Recommendations on how to grow a watermelon in the country

Which variety to choose

Watermelon is not only tasty and healthy. It is a source of mineral and nitrogenous elements, vitamins and sugars necessary for the human body. It contains a large percentage of magnesium, iron, potassium. It is useful to eat this wonderful berry for people suffering from arthritis, gout, sclerosis. Watermelon will help cleanse the body of toxins, its infusion is effective for problems with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In the State Register of the Russian Federation, 51 varieties of the beloved fruit are recorded, adapted for growing in the climatic conditions of our area.

This list is constantly updated, as new hybrid varieties of watermelons appear, on which breeders are working hard. To organize the types of watermelons, they were divided according to geography. There are Russian, West European, Asia Minor, Transcaucasian, Indian, Afghan, Far Eastern, Central Asian, East Asian and American watermelons. The varieties recommended for planting and cultivation in the regions of our country belong to the Russian group. Some watermelons that can be seen in summer cottages are also included in the Central Asian and Transcaucasian group. When choosing a variety for growing, experts and experienced gardeners advise paying attention to the growing season of your favorite berry.

If for the regions of Rostov and Krasnodar with warm climatic conditions, varieties with medium and late ripening terms are suitable, then for cool non-chernozem ones - early varieties of watermelons. When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account such indicators as the degree of frost and drought resistance of the crop. Here is a description of several types of watermelons that have excellent characteristics and are suitable for growing in the personal plots of our country.

Watermelon Ogonyok is recommended for planting in the non-black earth, belongs to the early maturing species - 71 - 87 days pass before the berries are fully ripe. Fruits have the shape of a ball, can reach 2.5 kg in weight. The berry has a rich red pulp, has an excellent sweet taste. The fruit is outwardly black-green. The skin of such a berry is thin; inside you can see small seeds. Planting must be carried out from April 20 to early May, with the seedling method - from May 25 to the first week of June. The planting scheme is 1 meter by 60 cm.

Watermelon Crimson Sweet grows normally in regions with hot and short summers. From the moment of germination to the next harvest, the berry of this variety takes 60 - 70 days. It weighs up to 3 kg and has a characteristic sweet and pleasant taste. Has increased resistance to some dangerous diseases - powdery mildew, anthracnose.

Watermelon AU Producer is a relatively new variety recommended for cultivation in the southern regions of the country. It has a high degree of productivity, has a sweet and juicy center of rich red color.It can be stored under suitable conditions for a long time, it tolerates transportation well over long distances.

Where and how to plant

How to grow a watermelon in the country? The berry will need a lot of heat, it is advised to grow it in a greenhouse. It should be prepared in the fall. Feeding the earth is carried out with the help of rotted manure and mowed grass. Watermelons cannot be planted in one place every year. The soil will need at least a year of rest to recuperate and replenish its supply of nutrients. When the choice of the variety has been made, you can start planting seedlings. Watermelons may not be able to withstand the spring frosts at night.

In this case, you should not keep the seedlings in the pot for longer than the recommended time frame. Its cultivation is carried out in a pot with a diameter of no more than 15 cm. The seeds are pre-soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes, after which they are left for germination. They are planted in a pot to a depth of about 4 cm. The optimum temperature for growing seedlings in the daytime is up to +23, at night - at least +18 degrees.

When fragile seedlings appear, the indicator is reduced by 4 days to +18, then the previous regime is resumed. Planting seedlings in the ground is carried out at the end of May. A little more manure should be added to the soil fertilized in the fall before planting. About 3 plantings must be planted per square meter of usable area. For planting watermelons, a bright and sunny place is chosen on the site. Protect the area from the winds - it is advised to prefer the south or southeast side. The soil should be neutral in acidity. Choose sandy and sandy loam soils.

Do not plant watermelons on land where there is a likelihood of a close location of groundwater. For a better outflow of water from the site, it is advised to make beds up to 15 cm high with a slope to the south. Watermelon thrives on a compost heap. When planting in the ground with seeds, the sowing technology includes placing the seeds in the ground when it is warmed up to +15 degrees to a depth of 10 cm. The first shoots are thinned out, leaving the most viable ones at a distance of about a meter from each other. For the greenhouse, a thinning scheme is used with a distance of 70 by 70 cm.

