Planting watermelon for seedlings at home

Watermelon is a crop that some gardeners call the “extraordinary berry.” It looks a little like some kind of berry, but it cannot be called that by several definitions. Berries can be eaten whole, watermelons – no, they are usually cut into pieces. All berry fruits have a thin skin, watermelon is thick-skinned. Berry seeds are easily removed or absorbed by the body, this is not possible with watermelon seeds – they have an additional shell that is difficult to digest.

Scientists have not fully decided what to call this miracle of nature, they attribute it to the genus Watermelons, the family of Pumpkin plants, or simply to false berries. To simplify all these concepts, in the future we will call watermelon gourds. Our story will talk about when and how to properly sow the seeds of watermelons, grow seedlings from them, how to care for this crop on a melon plant, in a garden or in a greenhouse.

Step by step recommendations

The cultivation of watermelons begins with sowing seeds for seedlings, then seedling care follows, the next stage is transplanting seedlings into the ground, the final stage is taking care of seedlings and obtaining the first fruits. It was in this order that we planned our article and posted the corresponding photos, adding our comments to them.

Selection and preparation of seeds

It is possible to grow watermelons in central Our Country with its cool and unstable climatic conditions only by seedlings. Getting strong and healthy watermelon seedlings at home directly depends on the quality of the seed material (see video). It is necessary to carefully choose varieties of watermelons that are zoned specifically for your region and with early ripening. Of the seeds intended for planting in the southern regions of the country, the fruits are unlikely to have time to ripen in the northern latitudes. This is the main condition for growing watermelon seedlings, pay attention to this when buying seeds.

Watermelon seeds are small, medium-sized and large, they are easy to work with. The photo shows the seeds of medium size. In structure and shape, it is an embryo covered with a dense hard shell, oval, tapering at one end. The structure of the shell can be rough or completely smooth.

The timing and time of sowing watermelon seeds depend on the intended planting of seedlings in the ground. If you expect to plant seedlings in open beds or in greenhouses in May, sow watermelon seeds in April, that is, 30 days before transplanting the finished seedlings to their permanent place.

Step 1

The main activities at this stage:

1. Selection of quality watermelon seeds. Remove dried and damaged seeds immediately. This can be determined visually and by touch.
2. Disinfection and soaking. Place watermelon seeds in a pinkish potassium permanganate solution for 30 minutes, rinse with clean water. Put on germination, as indicated in the top photo. The time before the appearance of the first root is from 3 to 7 days.

They will not make good seedlings, they will hatch for a long time or will not sprout at all. Watermelon seeds are best purchased with a shelf life of more than 2 years, they form more female flowers, from which fruits grow.

Seeding on seedlings

Growing watermelon seedlings at home can be difficult for the following reasons:

• experienced plant growers who have been growing watermelons in their gardens for more than one year advise sowing germinated seeds immediately into large containers, that is, not to make an intermediate transplant of seedlings, and this requires large containers, respectively, a lot of earthen substrate will be required;
• seedling roots are very delicate and sensitive to any changes, during transplantation they can be damaged, and their further development will be inhibited, this will slow down the entire growth process of seedlings;
• the root system of watermelons develops very quickly, growing a large number of shoots, and very soon occupies all the space in the pots.

Step 2

Planting seeds that have already germinated is carried out in the following order:

1. Prepare the soil mixture. Suitable fertile garden soil with the addition of light compost, ash or peat. For disinfection, the earth is spilled with boiling water, fried on a fire or treated with special chemicals.
2. Capacities, as we have already said, need large ones. One sprout of seedlings requires a container with a height of at least 25-30 cm, with a volume of about 3 liters.
3. A depression of 3-5 cm is made in the center, a seed with a hatched embryo is placed, covered with compost.
4. Lightly compact the soil and water.

What date to sow watermelon seeds for seedlings, determine yourself, the main thing is to know what to do this a month before transplanting into the ground.

Care of seedlings

The next stage of growing watermelon seedlings begins – caring for seedlings. This period lasts about a month. Caring for seedlings in this short time is very simple:

Step 3

• it is necessary to moisten the soil with watermelon seedlings in a timely manner, preventing the soil surface from drying out (Moisturize, not flood);
• at home, the temperature in the room should not be lower than + 25 ° C;
• seedlings will have to be provided with additional lighting, in April and May the days are still quite short, and seedlings need light and heat. In low light, the plant stretches in height, on a thin, weak stem, cotyledon leaves are formed, just as underdeveloped. As a result, you can get an ugly and unviable sprout.
• an important factor for the normal development of watermelon seedlings is such an indicator as air humidity, if this value is below 70%, it is necessary to eliminate this state of affairs by applying artificial moisture, spraying the room with water or using special devices for this;
• a week before planting in a permanent place, seedlings need to be fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, it is not recommended to add nitrogen-containing components during this period.

