best varieties that are guaranteed to give a good harvest in the conditions of central Russia, as they are specially zoned for this climate. In addition to them, you can try to grow many more varieties and hybrids, including: Gold of the Scythians, Kazachka, Luna, Millennium, Rainbow, Caramel, Roksolana and others.

Site and seed preparation

Since melon is very thermophilic, it is necessary to select sunny areas protected from northern winds for its cultivation. An ideal place for melon can be the southern slope, or an open garden, where the bright sun shines most of the day. A small elevation can be built for the garden bed, which will eliminate stagnant water - it is no secret that the culture tolerates drought more easily than excessive moisture.

They begin to prepare the soil for growing melons in the fall. On a bed of at least 3 m², grooves (planting holes) are dug about 50 cm wide and 25–30 cm deep. The distance between the holes should be at least 70–80 cm. About 2 kg of humus or compost is introduced into each hole. If the soil is clayey, you can add a little river sand or peat. In this form, the garden bed is left until spring.

As soon as the ground thaws, we get to work again. Dig up the bed again, add a mineral mixture with potassium and phosphorus to the soil, cover it with a film, and immediately before planting, add rotted manure again.

Some gardeners prepare the garden in the spring, just before planting - this option is also possible. And in this case, only organic matter is used. It should be said that the melon can be perfectly grown on some organic fertilizers. Planting pits are prepared in the same way, but at the same time a layer of soil 10-15 cm thick is removed, then humus and compost are laid on the bottom of the trench, and the removed soil is laid on top. The organic matter under the soil will generate heat and help the plants survive the night temperature drops.

Melon agricultural technology involves the preliminary preparation of seeds. The sowing material can be prepared independently, but the melon is such a peculiar culture that it is not always possible to grow it from last year's home seeds. The fact is that very often they grow into powerful bushes with a large number of lashes and peduncles, but without ovaries, since all the flowers on the plant are male.

To protect yourself from disappointment, it is safer to buy seeds in specialized stores or sow seeds harvested 3-4 years ago.

The largest and fullest seeds are selected for planting. Their preparation consists in the disinfection and hardening of the material. It is better to treat melon with a solution of boric acid and zinc sulfate, but some gardeners use a conventional solution of potassium permanganate for this. The seeds are placed in the solution for 12 hours, after which they are removed all that have emerged, since they are not suitable for planting.

Those seeds that have sunk to the bottom are recommended to be hardened. The procedure is a bit troublesome, but it increases the immunity of plants to adverse weather conditions and diseases. It consists in the following: the seeds are placed in warm (35 ° C) water for several minutes, then taken out and kept for a day at a temperature of 18–20 ° C. After that, the temperature is lowered to 0 ° C and the seeds are kept for another 18–20 hours. Then, after a day, the degree is raised again to 18–20. This procedure should be carried out 2-3 times during the last week before disembarking.

Seedling

In the conditions of central Russia, it is easier to grow melon from seedlings.Seeds are planted in pots in mid-April, so that by the end of May, when the threat of night frosts has passed, the plants can be transplanted into open ground. It is recommended to plant the seeds in disposable containers, since the melon does not tolerate transplanting very well, and plants can be removed from disposable pots along with the potting mix.

The soil for growing seedlings is prepared from 2 parts of humus, 1 part of peat and 1 part of turf. A little superphosphate or ash is added to this mixture - fertilizers are embedded to a depth of about 2 cm. The seeds are planted in holes, 2-3 pieces each. Then, when the plants germinate, the weakest shoots are removed. Before emergence, containers can be covered with glass or foil. Every day, the cover should be removed for a few minutes to ventilate. In the same way, seedlings can be sown directly in the greenhouse.

Video "How to Grow Sweet Melon"

The author of this video claims that it is quite possible to grow sweet melon in areas of the middle lane. You just need to know which varieties of melons have time to ripen, how to form plants and how to plant seeds for seedlings.

Landing

In central Russia, melon seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May. But if the weather has not yet settled, the landing dates can be postponed to the first ten days of June. At the time of planting in the ground, the plants should have 4–5 true leaves.

