Growing melon in open ground: how to get a decent harvest. How to grow melons in open ground in the middle zone? Caring for a melon in the open

Everyone loves sweet, juicy and aromatic melon. Therefore, gardeners in almost all regions of the country are mastering the methods of growing southerners. Even if you don’t have a piece of land, it doesn’t matter. A melon can become a decoration for your balcony, and the taste of its fruits will not be inferior to those grown on open ground.

History of melon cultivation

Central and Asia Minor are considered to be the homeland of melon. It is assumed that the domestication of wild plants occurred in Northern India and the surrounding areas of Iran and Central Asia. This happened many centuries before our era. In Russia, this fruit appeared in the 15th-16th centuries.

Melon - a native of sultry Asia

Currently, melon is cultivated in almost all warm countries of the world. But it is believed that the most delicious fruits are grown in Central Asia.

Turkmenistan has celebrated the annual holiday “Turkmen Melon Day” since 1994. In Ukraine, where this culture is also loved, they hold a “Melon Fair”.

“Turkmen Melon Day” is celebrated annually in Turmenistan

Description of the plant

Melon is an annual herbaceous plant. The round-faceted and slightly pubescent creeping stem, equipped with tendrils, grows from 1.5 to 2 m, and sometimes more. The leaves are very large, alternately arranged, and have a rounded-ovate or palmate-lobed shape. Attached to the stem with long petioles. The leaf blade also has pubescence, so it seems a little rough to the touch. Flowers and tendrils are located in the axils of the leaves.

Melon is a climbing plant, reaching a length of 2 m

The root system is powerful, because the plant comes from arid places where water is in great short supply. The branching of the root system can cover a diameter of 1 to 2 m, and the taproot penetrates up to 1.5 m in depth.

The melon fruit is called pumpkin and has a spherical or cylindrical shape. The outer shell of the fruit (exocarp) is leathery and elastic. Its color can be different - white, yellow, green or brownish, with or without stripes. The surface is also different - from absolutely smooth to rough. One plant can form from 2 to 8 fruits, the weight of which ranges from 1.5 to 10 kg.

The pulp is very juicy, aromatic, sweet. Some varieties have sugar levels as high as 20%. Consistency medium density. The color can have various shades from white to greenish (depending on the variety).

The color of melon pulp depends on the variety.

Inside the fruit is a cavity filled with seeds. There are quite a lot of them. Flat, narrow or broadly oval seeds have a white or yellowish tint. The surface of the outer cover can be glossy or matte.

Numerous seeds are hidden inside the melon.

How to distinguish male flowers from female ones

Melon is a monoecious plant. It can simultaneously develop male and female female flowers. Melon pollen is heavy and sticky, so pollination requires helpers - bees or ants. But sometimes manual dexterity also comes in handy - in greenhouses or in bad weather, insects will not be able to help.

The first flowers to appear on a melon are male. Their number depends on the ripening period of the variety. In early ripening melons, flowers are formed in the axils of the 2nd or 3rd leaf, in late varieties - on the 4th or 5th. Before the first female flower appears, the melon manages to lay from 6 to 30 male flowers.

Melon flowers are divided into male and female

The difference between male and female flowers is in their structure. The male has 5 stamens on which pollen is formed. The female flower has a well-developed pistil, which forms an ovary after pollination.

Video: manual pollination of melons

Application

Melon is often used as a dessert. But the juicy pulp is good not only in its raw form, it is an excellent product for making jam, jam, melon honey, and candied amber fruits. Melon is also dried and canned.

In the Middle Ages, melon was the most popular food in Asia, especially during the long fasting period before Ramadan.

Melon is a wonderful and healthy dessert

Benefit

The healing properties of melon have been well known and widely used in medicine since the time of Avicenna.

Table: content of proteins, water, carbohydrates, fats

Melon is a low-calorie product. 100 g of pulp contains an average of 35 kcal, so the fruit is not contraindicated even for those suffering from obesity.

Melon can be called a real “first aid kit” due to the high content of various useful substances in its pulp. The peel and seeds are also actively used to prepare medicinal drinks and decoctions.

Melon can be safely called a real storehouse of nutrients.

For a long time, melon has been used as a remedy to help recover from a serious illness. The pulp stimulates the intestines and improves its microflora. Melon is useful for:

• anemia;
• atherosclerosis;
• tuberculosis;
• gout;
• scurvy;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• kidney and bladder diseases.

Used as:

• sedative;
• anti-inflammatory;
• laxative;
• diuretic.

Cosmetologists actively use the properties of melon to prepare tonic and nourishing masks. The pulp of the fruit, ground into a paste and applied to the face, will make the skin elastic, eliminate oily shine and give soft color. This mask should be applied regularly for a month.

But melon also has contraindications:

• should not be used by nursing mothers. In a baby, this can cause disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and painful digestion;
• It is not recommended to eat melon on an empty stomach;
• After taking melon pulp, you should not eat fermented milk products or drink cold water. This leads to indigestion;
• cannot be combined with alcohol;
• People who suffer from ulcers, diabetes or liver disease should use melon with caution.

Melon varieties

The most popular varieties of melon include:

Torpedo. The elongated pumpkin is covered with a grayish bark, dotted with a pattern in the form of a medium-density grid. Fruit weight is from 2.5 to 6 kg. The greenish-white juicy pulp has an excellent taste and delicate texture. The seeds are creamy-yellow in color, not too wide and slightly elongated. The plant is climbing, with medium-sized dissected green leaves. Refers to mid-season varieties. Productivity - 1.8 kg/m2. Picked pumpkin does not lose its marketable quality within 15–20 days;

The most famous Central Asian variety is Torpedo melon

Honey cake. Elliptical-shaped pumpkin, from 2.5 to 4.2 kg. The crust is light yellow in color and has a slightly wrinkled surface. There is no mesh pattern. The pulp is medium thick and has a pleasant light cream color. The taste is excellent, the juiciness is at an average level. The consistency is soft and melting. The aroma is weak. The narrow oval and sharply pointed seeds are medium in size and colored Ivory. The plant has strong lashes. The leaf is dissected, medium size, Green colour. Productivity - 1.2–2 kg/m2. Retains commercial quality for 10–12 days after collection. Mid-season variety;

Harmful ripening of fruits and excellent taste - that’s why Medovka melon is valued

Oksana. The pumpkin is elliptical in shape and colored yellow. Fruit weight is from 2 to 2.6 kg (some specimens grow up to 4.5 kg). The surface is smooth, covered with a dense mesh pattern. The pulp is light cream color. Crispy, tender and juicy texture combined with excellent taste. The seeds are large, blunt-pointed, yellow-cream. The plant is climbing, leaves are dissected, medium size. Medium early variety. Productivity 141–202 c/ha. For 8–10 days after picking, it perfectly retains its taste;

Melon Oksana - a wonderful mid-season variety

Caramel. Pumpkin oval shape, its weight is from 1.2 to 1.9 kg. The crust is dark yellow in color with a smooth surface on which a continuous mesh pattern appears. The thick pulp has a tender and melting consistency. Tastes great, juicy. The aroma is pronounced. The seeds are medium-sized, blunt-pointed, oval-shaped, creamy-yellow in color. Belongs to mid-early varieties. The plant is distinguished by good growth of vines, the leaves are not too carved, and are of medium size. Fruiting is good, with an average of 94–156 c/ha. Valued for resistance to fusarium and high transportability;

