How to grow watermelons in the Moscow region in the open field

Differences in the region

In the first calendar summer month, although the air warms up during the day to an average of +19 ° C, the return of cold weather is often observed with the onset of a sharp cold snap and the arrival of prolonged rains. Therefore, according to meteorological observations, the average daily temperature this month for the Moscow region is slightly higher than +15 ° C.

But in the warmest July, the average daily temperature in the west of the region is +16.9 ° C, and in the southeast, its value rises to +18 ° C. At the same time, during the day, the air can warm up to +35 ° C, or even almost to +40 ° C. But this heat is a rather fleeting phenomenon. Precipitation during this period falls in the form of torrential rains with frequent thunderstorms.

In August, the days are still warm, but the nights are already cool and the average daily air temperature is only + 15.5 ° C. The number of cloudy days and precipitation increases at this time, but the duration of daylight hours is noticeably reduced.

Obviously, such climatic conditions are by no means optimal for growing watermelons that are very demanding on heat in the open field. However, this did not stop the breeders, and today there are varieties that can be quite successfully grown in the Moscow region.

Which varieties are suitable

Despite all the achievements of enthusiasts, watermelons for the gardens of the Moscow region are still exotic. Quite a few people are skeptical about the possibility of growing this thermophilic melons and gourds in a temperate continental climate with not particularly hot summers. It begins in this region from the end of May and lasts until September. Precipitation during this period is about 75 mm.

You can count on a good harvest by purchasing seeds of the early ripening variety "Skorik". These globular watermelons are characterized by their small size and small seeds, but have a delicious, delicate flesh. The thick rind of the fruit is dark green in color and riddled with broken dark lines. Ripe watermelons can be stored for a long time.

Crimson Sweet watermelons have a rounded shape, and their pulp is distinguished by a high level of sugar. No wonder its name is translated as "raspberry sugar". The fruits ripen in 70-80 days, and their weight can reach 10 kilograms. Many gardeners consider them the best watermelons for the Moscow region.

Open ground in this region is quite acceptable for the early ripening variety "Ogonyok". The first crop of its spherical, very dark green fruits can be harvested in mid-August. Watermelons grow only about 2 kilograms, but at the same time they have a delicate red flesh and a thin skin.

Those who like to experiment can try the open ground of the Moscow region for growing the ultra-early variety "Coral". Its dark green, thin-skinned fruit without any stripes ripens 70-75 days after planting and has a pronounced sweet taste.

The seeds of the "Honey Giant" will allow you to harvest an excellent harvest of oblong fruits with an unusual marble pattern. Also elongated fruits and the variety "Krestyanin". With their juiciness and sweet taste, they have a rather thick rind, which is convenient for long-term transportation.

Also, hybrid species grow well in the open ground of the Moscow region.The most popular among gardeners are F1 Gourmet and F1 Farmer. They produce traditional striped, rounded fruit with a juicy, tasty pulp. In addition, Sprinter F1, Cinderella F1 and Gift to the North F1 will allow to get a good harvest of watermelons for the Moscow region.

In this region, the open field is quite acceptable for the tasty sweet early maturing "royal" Prince series, which includes hybrids: Prince Hamlet F1, Prince Arthur F1, Prince Charles F1, Prince Harry F1 and Prince Albert F1. Moreover, the latter has a yellow peel and is practically indistinguishable from a melon. The series of early and juicy watermelons Peking Joy F1 is also successful. It gives a consistently good harvest of fruits weighing 4-6 kilograms.

Video "Cultivation of watermelons in the Moscow region"

Growing features

Watermelons in the Moscow region are grown in seedlings. It is advisable to plant seeds from the beginning to the second decade of May. It is necessary to calculate in such a way that at the time of planting in open ground the plants were already about a month old, then the seedlings take root well in a new place and begin to grow actively.

Seedlings are planted in peat pots with a capacity of 0.5 liters in a mixture of peat, turf soil and humus, taken in equal proportions. Caring for plants at this time consists of regular evening watering. If you water the sprouts of watermelons during the day, when the sun falls on them, they will fall, but in the evening they will rise again.

Planting seedlings in the ground after the appearance of the third leaf on it is carried out in holes located at a distance of one and a half meters from each other. This should be done only when the morning frosts stop and the daytime temperature does not drop below +15 ° C, but it is better that the air warms up to +20 ° C.

Cold air is transferred by watermelons much easier than cold soil, so the bed must be warmed up before planting. To do this, in March, for faster snow melting, ash is scattered on them, and in April the soil is shed with warm water and covered with foil.

Before planting, the remnants of the pots are removed, the hole is moistened with water and a spoonful of complex fertilizer is added. After planting, the plant is sprinkled to the root collar and watered again. It is better to cover the planting on top with a non-woven covering material for two weeks to protect it from birds.

Caring for the planted plants consists in regular watering with a frequency of twice a week with settled water heated in the sun and feeding with soluble complex fertilizers twice a month. If necessary, watermelons growing in the ground are pollinated using a brush. There is no need to pinch them.

To protect against the occurrence of negative weather conditions, which is often in the spring in the Moscow region, many gardeners prefer to install a film cover over the planted seedlings. The film is fixed on arcs or a frame made from scrap materials. Remove such protection after stabilization of the temperature regime.

After planting in the garden beds, watermelons grow slowly, because within a few weeks the plant starts up a long taproot in the ground. Plant care also includes molding into one stem, from which one excellent ripe fruit is obtained. For this purpose, remove all the stems, except for the main one.

Gardening tips

Experienced gardeners say that in order to grow a good harvest of watermelons in the Moscow region, the main thing is to choose the right variety. It should be super-early, that is, beginning to bear fruit 60-70 days after germination. Varieties should be used only those that are intended for cultivation in Central Russia.

Also, before sowing, the seeds are advised to be subjected to the following procedure. Collect them in gauze bags and put them in cold water for two seconds, and then place them in a container with hot water for a second. Then repeat everything. Three of these cycles will increase the resistance of the plants and grow an excellent harvest.

Experienced gardeners recommend planting two seeds in one peat pot, as there is always a risk that one of them will not resemble. In the event that both sprout, only one sprout is left, and the second is cut off, since it cannot be pulled out so as not to damage the root system of the plant being left.

Planting seedlings in a permanent place requires taking into account which plants have grown here before. The best option would be prior growing cabbage or legumes. In general, the cultivation of watermelons should be carried out in a new place every year.

Caring for watermelon melons requires not to allow a situation for the fruits to lie on the ground. To do this, you can use planks or tie up watermelons using a mesh pre-cut into flaps of the required size, in which packaged onions, carrots or potatoes are sold.

Some of the gardeners recommend that when growing watermelons in the open field, use a technique such as grafting on an early-ripening pumpkin. This makes plants much less susceptible to the unfavorable climate of the region, which will accelerate their growth and increase yields. The main problem of watermelons for the Moscow region is associated with cold soil. Since already at its temperature of +18 ° C, their roots cease to function properly. It is for this that watermelons are grafted onto a bottle pumpkin, the roots of which develop well even in the soil heated only to +8 ° C.

Video "How to grow watermelons for the Moscow region"

To grow this crop in the Moscow region, you should arm yourself with hefty knowledge in this area. To do this, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following video.