Watermelons Will Grow In Harsh Climates

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

Do you want to grow a watermelon? We offer 6 tricks that give good results in the middle and northwestern regions of Russia. Using these tips, you will have melons and watermelons even in cool summers

1. Double cover

We sow in open ground in holes 3-4 cm deep, 2-3 pieces each, interval 1, 5-2 m - watermelon, 1-1, 5 - melon. We do not comply with generally accepted norms in terms of time, we sow earlier - on May Day holidays. You win half a month, this will come in handy for the ripening of the watermelon / melon.

Do not be afraid of frost - shelter will help. We need a half-liter bottle without a bottom. Place over the planting and spud with sand. Watering through the neck, only with warm water. But that is not all. The shelter should be like a nesting doll. On the first bottle, you need to put a five-liter canister, also without a bottom. Your seedling will provide warmth.

After the sprouts appear, we remove the shelter, thin out - choose the strong one, cut off the others. Now we cover with one five-liter bottle. Under this "cap" they will grow until mid-June.

2. "Watermelon sun"

The quality of the land for melons is not the most important thing, of course, it is advisable to plant it in a light, sandy one. The sun is what watermelon and melon need. Always choose an open area away from trees. There is also a "sunny trick": in the heat, when ripening is in progress, you need to shade the fruits, otherwise they will be baked. Cover the fruit with a burdock leaf.

3. Board under the barrel

On cool, damp days, padding can help prevent rot development. Place a plank / plywood under the fruit, so as to exclude contact with the ground. Shoots may also suffer, so add sand at the root collar, 2-3 handfuls are enough.

4. Watering the watermelon

A characteristic feature of melons is a deep root. Nature has taken care of the possibility of drinking in the steppe, in an arid climate. We do not have such a problem and the water is close, so a long root, getting into the aquifer, can rot.

It is necessary to change the growth of the root, direct it in width. This is simply done by watering: pour not at the root, but in the aisle. Watering grooves are made in the middle of the rows or around the circumference. Watering is not the same as for vegetables. Water rarely, only in hot weather. Avoid soil crust: loosen and mulch the garden bed.

5. Trimming the lashes

The cool climate is unfavorable for watermelon, but if you decide to get a harvest, then help your seedling fulfill its mission. He will not have enough strength for many fruits, and part of the ovaries will not ripen and will deplete the plant. Trimming the whip helps to get a ripe watermelon. Pinch the end of the shoot so that 3-6 ovaries remain.

By the way, in a watermelon, female buds appear on the main lash, so cut the side ones right away so that they do not pull the juices. In melons, the vegetation is, on the contrary, and it is the lateral shoots that are valued. We cut off the central one after 5-6 leaves and leave the side ones for fruiting. We count the number of permissible fruits and cut off the ends. This restriction rule helps to direct the energy and strength of the plant to the remaining fruits, as a result, ripening is accelerated. Harvest at the end of August.

6. Choose a variety of watermelon

Astrakhan watermelon will never produce berries up to 10 kg in the Moscow region. In colder climates, certain varieties need to be planted. Usually these are hybrids that give a stable yield. Designed for open beds and temporary shelters.

Beijing joy. Differs in excellent sweet taste, early ripening, juiciness. The fruits are ready for harvest in August and reach an average of 4 kg. When landing in a greenhouse, they turn out to be larger - 6 kg.

Skorik intended for open ground. It has a spherical shape, juicy, moderately sweet pulp. Does not grow more than 3 kg.

Fire in the Moscow region and adjacent regions - the most popular variety. It is famous for its stable harvest. Berries of good taste, not large, on average 2 kg.

Crimson Sweet with proper agricultural technology, it produces fruits of 8 kg. It is considered the largest of the early maturing. The pulp is crimson, sugar.

Couch potato will not please with large fruits and high yields. You will not see large specimens, but you will get sweet, ripe two-kilogram watermelons. The fruits are distinguished by long shelf life (3 months).

Other varieties ripen well among summer residents: Delicatessen, Farmer, Coral, Peasant, Top Gun, Charleston Gray.

Advice

The thick skin of the watermelon seeds makes it difficult for the sprout to emerge, so they need to be soaked. Many people use a thermos, leaving the seeds in it for 2 hours (water +45). Then drain and wrap warm in a damp cloth, in polyethylene and to the battery. Allow to breathe (open the package) twice a day before biting. After 5 days, sprouts will appear - you can plant in the ground.