After transplanting, the seedlings are placed under a temporary (for 2 weeks) film cover, which will protect the bushes from the night temperature drop.

On an already prepared bed, shallow holes are dug, on the bottom of which a layer of compost is laid (humus can be used). Each hole is watered with warm water, and plants are planted without waiting for the water to be absorbed. The holes are covered with dry earth. There is no need to water any more, as a crust forms after watering.

It is possible to grow a melon in the climate of this strip not only from seedlings, but also by sowing seeds directly into the ground. Sowing is carried out no earlier than the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 18 ° C (measured in the morning). Seeds are sown no later than the first week of June. Dig holes for a melon shallow, so that the seeds go deep into the soil by 3 cm. The soil in the hole is mixed with a handful of ash, then the bottom of the hole is watered, and 2-3 prepared seeds are planted.

Care

The agrotechnology of melon cultivation involves a complex of caring measures, consisting of watering, loosening the beds, airing the plants, feeding, forming bushes and thinning the ovaries.

Many gardeners prefer to grow crops in greenhouses. In warm weather, the temperature and humidity in such structures are very high, so the greenhouse must be regularly ventilated - just open the doors during the day. The same must be done if the bed is covered with a film - for a day, the shelter must be removed completely.

Melon does not like moisture very much, so it does not need intensive watering. Watering should be as needed: during the period of active growth of tops, watering should be regular, with the appearance of flowers and ovaries - moderate (1 time / 5-7 days), and closer to the ripening of fruits - minimal.

Top dressing will help to grow juicy and fragrant fruits. Of course, the taste depends largely on the variety, but without potassium and phosphorus, a high-quality melon harvest is rare. Top dressing can be combined with irrigation. When flowering, the bushes are watered with a superphosphate solution, after two weeks you can add potassium nitrate, or any mixture containing potassium. A week later from planting seedlings in the garden, the plants are sprayed with boron solution.

After each watering, the bed must be loosened to prevent crust formation. Also, the surface can be covered with straw. For varieties characterized by powerful lashes, supports (trellises) are erected. These structures provide full access of the sun and air to plants, and fruits in particular, which ensures their uniform ripening.

The main agricultural technique that allows you to grow large and tasty fruits is the formation of bushes. This procedure includes pinching off shoots and removing excess ovaries. A young plant is pinched as soon as 5 leaves grow on it. The top of the shoot is broken off above the fourth leaf, and they are waiting for new shoots to grow from the axils of the remaining leaves. Once they reach 5 leaves, they are also pinched over the fourth leaf.

This procedure is done three times, since the ovaries are able to form only on the fourth-order lashes. When the bush grows and ovaries are formed on it, it is necessary to leave 1–2 strongest on each shoot, and remove the rest. In general, about 5-6 of the largest fruits should remain on one bush.

Harvesting

The melon is harvested in technical ripeness. This is the period when the fruit has completely acquired the characteristic color of the peel and a specific melon aroma.

It is very important to remove the melon at the time of full maturity, since unripe fruits, like overripe ones, do not have a good taste and aroma.

To grow a sweet melon, you need to know some secrets. If the melon ripens on the ground, then the heat and sun's rays, as a rule, penetrate into it only from above - fruits that have a lighter color on one side are not uncommon. Accordingly, half of the fruit that received healing sun rays will be more sugary and juicy. In order for the fruits to ripen evenly, they must be periodically carefully turned over.

It is advisable to remove the melon from the bush in dry, but not hot weather. The ripe fruit is easily separated from the stems along with the tail.

Unfortunately, all summer melon varieties intended for cultivation in this strip do not have a long shelf life. They stay for 2-3 weeks maximum. If placed in a refrigerator or basement, the shelf life can be increased. But another significant drawback of any summer variety is that with prolonged storage, the fruits lose their taste and aroma.

Video "How to grow melons in the middle lane"

This video demonstrates the experience of a successful farm near Moscow, engaged in the cultivation of melons and watermelons in the open field. The general director of the agricultural firm shares the details of agricultural technology and selection of varieties.