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Spring has come, it’s time to prepare for gardening and gardening work. You won’t have time to look back, as the sun and wind will dry the areas and warm the earth. It’s time to sort the seeds into piles and carry out their special processing. In this article, we will consider the watermelon of the Spark variety. What is good about this variety, how to grow it and what are the secrets of getting an impeccably juicy, tasty and healthy fruit.
Features of the variety
Many have heard about this amazing variety of chestnuts. It is not for nothing that the light is very common among lovers of cottages and gardens. From the moment of emergence of seedlings to the beginning of the ripening of watermelon fruits, it takes from 71 to 87 days. The shape of this berry is spherical, its weight reaches 1,7, and sometimes 2,7 kg. The spark got its name due to the bright red pulp.
The peel has a very thin watermelon, dark green in color, the seeds are small. It is well grown in the lands of the non-black earth. Due to its early ripeness and good resistance to cold weather conditions, it is possible to feast on a ripe watermelon of the Ogonyok variety faster than some foreign hybrids. In terms of maturation, the light is ahead of such super-early hybrids as Trophy, Dolby, Crimson Sweet, Victoria. We do not argue that hybrids tend to pick up sugar very early, and therefore most of them are sold unripe, after some color manipulation.
Due to the very thin skin of a watermelon, it is very problematic to transport it, because even the slightest damage can become a breeding ground for microorganisms and pathogenic bacteria. Many experts claim that our domestic Ogonyok is a mixture of the Sugar Baby variety and a Chinese hybrid. Thanks to this selection, large fruits up to 4 kg were obtained with a thick skin, but without stripes. Farmers like it because of its good transportability and long-term maturation.
How to plant
The light is not whimsical, it can be grown directly in the open field, as well as in greenhouses. Seeds are planted in the ground from the second half of April to the 1st week of May. If seedlings are used, they are planted from the second half of May to the 1st week of June. Planting pattern: watermelon bushes should be at a distance of 60 cm to 1 meter, row spacing – 1,4 meters.
The soil should be light, air and water permeable. The soil must be warmed up, if you need additional heat, you can cover the ground with oilcloth until sprouts appear. The night temperature should not fall below 15 degrees, otherwise the seeds will lie in the ground for a long time. Planting depth – 8-10 cm. In greenhouses, watermelon bushes Spark can be planted more often, at a distance of 70 cm from each other. If you use trellises, you can hang the fruits in nets. using trellises, (fruits can be hung in nets).
Seeds must be treated before sowing. To do this, the seeds are soaked overnight in a prepared weak solution of potassium permanganate, washed with clean water or soda solution, and dried. Some experts insist to harden the seeds additionally at 0 temperature. In principle, the Light is quite cold-resistant, and you can do without this procedure.
If you want to enjoy the fruits of the Firelight early, use seedling cultivation. Bushes sprouted up to 4 leaves are planted after the last frost. When one stem is formed, pinching is carried out, that is, the removal of lateral shoots, and 2-3 ovaries are left on the bush. Next, you should adhere to the irrigation regime, the procedures for loosening, feeding and powdering the lashes in order to protect them from turning over by the wind.
Video “Varieties of watermelons and their cultivation”
Care and watering
To accelerate the growth of watermelon, you can use various shelters: simple individual or group film ones. When covered with oilcloth, the temperature in the soil rises, which means that the maturation of the Light is accelerated by two to three weeks. This method will also protect plants from certain pests.
If you are growing watermelons in a dry region, you can build shelters with vine or wire frames. They should be removed on a cloudy day so that the plants do not fry under the scorching sun. If you do not remove the shelters, an infection may divorce, and you will also have to manually pollinate. In order for the bees to work in your garden, plant special honey plants near watermelons or sprinkle melons with a solution of honey or sugar.
Follow the cover of the soil, when it dries out, the earth needs to be loosened, weeded. The opinion that weeds shade the chestnuts and you get a good harvest is erroneous. Weeds need to be fought, as in any other bed. Melons are very fond of the sun.
Watering should be organized in such a way that water does not fall on a bush or root, but 40 cm from it. Excess flowers and ovaries are removed. For one bush, 3-4 fruits are enough. If there is no time for these procedures, the watermelon will still grow and ripen, but smaller.
Top dressing for a watermelon light is very simple: it is prepared from mowed nettle grass. Nettles in a bucket must be filled with water, it stands for three days until a smell appears. We dilute the solution with water 1: 1 and water the wells near the bushes. For one hole – 2-3 liters of such fertilizer. It is a great alternative to manure and chemical fertilizers.
Gardeners tips
Oblong and square watermelons, yellow and blue, are already known to the whole world. But the Twinkle will always and everywhere be a favorite delicacy because of its special taste and good livability in any environment. Following our advice, you will harvest a wonderful harvest without much effort. So, growing watermelons through seedlings eliminates the risk of plant death during frost.
Plants need to be fertilized already 10 days after germination, and repeated every 2 weeks. Regular watering should be ensured during the active growth of the stem and leaves. And when the fruits begin to ripen, the water consumption is reduced by 2/3. If the cultivation of watermelons takes place in a greenhouse, hardening should be started already with the appearance of the first male flowers. Do not rush to remove shelters, in the middle zone of our country until mid-June, cold snaps and even frosts are possible.
Due to the limited space in the greenhouse, the fruits can be tied up, and non-rotting material can be placed under those that lie on the ground. Female flowers on the bushes will appear closer to July, for a good harvest, leave 3-4 fruits, and when they grow to the size of a small apple, pinch the lashes. There should not be more than 3-4 plants in the hole. The soil should be fertilized with manure, at the rate of 7-8 kg per 1 sq.m.
Between the rows, leave a distance of 1,4 – 2 meters, because the watermelon will spread its whips for several meters. To achieve uniform ripening of the fruit, the watermelon must be turned over periodically. Often, the Spark ripens within 30 days from the appearance of the ovaries.
Video “How to grow watermelon varieties of light”
In this video, you will see what is needed in order to grow the maximum crop of melons in your garden.