Resistance to fusarium is a valuable quality of Caramel melon

Bizan. The elliptical pumpkin weighing from 2 to 2.8 kg is covered with yellow smooth bark. The mesh pattern is dense and of medium thickness. The pulp is light cream, good taste, tender and juicy. Crispy consistency. Taste qualities are assessed as good. Has a pronounced melon aroma. The seeds are medium-sized, blunt-pointed, creamy-yellow in color. The plant is long-climbing, with small dissected leaves. Mid-early variety. Average yield is 126–256 c/ha. Commercial qualities are perfectly preserved for 8–10 days;

Bizan melon has crispy and juicy flesh

Ethiopian. The pumpkin is wide-rounded, with yellow-orange skin, the surface is slightly segmented, smooth. The mesh pattern is medium in density and thickness. The pulp is juicy, melting, and has a delicate consistency and is orange in color. The taste is good and excellent, the aroma is very pronounced. The fruits are quite large - 2.3–2.8 kg. Refers to mid-season varieties with a yield of 89–145 c/ha. The creeping plant is of medium size, slightly dissected green leaf. Pumpkin is capable of maintaining commercial quality for 2 weeks. Valued for heat resistance;

Ethiopian melon tolerates heat well

Collective farmer. The variety is proven and very popular, despite the small weight of the fruit - 0.7–1.3 kg. The pumpkin is spherical in shape, the skin is yellow-orange, and the surface is smooth. Sometimes the surface is decorated with a coarse mesh pattern. The pulp is juicy and sweet. The consistency is dense, slightly crispy and fibrous. The taste is rated as good to excellent. Refers to mid-season varieties. The plant is climbing, medium in size and thin stems. The leaf blade is round, with a blunt notch at the base, and is of medium size. The yield is 14.6–22.7 t/ha. Valued for its excellent transportability. Has resistance to bacteriosis.

Melon variety Kolkhoznitsa is time-tested and very popular

Growing melon in seedlings

By growing melon in seedlings, you can get fragrant pumpkins a little earlier than usual. In addition, it will help gardeners in cooler regions cultivate tender crops.

How to collect seeds

The quality of seeds from unripe melons is very low, good harvest in this case there is no hope. Seeds are collected only from ripe fruits:

1. The melon is cut in half and the seeds are removed.
2. Rinse under running water to get rid of pieces of pulp.
3. Allow excess moisture to drain and lay out thin layer onto a clean cloth or paper to dry in natural conditions. To prevent the seeds from becoming moldy, leave them in a well-ventilated place.

Do not dry melon seeds in the oven.

Collecting melon seeds is not difficult at all.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in mid or late April, depending on the climatic conditions of the region. Small pots, preferably peat ones, are used as containers. Sow 3 seeds in moistened soil. Cover with a bag and place in a bright and warm place. Germination occurs at a temperature of 20–25 o C during the day, at night - not lower than 18 o C.

In order for melon seeds to germinate, you need to place the pots in a bright and warm place

Seedling care

The seeds germinate quickly, and shoots appear within a week. Examine them carefully and choose the strongest one. Cut the rest at soil level. Do not pull it out to avoid damaging it. root system the remaining sprout.

Procedure:

Picking

For melon seedlings, as for all pumpkin seedlings, the picking procedure is not carried out. Seedlings do not tolerate the transplantation process very well, which is why they are grown immediately in separate containers.

Caring for melons in open ground

Planting melons in open ground is done with seeds or seedlings. The first method is usually practiced in the southern regions. Seeds are planted at the beginning or end of May, provided that the prepared bed has been covered with covering material. When planting, it is not removed; the seeds are buried by making cross-shaped cuts in the fabric.

Melon can be planted in open ground with seeds and seedlings

Hardened seedlings are planted under film cover when they are at least 25 days old. In terms of timing, this should coincide with the end of May or the beginning of June. Further care for planted seeds or seedlings, melon is practically no different.

Watering

Melon is a demanding crop; it loves watering. But they must be carried out, observing certain rules:

• Watering is carried out on average once a week;
• the water temperature must be at least 22 o C;
• The procedure should be carried out early in the morning or in the evening. Strictly ensure that droplets do not fall on leaves, flowers or fruits. The root collar of the plant should also not suffer from waterlogging. Melons are usually watered in ditches dug around the plant, but the best way is drip humidification;
• The next watering is carried out only after the top layer of soil has completely dried.

When the fruits form on the melon, watering gradually begins to be reduced and is completely stopped during the period of ripeness. This helps to reach the maximum level of sugar content. If you continue to moisten during this period, the fruits will turn out watery and tasteless.

A drip system is most suitable for watering melons.

Top dressing

The nutrient requirements of melons must be maintained by regular application of fertilizers. The plant especially needs nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizing.

Table: timing and rates of fertilizer application

To prevent fertilizers from harming the root system, they are combined with watering.

Proper feeding increases the chances of a good harvest

Pinching a melon

Pinching must be carried out to limit the development of green mass and obtain a full harvest. In open ground, melon is grown horizontally, spread out. With this method, the following procedure is carried out.

1. After the first pinching above the 4th–5th leaf, a plant of 3 shoots is formed, from which the 2 most powerful ones are selected. They are pinched above the 4th–6th leaf.
2. The third pinching is carried out at the stage of ovary formation. Remove weak and non-fruiting shoots. The lashes with ovaries are pinched at the 3rd or 4th leaf.
3. The pinched areas must be powdered with a dry mixture of crushed coal, sulfur and lime, taken in equal proportions.
4. The lashes are directed so that they do not intertwine and cover the row spacing.

U different varieties melons are pinched in different ways

Crop rotation

For the crop to grow healthy and productive, experienced gardeners predecessors are always taken into account. For melon, the most successful will be:

• winter wheat;
• corn;
• spices;
• onion and garlic;
• tomatoes;
• eggplant;
• Bell pepper;
• cabbage;
• peas and beans.

After pumpkin and carrots, planting a melon will not be the best option. It is also not worth growing a crop in the same place for several years in a row.

Rootstock for melon and step-by-step grafting instructions

This operation is rarely resorted to only because few people know about it. Meanwhile, this procedure helps to increase the yield by almost 2 times.

But for melon you need to choose the perfect rootstock. This determines how well the plant will bear fruit in the future. Pumpkins and lagenaria are considered the most suitable for this.

How the procedure goes:

1. Grafting begins when 1–2 true leaves appear on the melon.
2. The stems of the rootstock and scion are cut at an angle of 30 degrees. This should be done as close as possible to the cotyledons. The operation is performed with a sharp thin blade in a mirror image.

   Plant stems are cut in a mirror order

3. Then the tongues are inserted into each other and the junction is wrapped with a thin piece of foil. Ideally, the procedure requires special clips.

   The stems are inserted into each other

4. Two stems are planted in one container, preferably plastic.

   After grafting, place the plant in a dark place until the morning.

5. It is recommended to carry out grafting in the evening and place the plant in a dark place. In the morning, expose to light.
6. Around the eighth day, you can cut the melon stem. Starting from the 3rd day after grafting, the growth point of the rootstock must be removed, and this must be done until growth stops.
7. The grafted plant is planted in a permanent place on the 25th–35th day.

