How to grow melons outdoors in the middle lane?

Melon is a popular culture that is successfully cultivated all over the world. Therefore, having your own plot and the desire to create with your own hands, attention should be paid to the cultivation and planting rules in the open field of this favorite summer-autumn delicacy so that it can look healthy and with a wonderful taste.

In different regions, you can sow the melon directly with seeds, or plant it first for seedlings. Cultivation and care must be carried out regardless of the terrain, it may also be necessary to form and, feed or tie to a trellis.

Is it possible to grow melons in the open field in the country

Melon is a thermophilic plant that need a lot of light... She does well in hot weather and even drought. The maximum moisture content for this culture is 60-70%.

The culture has a massive root system that is capable of extracting moisture up to one meter deep. This plant requires a lot of free space for intensive development and comfortable growth.

Although the melon is southern, it can be grown almost anywhere, the main thing is to know how to do it. Now a sufficient number of varieties have been bred that take root and bear fruit in moderately warm and cold climates.

The most popular varieties of melon to plant in the Middle Lane and Ukraine

There are many varieties of melons with different characteristics for outdoor use.It is important, when choosing a variety for planting, to take into account the peculiarities of the local climate.

According to the reviews of experienced gardeners, the best varieties to plant in a country house in central Russia or Ukraine, in the climatic conditions of the Moscow region are Altai and Kolkhoznitsa.

Altai

Altai

Early maturity, allows you to harvest after 70 days growth of culture from the period of seedling formation. A medium-sized plant forms a moderate length of a lash.

The fruits are golden in color and are oval-shaped. The ability to achieve 1.5KG... The delicate pulp is colored in a light orange color, characterized by sleepiness, sweetness and graininess.

Of the positive characteristics: adaptability to adverse weather conditions, excellent transportability and keeping quality.

Collective farmer

Melon belongs to the early maturing variety. The first crop can be harvested after 75 days after disembarkation.

The plant forms small orange-yellow round fruits with a convex stalk attachment. On average, the weight of one fruit is 1.5 kg. The dense pulp and strong crust makes it easy to transport the crop, which can be stored after harvest for a week.

Collective farmer

Growing a heat-loving vegetable is difficult in areas with a harsh climate, such as Siberia.

In such conditions, only certain varieties can grow, which include Rannyaya 133 and Yantarnaya.

Early 133

Early ripe variety, growing season - 60-70 days... The fruit is oval-shaped and has a yellow skin. Has a white, dense, tender, sweet pulp of excellent taste and aroma. The weight of one fruit is approximately 1.5KG.

It is appreciated for its excellent commercial qualities, good transportability and high immunity to major crop diseases.

Early 133

Amber

Variety of mid-early ripening period. The growing season from germination to ripening of melons 70-85 days... A plant with long strands of medium vigor. Juicy spherical fruits with juicy, fairly thick pulp and weight up to 2.5 kg.

Amber

What varieties are suitable for sowing in Bashkiria and the Urals

Vegetable growers of the Urals and Bashkiria wishing to grow melons on their plots should choose a more suitable variety for the Ural region. The optimal seed material for melons is the Dream of Sybarite and Cinderella.

Sybarite's dream

An early variety that reaches technical ripeness in 50-55 days... The fruits have an original elongated shape and a green striped peel. The mass of one fruit is 400 g.

Juicy crispy flesh of a whitish shade with a specific honey aroma and taste. The main advantages are increased productivity, continuous fruiting until frost, good disease resistance.

Sybarite's dream

Cinderella

The variety belongs to early ripening crops, since the growing season is 60 days, for which the fruits are gaining up to 1.5 kg weight.

Melons are yellow with a raised mesh pattern. The pulp is white in color and is characterized by juiciness and sweetness. Due to its rich aroma, it is appreciated in the culinary business.

The advantages include high resistance to temperature extremes, various diseases and pest attacks. The disadvantages are short storage and poor transportability from the rather thin crust of the melons.

Cinderella

Planting rules

There are several ways to plant a crop:

• sowing seeds;
• seedling method;
• with the help of grafted seedlings.

The simplest available method for any gardener is seed planting in open ground. Other options are considered more difficult and not everyone can do.

Preparation for planting with seeds

To obtain a high-quality harvest, competent preparation of seeds for sowing is important. You can buy planting material in special stores or collect it yourself from the fruit grown in your own garden and germinate it at home.

When collecting seeds at home, you must follow the basic rule: harvest only from large sweet melons.

Seeds should only be harvested from large sweet melons.

One more nuance is important: only in the third year after collection you can use seeds as planting material. Since fresh specimens develop a plant with the absence of female inflorescences, as a result of which they do not have the ability to bear fruit.

In order for the seedlings to be friendly, and the plants to develop strong, seed material is needed pickle in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for an hour. Then soak at 20-25̊ degrees in a thick layer of gauze cloth, which is immersed in a container so that the water only slightly covers the seeds.

Every 4-6 hours, the seeds should be ventilated and immersed in water again. The total soaking time is 12 hours. Then sprinkle the seeds in a thin layer on a damp cloth and keep until the first shoots appear.

Site selection and soil preparation for planting seedlings

Melon is a light-loving plant that hates shading... Therefore, for this culture, areas well-lit by the sun, as much as possible protected from cold winds, are suitable.

Melon does not tolerate shading when grown

When planning the planting of a melon beauty in the garden, you need to take into account what crops grew in the garden last year and the neighboring influence of different plants on the melon. The predecessors can be garlic, onion, cabbage, peas, beans, winter cereals.

Good neighbors that will repel pests, improve taste and promote growth are considered turnip, basil, radish.

It does not get along well with potatoes, which can cause them to wilt and cucumbers, since the plants can be mutually dusty and become bitter in taste.

The plant is not recommended to be planted in one place. more than two years... It will be possible to return it to its previous place of growth without sacrificing yield for 5 years.

Melon is very demanding on the soil, so a light, organic medium loamy soil with neutral acidity is suitable for it.

The plant cultivation area must be properly prepared:

• autumn land dig a shovel on a bayonet and add humus, in the presence of heavy soil, saturate it with river sand;
• with the onset of spring, sprinkle the bed, using peat or ash to accelerate the melting of snow, then cover it with a film to ensure maximum heating of the soil;
• when the surface layer of the soil warms up to a temperature of +13 degrees, conduct deep loosening with the addition of potash and phosphate minerals, strictly observing the amount of fertilizers applied, which the manufacturers indicate on the packages;
• before starting the planting process, re-dig the site, refueling with fertilizers that contain nitrogen.

Conditions for proper cultivation and care

Gardeners are recommended to plant a melon in the ground only in the southern regions. In the northern latitudes and in the middle lane, it is better to grow only using mature seedlings, because the melon can have time to emerge from the seeds, but will not bear fruit before the cold weather. Favorable time for disembarkation - last days of April.

To do this, you need to perform the following procedure, care and love the plant properly:

1. Make holes, 5-6 cm deep. Planting scheme - 1 m between rows, 0.7 m distance in a row.
2. Equip each hole with humus and irrigate with warm water.
3. Place 3-4 seeds in each hole.
4. Water the planted seed material and cover it with dry soil.

It is better to carry out the planting process after rain in moist soil, then the seedlings will form earlier. If a cold snap is expected, cover the beds with foil before sprouting at night.

Planting melon seedlings in the ground

The fruits are ripening late July - early August... When ripe, the vegetable acquires its characteristic color, the pattern is clearly revealed and the characteristic aroma inherent in melon appears. Full maturity is signaled by easy separation from the peduncle.

According to the gardener's lunar calendar in 2018, the melon planting process can be started on March 27,28, from April 20 to April 24 and in May any day from the 19th to the 23rd.

The key to the successful cultivation of melons and gourds is sunny warm weather, when pollination and the development of sugary juicy fruits are actively taking place. It is important to choose a suitable variety and follow simple agricultural techniques, dive and pinch seedlings if necessary, and then a rich increase in the yield of melons is ensured.

An indigenous inhabitant of Central and Central Asia, the melon is gradually assimilating more northern territories. Thanks to the success of breeders, honey fruits can be grown not only in the southern regions of the country, but also in the middle lane. Moreover, fruits with excellent taste do not ripen even in greenhouses, but in the open ground and on the balcony.

Of course, the melon is more capricious and more demanding in terms of keeping conditions than the closest relatives - cucumbers and pumpkins, but with proper care, this species also obeys the diligent gardener. What are the features of growing melons outdoors? What difficulties can you face, and how to achieve fruiting plants at home?

Preparing melon seeds for planting

For sowing, strong, well-formed seeds are used, while experts advise taking the seed obtained from the harvest two or three years ago. Watching how, in the photo, the melon grows, you can notice:

• powerful plants from fresh seeds in abundance give flowers of the male type, and there are very few ovaries on them;
• melon whips from older seeds are more productive.

To increase the germination of seeds, they are immersed in a solution of boric acid and zinc sulfate or another growth stimulator for 12 hours.

If you have to grow melons outdoors in the middle lane, it is better to worry about hardening the seeds in advance, for which they:

• first immersed in warm water with a temperature of about 30–35 ° C;
• then left for a day at room temperature;
• for stratification, they are transferred to a refrigerator for 18 hours, where the temperature is close to zero.

The swollen seeds are ready to be sown outdoors or for seedlings.

How to grow melon seedlings at home?

