How To Grow A Watermelon In A Greenhouse

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Greenhouse cultivation is familiar to every summer resident. In such structures, various crops are planted that love warmth. Among them, a special place is occupied by watermelon. It can be grown not only in the south, but also in temperate climates. True, usually only bold owners of personal plots are engaged in such cultivation

However, the efforts made are justified, because the taste of the fruit of the watermelon becomes amazing, especially when it is grown with your own hands. Of course, growing a crop in a greenhouse differs significantly from planting it in an open field. Therefore, when deciding to get a harvest of large and juicy fruits, it is necessary to take into account all the features of such a procedure.

Good varieties for growing in temperate climates

Every year modern breeders offer more and more new varieties of watermelons that are suitable for growing not only in the south, but also in central Russia. It is worth noting that only those varieties that have a short ripening period are suitable for growing crops in a greenhouse structure. Also, these fruits will not be very large and weighty. Their maximum weight ranges from one to two kilograms. In this case, any experienced summer resident has a choice between the types of watermelon - Cinderella, Ultra-early, Sibiryak and Ogonyok.

After the formation of seedlings, the crop appears after eight dozen days. However, even this does not prevent the fruit from acquiring excellent taste properties. You should not choose ordinary varieties, as the climatic conditions will most likely prevent the plant from ripening.

Growing watermelon seedlings

The best time to plant watermelon seedlings is mid-April. The gardener at this moment needs to prepare miniature pots (preferably peat ones), the diameter of which will be only ten centimeters. The soil mixture also plays a special role. To prepare it, you need to take any soil and mix it with potassium sulfate and wood ash. It is required to place two watermelon seeds in the container, and also dig them in to a depth in the form of a couple or three centimeters.

Pre-planting material is soaked in warm water and placed on a window on the south side. It is believed that such seeds can only germinate at temperatures above seventeen degrees Celsius. But indoors, this figure should be twenty-five to thirty-five degrees. At night, the temperature can drop to eighteen degrees. Only in such conditions will culture be formed correctly and efficiently.

In the phase of intensive growth of the culture, one or two additional fertilizing should be carried out. It is precisely mineral complex fertilizers that need to be introduced into the soil. The first time the watermelon is fertilized is two weeks after the seeds are planted. While the plants are developing in containers, the pots will need to be moved apart, leaving free space for seedlings. They should not be in contact with leaves or other parts of them. Seedlings are planted in the greenhouse only after the formation of three to five true leaves. As a rule, it takes about a month from the moment of planting to this time - sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, depending on the conditions created in the room.

Some gardeners plant watermelon in heated greenhouses. In such a situation, the procedure can be performed already at the beginning of May. In another case, you need to wait for the moment when the street temperature stabilizes to twenty-twenty-six degrees.

The combs for planting culture specimens must be prepared in advance. They are twenty centimeters high and forty to fifty centimeters wide. The distance between plants should be at least forty centimeters. However, you should not bury the seedlings too much.

You should pay attention to one more subtlety - the height of the greenhouse structure and the humidity inside it. The indicators of the second factor should be no less than sixty and no more than seventy percent. As for the height of the structure, it should be from 1, 8 to 2 meters.

How to care for a plant like a watermelon?

The watermelon has long lashes. During cultivation, they need to be tied up constantly. The plant will not be able to cling to the supporting elements on its own. Watermelon beds should be inspected every day. At this moment, the grown ends of the plants should be twisted counterclockwise. Also, in a greenhouse, a watermelon must be formed exclusively into one stem, which means that you need to regularly pluck out lateral shoots and flowers above forty centimeters.