Growing melon at home

For those who like to experiment, there are no obstacles, and growing a melon on a balcony or windowsill will not be difficult. After all, everything that melons love - warmth and light - can be provided to plants at home. Varieties with small pumpkins are quite suitable for growing on a balcony or loggia:

• Ozhen (from 0.8 to 1 kg),
• Altai (from 0.8 to 1 kg),
• Lyubushka (from 0.7 to 0.8 kg),
• Tender (from 0.9 to 1.1 kg).

You can start sowing melon at home starting in March, but no later than the first days of June. To do this you need:

1. Prepare containers with a volume of at least 5–6 liters. Fill them with universal soil with neutral acidity. If possible, purchase soil “For cucumbers” in the store.
2. Sowing is done with seeds. To do this, bury the seed 3 cm into moist soil, after mixing the soil in the hole with a spoonful of ash. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked, then they will sprout a little earlier.
3. You can first grow seedlings (sow seeds in April), and then transplant them by transferring them into containers on the balcony.
4. Light- and heat-loving melon should grow in the most illuminated place.

   For home-grown melon, choose the brightest and warmest corners

5. Water the plant only with warm water, being careful not to get it on the leaves and stem. It is best to pour water along the edge of the pot. Water only after the top layer of soil has completely dried. Adjust the frequency depending on weather conditions.
6. Monitor the humidity level. If this indicator is high, the melon may be sick.
7. Try to give nitrogen-containing fertilizers before flowers form. During this period they feed azophoska - 1 tbsp. l. for 3 liters of water. 1 liter of solution is enough for one plant. During the flowering period, balcony melon prefers phosphorus-potassium fertilizing - 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 2 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. If the plant is slow in growth, pamper it with organic matter (mullein or chicken droppings), adding the prepared solution after watering.
8. Balcony culture needs a garter. But making a trellis is half the battle. A melon, unlike a cucumber, does not have tendrils and will not curl itself. Therefore, the whip needs to be wrapped around the twine and tied with cotton fabric or rope. This must be done as it grows.
9. Melon at home also requires shaping. The first pinching is done above the 5th–6th leaf. Tie the side shoot that replaces the main stem to the trellis. On hybrids, on the contrary, the main stem is not pinched, but is done on the side shoots, above the 2-3rd leaf, to avoid unnecessary thickening.
10. If you have open balcony, then insects can cope with the role of pollinators. But it’s still better to play it safe and pollinate the flowers by hand.
11. You should leave 2 to 3 fruits on the plant. They should be located at some distance from each other. To prevent the fruit from breaking the lash or breaking off, it needs to be tied up. When the fruit reaches the size of a tennis ball, it is wrapped in a net and tied to a trellis.

    Pack the ripening fruit in a net and tie it up

12. For diseases and pests, use the same preparations as when growing in open ground.

Growing methods

There are many ways to grow a juicy dessert. From traditional ones - spread out or on a trellis, to unusual ones - in a bag or barrel.

Melon in a barrel without a bottom

This method is perfect for central Russia, where summer is not very warm. For melon, a simple barrel is not entirely convenient. There is too little space, because it is advisable not to let the lashes outside, since the temperature difference can negatively affect the harvest. And in case of bad weather, the sissy can easily be covered with film or other covering material. Therefore, sheets of iron connected together or a large container are just right.

Install such a bed in advance:

1. All remnants of vegetation are placed at the bottom of the container: branches, dry parts of plants. They will not only serve as drainage, but heat will be generated during decomposition.
2. Then fresh grass, hay, humus and fertile soil are laid on top.
3. Everything is watered with water or Baikal fertilizer, which will help the plants to rot better.
4. The structure is covered with cellophane on top and left until the beginning of May.
5. You can plant soaked seeds in the second half of April or seedlings in mid-May, but always under cover.

Video: garden melon

In the bag

This method is useful for those who grow melon on the balcony. But, if you take a larger bag, then it is quite possible to get a harvest in a small area. Of course, thin cellophane bags are not suitable as a material. You need large ones, made of durable polyethylene. Fertile universal soil is suitable for balcony culture. Don't forget to install a trellis. In a garden structure, you can fill the volume in the same way as when growing in a barrel.

Video: growing melons in bags

On a warm bed

This design is an exact copy of the barrel growing method described above. The only difference is that the box is constructed not from metal, but from boards.

Raised beds are an excellent opportunity to grow heat-loving crops

On the trellis

The method is used when growing crops on a balcony or in a greenhouse. It allows you to significantly save space and provides plants with quality care, which will definitely result in high yields and low morbidity rates.

1. The method involves the construction of a U-shaped frame - the columns are buried in the ground so that they rise 2 m above ground level, their tops are connected with planks for greater stability.
2. The distance between columns in a row is at least 2 m.
3. Then a soft wire is tied to the crossbar.
4. One end is attached to the crossbar, the lower end is lowered to the growing melon and secured to the plant.
5. Subsequently, the growing lash is carefully wrapped around the wire and tied.

When growing melons using a trellis method, you can stretch a coarse, strong mesh between the supports.

Melon grown on a trellis is easy to care for.

Spread method

This method is considered the most natural and simplest. It is used when growing sweet fruits in open ground. Planting scheme for this method: the distance between plants in a row is at least 60 cm, row spacing is 1 m. The stems of the plant should not be intertwined. To prevent the shoots from being blown away by the wind, pin them to the soil using wire staples.

Growing melons spread out - the easiest and most natural way

Features of growing melons in different regions

Loving solar heat Gardeners not only from warm regions want to grow southerners. Therefore, melon is moving even to the north - to the Urals and Siberia. But each climatic region has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when growing melons.

• most suitable conditions for the cultivation of heat-loving crops, we can safely name Ukraine, the southern regions of Russia (Lower Volga, North Caucasus, Krasnodar) and Crimea. Here you can safely plant seeds in open ground or seedlings. A sufficient amount of sunlight, and it needs at least 12 hours, allows you to grow various varieties, starting from early ripening and ending with late ones:
  • Augustine,
  • Aikido,
  • Alice,
  • Babor,
  • Victoria,
  • Golden,
  • Idyll,
  • Miron,
  • Autumn,
  • Prima,
  • Raymond,
  • Tamanskaya,
  • Southerner;
• regions located in middle lane Russia, but still the weather there is more capricious. Varieties suitable for growing under these conditions include:
  • Collective farmer,
  • Turkish Delight,
  • Roksolana,
  • Solar;
• In the conditions of the Central region, Moscow and Leningrad regions, Belarus, melon is most often cultivated as a greenhouse or greenhouse crop. But it is also possible to grow fruits in open ground under such conditions. The key to success is a correctly selected variety, with a growing season of up to 90 days, with good resistance to cold weather, shade tolerance and resistance to fungal diseases. You need to plant already grown and hardened seedlings in the ground. The ideal variety for this climate is Princess Svetlana;
• In the Urals and Siberia, it is best to grow melon in greenhouses using the seedling method. But you can take a risk and try growing it outdoors. To do this you will have to build warm bed in the sunniest area. To tender plant not frozen, use covering material, water the plant only with warm water and monitor the humidity level, preventing it from increasing. Early ripening varieties are recommended:
  • Altai,
  • Collective farmer,
  • Lolita,
  • Tender,
  • Dewdrop.