Since all members of the pumpkin family, due to the risk of root damage, do not like transplants, and the culture is very thermophilic, it should be borne in mind that:

• the soil on the plot intended for melon for sowing should warm up to 12-13 ° C;
• sowing in peat tablets or small cups is carried out no earlier than two weeks before planting in the ground;
• in containers of a larger volume, seedlings can be kept for up to 30 days.

For example, for the middle strip for seedlings, it is acceptable to sow seeds in the last days of April, then by June the young plants should move to a permanent place.

Using peat pots allows you to avoid the pain of replanting and save up to three weeks when growing melons outdoors.

For growing seedlings, make a soil mixture of equal parts:

• humus;
• peat cleared of impurities;
• sand;
• garden soil.

Before sowing, the soil is moistened and enriched with a complex fertilizer containing trace elements for melon growth. Two seeds are planted in each pot, 10–11 cm in diameter, so that, looking at how the melon grows, in the photo, you can choose a stronger sprout, and cut off the weak one without damaging the root system.

To prevent rotting of young stems, the surface of the soil in seedling pots is sprinkled with a layer of clean sand.

For melon cultivation at home, the daytime temperature is kept around 20 ° C, while the air can be cooled down to 15 ° C at night. Watering for melons, including melons, needs moderate watering as the topsoil dries up.

Choosing and preparing a site

For a southern culture that loves warmth and sunlight in the open field, the most illuminated areas, but closed from drafts and cold winds, are chosen.

It is important that moisture does not stagnate in the area for melons, otherwise rot and fungal diseases of plants cannot be avoided.

At the same time, for growing melons in the open field, the soil is prepared in advance. In the fall, the future melon:

• dug over at least a shovel bayonet;
• fertilized with organic matter, introducing 4–6 kg of humus or rotted manure per square meter.

Melon loves loose soils, therefore, on loamy soils, it is recommended to add river sand to the beds. In spring, potash and phosphate fertilizers are introduced into melons for digging.

We plant a melon in the ground

The basic rules for growing melons outdoors are very simple:

• Young plants need protection from rain and cold.
• The quantity and quality of the crop depends on the correct formation of plants, removal of the tops of the whips and excessive ovary.
• A well-established watering schedule will help you get sweet, full-bodied fruits without cracks.
• Melon requires regular, competent feeding.

Planting seedlings and seeds is carried out at a distance of at least 60 cm from each other.

The seeds are buried 5 cm, and, as in the seedling method, 2-3 seeds are placed in the hole. An additional teaspoon of nitrophoska or other nitrogen-containing fertilizer is added to the hole both under the seeds and under the seedlings.

If plants are planted on melons in peat pots, the earthen lump cannot be buried. After sprinkling with earth, it should rise slightly above the general level, only after that the plants are watered and the already wet soil is mulched with dry soil.

In the future, it is better to shelter melon seedlings for the first time, while acclimatization is in progress, from the sun, rain and possible cold snap. As you get used to it, the greenhouse is removed for the daytime, and at night the plants are again hidden under the covering material.

Melon care features

When growing melons in the open field, the melon grower should pay attention to watering, loosening the soil, feeding and weeding the beds. In addition, you cannot wait for a good harvest if you do not pinch the lashes on which there is already an ovary in time, and do not remove empty shoots that take away strength from the bush.

Loosening is carried out very carefully, to a depth of 10–12 cm, without damaging the roots. When the lashes grow back, they spud the melon. Weeding is carried out as needed.

Melon watering plays a special role in the success of melon cultivation in the open field. If the plants receive less moisture, they develop worse, bloom and give an ovary. Excessive watering leads to decay of the whips and fruits, and the melons themselves lose their sugar content and become watery. Observing how the melon grows will help to understand the needs of plants, and the photo shows a drip irrigation system that allows you to use moisture as efficiently as possible:

• Usually, while there are no ovaries on the melon, the plants are limited in watering, preventing the formation of many lateral shoots.
• When the ovaries are already formed and should develop, watering becomes more intensive.
• A month before the approximate ripening dates, the melons are gradually stopped to water, so that the fruits gain sweetness and aroma.

Often novice melon growers have a question: “Why does the melon crack and start to rot in the garden? Obviously, the error lies in the irrigation schedule and its intensity.

Most often, the fruits crack when, after a dry period, the already formed ovaries receive an excessive amount of moisture at one time.

Fruit damage is also observed if the ripening melon is lying on moist soil. Therefore, melon growers are advised to substitute a crock or a small plate under each ovary. Damage can be avoided if, when growing melons in the open field, use trellises and fix heavy fruits with a net or cloth.

For the first time, the melon plant is pinched after the third or fourth leaf to induce branching and get lateral lashes. When 5-6 ovaries are formed on the plant, the free tops of the lashes are cut off, leaving 2-3 leaves until the last fruit.Further, as it grows, unnecessary flowers and empty shoots are cut off from the plant, so that all the forces of the melon go to the filling and ripening of the already formed fruits.

Plants should be helped in this by regular feeding, the first of which is carried out even when the first true leaf appears. This time, fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus are applied under the melons, and then fertilizing with minerals and organic matter is alternated. The feeding schedule can be adjusted. Most often, the frequency of watering with fertilizer solutions is 10-14 days.

During mass flowering, it is better to give plants a potassium-phosphorus mixture. And the feeding is completed at the first signs of the beginning of ripening of melons.

Do not forget that melons easily accumulate excess chemicals and, especially with a lack of light, can become a source of dangerous nitrates. Therefore, the melon grower should be careful with nitrogen fertilizers.

How to grow a melon at home

With a little effort and patience, the sweet melon can be cut from a plant that has grown on its own windowsill or balcony. First of all, for the melon, you will need to choose a pot or container of sufficient capacity, with a diameter of at least 20 cm. Drainage is required at the bottom of the pot, and the soil can be used the same as used for planting seedlings.

If on spacious beds the growing lashes can lie quietly on the soil, then you can grow a melon at home only using a trellis. As it grows, whips are attached to it, but since the plant is in a limited amount of soil, it will be reasonable to grow a melon in one stem.

We must not forget that melons are extremely demanding on lighting, so the main reason for failing to grow this crop on balconies, window sills or terraces is a lack of light. It can be compensated for by arranging additional LED lighting that meets the needs of plants for 14-16 hours a day.

To preserve moisture, prevent weeds from germinating and provide the melon with a soil temperature of about 20-25 ° C, the surface of the soil is lined with a special film or material. The moisture supply can be entrusted to a drip irrigation system by adding or decreasing the amount of water supplied depending on how the melon grows.

When home-grown melons become fist-sized, they pinch off excess shoots, flowers, and the top of the main string. At home, it is better to leave no more than three ovaries per plant, which are tied to the trellis using a net or soft cloth.

Video about the formation of melons in the open field

Is there a person who does not like juicy, sweet melon? We are all waiting for the season when this magnificent southern fruit will be available. Is it possible to grow melons in the open field in our, not the warmest latitudes? Today we will talk about how to provide yourself with melons yourself.

First stage: site selection and seed preparation

As you know, melon is a very thermophilic plant. Therefore, a site for its cultivation must be selected appropriate: protected from the wind, well lit and warmed by the sun, fertile.

You need to prepare the site in the fall: dig up the bed shallowly (about the bayonet of a shovel), and fertilize the soil with humus at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 sq. If clay soil predominates on the site, do not forget to push it down using river sand - half a bucket per 1 sq.

In the spring, continue preparing the garden bed. Dig it up again and apply potash and phosphate fertilizers in the proportions indicated on the package. Add nitrogen fertilizers or rotted manure just before planting melons.

Now start preparing seeds for growing seedlings. You can buy them in the store or prepare yourself.

Try to choose large melon seeds for growing

It turns out melons have an interesting twist. Seeds from the previous harvest can produce strong, sturdy plants that will not bear fruit.This is explained by the fact that the flowers on such a plant will be only male, and will not give an ovary. For a good harvest, it is better to take seeds from at least three years ago.

When choosing seeds for seedlings, pay attention to the larger ones. Be sure to treat them with a special formula for such seeds, which can be purchased at the store, or a solution of zinc sulfate with boric acid. In this solution, the seeds are soaked for at least 12 hours.

Experts advise hardening melon seeds for growing in the middle lane. Dip them in warm water (up to 35 degrees), take them out, and keep them at a temperature of 18-20 degrees for a day. Then gradually reduce the temperature to 0 degrees, and soak the seeds in these conditions for about 20 hours. Raise the temperature again to the primary value. This procedure must be repeated three times in the last week before planting the seeds.

Growing seedlings

For growing seedlings, peat pots or peat tablets with a diameter of up to 10 cm are perfect.You can also use cardboard or plastic cups. The advantage of peat containers is that they can be completely immersed in the ground along with the seedlings without taking them out. Peat will eventually act as a natural fertilizer.

Seeds should be planted in specially prepared soil.

1. Fill cups and pots with vegetable primer. You can prepare this mixture yourself: 1 part of sand, 9 parts of peat, mix thoroughly, add wood ash at the rate of 1 glass per 10 liters of soil.
2. Soak seeds for 24 hours before planting. Empty seeds will float up, discard them immediately. Thus, you will be culling.
3. Plant 2-3 seeds in prepared pots to a depth of 5 cm.Before the first shoots appear, keep the containers indoors, observing the temperature regime: 18-20 degrees during the day, at least 15 degrees at night.
4. The first shoots should appear in about a week. Thin them out, leaving one of the strongest sprout in the pot.
5. After the third or fourth strongest leaf has developed, pinch the seedlings. This promotes the development of side shoots.
6. Seedling care is not difficult at all. The only feature is less watering without water getting on the stems and leaves. To avoid the appearance of a black stem, pour a layer of dry river sand around the stem.

