When watermelons ripen and how to distinguish ripe berries

Cultivation of culture

For the first planting, it is better to take early varieties of watermelons, with a ripening period of about sixty days. Late varieties can ripen ninety or even one hundred days after germination. It is important not to plant different varieties of watermelons next to each other in order to avoid cross-pollination.

It is better to allocate beds for this culture in the fall. It is not recommended to plant watermelons twice in a row in the same place or in the beds where other pumpkin seeds were previously grown. But this culture grows well and bears fruit after cabbage, onions, potatoes or beans. Since the fall, when the crop has been harvested and the site is determined for planting watermelons, it is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers, ash and sand to it - this will make the soil lighter.

Soils with groundwater approaching the surface are not suitable for watermelons, as well as too acidic. The beds need to be oriented to the south or southeast, it is possible with a slight slope for better water flow. Watermelons need soil with good aeration, and it is not recommended to walk through the beds once again. Therefore, for the convenience of caring for plants, the beds should immediately be made narrow. It is also necessary to provide for the possibility of covering the beds in cool weather.

Optionally, you can sow seeds in open ground or grow seedlings. However, it is important to remember that due to the structural features of the root system (many thin roots of the second and third order), it is not recommended to transplant watermelons. If seeds are sown, then they must be sown in holes with a diameter of fifty centimeters to 1 meter, with a distance between the holes from seventy centimeters to one and a half meters. In one hole, you can sow up to twenty seeds, after the emergence of shoots, select the strongest plants, and remove the rest.

Scheme for the selection and consumption of watermelons

Seedlings are grown in individual pots and transplanted into the ground when the fourth leaf appears. Seedlings are transferred into holes with a minimum distance of one meter between plants. In early June, watermelons (even from seeds, even from seedlings) should already grow in the beds. Plants need abundant watering, shelter at night if frosts occur, gentle loosening of the soil (so as not to damage the roots), top dressing once or twice during the growing season.

When the fruits are tied, the ovaries will need to be thinned, on the basis that each plant will produce five to seven berries, but no more than two on one lash - only in this case the watermelons will ripen. Usually, watermelons ripen within a month or a little longer after the berries appear.

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When to harvest

Watermelons begin to ripen in August. Depending on the variety that was sown, in the second half of August, you can already enjoy the fragrant fruits. It should be noted that early maturing varieties are not intended for long-term storage - they will have to be eaten quickly, on their own or with the help of neighbors, friends and relatives.

Harvesting should be done as the fruit ripens.Usually, the fruits from one plant are harvested in two or three steps (unless we are talking about the berry from which the seeds will be obtained). The fruits must be collected with a sharp knife or garden shears, since if you tear off the stalk with your hand, rotting of the fruit in this place is possible due to a violation of the integumentary tissues. The harvested fruits of early varieties should be stored for no more than ten days.

How to distinguish a ripe berry

When the watermelon is ripe, the stalk, antennae and leaves near the fruit begin to dry out - in fact, this is a universal sign of ripeness for all pumpkin seeds. There is an even simpler way - the larger the fruit, the more chances that it is fully ripe.

Also, in a ripe berry, the crust acquires a uniform glossy shine, and its part lying on the ground turns yellow (before ripeness this area is white), and when you try to scratch a ripe watermelon with your fingernail, a crack will remain, and the unripe nail will simply slip off. You can also focus on a dull low sound from tapping (as is customary to do when buying). Or, a crackling sound will be heard when you press down with your finger.

You need to harvest in dry, sunny weather. The shelf life of late-ripening varieties is up to two months, subject to the conditions. Watermelons can be stored in dark, cold rooms with high humidity, but should be checked regularly and perishable fruits removed as needed. The last harvest is carried out before frost. In this case, all fruits are removed, even unripe ones. It is customary to salt unripe watermelons.

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