When growing melons in cool areas, try to place planks under the fruit to prevent the melon from rotting from moisture. Also, the fruits need to be turned to the other side from time to time.

Video: growing melon

Melon in a greenhouse

The greenhouse will help out gardeners living in cold climates. This option is also suitable for those who want to get an earlier harvest of fragrant fruits. The main task is to provide the melon with a sufficient food area, take care of a stable temperature, normal humidification and air exchange.

Small secrets of successful fruiting:

• successful cultivation will be ensured by varieties resistant to fungal diseases;
• plant the best prepared seedlings;
• do not forget that pollination is your concern, because bees do not fly in a greenhouse;
• Grow melon indoors only on a trellis.

A greenhouse is the key to a successful melon harvest in cold climates

Diseases and pests

Regardless of whether a melon is grown outdoors or indoors, it can be susceptible to various diseases if it does not receive proper care. Southern culture is not immune to the invasion of harmful insects.

Table: diseases and pests, treatment and prevention

Photo gallery: how to recognize diseases and pests

Problems encountered when growing melons

Sometimes inexperienced gardeners fail when growing melons. But there is nothing irreparable.

Table: problems and their solutions

When the melon begins to ripen, stop watering and fertilizing, otherwise the fruit may crack.

Harvest and storage

Before you start picking melon fruits, make sure they are ripe. This is easy to do based on the following criteria:

• the fruit has acquired a mesh pattern characteristic of the variety;
• a subtle aroma spreads around the melon;
• ripe fruit is easily separated from the vine.

A picked unripe fruit will not reach the required ripeness and will not be stored for long. Overripe also will not last long, it is better to eat it right away. The best preserved fruit is the one picked in the first stage of ripeness.

Melons are removed from the stem. They should be stored on racks in one layer. You can hang fruits in cotton nets. The storage location must have ventilation, an optimal temperature of 1–3 o C, and humidity from 70 to 80%. Mid-season and late varieties show the best keeping quality. They are able to retain their taste and commercial quality until the end of winter.

Melons should not be stored in the same room with other vegetables. Fruits easily absorb foreign odors, which can cause the taste to deteriorate.

Melons are best stored in a suspended state.

At first glance, it seems that melon is a very capricious crop. But, if you follow all the rules of growing, then the prize for you will be fragrant, sweet and healthy fruits. And it doesn’t matter whether you live in the south or the north, everyone can grow a tender fruit. Moreover, breeders have developed many varieties that can easily tolerate difficult climates and are resistant to diseases.

Melon is one of the most popular and beloved melon crops by many. It can be planted and grown in open ground, both in the southern regions and in the middle zone. To get a good harvest of such a fragrant South Asian fruit, you need to carefully approach not only planting seeds, but also caring for the plant during the ripening period. We’ll look into all the intricacies of planting and growing melons further.

Selecting a seed variety

• Collective farmer. This is a mid-season variety, which was bred by the Biryuchekutsk experimental station. Great for the middle zone. The fruits are orange or dark green in color, have sweet white flesh and weigh about 1-2 kg. During the season, up to 100 centners (centners) of crop can be harvested from one hectare.
• Alushta. Created at the Crimean experimental station. An early ripening variety that ripens in 70 days. The fruits are large, oval and weighing up to 1.3-1.5 kg. They are orange-yellow in color with rare dark orange streaks. The pulp is white, very sweet and juicy. You can collect 145-175 centners of crop per hectare.
• Golden. Like the previous variety, it was bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute. Among all mid-season varieties, it is the most popular. Ripens in 80-90 days. The fruits have a roundish shape, yellow color with an orange tint and a weakly defined network. They weigh up to 1.3-1.6 kg. The pulp is juicy and white. You can collect 120 centners of crop per hectare. The variety is resistant to diseases.
• F1 Blondie. This is a mid-season hybrid that matures in 80-90 days. The fruits have a slightly flattened shape and a thin skin with gray-green stripes. The pulp is sweet with a high content of carotene. Melons grow small - each weighs about 600 g.

Regardless of the variety, you should choose large seeds that were obtained 4-5 years ago. The fact is that fresh seeds produce strong plants that produce only male flowers that do not form ovaries or fruits.

Location

Melon cannot be planted in areas where tomatoes, carrots, and pumpkins previously grew. Its best predecessors are the following crops:

• cucumbers;
• Sweet pepper;
• legumes;
• winter wheat;
• barley;
• turnip;
• sorrel;
• radish.

Soil preparation

The soil is prepared in this order:

• In the fall, dig up the soil to the depth of a spade and add 4-5 kg ​​of humus or manure. You can also add another 1/2 bucket of sand per 1 square meter to clay soil. m.
• In the spring, dig up the area again and add 15-25 g of potassium salt and 35-45 g of superphosphate per 1 sq. m. m. of soil.
• Before planting melons in open ground, dig up the area, but adding nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 25 g per 1 sq. m. m.

Seed preparation

• soak for 20 minutes in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate, for the preparation of which 1 tsp. dissolve potassium permanganate in 1.5 glasses of water;
• soak for 12 hours in a 5% solution of boric acid and zinc sulfate, then rinse and dry.

• Pour 30 degrees water into a thermos, place the seeds in it and leave for 2 hours.
• Cover the container with damp gauze and keep at a temperature of 15-20 degrees for 24 hours.
• Transfer the thermos to the refrigerator and keep for 18 hours at a temperature of up to 2 degrees.
• Remove the thermos from the refrigerator and leave for 6 hours at a temperature of 15-20 degrees.

How to plant a melon?

Seedling method

After planting, it is necessary to provide competent care for the seedlings:

• Temperature. Pots with seeds should be kept at a temperature of 20-25 degrees during the daytime, and no higher than 18 at night.
• Lighting. When the first shoots appear, keep the pots on a southern windowsill, but if this is not possible, you need to provide the plant artificial lighting fluorescent lamps. Exposure time is 10-12 hours a day.
• Trimming and pinching. About a week after planting the seedlings, shoots will appear. You need to leave the strongest sprout in the pot, and not pull out the rest, but cut them off at the level of the soil surface, otherwise you can damage the root system of the remaining seedling. When 3 pairs of true leaves appear, pinch the seedlings to stimulate the development of side shoots.
• . Moisten the soil for the first time after sowing the seeds, when the seedlings have one true leaf. When watering, you need to ensure that water does not get on the stems and leaves of the seedlings.
• Feeding and hardening. When growing seedlings, apply 2 subcortical applications with a solution of complex mineral fertilizers, and a week before transplanting into open ground, carry out hardening - keep the seedlings at a temperature of 15-17 degrees during the day, and 12-15 degrees at night. Gradually, ventilation sessions need to be extended.

To prevent damage to seedlings by blackleg, it is recommended to sprinkle the surface of the soil in pots with dry sand.

• Dig holes at a distance of 60 cm from each other, and the distance between rows is about 70 cm.
• Place the seedlings in the holes so that their root collar is above the surface level, otherwise the melon may become infected with fungal diseases or rot. After planting, the bush appears to be on a hillock.
• Sprinkle the soil with river sand to protect the melon from fungal diseases.
• Protect the seedlings from the sun with wet paper. Remove it after 2 days.