Video "Growing melons in the country"

Care

After planting seedlings and the beginning of the formation of lashes, it is recommended to feed the plant with liquid cow or chicken droppings. Chicken has a higher degree of concentration, it should be taken at the rate of 1:20. Mullein can be used in an amount of 1: 8. Perfect for feeding and superphosphate, which will saturate the soil and plant with minerals. During the period when the ovary begins to form, the second fertilization is carried out - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

The long root system of the beloved berry allows it to grow in arid regions on the sand. After landing on the site, regular watering is carried out in the amount of 3 buckets per square meter. At the time of intense flowering, watering is done about twice a week. In order not to slow down the normal development of watermelons, during the ripening of the fruits, they stop watering. Watermelon needs a temperature of +25 to 30 degrees. This will have to be monitored, since a sharp cold snap will have a bad effect on its growth.

In the middle lane at +15 degrees, the planting is covered with a film. To prevent condensation from accumulating, a non-woven fabric or gauze is placed under it.

You should also remember about pollination - in cloudy weather, it is not easy for bees to carry out it. To help the little workers, touch a pair of pistils on the rest of the plants with the stamens on the flower. Fruits can be harvested after the procedure in less than a month. In the southern areas, the tops of the stems are cut off, thus stopping the growth of shoots. So the fruits grow larger in size.

Pests

Many unpleasant moments are delivered to watermelons by the melon aphid attacking them. She appears in June-July.He lives on the bottom of the sheets with families and is engaged in sucking juices. Leaves wrinkle and dry out. During the summer period, aphids give several generations. First, pests appear on the weeds. Females move to melon in mid-June and parasitize on it until autumn. They lay their eggs on the weeds, where they spend the winter.

In order to protect plantings from aphids, it is advised to weed, mow the areas next to the watermelons. When pests appear, plants are treated with infusions and decoctions of onion husks, garlic, celandine. In case of severe damage to the deciduous system, the use of chemicals is recommended - Iskra, Karbofos, INTA-VIR.

Diseases can prevail on melons and gourds. Anthracnose or copperhead is characterized by the appearance of yellow or light brown spots on the leaves. They gradually spread to the fruit. To prevent the disease, you need to warm up the seeds before sowing. Use disease resistant varieties - Dalby F1, Helen and others. Diseased leaves are removed, plantings are powdered with sulfur. Bacteriosis or angular spotting affects leaves and stems. Brownish-brown spots appear on them. The causative agents of the virus are stored on plant debris and seeds. For prevention, the earth is dug deep in the fall.

Diseased crops are removed, it is worth choosing varieties that are resistant to the disease. Powdery mildew provokes the appearance of white bloom on the leaves and stems. The causative agent of the disease spends the winter on weeds and plant debris. For prevention, the seeds are soaked in Fitosporin solution for a couple of hours. If a disease is detected, the affected leaves are removed, additional potash dressings are added, and colloidal sulfur is treated at the rate of 30 grams of the product per 10 liters of water. Oversporosis or downy mildew - spots are found on the upper side of the leaves. They have a yellow-green color. The infection is carried by the wind and stored on plant debris. For prophylaxis, the seeds are warmed up or soaked in Fitosporin solution before sowing.

When a disease is detected, treatment is carried out with an infusion or decoction of horsetail at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water. At the beginning of the development of the disease, treatment with milk with iodine is effective. In case of severe damage, it is recommended to use the drugs Oxychloride and Cuprosat. Fusarium wilting can lead to plant death in a couple of days. There is a protracted form of the disease, when the leaves curl, chlorotic spots appear, then the leaves dry up. The infection spreads through soil, seeds, plant debris. For prevention, it is advised to dress the seeds with Baktofit solution for about 4 hours. For planting, choose varieties of hybrids Trophy, Helen, Lady, Dolby and others. If an ailment is detected, the affected plants are destroyed, the rest are sprayed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

Video "Watermelons and their cultivation in the country"

The video contains popular tips and tricks that relate to the cultivation of this crop in a summer cottage.