Sowing seeds should be carried out in April, and you can transplant seedlings into the ground after 25 days.

Planting melon seedlings in the ground

So, the melon garden on your site has already been prepared. Thoroughly fluff the soil with a rake. Make holes, keeping the distance between them both in length and width, about 70-80 cm.

Please note: in no case do not plant seedlings if the frost has not ended yet. It is better to wait until the final warming, otherwise the melons will die even at the germination stage.

Treat the melon sprouts very carefully so as not to damage the roots. It is best to plant seedlings together with the soil in which they grew in a pot or glass. It is in this case that you can be convinced of the benefits of peat cups or tablets: they are simply immersed in a hole and sprinkled with earth.

Observe a distance of 70-80 cm between the holes in which the seedlings will be planted

Before planting, pour water into the hole and add a little humus. Plant the stem so that it doesn't go deeper. The lump of soil with which you planted the seedlings should protrude slightly above the ground. Water the planted seedlings again and sprinkle with earth.

For the first two days, shade the seedlings to help them take hold. If there are severe temperature differences between day and night, cover the planting with a film, which, moreover, will protect the melons from rain.

The film can be replaced with plastic bottles familiar to everyone. Cut a large (2 to 5 liters) bottle into 2 pieces across.Cover each sprout with half a bottle. It is very easy to remove such a simple structure before watering, and then put it back in place.

The most popular melon varieties in the middle lane

1. The Kolkhoznitsa variety, bred by the Biryuchekutskaya experimental station, is the most suitable for the middle lane. It is very resilient and therefore widespread. The fruits of this variety are round, orange, and weigh about 1 kg. The pulp is white, very light and sweet. During the season, the harvest can be up to 100 centners per hectare.
2. Variety Alushta, bred by the Crimean Experimental Station. The fruit ripening period is 70 days. Fruits are oval, large, orange-yellow, weighing up to 1.5 kg. The pulp is white, juicy, sweet. The yield can reach 175 centners per hectare.
3. Zolotistaya, a variety bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute, belongs to mid-season varieties. Aging period 80-90 days. Fruits are round, yellow with an orange tint, with a weakly expressed mesh. Weight up to 1.6 kg. The pulp is juicy, white. The yield reaches 120 centners per hectare. The variety is very resistant to disease.
4. Variety Dessertnaya 5, bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute of Vegetable Economy. Fruits are small in size, shortened-oval, with a fine-mesh surface. Weight reaches 1.6 kg. The pulp is sweet, tender, white-green in color. The variety belongs to high-yielding, can bring from 140 to 160 centners per hectare. The advantages of this variety are in the long-term storage of fruits.
5. The southerner (sometimes the variety is called Water Lily) was bred by the Kuban experimental station VNIIR. Fruits are large, weighing 1.8-1.9 kg, round, with longitudinal ribs, orange-yellow color. The sugar content is the same as that of the Collective Farm Woman. A high-yielding variety, the yield reaches 220-240 centners per hectare.

Melons of different varieties

We take care of the melon during the growth and ripening period

Melon is not very demanding to care for, but nevertheless, certain rules must be followed. During the entire growth period, the melon needs to be weeded, hilled, watered, and loosened the soil around it.

1. Do the first 2 loosening between rows no deeper than 15 cm. Next time loosening is carried out to a depth of 10 cm, and the soil next to the stem is not affected. After the first side lashes appear, huddle the melon, shoveling a roller of earth to the stem.
2. In melon conditions, the culture grows practically without moisture. Therefore, watering should be moderate. If dew falls in the morning, watering should be canceled. It is necessary to water the aisles, so that water does not fall on the whips and leaves.
3. The first pinching is done when the melon is in seedlings. After the melon is planted in the ground and has passed the adaptation period, carry out another pinching over the 7 leaves of the main stem. Do the same with the side loops, and then remove the extra flowers, leaving 3 tied fruits at a distance from each other. Remove shoots without fruit so that they do not draw juice.

In addition, the melon needs feeding. For the first time, this is done 2 weeks after planting in the ground. To do this, you can use saltpeter, mullein, or chicken manure. The next feeding should be done every 10 days. You can buy complex fertilizers or dilute chicken manure and add ash. Before fruit ripening, feeding can be stopped.

To avoid rotting, place a plank or plywood sheet under the ovary

Weeding the melon beds is carried out only when necessary. Do not forget to regulate the growth of the lashes, they should not fall into the aisles. Place a board or plywood under each ovary to keep the fruit from rotting when it touches the damp ground.

Please note: in the climatic conditions of the middle lane, the best option would be to choose early ripening varieties of melon. Even if the melon does not have time to ripen before frost, and you have to remove it prematurely, it will reach ripeness at home.

When growing melons, always follow three main rules:

• timely protection of seedlings planted in the ground from frost;
• correct formation and pinching of stems, removal of excess ovaries;
• timely systematic feeding.

This way, you are guaranteed to get a good melon yield.

Video about growing melon outdoors

We hope our tips will help you grow sweet, juicy melons even during our short summer. If you have experience in growing melons in soil, share with us in the comments, tell us about your methods, advise more suitable varieties. Good luck and a warm summer!

Growing melons in the open field: varieties, planting and care

Melon, if desired, can be grown anywhere, even in the North. Juicy, sweet, fragrant melon melts in your mouth and brings pleasure! Melons, different in shape and taste, have many varieties. But they all like to grow in the same conditions - dry and hot air. They do not like excessive watering and moisture. The sun is their best friend and comrade, and they are not at all afraid to expose their sides to the open rays of the sun. So it turns out that the best settlement for growing melons in the open field will be in the south of our big country.

And how offensive it is for the northern peoples, and for those who live in central Russia, that they cannot plant a melon in a garden bed or in a country house, and in the fall enjoy the wonderful taste of this southern beauty. But no! Don't be upset! You can grow melon here, in the middle lane, and in Siberia.

Choosing and preparing a site

Since this southern beauty loves to grow on fertile warm plots of land, and even hidden from the wind, we will cook what she loves. And let's start preparing in the fall. In the fall, dig up a bed for a melon not deeply, on a shovel bayonet and apply humus, as fertilizer, 3-4 kilograms per square meter. If your site has more clay soil, you will also need to "puff" it with river sand (half a bucket of sand per square meter).

Fill plastic or cardboard pots with soil for garden crops or a soil mixture of the following composition: mix peat with sand (9 parts of peat and 1 part of sand) and one glass of wood ash per 10 liters of soil

So we will leave the garden until spring. In the spring, back to work: dig up one more time and apply fertilizers with potassium and phosphate. And the proportions will be written on the fertilizer package. Before planting itself, you will need to add rotted manure or nitrogen fertilizers.

Seed preparation

The soil has been prepared, now you need to prepare the seeds to grow the seedlings. The seeds can be bought at the store, or you can prepare yourself. Melons, as it turns out, are very interesting plants: strong and strong plants can grow from the seeds of the last year's harvest, but they cannot bring hearths. This is because the flowers on them will be male and there may be no ovary. And in order to have a good harvest, it is advisable to take seeds of three to four years ago.

Seeds for sowing seedlings need to be large and must be treated with a composition for such seeds (you can buy in a store). You can treat the seeds with a solution of boric acid with zinc sulfate. In this solution, you need to soak the seeds for 12 hours.

Seeds for sowing seedlings need to be large and must be treated with a composition for such seeds (you can buy in the store)

To grow a melon in the Non-Black Earth Region, wise gardeners advise hardening the seeds. Immerse in warm (up to 35 degrees) water, remove and hold for one day from 18 to 20 degrees, then gradually lower the temperature to 0 degrees and hold the seeds for another eighteen to twenty hours. After that, raise the temperature again to 20 degrees. And so you need to do this three times in the last week before planting the seeds.

All the time while the melon grows in the ground, it must be loosened, weeded, watered and hilled

We grow seedlings

To grow seedlings, you need to purchase peat pots (or peat tablets) up to ten centimeters in diameter.Fill plastic or cardboard pots with soil for garden crops or a soil mixture of the following composition: mix peat with sand (9 parts of peat and 1 part of sand) and one glass of wood ash per 10 liters of soil.

By soaking the seeds for a day before planting, you can discard the empty seeds (they will float up). To plant seeds in prepared pots, you need two or three pieces up to five centimeters deep. Before the first shoots appear, pots with seeds should be kept indoors at a temperature of 18-20 degrees during the day, and the night temperature should not be lower than fifteen.

Melon grows on the melon almost without moisture, then create the same conditions for it, and water as moderately as possible

Somewhere in a week, the first shoots should appear, they must be thinned out and one strong sprout should be left in the pot. When the third or fourth true leaf appears, the seedlings need to be pinned, this can lead to the development of lateral shoots. Take care of the seedlings in the usual way, only water less, and without water getting on the leaves and stems. So that there is no black leg, a layer of river sand, only dry, can be sprinkled around the leg. You need to sow seeds in April, and only after twenty-five days can they be transplanted into the ground.