Seedless method

The holes should be dug at a distance of 1-1.5 cm from each other, based on the climbing ability of the variety. The distance between rows is 70-80 cm. Optimal depth holes - 4-6 cm. You need to throw 3-5 seeds into a moistened hole, and then fill it with soil.

In central Russia, only the seedling method is used due to the shorter warm period.

Caring for planted melon

• Topping. To obtain a full harvest, it is necessary to prevent the development of the vegetative mass of the bush. To do this, you need to pinch the main lash on the bush again and leave 2-3 side ones. In hybrids, the main vine does not need to be pinched, since female flowers grow on them, but the side ones need to be pinched at the level of the 2nd pair of leaves. In the case of growing melons with large fruits, it is necessary to remove part of the fruit ovaries. For 1 bush you need to leave from 2 to 6 pieces, based on the growth of the wattle. To prevent fruit rotting, use a substrate in the form of roofing felt or other material.
• . Melon does not tolerate well high humidity. When the soil begins to dry out, it should be watered with warm water (20-25 degrees) by 5-6 cm or 3-4 fingers. Only irrigation is used in ditches, and not by sprinkling. When the ovaries begin to grow, you need to gradually reduce watering and stop completely by the ripening phase. This will allow the melon to accumulate as much sugar as possible, otherwise it will be tasteless, and the root system may be affected by fungal diseases.

• Top dressing. It is combined with watering. 2 weeks after planting in the ground, it is worth treating the plant with a solution of ammonium nitrate (20 g per bucket of water) at the rate of 2 liters per 1 bush. When the buds begin to develop, a second feeding is introduced. The same solution of ammonium nitrate or mullein (1:10) is used. After 2-3 weeks, the soil is fertilized with a solution obtained by dissolving 30 g of ammonium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium salt in 10 liters of water.
• Loosening, heaping. To ensure free access of oxygen to the roots, the soil must be constantly loosened: the first two times - to a depth of 10-15 cm, then - to 8-10 cm. Superficial and extremely careful loosening is carried out between rows. As soon as the first side shoots appear, the seedlings need to be hilled up by raking a roll of earth to their stems.

Closing foliage signals that you need to stop machining soil.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew. This fungal disease, in which the stems and leaves become covered with whitish spots, eventually becoming brown. At the same time, the leaves begin to wither and curl, and the development of shoots and fruits slows down. For powdery mildew, it is necessary to treat the area with 80% sulfur powder at the rate of 4 g per 1 square meter. m. The procedure is carried out every 20 days, and the last of them should take place 20 days before harvest.
• False powdery mildew(peronospora). Yellow-green spots form on the leaves, which quickly increase and occupy the entire plate. In case of high humidity, a gray-purple coating with fungal spores can be seen on the underside of the leaves. For prevention, before planting, melon seeds are soaked for 2 hours in a thermos with water at a temperature of 45 degrees, and after 20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. If a disease is suspected, the beds should be treated with a urea solution (1 g per 1 liter of water). If this measure does not help, you need to use a solution of Topaz or Oxychoma.
• Fusarium wilt. This is a fungal disease that develops when pathogens from the soil enter plant residues and melon seeds. It appears with the appearance of 2-3 leaves or during the period of fruit ripening. The leaves of the plant begin to lighten and become covered with gray spots, and then wither and the plant dies within 10 days. In this case, the beds need to be treated with a solution of potassium chloride, which is done during the period of bud formation. As a preventative measure, before planting in the ground, seeds should be kept in a 40% formaldehyde solution for 5 minutes.
• Anthracnose or copperhead. Brown or pink spots appear on the leaves, which gradually increase and cause the plate to curl. The plant itself dries out, the fruits become deformed and rot. It is necessary to spray the plant with 1% Bordeaux mixture 3-4 times. Carry out the procedure every 10 days. Another treatment option is to dust the area with sulfur powder.
• Root rot. It causes weakening of the bushes, and young stems and roots begin to turn brown, and then become thinner, and the plant withers. As a preventive measure, seeds should be soaked in a 40% formaldehyde solution before planting.
• Viral diseases. These include the cucumber and watermelon mosaic virus, as well as a virus with a narrow specialization. They are carried by aphids, so it is necessary to destroy the carrier. Affected plants cannot be saved, so they need to be removed from the garden.

• melon aphid. It collects on the underside of the leaves and feeds on their juice, so the plates begin to curl and dry, and the flowers fall off without opening. In addition, aphids transmit viral diseases. To destroy it, you need to spray the melon with a 10% Karbofos solution or a 13% Actellik solution.
• Spider mites. They cause the same harm to the melon as aphids. To destroy them, summer residents use Fitoverm, Bicol or Bitoxibacillin.
• Wireworms. These are the larvae of click beetles that chew through the underground part of the plant, which causes its death. To prevent this, the soil must be dug deeply in late autumn and crop rotation must be observed.
• Scoops. Their caterpillars gnaw the stem of the plant, causing the melon to die. To get rid of the pest, you need to dig the area deeply after harvesting, and also adhere to crop rotation.

Collection and storage of melon

• there is a fine mesh on the fruits, and they have begun to change color (if the variety does not imply the formation of a mesh on the peel, you need to proceed only from the yellowing of the fruit);
• when pressed, a small mark remains and the peel becomes slightly soft;
• Melon has a pleasant aroma.

There is a special scale for keeping melons:

• low – shelf life less than 2 weeks;
• short-lived - from 15 to 20 days;
• average – from 1 to 2 months;
• recumbent – ​​up to 3 months;
• very durable - longer than 3 months.

Late-ripening melons, which are subject to long-term storage, must be collected selectively as the fruits ripen. They should not be cut, but picked with a stalk up to 3 cm long. Harvest in the early morning before it gets hot or in the evening, when it is already cool.

The collected fruits should be left on the melon bed for 3-4 days, turning them over every 5-6 hours. Afterwards they need to be transferred to a dry and cool storage facility, previously disinfected. To do this, the room needs to be sprayed bleach or use smoke bombs. After disinfection, the room needs to be locked for 2-3 days, and then ventilated and whitewashed wooden structures using freshly slaked lime.

Melons should be placed on racks that are first sprinkled with sawdust or chaff. There is another storage method - immerse each melon in a coarse mesh and hang it on a rack with crossbars.

The humidity in the room should be about 80%, and the temperature should be 2-3 degrees. Potatoes should not be kept next to melons, as this will cause the fruit to have an unpleasant taste and begin to rot. In addition, there is no need to keep apples nearby, since they produce ethylene, which provokes rapid ripening and overripening of the melon.

Video: growing melon in open ground

Harvesting a good harvest of melon in the middle zone is quite difficult; the plant is very heat-loving, and if it is planted directly into the soil, it may quickly die or not sprout. That is why it is first grown at home in special containers, and only after the threat of frost has passed, melon seedlings are planted in open ground. Typically, seeds begin to germinate on April 15–20, and within a month the seedlings are transferred outside under a film cover. However, not everything is so simple here, you should know how to care for plants, when to water, at what distance to plant, as well as other important rules and subtleties.

