Melons: how to grow a good harvest

But first, an amazing fact. Did you know that melon belongs to the genus … cucumber (Cucumis)? If you look at its Latin name (Cucumis melo), this becomes obvious. Another fact: the fruit of the melon is called … pumpkin. And finally, the third fact. Do you know what the word “melon” means? It comes from the word “to blow”. Well, I mean, it’s a swollen fetus.

Melon belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Her homeland is Central Asia, and hence the basic requirements of culture follow: she loves when it is warm and dry. That is why it is difficult to grow it in regions with short, cool summers. In such climatic zones, melons are best grown in greenhouses. And, by the way, during the time of Peter the Great, very large and tasty melons were obtained in Moscow in specially built greenhouses (1).

Growing melons

A place. Place under melons you need to choose the sunniest – they are photophilous. The site should be flat, and even better, plant them on a slight hill – it is very important that moisture does not stagnate under the plants, otherwise they will start to hurt, and the fruits will rot as soon as they start. Lowlands for melons are contraindicated!

The soil. Still melons really do not like heavy clay soils. If it’s just like this in the garden, before planting, you need to add 1/2 bucket of sand per 1 sq. m and carefully dig.

Predecessors. Ideal predecessors for melons are annual grasses, green manure, corn and most vegetable crops. But after other melons (watermelons, pumpkins, zucchini and squash), melons should not be grown in order to avoid infection with fungal infections (2).

planting melons

In the southern regions of Our Country, melon seeds can be sown immediately in open ground after May 25th. However, you can sow earlier if the spring was early and the soil warmed up well (at a depth of 10 cm, its temperature should be 10 – 12 ° C) – in this case, the sowing dates can be shifted to May 15 – 20, but provided that the seedlings will be covered from frost (in the middle lane they are until June 5) with a film (3) or non-woven fabric. But it should be remembered that at a temperature of 12 ° C, the growth and development of plants is greatly delayed, and at 10 ° C it stops altogether (2).

In more northerly cool regions, this crop is best grown through seedlings and early varieties are chosen. In this case, the sowing time depends on where the melons will grow next:

• for growing in a greenhouse – from March 25 to April 5;
• for growing in the garden – from April 25 to May 5.

The depth of sowing seeds, whether they are sown in open ground or seedlings, is 4-5 cm. Planting pattern: in a row – 70-100 cm, between rows – 140 cm (2).

Outdoor melon care

In general, caring for melons is not difficult – in the southern regions in the villages they are usually planted in a distant garden, where they do not look so often. But some nuances of agricultural technology are still worth considering.

Watering. Melons do not like excess moisture – they grow poorly in rainy years, often get sick, and the fruits rot while still green and underdeveloped. However, in the first month of life, they still need watering – until the roots reach the deep layers of the soil. But it should be moderate – once a week, 1 liters per plant. And then, if there is a drought. In rainy weather, watering melons is not necessary!

Feeding. Before sowing or planting, it is useful to fertilize the soil – per 1 sq. I need to enter: 

• urea – 10 g (1 tablespoon);
• double superphosphate – 10 g (2 teaspoons);
• potassium sulfate – 10 g (2 teaspoons).

Fertilizers are scattered over the site for 1 week after planting and dug up on a spade bayonet.

In the future, during the summer, melons do not need top dressing.

Formation. In the southern regions, with the formation of melons, usually no one bothers. But in the conditions of a short and cool summer, it is necessary – it is important to pacify the violent growth of lashes and direct all the forces of plants not to form and ripen the crop.

Female melon flowers are formed mainly on lateral shoots, so the main stem must be pinched after 4-5 leaves – this will stimulate the growth of additional lashes. And when they grow up, they also need to be pinched – over the 3rd sheet.

It is also necessary to normalize the number of fruits – in cool regions, no more than 4 – 5 melons per plant should be left, in the southern – 6 – 8 pieces. 

Harvesting melons

You can determine the ripeness of a melon by a change in color – the fruits turn yellow and become fragrant. A fully ripe melon opens easily from the lash. 

However, melons can also be picked unripe – they ripen well in warmth. But it is important that they have a stem-tail 5 cm long.

Melon storage rules

The shelf life of melons depends on the variety:

• early varieties – about 1 week;
• mid-season – 2 – 3 weeks;
• late – up to 6 months.

In addition, the keeping quality of melons also depends on the degree of maturity. Unripe fruits that have just begun to change color are stored the longest. Fully ripe melons, even late varieties, lie no more than 2 months. 

Melons intended for storage should be harvested in dry, warm weather. And at first they should lie down in the sun for 2 weeks, and every 4 to 5 days they need to be turned over to the other side. Such drying increases the shelf life of the fruit.

Store melons in a cool, dry place. Optimum temperature – 1 – 3 ° C, air humidity – no more than 70 – 80%. Best in hanging nets, such as string bags or wicker baskets. You can also store melons in trellised boxes, the bottom of which is lined with straw – the fruits in them must be folded so that they do not touch each other.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing melons with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova – she answered the most popular questions of summer residents.

Sources of

1. Orlova Zh.I. All about vegetables // M.: Agropromizdat, 1986 – 222 p.
2. Fisenko A.N., Serpukhovitina K.A., Stolyarov A.I. Garden. Handbook // Rostov-on-Don, Rostov University Press, 1994 – 416 p.
3. Yakubovskaya L.D., Yakubovsky V.N., Rozhkova L.N. ABC of a summer resident // Minsk, OOO “Orakul”, OOO Lazurak, IPKA “Publicity”, 1994 – 415 p.