Video - how to grow a melon

Melon planting in the ground

In what you have prepared the soil, make holes 70-80 centimeters apart, both in width and along the length of the bed. In case of frost, seedlings cannot be planted, it is better to wait out them. It will be in early June in central Russia.

Melon should be fed. And the first time this should be done after two weeks, landing in the ground

The most important thing when transplanting seedlings is not to damage the roots of the future melon. It is better to plant it along with the soil in which it grew in a pot. Water is poured into the hole before planting and a little humus is introduced. Seedlings must be planted so that the stem does not go deeper. The lump of earth with which the seedlings were planted should be slightly on the surface of the earth. Water the planted seedlings again and sprinkle with dry earth. The first two days of seedlings need to create a shade, so it will be better accepted. In the presence of strong temperature changes day and night, create a still fragile planting, a film covering. Such covers can be put on at night and removed during the day. They can be used to protect against rains that are not loved by melons.

If you have your own greenhouse, we recommend that you read the article "Growing melons in a greenhouse".

Melon beds should be weeded only when necessary.

When describing the care of a melon, you can understand that caring for it is very similar to caring for cucumbers.

Melon varieties

Alushta (Crimean experimental station), ripening period - 70 days. Fruits are large, oval, ripen up to 1.3-1.5 kg, orange-yellow, with rare elongated dark orange streaks. White, sweet, juicy pulp. The tasting score is 4.6. The yield is high, 145-175 centners per hectare.

Dessert 5 (bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute of Vegetable Economy), small, shortened-oval, fine-mesh surface, reaching 1.6 kg, a lot of pulp, white-green, very sweet, tender. The tasting score is 4.8. High-yielding variety - 40-160 centners per hectare. Differs in good keeping quality.

Among mid-season varieties (80-90 days), one should note the variety Golden (created by the Krasnodar Research Institute). The shape of the fruit is close to round, the mesh is poorly expressed, the color is yellow with an orange tint, the weight is 1.3-1.6 kg. This variety has a juicy, white pulp. Tasting - 3.9-4.0. Average yield -120 centners per hectare. The advantage of this variety is disease resistance.

Southerner, or it is also called Water lily... (Kuban experimental station VNIIR). Fruits are round with longitudinal ribs, orange-yellow, large, 1.8-1.9 kg. Tasting score - 4.7 points. This variety is considered high-yielding; in good years, up to 220-240 centners per hectare can be harvested. Sugar content like a Kolkhoz woman.

The most resistant, widespread and most suitable variety for the middle lane is Collective farmer (developed by the Biryuchekutskaya experimental station). Melons of this variety are orange, round, weighing about 1 kg. The pulp is light, white, unusually sweet. Tasting - 5.0. You can collect about 100 centners per hectare per season.

It is better to take into account the weather conditions of your region and choose early ripening varieties for planting in the soil.

Melon care

All the time, while the melon grows in the ground, it must be loosened, weeded, watered and hilled. You also need to pinch the whips of the melon.

Loosening

The first two loosening of row spacings should be carried out no deeper than 15 centimeters. The next time, loosening should be carried out no deeper than 10 centimeters; this should not be done next to the melon stalk. After the appearance of the first lateral lashes, the melon should be huddled, shoveling a roller of earth to the stem of the melon.

Watering

Melon grows on the melon almost without moisture, then create the same conditions for it, and water it as moderately as possible. And if there is dew on the grass in the morning, then watering is canceled altogether. Watering must be done carefully between the rows so that water does not get on the leaves and whips of the melon.

Topping

As we said earlier, the first time a melon is pinched still when it was in seedlings. After planting the melon in the ground, and adapting it, you need to re-pinch the main stem (above the seventh leaf). The same should be done with the side lashes, then remove all excess flowers and leave three already tied fruits, which are not next to each other, but at a distance. All shoots that are left without fruit should be removed so as not to pull the juices from the main stem.

The growth of the lashes should be regulated and guided so that they do not fall into the aisle

Top dressing

Melon should be fed. And the first time this should be done after two weeks, landing in the ground. Top dressing can be saltpeter, chicken manure, or mullein. And the next feeding is carried out every 10 days. You can buy complex fertilizers for this or also diluted chicken manure and add ash. When the fruits come to ripening, you no longer need to feed.

Melon beds should be weeded only when necessary. It is necessary to regulate the growth of the lashes and guide them so that they do not fall into the aisle. And under each melon that has tied up, you need to put plywood or planks, so you will save the fruits from decay when they touch the wet ground.

When describing melon care, you can understand that caring for it is very similar to caring for cucumbers. And if you know how to grow cucumbers, then you will also succeed in growing a melon. The melon will also have time to ripen, and if you have to remove it, which is not very ripe until frost, it will perfectly reach ripeness in your home.

Of course, it is better to take into account the weather conditions of your region and choose early ripening varieties for planting in the soil.

And the main thing to remember are three of these conditions:

• protect seedlings planted in the ground in time, from late frosts;
• correctly form, pinch and remove unnecessary ovaries;
• on time, repeatedly and systematically to feed, to stimulate the growth of the melon.

Melon, if desired, can be grown everywhere, even in the North, there are simply greenhouses. Try, try and you will definitely succeed!

How to grow a melon?

Who is not familiar with the unique taste of melon, which pleases us by the end of summer. You can eat melon just like that, make jam, jams from it, dry it, dry it. This dietary product is useful for everyone, it has a very beneficial effect on health, is easily digested, helps with anemia and exhaustion. Melon is needed for kids and old people, as it contains many useful substances, trace elements, vitamins.

Melon has a beneficial effect on human health.

If you have a summer cottage or a small plot of land with a vegetable garden and a garden, then it is quite possible to grow a melon on your own. Both open ground and a greenhouse are suitable for this.Melon cultivation does not require special agricultural technology, it is enough to properly prepare the soil (and the greenhouse, if cultivation will be carried out in it), fertilizers. Patience is also required, because almost all plants require careful maintenance. When grown outdoors, it must be borne in mind that the melon loves warmth, bright light and poor watering (water is needed only when the topsoil is dry). Special requirements are imposed on the soil, which must be neutral or slightly alkaline, breathable. For top dressing, mineral fertilizers are used (very weak solutions), it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil. Melon dislikes conditions such as:

Melons are best grown in greenhouses.

• slightly acidic and acidic soils, which are very dense, as this prevents the roots of the plant from eating and breathing normally, and moisture to evaporate;
• stagnant, very humid air, cold drafts;
• watering with cold water, and generally cool weather;
• use of manure as fertilizer, concentrated and excessive doses of mineral, organic fertilizers.

Growing in a greenhouse is more simple, but all of the above conditions apply here too. Warmth, dry air, plenty of light and proper watering. here's all it takes to get a sweet, delicious DIY melon!

Melon growing conditions

In order to grow a melon, all conditions and requirements must be observed exactly. This plant is very fond of comfortable conditions.

What kind of lighting is required?

For a melon of any variety, it is important that the lighting is sufficient, in which case its growth and development will be normal, the illumination intensity ranges from 5000-6000 lux. With all the requirements for excellent lighting, melon is a short day plant. Its flowering occurs earlier with a shortened twelve-hour day, but too short a day can inhibit its development, so when growing it is necessary to remember this feature. Of great importance is the time at which the seeds were sown.

Melon cultivation process.

Experiments have shown that melons that were planted from May to June had fewer female flowers than those that were sown from January to April. That is, an excess of light for young plants is not very useful, which affects fruiting in adulthood. Growing in a greenhouse makes it pretty easy to solve these kinds of problems. When organizing additional artificial lighting, it must be remembered that the optimal wavelength for melons is 550 nm at high illumination and 675 nm at a lower illumination (from 13 W / m2). The optimal time for planting melons is March, when a sufficient amount of light is obtained, growing in a winter-type greenhouse allows you to get more crops with better qualities. Planting in December and January will not allow the required number of pistillate flowers to form, neither pinching nor special treatments with growth regulators will help. It is in the initial period that the melon is very sensitive to lighting conditions; under normal light, the time for the formation of pistillate flowers takes up to five days, but with a decrease in lighting it can take more than a month. Growing melons in a greenhouse in the conditions of our region is possible until October, it is at this time that the plant receives everything it needs for its development and fruiting.

Temperature conditions

It is important to ensure proper temperature conditions when growing, since the collective farmer's melon, and other varieties, are very thermophilic. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of plus fifteen degrees, but twenty-five are considered optimal for their development. thirty degrees Celsius. Providing such conditions in the open field in spring is quite difficult, but growing in a greenhouse is quite suitable for this.

If such conditions are created, then the seeds will germinate in forty-eight hours, but at a higher temperature this process is delayed.If you lower it below fifteen degrees, then development will stop, at temperatures below ten degrees - the assimilation process will completely stop, at one degree, after two to three hours, the seeds will begin to die.

Growing seedlings for melons.

A kolkhoz melon needs a certain ambient temperature throughout the growing season; conditions at plus twenty-eight are excellent for her. thirty degrees and dry air. In general, this variety belongs to the early ripening ones, so compliance with all conditions will allow you to quickly get an excellent harvest!

Growing in a greenhouse requires adherence to a temperature schedule such as:

• after planting, it is recommended to lower the temperature to twenty degrees so that the seedlings take root better;
• as soon as the seeds have sprouted, it is better to increase the temperature level to twenty-two during the day and eighteen at night;
• after the fruits have set, it is necessary to lower the temperature slightly to nineteen to twenty degrees during the day and to fifteen to sixteen at night.