It all depends on the variety

Variety selection and fruit characteristics often play a key role in growing melons. In addition, it is important to understand that in regions with unpredictable summers, it is better to choose plants with an early growing season (60–80 days). Then the chance that the melon will ripen and give a rich harvest increases significantly.

Early varieties include the following varieties.

• Early 133.

The fruits ripen 60–70 days after germination. They have dense, crumbly flesh and a delicate sweet taste. The melon peel is yellow, covered with a rough mesh, weight ranges from 1.5 to 2 kg.

• Krinichanka.

In terms of ripening time, it does not differ from Early 133. It has a thin, smooth skin, rich yellow color, the fruits are slightly segmented. The melon is oval in shape, approximate weight is 2–2.5 kg. The pulp is sweet, fine-grained.

• Summer resident.

The growing season is 65–70 days. The fruits are round, segmented, with longitudinal green stripes. The average weight of a melon is 1.5 kg. The pulp is cream-colored, crispy, sweet.

• Cinderella.

Melon reaches ripeness 60–70 days after emergence. The shape is slightly oval, the color is yellow, the peel is covered with a continuous rough mesh. The weight of the fetus can vary from 1 to 2 kg. The pulp is 3 cm thick, crispy and sweet.

• Altai.

Oval golden-colored melon with a convex mesh, weight up to 1.5 kg. Ripening time is 65–75 days. The skin is thin, the flesh is granular, sweet, and has a yellowish tint.

Melon is a heat-loving crop, so it should be planted in the ground only when the daytime air temperature rises to 15–20 degrees, and at night does not fall below 7. Sometimes such weather can set in as early as April, however, there is no rush costs. Very often, after a while, cold temperatures occur, and sometimes night frosts. But already in the second half of May the weather, as a rule, becomes consistently warm. If, however, the air temperature drops sharply, the plants must be covered with an additional layer of film, and at night add rags, paper or other auxiliary materials. It also doesn’t hurt to check the long-term weather forecast before planting melon seedlings in open ground.

Melon planting

Approximately 30-35 days after the appearance of the first shoots, the seedlings grow 5-7 true leaves, and they can already be planted in open ground. But in order for the melon to grow well, you need to choose the right place to plant it. The soil should be light, with a neutral reaction, without high humidity and a tendency to sour. It is best if the beds are protected on the north side by fruit trees or a building. From the south the space should remain open.

It is necessary to plant seedlings in the ground as follows.

1. Dig a trench 30–40 cm deep and 50 cm wide, lay compost on the bottom and then manure in a layer of at least 10 cm, and top it with previously removed soil. As fertilizers decompose, they will release heat, which will help protect the roots of the seedlings from short-term cold snaps.
2. Dig holes at a distance of 50–70 cm (row spacing is 1–1.5 m), water each with warm water.
3. Then you need to plant the seedlings. When removing it from the pot, you should be careful not to damage the roots. To do this, 1–2 days before planting, the soil in the pots is watered abundantly. The plants should not be buried; the seedling ball should protrude a couple of centimeters above the surface. Otherwise, there is a risk of rotting of the hypocotyledon.
4. After planting is completed, the holes should be sprinkled with dry soil. This will prevent a crust from forming.
5. If there is a film cover, the melon seedlings are immediately covered with film. If it is not available, the plants should be covered with cut leaves at night at first. plastic bottles.

Growing methods

There are two methods for growing melons: spread out and on a trellis. In the first case, to increase the yield, the seedling shoot is pinched above the 5th leaf. Subsequently, the plant sends out two side shoots, which are pinched in the same way and fixed to the ground. Thus, nutrients are spent on fruits, and not on green mass.

With the trellis growing method, it is necessary to prepare a special two-meter frame in advance. Already on the 4th day after planting the seedlings in the ground, they should be secured to it with a rope. As the shoots grow, they should be pinched in the same way, and then also tied to the trellis. This method is good because the lashes are better illuminated and warmed up.

In order for the fruits to turn out beautiful, regular in shape and with a uniform golden color, they must be turned over from time to time during the ripening period.

Melon care rules

Melon tolerates drought much better than over-watering. But in order for the fruits to gain sugar, it is important to maintain the necessary humidity, as well as feed the seedlings with mineral and organic fertilizers. It is especially important to care for the melon when side shoots form and when it begins to bloom. There are also other rules.

1. After planting the seedlings in the ground is completed, the greenhouse needs to be ventilated for the first week (provided that the air temperature in it rises to 30 degrees or higher).
2. The first watering is carried out after 1–1.5 weeks. One well requires approximately 2 liters of water (necessarily warm). Next, you need to water the melon seedlings once a week, increasing the volume at the beginning of flowering. But during the period of fruit ripening, the amount of water should be reduced, and 2 weeks before harvesting should be stopped altogether.
3. You can feed the plants 10 days after planting in the ground, but no more than 3 times during the entire period. For the first time, they usually take nitrogen fertilizer (20 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water), and then use complex fertilizing.
4. If a film cover is used, then at the end of June, when the melon begins to bloom, it can already be removed. This is necessary so that insects gain access to the plants and pollinate them. If this is not possible, then you should do it yourself. When the flower opens, you need to carefully transfer the pollen from the male flower to the female one. To distinguish them, just pay attention to the ovaries; they are absent on male flowers.
5. Also, do not forget to pinch the tops above every 5-6th leaf, and after the formation of 1-4 fruits, remove all other ovaries and shoots. This way the plant will spend all its energy on filling the melon, and the illumination will also improve.

Be careful when using nitrogen fertilizers; their excess can prolong the growing season and fruiting period.

Anyone can grow a melon; you just need to know the basic rules and have at least two warm months a year. This is quite enough to have time to get a juicy ripe melon for the table, but you need to choose early varieties. It is also important to first germinate the seedlings, and when the weather warms up, plant them in open ground

After 60–70 days, the harvest can already be harvested.

The maturity of the fruit is determined by the rich aroma and color of the peel. In addition, a ripe melon has a sagging rind on the side opposite the stalk. Fruits are stored at a temperature of +4 degrees, optimal air humidity is 70%. The only negative is that early varieties do not ripen in the room. But how much benefit is there in fragrant melon! It has unsurpassed dietary and rejuvenating properties; it contains iron, potassium, calcium, sodium and chlorine, vitamins A, C, PP, B1, B2.

Melon is a melon crop, annual plant, which has large aromatic, sweet fruits. They have an oval or round shape and come in many shades, from white-yellow to brown. The number of fruits on one plant, as well as their characteristics, depends on the variety. The stem of the plant is creeping and strongly branched, the leaves have a rounded shape, petiolate. The plant loves moderately moist neutral or slightly alkaline soil, light, warmth and fresh air. Does not tolerate cold, excess mineral and organic fertilizers, watering cold water. This article will talk about how to grow melon.

Melon varieties for open ground

There are many varieties of melon with different characteristics. Before planting melon in open ground, you should take into account the climate and soil characteristics. For central Russia, early-ripening varieties that do not have high yield and large fruits, used for consumption in the summer.

• Collective farmer". Quite a productive mid-season variety. The fruits are small in size and have a smooth surface of orange or dark green color. They are distinguished by a sweet taste, pronounced aroma, white and juicy pulp. Weight reaches 2 kg.