If you follow the basic rules of care, your efforts to grow watermelon seedlings at home will be rewarded, you will receive high quality seedlings, as shown in the photo below. And we move on to the next step.

Step 4

Landing in the ground

All watermelons love spacious, well-warmed and lit areas, so you should choose just such sites for planting watermelon seedlings. Not all gardeners have plots that meet these requirements. The vertical garter of watermelon lashes to supports and additional devices to support heavy fruits (nets, trays) will help to avoid such problems.

Step 5

When planting seedlings of watermelons in open ground or in greenhouses, we recommend that you follow the following sequence:

1. Two weeks before the main work on transplanting seedlings, prepare the soil in a new place. Apply chemical and organic fertilizers according to the norms provided for gourds, dig and level the area. It is better to do this in the fall, and in the spring just loosen the beds again.
2. Mark the melon, every 2 meters dig a hole deep enough and wide enough to fit a seedling with a clod of seedlings. Depth – more than 30 cm, hole size – 30×30 cm.
3. Install strong stable supports near the hole, the distance from the center of the hole should be no more than 0,5 meters. On the support, you need to provide hooks or a notch for hanging fruits.
4. On the day of planting watermelon seedlings, pour half a bucket of water into each hole, and wait until it is completely absorbed.
5. Carefully free the watermelon seedling from the seedling container, taking it along with the clod of earth. Place this lump in the center of the hole, sprinkle with earth collected along the edges of the hole, slightly compact the earth. Pour again with a small amount of water (1 liter), top with peat or compost.

From the moment of sowing the seeds to the first fruit, it takes from 2,5 to 3 months, if you sowed the seeds in April, then wait for the “first-born” in July or August.

Diseases and how to deal with them

Amateur gardeners grow watermelon seedlings at home and achieve excellent results. For beginner melon growers, we remind you that any violation of the technology of such cultivation can lead to undesirable consequences: plants will often get sick, there will be a delay in their vegetation, the fruits, if they ripen, will be of much worse quality and lose their useful properties.

During its development, watermelon seedlings are very susceptible to environmental conditions, some plant diseases during this period, their causes and ways to deal with them are listed below:

1. Watermelon seedling leaves turn yellow. This is not a disease yet, but a harbinger of its occurrence. Seedlings make it clear to the gardener that his roots no longer have enough space in the container, the air temperature is too low, the light is insufficient, there is a nutrient deficiency or an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Necessary measures: immediately eliminate all unfavorable conditions.
2. The stems of watermelon seedlings stretch upwards, the size of the leaves decreases. Reasons: lack of light, too hot in the room or cold water is being watered. Measures: add light, achieve the desired temperature, water only with warm, settled water.
3. Watermelon seedling leaves dry at the edges. Reasons: again, lack of illumination, incorrect watering regime, it is excessively plentiful or insufficient. Measures: establish regular watering, observe the norms (2-3 times a week, 0,5 liters per seedling).
4. Seedlings of watermelons are sluggish, drooping. Reasons: a lot of nitrogen in the soil, seedlings freeze. Measures: do not use organic and mineral nitrogen-containing top dressings, water the seedlings only with warm water not lower than + 25 ° C, the temperature in the room should be identical.
5. White spots form on the leaves of watermelon seedlings. This plant is affected by powdery mildew, white rot or spotting. These diseases are almost impossible to cure, the plant will have to be destroyed. Seedling sprouts that are not infected with the fungus should be treated with antifungal drugs for prevention purposes.
6. The stems at the base of the watermelon seedlings have turned black and thinned. Reason: the development of the disease “black leg” or root rot, which occur due to frequent and unreasonably abundant watering. Measures: seedlings are destroyed, in the future, watermelon seeds are treated in special chemical solutions before sowing.

Conclusion

Growing watermelon seedlings at home, and then getting an excellent harvest from your beds is not an easy job, but enthusiastic gardeners do not back down from anything, they achieve wonderful results. We wish them good luck, and we recommend that you follow their example. Plant this gourd in your country house, in greenhouses, on balconies. You will receive an environmentally friendly, tasty and healthy WATERMELON.