Great requirements are imposed on the soil, its temperature should be at the level of twenty-twenty-four degrees, if growing in a film-type greenhouse, then it is permissible to lower it to fifteen to twenty degrees.

Humidity conditions

The kolkhoz melon, like other varieties, is quite resistant to drought and is not afraid of a lack of moisture. But at the same time, its transpiration coefficient is quite high, that is, melon requires a lot of moisture for ripening. Therefore, watering and moisture are considered the most difficult and important options for growing. The need for water varies depending on the period of development, it is highest at the time when the whips and fruits are formed. In general, this process can be roughly divided into the following stages:

Melons are quite resistant to drought, so the lack of moisture is not terrible for her.

• 21% of moisture is consumed during melon emergence;
• 37% of moisture is lost during flowering and setting of its fruits;
• 32% goes away with the growth of fruits;
• 10% . during ripening.

A young plant needs about 0.8 liters of water per day, up to one and a half liters on a sunny day and up to three to three and a half. during the growth period. Growing in a greenhouse requires careful watering, it is usually moderate, but when the first fruits appear, the amount of water must be increased. When watering a plant, one must take care that water does not fall on the ground parts, as this can cause bacterial, fungal diseases. Also, the ingress of moisture on the root collar is unacceptable. Air humidity in the greenhouse should be at the level of 60-70%, dry air is needed when fruits begin to ripen.

Learning to fertilize melons

Self-cultivation in a greenhouse also requires proper fertilization. This applies to any variety, even such early ripening ones as a collective farmer, Altai melon and others. The soil for planting in a heifer should be fertile, but not dense. Before planting, a root layer is poured with a thickness of up to thirty centimeters and excellent drainage. The soil must contain elements such as potassium, calcium, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium, manganese. The use of fertilizers should be minimal, melons react best to potash. All solutions must be sufficiently weak, an overabundance or too intense is unacceptable, and fertilization cannot be done with manure.

Melon varieties and their features

Today, a wide variety of melons are grown in greenhouses, among which the early ripening collective farmer is the most popular in our region. But such as the Altai melon also stand out. This variety also refers to early ripening, it includes such as Luna, Gruntovaya Gribovskaya, Altai melon ordinary, Barnaulka 191, Gorkovskaya 310. Such varieties are frost-resistant, have high yields, but their taste will be low with improper care.

For greenhouses, golden melon, which belongs to the mid-early varieties, is excellent.The time of its ripening from the appearance of the first shoots to tasty fruits is up to eighty days. The melon pulp is pale in color and has a strong melon aroma. Melon can be grown in cold climates in film greenhouses without losing its excellent taste. We hope these tips will be helpful and you can grow excellent melons. We wish you a good harvest and the first juicy fruits!

Planting seeds

Melon seeds are planted in separate pots at the end of April. Pots with a diameter of 8 cm are filled with soil prepared from a mixture of peat and humus, with the addition of turf soil (1: 2: 1). Superphosphate and wood ash are placed in each pot to a depth of 2 cm.

The pots are covered with foil to prevent the soil from drying out, placed in a warm place. After the emergence of melon sprouts, the film is removed.

The temperature in the room should not fall below +18 ° C, the sprouts that appear are watered only with warm water, and with poor growth, they are fed with nitrogen fertilizer. The pots should be placed freely without touching the leaves.

Plants must be aired and hardened. Melon seedlings in cloudy weather need additional lighting. Seedlings ready for planting should have 3 leaves. Seedlings are planted:

• in the open field;
• in the greenhouse.

Landing in unprotected ground

The place for planting melon seedlings is prepared in advance. After careful removal of weed rhizomes, the soil for seedlings is prepared 15 days before planting:

• a bed for a melon is dug to a depth of 20-25 cm, manure is introduced;
• a groove 35-40 cm deep is dug in the center of the garden bed, it is filled with dry foliage or sawdust;
• the garden is well watered;
• cover with black film so that the bed warms up well for planting;
• two weeks later they start planting seedlings.

Transplanting

An important condition for melon cultivation is low air humidity, increasing it to more than 70% of the plants get sick with fungal infections. The melon also does not tolerate waterlogging of the roots; it is necessary to plant the melon plant, raising the root ball along with the ground by 2 cm.

A hole is made for each plant, they do not tamp the soil, water it so that the plant, along with a lump of earth, settles into the soil. After that, the fertile soil is poured without falling asleep the root collar.

A mixture of sand and charcoal is scattered around the stem of the seedlings. Plants are planted at a distance of 1 m in a row, cover the planting with a film before rooting, be sure to ventilate. The seedlings are covered with lutrasil from the bright sun, and also protected from the night coolness.

• Melon

Melon is prized for its excellent taste and pleasant aroma and is mainly used fresh as a dessert. According to the recommendations of the Institute of Nutrition, the rate of consumption of melon products is 30 kg per person per year, of which 25% (6-8 kg) is melon. Let us recall the main agrotechnological methods of its cultivation.

Predecessors. The best predecessor for melon cultivation is winter wheat, especially one that was placed after black fertilized fallow, perennial grasses, corn for green fodder. Barley can be a valid precursor. In vegetable crop rotations, melon can be grown after root vegetables, onions, cucumber and cabbage.

It is not recommended to grow melon in one place for more than two years - this leads to the development of diseases, a decrease in yield and fruit quality.

Soils. Melon grows well on soils fertilized with organic fertilizers, better on light and medium loamy soils. Soils of heavy mechanical composition are less suitable for growing melons, however, when fertilizing here, you can get high yields, but the quality of the fruits decreases.

Melon does not tolerate saline soils, therefore, when the concentration of salts in the arable layer is 0.5-0.7%, incl. 0.05-0.07% chlorine salts, melon plants die.

Presowing soil treatment... After harvesting the previous crop, stubble plowing to a depth of 8-10 cm is carried out with disk cultivators LDG-5, LDG-10, LDG-15 or disking with a BDT-7 harrow, mineral fertilizers are applied, plowing is carried out with a plow with a skimmer PN-4-35, PLN- 4-35, PLN-5-35, etc. to a depth of 25-27 cm.

To preserve moisture in the northern regions, autumn harrowing of the plow is carried out. In the spring, the soil is harrowed (3БЗС-1, 0; BZSS-1, 0), two continuous cultivations are carried out with the KPS-4 cultivator: the first to a depth of 12-15 cm, the second - to a depth of 6-8 cm. Between the first and second cultivation, the gap is 2 -3 weeks. Before sowing the melon on soils of light texture, the soil is rolled with ring-spur rollers ZKKSH-6 for the emergence of friendly shoots.

Sowing dates. Early sowing dates ensure a high quality crop. The optimal sowing time falls on the period from April 20 to May 10, or when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 14-16 ° C. The last sowing date is June 10.

Seed preparation.When preparing seeds for sowing, special attention is paid to the mass of 1000 pcs., Which affects the seeding rate and the future harvest, so it is advisable to calibrate the seeds. One of these methods is to calibrate melon seeds by specific gravity - immersion in a 1-2% sodium chloride solution, followed by rinsing with water. High-quality seeds settle at the bottom of the container with a solution, and low-quality ones float.

Disinfection, or destruction of pathogenic microflora on the surface of seeds, is achieved by treatment with chemical dressing agents, solar or ultraviolet radiation.

To stimulate the germination of seeds in the soil, it is soaked in aqueous solutions of microelements and biologically active substances. Among biostimulants, the most effective are emistim C, fumar, succinic acid, biological growth stimulant (BSR), agrostimulin.

Sowing.In the early stages, sowing is carried out with dry seeds. Heating the seeds at a temperature of 35-40 ° C for 3-4 days increases the yield up to 10-15%, and at 60 ° C for 4 hours up to 24%. Solar heating for several days accelerates seed germination in the soil and has a detrimental effect on pathogens.

At late sowing dates, the seeds are soaked in warm water at a temperature of 25-30 ° C, with the appearance of 10% of germinated seeds, they are sown. The seeding depth is 4-6 cm. Sowing is carried out with the seeder SPCH-6, SUPN-6, SUPN-12 SBU 2-4A, SBN-3. When sowing with a precision air seeder, the sowing rate is halved.

Sowing scheme: 1.4 x 0.7; 1.4 x 1.0 m - for early varieties and 1.4 x 1.4; 1.8 x 1.0; 2.1 x 0.5 m - for mid-season and late varieties and hybrids. The sowing rate of a melon (weight of 1000 seeds - 38.0-41.0 g) is 1.2-1.6 kg / ha.

Crop care. After the emergence of seedlings in the phase of the first true leaf, the first cultivation is carried out with the cultivator KPH-4-2; KRN-5, 4; KOR-4-2, to a depth of 14-16 cm and manual weeding in rows.

The second cultivation is carried out in the phase of 5-7 true leaves to a depth of 8-10 cm and a second manual weeding is performed, during which one plant is left in each nest.

After the third cultivation, the tops are laid out and, if necessary, sprinkled.

The main difficulties of the growing season

The duration of the growing season characterizes the degree of early maturity of the varieties. It is determined by climatic factors:

• The duration of the frost-free period;
• The sum of active temperatures;
• The amount of precipitation falls during this period.

The duration of the growing season is of great importance for the development of plants, i.e. period with temperatures at which it is possible to complete the full cycle of plant development. The duration of the growing season depends not only on the biological characteristics of the crop or variety itself, but, which is no less important, on the processing conditions.