• "Cossack girl." This mid-season variety gives high yield. The round or oval-round smooth fruits have an orange skin color and a sparse mesh is visible on the surface. The delicate white pulp has an amazing taste and a pronounced melon aroma.
• "Amber". This is a mid-early variety, oval elongated fruits have a smooth surface, bright yellow color, thick, juicy and white pulp. Weight reaches approximately 2.5 kg.
• "Altai". Fast ripening variety. The small fruits weigh from 1 to 2 kg, have yellow-orange or white aromatic pulp and a thin peel.
• "Pineapple." Early variety. The oval fruits have an orange-golden skin and sweet light pink flesh.
• "Golden" Mid-early variety. The fruits are small in size, weigh from 1.5 to 2 kg, and have aromatic, dense pulp.
• "Canaria". Early ripening variety. The oval-shaped fruits have smooth yellow skin and juicy soft green flesh. Weight can reach 2 kg.
• "Millennium". Early ripening variety. Suitable for growing in open ground. The small fruits have a smooth mesh skin and white, granular, sweet pulp.
• "Fairy tale". An early ripening variety with smooth fruit ripening. Suitable for growing in open ground. Melons have a yellow mesh skin, sweet light cream pulp, and a faint aroma. Weight reaches 1.8 kg.
• "Blondie." Mid-season variety. Small flattened fruits weigh about 600 grams. They are distinguished by thin skin, divided into segments by gray-green stripes, bright orange pulp with a lot of sugar and carotene.

• "Moon". Mid-early variety. The fruits have a smooth mesh yellow surface, creamy flesh, pleasant taste and aroma.
• "Assol". Mid-season variety. The oval-round fruits have smooth yellow striped skin, granular, delicate greenish pulp, delicate taste and aroma.
• "Iroquois". Mid-early variety. The segmented fruits have a rough mesh skin, orange juicy pulp, and a sweet taste. Weight reaches 2 kg.
• "Charlotte". The mid-early variety is suitable for open ground. The medium-sized dark yellow fruits contain aromatic, tender orange pulp. Weight can reach 2 kg.

Selection and preparation of a site for growing melon

• Since melon is a heat-loving plant, it must be planted in open ground on a piece of land that is sufficiently lit, well warmed and protected from the wind. The cultivated soil must be well permeable to moisture and air, and have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.
• Already in the fall, you should prepare a place for spring planting. To do this, you need to dig up the ridge shallowly and fertilize it with humus or peat, mix the clay soil with river sand.

• At the end of March, last year's weeds are removed from the ground, the soil is dug up again and fertilized mineral fertilizers. In the second ten days of May, the soil must be well moistened and covered plastic film, as a result of which the soil warms up to the required depth.
• Just before planting the melon, the soil needs to be dug up again, fertilized with manure and enriched with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Preparing melon seeds for planting

• To grow high-quality seedlings, you need to properly prepare the seeds. You can prepare them yourself or purchase ready-made ones. Seeds three years old are more suitable for a good harvest, since fresh ones develop into plants with the absence of female inflorescences, as a result of which they are incapable of bearing fruit.
• Large seeds treated with microelements develop faster and bear high-quality fruits in the future. For processing, a 0.05% solution of zinc sulfate and boric acid is used, in which the seeds are soaked for 12 hours, after which they are dried.
• To grow melon in a zone in central Russia, it is recommended to harden the seeds before planting. To carry out the procedure, you need to heat the water to 35 degrees and place the seeds in it for a couple of hours. Then take them out and leave them for a day at a temperature of up to 20 degrees under gauze. After the allotted time, the temperature drops to 2 degrees and the seeds are left for another 18 hours. After this, they are kept for another 6 hours at 20 degrees. Within 5 days before planting the seeds, the procedure must be carried out several times.

Growing melon seedlings

• Before planting the seeds, they need to be soaked in water for a day, this will help discard low-quality specimens that float to the surface. It is better to plant seeds in separate containers (disposable plastic cups), the diameter of which is 10 cm or more, this will help not damage the seedlings during the process of planting them in the ground.
• In the second half of March or April, the seeds are sown in prepared containers filled with soil purchased in a specialized store or mixed independently from turf, peat, humus, mineral fertilizers and wood ash.

• The seeds are placed at a depth of approximately 5 cm, 2 or 3 in each cup; before the first shoots appear, they must be covered with film or glass. 7 days later, after the first shoots appear, you need to thin them out, leaving one of the strongest ones.
• While the seedlings are standing on the windowsill, they need sunlight and a temperature within 25 degrees. When it rains and cloudy weather You should lower the temperature in the room with the seedlings to 20 degrees, this will prevent them from stretching.
• The seedlings need feeding; when the first true leaf appears, it is enriched with superphosphate, potassium chloride or ammonium nitrate in accordance with the recommendations on the packaging. After 14 days, the procedure is repeated.
• With the appearance of 3 full-fledged leaves, the seedlings can be pinched, which will lead to the formation of side shoots. When watering, you need to ensure that water does not get on the stem and leaves; it should be moderate.

Growing melon in open ground

• When the seedlings have 4 leaves, they are planted in open ground; first, they should be well moistened.
• The distance between the dug holes should be from 50 cm to 1 meter.

• If the root collar is damaged during planting, the plant will become susceptible to fungal diseases. To prevent this from happening, the seedlings are planted together with a ball of earth, the top of which should protrude slightly above the hole. In this case, the plant should not be buried in the soil.
• To prevent the formation of mold, a solution of potassium permanganate in a weak concentration must be poured into the hole before planting.
• After planting, melon seedlings are watered at the root so as not to damage the leaves and sprinkled with dry soil on top. After 30 days, you need to cut out all weak shoots from each plant, leaving only 4 strong branches.
• To increase the yield, it is necessary to leave no more than three of all the well-formed ovaries on the stem, which are located at some distance from each other; this will help ensure that the fruits become tasty and large. In addition, all shoots that have not formed ovaries should be removed.

Melon care

In order to protect the seedlings from night and daytime temperature changes, they need to be covered with plastic film at night, which will save the melon from the rain. A melon planted in open ground requires constant care throughout the entire growth period.

• Feeding. The first feeding with mullein, chicken manure or saltpeter is carried out 14 days after planting. When the fruits become the size of a small apple, the plants need to be fed again with mineral fertilizers. Further, fertilizing is carried out every ten days until the fruits begin to ripen. You can alternate mineral and organic fertilizers, an excess of nitrogen fertilizers usually leads to a delay in the fruiting period.
• Watering. Watering should be fairly moderate; if a lot of dew falls on the melon beds, it can be stopped completely. This should also be done about 30 days before harvest, which will make the fruits more sugary and better preserve them. Warm water (temperature 22 to 25 degrees) should be applied between rows to prevent it from getting on the stems and leaves. In dry and sunny weather, water the melons twice a day.

• Loosening. Loosening and weeding must be carried out as the soil compacts (usually up to 4 times during the entire growing season) and weeds appear. Between the rows, it is necessary to loosen the soil more deeply the first two times, then to a depth of no more than 5 cm. Near the stem, loosening is carried out with extreme caution and shallowly, so as not to damage the root system. When the side loops are formed, the plant hills, and a roll of earth is raked up to the stem. Half-meter shoots are directed towards the opposite row, this is done so that they do not fit between the rows.
• Pinching a melon. Pinching the growth point after the 5th leaf has formed will help ensure rapid growth of side shoots. Two lateral young shoots can be pinned to the ground and the growth point can also be pinched. Thanks to this, all the nutrients are spent on the fruits, and not wasted on the greens.

