Growing melon in a greenhouse
Melons are sweet guests from the south. It is not possible to grow them in open ground in all regions of our country. It is much easier to grow these melons in a greenhouse. Melon in a greenhouse will taste no worse than ground melon.
Melon greenhouse preparation
The best material for such a greenhouse is polycarbonate. It is a dense, colorless plastic that retains heat well and transmits light. Polycarbonate is much lighter than glass, acrylic and other similar materials. It is easy to build a greenhouse from it, it is enough to put several sheets of polycarbonate in parallel and fasten them with jumpers.
Melon in a greenhouse with proper care will grow sweet and juicy
Here are the basic requirements for a melon greenhouse:
- The minimum height of the greenhouse is 2 m. This melon plant needs a lot of space in breadth and height.
- Additional lighting and heating equipment must be installed. Melons love long daylight hours. Natural warmth even in a polycarbonate greenhouse will not be enough for them.
- Only one crop can be kept in a greenhouse. Melon can be inter-pollinated with other plants such as cucumbers.
- Install trellises in the greenhouse to which the plant will loop. They must be very strong to support the weight of large fruits.
Prepare the soil properly in your greenhouse. It should not be salty and heavy. Loamy or sandy loam soil is best suited. Before planting in the ground, you need to add a little rotted manure – 2 kg per 1 sq. m.
Growing melon in a greenhouse
Sow melon seeds for seedling in mid-spring. Keep it at a temperature of 16-18 ° C and in good lighting. In late spring, transplant the seedlings into a greenhouse. The optimum temperature in the greenhouse is 30 ° C. On particularly hot days, open the greenhouse for ventilation.
Water the seedlings sparingly immediately after planting. Gradually increase the amount of watering, but do not over water the melons, as the roots may rot. Tie the stems of the melon to the trellis. Otherwise, the fruits will develop on the ground and shade each other.
Artificially pollinate flowering melons or place a small hive next to them
You will have to fertilize melons regularly in greenhouse conditions. Once a month, apply any mineral fertilizer to the ground according to the instructions on the package and wood ash.
Now you know how to grow a melon in a greenhouse. Use these tips to pamper yourself and your family with sweet and aromatic fruits from your own garden at the end of summer.