Melon is very sensitive to environmental conditions and often dramatically changes its varietal appearance with changes in temperature, humidity, illumination, and the nature of the soil.

The most important economic traits for a variety are more variable. The most studied in melon is the variability of the growing season - one of the main varietal traits that is important in the agroclimatic placement of varieties.

Melon growing season can be divided into two main interphase periods:

• From germination to the beginning of flowering of female flowers;
• From the ovary of the fruit to the beginning of ripening.

The period from sowing to germination often depends on weather conditions and the quality of the seed. An increase in the growing season of the melon occurs due to the first interphase period (seedling - flowering). This is due to unfavorable conditions in the initial period of plant growth, more often the lack of moisture in the soil. Lack of moisture, like its excess, lengthens the growing season of plants.

In some years, the difference between the ripening of mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties is smoothed out. The variability of the growing season is observed due to both phenological phases, but mainly due to the period from flowering to ripening and to a lesser extent from germination to flowering, which should be taken into account. The growing season in melons changes due to both phenophases, but to a greater extent due to the period from flowering to ripening.

The best results can be obtained with the correct selection of varieties for different growing areas.

Analyzing the individual phases of development of plants of different varieties of melon, European and especially Central Asian, it should be noted that between varieties there is no significant difference in the duration of the phases of sowing - germination and flowering - fruit setting. The greatest differences are noted for melons during flowering - ripening of fruits. They indicate that when determining the early maturity of varieties and hybrids and when assessing the effect of certain agricultural practices on early maturity of plants, one should pay attention to the period from flowering to ripening of melon fruits.

Melon varieties are distinguished by their exactingness to environmental factors, resistance to their unfavorable combination. Being early ripening in one region, the same variety in other soil and climatic conditions can be medium and even late ripening.

Melon fertilization

Melons are demanding on soil fertility and respond well to fertilizers, especially nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers. Fertilizers are applied with mineral fertilizer spreaders NBU-0, 5; MVD-0, 6, etc. The optimal dose is considered to be in the range of N60P90K60.

The utilization rate of fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, increases significantly with their fractional use. The introduction of the entire dose of nitrogen during the growing season in the form of top dressing significantly increases the yield, but significantly reduces the sugar content in the fruits. A high accumulation of sugar and an improvement in the palatability of fruits is achieved with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers in the early phases of plant development.

Half of the dose - before sowing or at sowing, which provides plant nutrition during the germination period - the beginning of flowering, and the second half - in the 4-leaf phase or before the beginning of flowering of female flowers. All this contributes to an increase in the yield and sugar content of the fruits. You can fertilize with full mineral fertilizer N10P30K10 during the formation and growth of tops, while the yield increases up to 40%.

Watering melon

Melon plants respond well to irrigation. Getting high and stable yields of melons in the steppe zone, regardless of weather conditions, is achieved when grown on irrigation. After the first watering (the phase of the first true leaf), it is necessary to withstand a non-irrigation period of up to 40 days and in the future, the lower humidity threshold is constantly maintained at a level of 65-70% of HB. At the beginning of fruit ripening, one or two watering is enough.

When growing melons on irrigation, irrigation is used on the boundaries, sprinkling and drip irrigation.

Sprinkler irrigation is carried out, as a rule, on fields with a flat surface.

During sprinkling irrigation, melon is sown with the same row spacing as in non-irrigated conditions, while the number of plants per hectare is increased by 1.5-2.0 times.

Furrow irrigation is used on fields with a flat surface and slight slopes. Irrigation rate for sprinkling and furrow irrigation varies depending on weather and soil conditions and ranges from 5000 to 7000 m3 / ha.

Features of drip irrigation

With drip irrigation, the increase in yield compared to sprinkling is 50-80%, the ripening of fruits is accelerated by 5-10 days, the saving of irrigation water is 40-50%, the amount of fertilizer applied is reduced by 50% due to the optimization of the nutrient regime, taking into account the needs of plants for depending on the phase of growth and development.

The peculiarities of the main and pre-sowing tillage of the soil is that the peeling is carried out to a depth of 10 cm by means of disc hydroficated cultivators LDG-10. On heavy soils, disc harrows BDT-3, 0 are used in two tracks. An important element of pre-sowing soil cultivation is milling with a KPF-2, 8 or KFH-3, 6 cultivator.

In the spring, to close moisture, use gear harrows BZTS-1, 0 with a clutch. Depending on weediness and soil compaction, one or two continuous cultivation (KPS-4) is carried out with simultaneous harrowing to a depth of 10-12 cm.

After the decomposition of the main and water distribution pipelines along the selected area, sowing is started, with manual sowing, marking is carried out according to the planting and decomposition scheme of irrigation pipelines at a distance of 1.4 m.

In the absence of moisture, irrigation is carried out to create one continuous wetted line between the droppers on the soil surface, corresponding to the irrigation rate of 200-300 m3 / ha. After the emergence of seedlings, they begin inter-row cultivation with the cultivator KOR-4, 2% KRN-4, 2A; KFL-4, 2. During the growing season, three to five inter-row treatments are carried out in combination with manual weeding in rows. The use of guide slots minimizes the protection zone of the row.

A significant reduction in the costs of irrigation water, the acceleration of the growth and development of melons and gourds, as well as the complete suppression of the growth of weeds in the tape is provided by covering the irrigation pipelines of the drip irrigation system with an opaque plastic film (mulch).

With drip irrigation, the timing and rates of irrigation are set taking into account the state of plants and soil. To measure moisture, tensiometers are used, setting one at a depth of 50 cm in a row, and the second at a depth of 30 and 20 cm to the side of the row spacing from the first, to control the moisture content of the root zone of plants. The soil moisture in the 0-40 cm layer within the moisture contour is maintained at the level of 60-70% HB. Vegetation irrigation is carried out with the simultaneous introduction of soluble mineral fertilizers.

Cleaning.Collect the melon selectively, as the fruit ripens. When the melon ripens, the color and pattern of the bark changes, a mesh forms, and in some varieties the stalk is separated, a specific aroma appears. For selective collection in the field, special transporters TN-12, TShP-25, TPO-50 or hinged trays are used, which are made from pipes of sprinkler machines, and in the absence of these devices, manually with removal to the road. Fruits for storage are harvested in the afternoon in clear sunny weather with a stalk, carefully placed on a straw bed in one layer and transported to storage.

Selection of varieties

The choice of a variety is the most crucial moment, especially for a beginner melon grower. Today, more than 3000 varieties of melon are known, and it is sometimes difficult to comprehend the subtleties of such a variety even for experienced melon growers. When choosing a variety, first of all, you need to take into account the weather conditions of your region.

When choosing a melon variety, in addition to early maturity, it is advisable to give preference to varieties with a compact bush shape or short shoots. The latter is especially true if a covering culture is used.

Recommended varieties of melon for the Steppe and Forest-steppe

Dido - medium early variety. From germination to the beginning of fruit ripening - 70-75 days. Fruits are spherical and obtuse-elliptical, medium and large in size. The background color of the fruits is yellow, the mesh is solid. The pulp is light creamy, thick (5.0-6.0 cm), crispy, juicy, sweet. Tasting score - 4.8 points.

Average fruit weight - 2.0 kg. Productivity - 24.3 t / ha. Transportability is good. The fruits do not crack. Fruits contain 13.0-14.0% dry matter, 10.5% sugar, 30.0-33.0 mg% vitamin C. Seeds are medium-sized, ivory. The seed yield is 1%, the weight is 1000 pcs. - 40.0-45.0 g. The variety is relatively resistant to powdery mildew and bacteriosis. Intended for fresh consumption and processing.

Fortune - mid-early variety, from germination to the beginning of fruit ripening - 68-78 days. The fruits are oval in shape, the background color is yellow, of different shades, sometimes with green spots. Full or partial mesh. The pulp is white, thick (up to 6.0 cm), juicy, sweet. Tasting score - 4.4 points.

The mass of the average fruit is 4.2 kg. Productivity on land - up to 28.0 t / ha. The fruits contain 11.5% dry matter, 9.8% sugar, 27.5 mg% vitamin C. Transportability is good. Seeds are medium in size (length - 14.2 mm, width - 6.8 mm), white. The seed yield is 1%, the weight is 1000 pcs. - 48.2 g. Variety highly resistant against fusarium wilt and powdery mildew.

Olbia - the variety is mid-season, resistant to powdery mildew and fusarium wilt. Intended for fresh consumption and canning. From germination to the beginning of fruit ripening - 75-85 days.

Fruits are short-oval, light yellow in color, mesh in the form of mixed cracks. The pulp is thick, tender, sweet. Tasting score - 4.7 points. Average fruit weight - 2.5 kg. Productivity on land - up to 15.4 t / ha. Transportability is good.

Fruits contain 12.4% dry matter, 10.6% sugar, 31.8 mg% vitamin C. Seeds are large (length 14.0 mm, width 7.0 mm), yellow. The seed yield is 1%, the weight is 1000 pcs. - 44.0 g.

New promising varieties of melon

Fantasy - a new early-ripening melon variety with a growing season of 62 days. Fruits are spherical and slightly flattened, yellow in color with a partial mesh, the surface is smooth. Average fruit weight 2.9 kg, dry matter content 13.2-14.2%, white seeds, average, 10.0 x5.0 mm. White pulp, 4.3 cm thick, juicy, sweet, productivity per plant 2.2 kg. The yield on dry land is 15.0-18.0 t / ha. The variety is highly resistant against powdery mildew.