Growing melon video

Features of growing melon

• To increase the number of ovaries and improve their development, you can additionally pollinate female flowers yourself. To do this you need to break one male flower and remove all the petals from it. After this, apply the column of its anther to the stigmas of several female flowers in turn. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the morning.
• In the event that only one fruit is growing well, and the rest have begun to turn yellow and have stopped developing, it is recommended to additionally feed the plant.

• Under each already formed fruit, it is necessary to place a board, a piece of roofing material or a tile; this will help prevent the melon from rotting when it comes into contact with wet soil, and will also protect the fruit from wireworms. In order for the melon to ripen evenly on all sides, it must be systematically and carefully turned over.
• Usually the fruits ripen in early August. The fact that it is sufficiently ripe and can be removed is indicated by a change in the color of the peel, the appearance of a grid-like pattern on it, and the peel bends slightly when pressed and becomes softer. In addition, melons are made very fragrant.

Is there anyone who doesn’t like juicy, sweet melon? We are all waiting for the season when we can buy this magnificent southern fruit. Is it possible to grow melon in open ground in our not-so-warm 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 heat-loving plant. Therefore, the site for its cultivation needs to be selected appropriately: 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 size of a shovel) and fertilize the soil with humus at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 square meter. If the area is dominated by clay soil, do not forget to fluff it up using river sand - half a bucket per 1 sq.m.

In the spring, continue preparing the beds. Dig it again and apply potash and phosphate fertilizers in the proportions indicated on the package. Just before planting the melons, add nitrogen fertilizer or composted manure.

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

Try to choose large melon seeds for growing

It turns out that melons have interesting feature. Seeds from a previous harvest may produce strong, robust plants that do not bear fruit. This is explained by the fact that the flowers on such a plant will only be male and will not set an ovary. To get a good harvest, it is better to take seeds that are at least three years old.

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

Experts advise hardening melon seeds for growing in the middle zone. Dip them in warm water (up to 35 degrees), take them out, and keep them at a temperature of 18-20 degrees for 24 hours. Then gradually reduce the temperature to 0 degrees, and keep the seeds in these conditions for about 20 hours. Raise the temperature back to the original setting. This procedure must be repeated three times per last week before planting the seeds.

Growing seedlings

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

Seeds should be planted in specially prepared soil

1. Fill cups and pots with special soil for vegetables. You can prepare the following mixture yourself: 1 part sand, 9 parts peat, mix thoroughly, add wood ash at the rate of 1 cup per 10 liters of soil.
2. Soak the seeds for a day before planting. Empty seeds will float, discard them immediately. This way you will cull.
3. Plant 2-3 seeds in prepared pots to a depth of 5 cm. Before the first shoots appear, keep the containers indoors, observing temperature regime: during the day 18-20 degrees, at night - not lower than 15 degrees.
4. The first shoots should appear in about a week. Thin them out, leaving one of the strongest sprouts in the pot.
5. After the appearance of the third or fourth strongest leaf, pinch the seedlings. This promotes the development of side shoots.
6. Caring for seedlings is not at all difficult. The only feature is less watering without water getting on the stems and leaves. To avoid blackleg, place a layer of dry river sand around the stem.

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

Planting melon seedlings in the ground

So, the melon bed on your site has already been prepared. Fluff the soil thoroughly using a rake. Make holes, maintaining a distance between them both in length and width, approximately 70-80 cm.

Please note: under no circumstances should you plant seedlings if frost has not yet passed. It’s better to wait until the final warming, otherwise the melons will die at the seedling stage.

Treat melon sprouts very carefully so as not to damage the roots in any way. It is best to plant seedlings along 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 the hole and sprinkled with earth.

Maintain 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 does not go deep. The lump of soil with which you planted the seedlings should protrude slightly above the surface of the earth. Water the planted seedlings again and sprinkle with soil.

During the first two days, create shade for the seedlings to help them grow better. If there are strong temperature changes between day and night, cover the plantings with film, which will also protect the melons from rain.

The film can be replaced with the usual plastic bottles. Cut a large (2 to 5 liters) bottle into 2 pieces across. Cover each sprout with half the bottle. like this simple design It’s very easy to remove before watering, and then put it back in place.

The most popular melon varieties in the middle zone

1. The Kolkhoznitsa variety, bred by the Biryuchekutsk experimental station, is the most suitable for the middle zone. It is very stable and therefore has become 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 reach up to 100 centners per hectare.
2. Variety Alushta, bred by the Crimean Experimental Station. The fruit ripening period is 70 days. The fruits are oval-shaped, large, orange-yellow, and weigh up to 1.5 kg. The pulp is white, juicy, sweet. Productivity can reach 175 centners per hectare.
3. Zolotistaya, a variety bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute, belongs to the mid-season varieties. The ripening period is 80-90 days. The fruits are round, yellow with an orange tint, with a weakly defined network. Weight up to 1.6 kg. The pulp is juicy, white. Productivity reaches 120 centners per hectare. The variety is very resistant to diseases.
4. Variety Dessertnaya 5, bred by the Krasnodar Research Institute of Vegetable Farming. Fruit small size, short-oval, with a fine-mesh surface. Weight reaches 1.6 kg. The pulp is sweet, tender, white-green in color. The variety is high-yielding and can bring from 140 to 160 centners per hectare. The advantages of this variety are: long-term storage fruits
5. Yuzhanka (sometimes the variety is called Kuvshinka) was bred by the Kuban experimental station VNIIR. The fruits are large, weighing 1.8-1.9 kg, round, with longitudinal ribs, orange-yellow in color. The sugar content is the same as that of Kolkhoznitsa. High-yielding variety, the yield reaches 220-240 centners per hectare.

Melons of different varieties

We care for melon during the period of growth and ripening

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

1. Do the first 2 loosenings between rows no deeper than 15 cm. The 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, hill up the melon, raking a roll of earth towards the stem.
2. In melon conditions, the crop grows practically without moisture. Therefore, watering should be moderate. If dew falls in the morning, watering should be canceled. You need to water the row spacing so that water does not get on the vines and leaves.
3. The first pinching is done while the melon is still in seedlings. After the melon is planted in the ground and has gone through an adaptation period, perform another pinching over the 7th leaf of the main stem. Do the same with the side loops, and then remove the excess flowers, leaving 3 tied fruits, located at a distance from each other. Remove shoots without fruits so that they do not draw juice.

In addition, melon needs feeding. The first time this is done 2 weeks after planting in the ground. To do this, you can use saltpeter, cow manure or chicken manure. The following feedings should be done every 10 days. Can buy complex fertilizers or dilute chicken manure and add ash. Before the fruits ripen, fertilizing can be stopped.

To avoid rotting, place a board 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 between the rows. Place a board or plywood under each ovary to protect the fruit from rotting when it touches wet ground.

Please note: in the climatic conditions of the middle zone, the best option would be to choose early ripening melon varieties. Even if the melon does not have time to ripen before frost, and you have to pick 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 harvest of melon.

Video about growing melon in open ground

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