Prestige (photo on the right) - a new early ripe melon variety with a growing season of 65 days. Fruits are oval in shape with a dense net, yellow-orange color. The productivity of one plant is 3.6 kg, the average fruit weight is 2.6 kg, the dry matter content is 11.0-12.0%. The pulp is white, with an average thickness of 2.5-3.0 cm, juicy, sweet. Seeds are yellow, 12.0 x 5.0 mm. The yield on dry land is 15.0-16.0 t / ha. Highly resistant to powdery mildew.

Melon properties Today we will talk about the properties of melon. Sweet, aromatic, with tender pulp ... This is exactly what a real, and therefore healthy, melon should be. There are a great many types and varieties of melons, they can be of different sizes and shapes, by weight from 25 kilograms (variety Zard, Afghan or ...

Melon cultivation Melon cultivation. This article is devoted to the cultivation of melon, but if you still doubt whether the melon has been harvested in your garden, I bring to your attention the article Melon properties. For those who are already sure of the validity of the decision, I am writing further about how to grow a melon. The main ...

Melon is a very thermophilic culture. The best results can be obtained when growing melons in the Middle Lane in a greenhouse using a seedling method. I sow seedlings in mid-April. I soak the seeds in a growth regulator (Epin-extra) and ...

First stage: site selection and seed preparation

As you know, melon is a very thermophilic plant. Therefore, a site for its cultivation must be selected appropriate: protected from the wind, well lit and warmed by the sun, fertile.

You need to prepare the site in the fall: dig up the bed shallowly (about the bayonet of a shovel), and fertilize the soil with humus at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 sq. If clay soil prevails on the site, do not forget to push it down using river sand - half a bucket per 1 sq.

In the spring, continue preparing the garden bed. Dig it up again and apply potash and phosphate fertilizers in the proportions indicated on the package. Add nitrogen fertilizer or rotted manure just before planting melons.

Now start preparing seeds for growing seedlings. You can buy them in the store or prepare yourself.

Try to choose large melon seeds for growing

It turns out melons have an interesting twist. Seeds from the previous harvest can produce strong, sturdy plants that will not bear fruit. This is explained by the fact that the flowers on such a plant will be only male, and will not give an ovary. For a good harvest, it is better to take seeds from at least three years ago.

When choosing seeds for seedlings, pay attention to the larger ones. Be sure to treat them with a special formula for such seeds, which can be purchased at the store, or a solution of zinc sulfate with boric acid. In this solution, the seeds are soaked for at least 12 hours.

Experts advise hardening melon seeds for growing in the middle lane. Dip them in warm water (up to 35 degrees), take them out, and keep them at a temperature of 18-20 degrees for a day. Then gradually reduce the temperature to 0 degrees, and soak the seeds in these conditions for about 20 hours. Raise the temperature again to the primary value. This procedure must be repeated three times in the last week before planting the seeds.

Growing seedlings

For growing seedlings, peat pots or peat tablets with a diameter of up to 10 cm are perfect.You can also use cardboard or plastic cups. The advantage of peat containers is that they can be completely immersed in the ground along with the seedlings without taking them out. Peat will eventually act as a natural fertilizer.

Seeds should be planted in specially prepared soil.

1. Fill cups and pots with vegetable primer. You can prepare this mixture yourself: 1 part of sand, 9 parts of peat, mix thoroughly, add wood ash at the rate of 1 glass per 10 liters of soil.
2. Soak seeds for 24 hours before planting. Empty seeds will float up, discard them immediately. Thus, you will be culling.
3. Plant 2-3 seeds in prepared pots to a depth of 5 cm.Before the first shoots appear, keep the containers indoors, observing the temperature regime: 18-20 degrees during the day, at least 15 degrees at night.
4. The first shoots should appear in about a week. Thin them out, leaving one of the strongest sprout in the pot.
5. After the third or fourth strongest leaf has developed, pinch the seedlings. This promotes the development of side shoots.
6. Seedling care is not difficult at all. The only feature is less watering without water getting on the stems and leaves. To avoid the appearance of a black stem, pour a layer of dry river sand around the stem.

Sowing seeds should be done in April, and you can transplant seedlings into the ground after 25 days.

Planting melon seedlings in the ground

So, the melon garden on your site has already been prepared. Thoroughly fluff the soil with a rake. Make holes, keeping the distance between them both in length and in width, about 70-80 cm.

Please note: in no case do not plant seedlings if the frost has not ended yet. It is better to wait until the final warming, otherwise the melons will die even at the germination stage.

Treat the melon sprouts very carefully so as not to damage the roots. It is best to plant seedlings together with the soil in which they grew in a pot or glass. It is in this case that you can be convinced of the benefits of peat cups or tablets: they are simply immersed in a hole and sprinkled with earth.

Observe a distance of 70-80 cm between the holes in which the seedlings will be planted

Before planting, pour water into the hole and add a little humus. Plant the stem so that it doesn't go deeper. The lump of soil with which you planted the seedlings should protrude slightly above the ground. Water the planted seedlings again and sprinkle with earth.

For the first two days, shade the seedlings to help them take hold. If there are severe temperature differences between day and night, cover the planting with a film, which, moreover, will protect the melons from rain.

The film can be replaced with plastic bottles familiar to everyone. Cut a large (2 to 5 liters) bottle into 2 pieces across. Cover each sprout with half a bottle. It is very easy to remove such a simple structure before watering, and then put it back in place.

The most popular melon varieties in the middle lane

1. The Kolkhoznitsa variety, bred by the Biryuchekutskaya experimental station, is the most suitable for the middle lane. It is very resilient and therefore widespread. The fruits of this variety are round, orange, and weigh about 1 kg. The pulp is white, very light and sweet. During the season, the harvest can be up to 100 centners per hectare.
2. Variety Alushta, bred by the Crimean Experimental Station. The fruit ripening period is 70 days. Fruits are oval, large, orange-yellow, weighing up to 1.5 kg. The pulp is white, juicy, sweet. The yield can reach 175 centners per hectare.
3. Zolotistaya, a variety bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute, belongs to mid-season varieties. Aging period 80-90 days. Fruits are round, yellow with an orange tinge, with a weakly expressed mesh. Weight up to 1.6 kg. The pulp is juicy, white. The yield reaches 120 centners per hectare. The variety is very resistant to disease.
4. Variety Dessertnaya 5, bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute of Vegetable Economy. Fruits are small in size, shortened-oval, with a fine-meshed surface. Weight reaches 1.6 kg. The pulp is sweet, tender, white-green in color. The variety belongs to high-yielding, can bring from 140 to 160 centners per hectare. The advantages of this variety are in the long-term storage of fruits.
5. The southerner (sometimes the variety is called Water Lily) was bred by the Kuban experimental station VNIIR. Fruits are large, weighing 1.8-1.9 kg, round, with longitudinal ribs, orange-yellow color. The sugar content is the same as that of the Collective Farm Woman. A high-yielding variety, the yield reaches 220-240 centners per hectare.

Melons of different varieties

We take care of the melon during the growth and ripening period

Melon is not very demanding to care for, but nevertheless, certain rules must be followed. During the entire growth period, the melon needs to be weeded, hilled, watered, and loosened the soil around it.

1. Do the first 2 loosening between rows no deeper than 15 cm. Next time loosening is carried out to a depth of 10 cm, and the soil next to the stem is not affected. After the first side lashes appear, huddle the melon, shoveling a roller of earth to the stem.
2. In melon conditions, the culture grows practically without moisture. Therefore, watering should be moderate. If dew falls in the morning, watering should be canceled. It is necessary to water the aisles, so that water does not fall on the whips and leaves.
3. The first pinching is done when the melon is in seedlings. After the melon is planted in the ground and has passed the adaptation period, carry out another pinching over the 7 leaves of the main stem. Do the same with the side loops, and then remove the excess flowers, leaving 3 tied fruits at a distance from each other. Remove shoots without fruit so that they do not draw juice.

In addition, the melon needs feeding.For the first time, this is done 2 weeks after planting in the ground. To do this, you can use saltpeter, mullein, or chicken manure. The next feeding should be done every 10 days. You can buy complex fertilizers or dilute chicken manure and add ash. Before the fruit ripens, feeding can be stopped.

To avoid rotting, place a plank or plywood sheet under the ovary

Weeding the melon beds is carried out only when necessary. Do not forget to regulate the growth of the lashes, they should not fall into the aisles. Place a board or plywood under each ovary to keep the fruit from rotting when it touches damp ground.

Please note: in the climatic conditions of the middle lane, the best option would be to choose early ripening varieties of melon. Even if the melon does not have time to ripen before frost, and you have to remove it prematurely, it will reach ripeness at home.

When growing melons, always follow three main rules:

• timely protection of seedlings planted in the ground from frost;
• correct formation and pinching of stems, removal of excess ovaries;
• timely systematic feeding.

This way, you are guaranteed to get a good melon yield.

Video about growing melon outdoors

We hope our tips will help you grow sweet, juicy melons even during our short summer. If you have experience in growing melons in soil, share with us in the comments, tell us about your methods, advise more suitable varieties. Good luck and a warm summer!

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Svetlana Kovaleva Good afternoon, Svetlana is a philologist with you. In my student years, I really wanted to earn money on my own, but I could not find work in the city in the evening.

Melon is a fragrant guest for the autumn table. Planting, growing, care

In this article, we will focus on the sweet and aromatic representative of the numerous pumpkin family - the melon. It is not without reason that this plant has gained popularity among gardeners and ordinary consumers. The sweet and aromatic flesh of a well-ripened melon can not only raise your mood, but also improve digestion. Let's take a closer look at this melon crop so that its cultivation is not difficult.

So, melon (Cucumis melo) belongs to the genus cucumber, the pumpkin family and is a thermophilic melon crop. The homeland of the melon is considered to be Asia. The fruit of the melon is a pumpkin of an elongated cylindrical or round shape, of various colors: yellow, green, white, brown, often with green stripes.

The characteristics of the fruits, as well as their quantity per plant, depend on the plant variety. Now in central Russia, not only adapted melons are ripening, but also southerners from India, the cultivation of which has become possible with the help of closed grounds, where growing conditions are created as close to natural as possible. Fruits can ripen from 2 to 6 months.

Melon culture dates back about 400 years. In central Russia, you can most often find the type of common melon. Therefore, in this article we will dwell on it and its varieties in more detail.

This summer, my melons are somehow especially small, rather it was due to constant rains and acidification of the soil, the temperature for growth was often insufficient, although the variety itself is of great importance. Last year, I planted a melon with an early ripening period and there was no rain for a couple of months of summer. The fruits are sugary and very juicy. This year I chose a variety with an average ripening period, but summer has disappointed me.

But still it is worth adhering to the basic features of growing melons in order to guarantee a harvest.

Melon planting

So, for the melon, you should choose open sunny areas, well warmed up, protected from cold winds. Preference should be given to the southern slopes.

Choose light, neutral soils.Melon is resistant to drought and soil salinity, but does not tolerate soil acidification and high humidity. My aunt in Kursk has a huge melon in a field in the open sun, such melons are less likely to be affected by diseases and ripen better than their "brethren" in the shade. I have slightly acidic soil on the melon, so I definitely add wood ash before planting. Avoid contact between ash and melon root system.

To get a good harvest, the soil must be filled with organic and mineral fertilizers. To do this, under the autumn digging, it is necessary to make compost or humus, as well as mineral fertilizers in the form of double superphosphate. I liked the harvest when fresh manure was added, the fruits were larger.

In central Russia, melon is grown in seedlings. To do this, in mid-March or late April, we sow seedlings with a sowing depth of about 1.5 cm. I use soil purchased from a specialized store.

If you make the mixture yourself, then it should consist of turf, peat, humus, mixed with mineral fertilizer and wood ash. Take peat and sod land in equal proportions, humus - a part more.

It is better to plant immediately in separate containers, the diameter of which is at least 10 cm. At the time of planting, my seedlings were about 40 days old, the isolation of the cups helps not to injure the plant during planting.

Melon seedlings love sunlight while growing on the windowsill, and the temperature is 20-25ºС.At night, the temperature in the room can reach 18-20ºC. If it is raining and cloudy outside, you need to lower the temperature in the seedling room so that it does not stretch out, as in the photo below.

During the period of plant development, it is necessary to provide top dressing:

1. When the seedlings have the first true leaf, it is necessary to add mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride according to the instructions on the package).

2. After 2 weeks after the first one, a similar feeding is done.

From the second decade of May, when the seedlings have reached the phase of 5-7 true leaves, it is time to plant it in the ground. Having well moistened the seedlings, carefully plant them in the wells prepared in the soil. The distance between plants is about 55 cm.

Make sure that the root collar is not buried, otherwise there is a high risk of fungal diseases. For the same purpose, sprinkle with river sand around the plant. While the sprouts take root, water the seedlings with warm water.

Melon planting care

The most familiar way of growing melon for all is with lashes spread on the ground (in spread). With this method, to obtain the best yield, a shoot is pinched over 4 leaves, as a result of which 2 strong lateral shoots grow, which can subsequently be pinned to the ground and also pinched the shoots. The "pinch" method is good because the nutrients are not wasted on the green mass, but go to the fruit.

But do not forget about the trellis method of growing melon, in which a frame about 2 m high is prepared in advance and already on the 4th day after planting the plant is tied with a rope, the upper end of which is fixed on the trellis. The plant will twist upwards along the rope. With the trellis method, the growth point is also pinched. This happens immediately after planting in the ground above 3-4 sheets. After pinching, lateral shoots are formed from the axillary buds of the plant. Leave the 2 strongest, remove the rest. Tie both shoots in turn to the trellis. The advantages of this method are that the lashes are better illuminated and warmed up, which qualitatively affects the harvest.

When the seedlings are tied up, they need regular watering, which should be stopped when the fruits appear so that they can collect sugar. When watering, it is worth considering that with an excess of moisture, the roots of the melon can rot.

Do not forget about feeding: after planting, when side shoots begin to form, as well as before the appearance of buds, it is worth feeding the melon with liquid organic and mineral fertilizers, alternating between them ... Be careful with nitrogen fertilizers, their excess leads to an increase in the growing season and tightening fruiting.

Common melon varieties

Starting to grow a melon, it should be remembered that this is a heat-loving plant, the optimum temperature for the ovary of which starts from 25ºC, and for fruit ripening - from 30ºWITH.Therefore, I recommend choosing a variety from the characteristics of the region where melon cultivation is planned. Varieties are classified according to the growing season into early, middle and late. For central Russia with an unpredictable summer, of course, it is better to take varieties with an early date, in this case there is a chance that they will ripen and endow with a harvest.

Altai melon

It will take 60-80 days to fully ripen this variety. Fruits are oval, yellow in color, with a thin fragrant skin and juicy fleshy pulp. Fruit weight can reach 600-1200 g. The variety is well transported. The length of the lashes is up to 2 m.

Melon Blondie

It will take 80-90 days from germination to full maturity. I planted "Blondie" once under a film on a bed of manure. I liked the extraordinary fragrant pulp very much. When this melon is ripe, it gives off a sweet, strong scent that says it's time to take it out of the garden. At the same time, its color becomes slightly beige. The variety is characterized by large, round, slightly flattened fruits and long lashes. My fruits were small, weighing only about 400 g. In the original, during a hot summer, they can reach up to 700 g.

Melon Wintering 

This variety belongs to the late ones. Most likely, it will be quite difficult to grow it in central Russia. More than 90 days will pass from germination to ripening. In Gossreestre, the variety is recommended for planting in the Lower Volga region. Strong climbing plant. The fruits are light yellow-green, without stripes, but with a large mesh on the skin. Juicy light green pulp. Not very crispy, but tender. Fruit weight can be up to 2.5 kg. Well transported and stored.

Marina, Nekrasovskoe

I like the melon - its aroma immediately improves the mood)) But I didn't even think about growing it in our area - I thought that the plant was too thermophilic and capricious for the unpredictable summer of the Middle Strip. Vera, now I understand how wrong I was and how much I lost by abandoning the experiment! I'll fix it! :)) Thanks for the helpful article!

Vera, Eagle

Marina, thank you !!! Truth be told, I'm the most loose-leaf gardener on the site. Sometimes I am even surprised at how my plants survive.

Last year I decided to improve, they built a completely glazed greenhouse, as an extension to the bathhouse, I thought, well, finally, I will start operating in the greenhouse as a "maniac-harvest invader", but winter gave so much snow that the roof collapsed, and the glass is still not can choose from there. Therefore, all my plants continue to survive outdoors. If the thermophilic melon survives, then you will be able to do something even more !!! True, one cannot do without seedlings.

Marina, Nekrasovskoe

Oh, Vera, I've been going to build a greenhouse for many years now - and every time something is missing to realize this intention))) So I also have everything that wants to grow up - it grows in the open field :))

But the summer is getting hotter and hotter every year, so I'm afraid soon the question of the greenhouse may disappear by itself - as unnecessary. It was decided: I will choose some early ripening and not very demanding variety of melon by the spring and will certainly try to grow it! And then I'll write - I'll tell you what came of it)))

Vera, Eagle

It will be very interesting! From source to result!

Andrey, Russia

Vera and I are like you!)))) I am from the Black Sea coast, we have melons growing only with watering, I will not even try at home ...

OLGA, Kaluga

AND I HAVE STRETCHED SEEDLING ... WHAT CAN I DO?

Irina Belova, Kazan

carefully transplant into a deeper container, I tried, if you do not damage the root, everything will take root.

salchak Iraida, Kyzyl

hello Vera! I am pleased that in the reviews you can find out something useful for yourself, I live in Siberia and I want to try to plant a melon and a watermelon with seedlings. deeper dishes, but whether there will be a harvest is a question. I planted three years ago - it turned out small, but ripe. Thank you for the advice. Iraida, Tuva.

Oksana, Russia

Thanks for the interesting article)) I live in the South Urals (Magnitogorsk), a gardener - the second year. I planted it immediately with seeds from a greenhouse (polycarbonate), grade Serezhkina Lyubov (SibSad). Available information on caring for a melon, because of the heat of this summer, watering is necessary almost 2 times a week (I look at the condition of the soil, if it is wet, I do not overflow).

As soon as she sowed. covered with a thin covered material (during cold nights in May and when it became sharply warmer (so as not to burn young leaves)). She left her with whips, did not tie up. I took top dressing as for cucumbers (health, it is indicated for cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins).

Olga, Rybnitsa

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