Melon is a heat-loving culture of the cucumber genus and the pumpkin family, the birthplace of which is considered to be Asia. Meanwhile, it can be grown in open ground not only in the southern regions, but also in moderately warm and cold climatic zones. To do this, you will need to correctly select the melon variety, conduct the correct planting and provide proper care for the seedlings.
Melon varieties for open ground
Melon varieties should be selected depending on which region it is planned to sow.
For the southern regions and the middle zone
Gardeners often prefer the following varieties:
- Titovka. Ultra-ripe, with a growing season of 55-70 days. The fruits have a thin peel, which can be orange-yellow or pure yellow and orange. The pulp is dense and thick, white in color and full-bodied flavor. May be subject to prolonged transport.
- Early 133. Early ripening variety with a growing season of 60-79 days. Bears oval-rounded fruits, covered with yellow peel. The flesh is thick, dense and white, somewhat reminiscent of Titovka. The variety is highly resistant to fungal infections and tolerates transportation.
- Pineapple. It is a medium early variety with a growing season of 70-80 days. The fruits have a rounded elongated shape, intense orange color, close to brown. The flesh is light pink in color, juicy and rather sugary with a slight aroma of pineapple.
- Golden. Mid-ripening variety, which gives a harvest of 70-80 days after planting. Fruits have a rounded shape, yellow-orange color. The pulp is white with a strong melon aroma. The variety does not grow in conditions of high humidity, but steadily tolerates diseases and weather changes with decreasing temperature.
- Collective farmer. Like Golden, it belongs to mid-season varieties. The growing season is from 79 to 95 days. The fruits have a spherical shape, an orange-yellow skin with a fine mesh and a dense light yellow flesh. Melon gives off a delicate aroma and has a moderately sweet taste. Differs in high keeping quality and is subject to processing.
All of these varieties form fruits weighing from 1.5 to 2 kg.
- Blondie F1. Mid-season hybrid with a growing season of 80-85 days. Fruits have a rounded and slightly flattened shape, thin skin with a light beige hue and fragrant white flesh. Their weight averages 400 g, but under favorable conditions can reach 700 g.
For the northern regions
Under these conditions, it is worth growing varieties that are highly resistant to low temperatures. These include:
- Sybarite Dream. An early variety with a growing season of 50-55 days. The fruits are distinguished by their original elongated shape and green striped peel. The average weight of one fruit is 400 g. Crispy flesh has a whitish hue, a specific honey aroma and taste. The variety has a high yield, continuously bears fruit until frost, and is rarely affected by diseases.
- Cinderella. Early ripening variety with a growing season of 60 days. Fruits have a rounded shape, yellow skin with a convex mesh pattern and white juicy pulp with a rich aroma. The weight of one melon on average reaches up to 1.5 kg. The variety tolerates temperature changes, has a high resistance to various diseases and pest attacks. Among the shortcomings can be identified short storage and poor portability due to excessively thin crust.
- Altai. Early ripening variety, the growing season of which is from 62 to 70 days. Fruits ripen oval with open yellow color. The pulp is very tender and literally melts into a cool. It can be used for processing. The variety is characterized by high keeping quality and resistance to transportation, but it easily gets sick with various diseases.
- Wintering. It belongs to the late varieties with a growing season of more than 90 days and is more suitable for growing in the Urals. The fruits ripen weighing up to 2.5 kg, have a peel of yellow-green color and with a large mesh. The pulp is light green in color, juicy and tender. The variety is resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew, is well transported and stored.
Many gardeners plant several varieties at once, creating a kind of varietal conveyor. So, it will be possible to find out which varieties give the best yield in specific climatic conditions, differ in excellent marketable and taste qualities.
Sowing dates
Seeds are sown only in well-warmed soil, since seedlings should not appear before the last frost. So, the optimal sowing dates can be determined by the region of melon cultivation:
- Steppe zone - from late April to early May;
- Forest-steppe zone - the second decade of May;
- Polesie and Carpathian - the third decade of May.
So, for growing in the forest-steppe, it is worth choosing early-ripening and mid-ripening varieties, and in Polesie and Prykarpattya - exclusively ultra-ripe.
In the regions of the northern strip, melon is bred by seedlings or by sowing dry seeds in open ground. The optimal time for sowing will depend on the specific method of growing melons:
- Seedling. Seeds are sown on seedlings in the second half of April. Seedlings are transferred to open ground after 4-5 weeks from the time of sowing. You should not rush into a transplant, since it must be carried out with the arrival of stable heat.
- Dry sowing in soil. It is carried out at the end of May, but on one condition - if during the spring the bed was covered with a film or other non-woven material. When sowing, the shelter is not removed. It needs to make small cruciform slots for sowing.
Site selection and preparation
Melon belongs to heat-loving crops, therefore, for planting, it is worth choosing light areas that are well warmed by sunlight and are protected as much as possible from the winds. Nearby dwellings or farm buildings, nearby fruit and berry shrubs and trees, and also rocky crops planted in 2 rows along the perimeter of the melon bed like corn, sunflower, or legumes can serve as shelter from drafts.
The best precursors for melon, in terms of crop rotation, are:
- cucumbers
- onion;
- garlic;
- cabbage;
- corn;
- spices;
- winter cereals;
- peas;
- Beans
Melon can not be planted on a site where such crops previously grew:
- pumpkin;
- Tomatoes
- carrot.
Melon does not tolerate the neighborhood with potatoes and cucumbers, but can fully grow near turnips, basil, radish and radish. At the same time, the location of growing melons should be changed annually, since for two consecutive years it is impossible to get a good crop from the same site.
You can return the melon to its original place of growth without reducing its productivity for 5 years.
The melon gives a good yield on light medium loamy soils with neutral acidity. It is allowed to grow crops also on saline soils, but heavy marshy beds are unacceptable for it.
The selected area with soil favorable for melon should be prepared in the fall, adhering to the following rules:
- In the autumn, dig a shallow bed on a bayonet shovel, while adding humus or manure at the rate of 4-5 kg per 1 sq. M as fertilizer. m. If the soil in the area is clayey, it must also be dried by introducing 1/2 buckets of river sand per 1 sq. km. Leave the bed in this form until spring.
- With the advent of spring, once again dig the site, sprinkle it with dry peat or dust it with wood ash to accelerate the melting of snow. After the plot you need to cover with a film or non-woven material to ensure maximum heating of the soil.
- When the surface layer of the soil warms up to + 13 ° C, perform deep loosening, adding superphosphate (40 g per 1 sq. M) and potassium salt (20 g per 1 sq. M).
Immediately before planting, re-dig the site with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 15-20 g of 1 sq. m
Preparing seeds for sowing
Melon seeds can be purchased at the store or prepared on their own. In any case, to obtain a good harvest should be used seeds 3-4 years ago. The fact is that fresh seed can grow into a strong and strong plant, but not bear fruit. The fact is that such a plant can be infertile, so only male flowers without ovaries will form on it.
Selected seeds can be prepared in one of the following ways:
- Soak for 20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. During the procedure, empty seeds that have surfaced to the surface should be removed.
- Soak for 12 hours in a solution of boric acid and zinc sulfate. After the procedure, rinse the seeds under cool water and dry.
- Soak the seeds for 2 hours in hot water (up to 35 ° C), remove and hold for 24 hours at a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C. Next, move the seeds for 16-18 hours in the lower compartment of the refrigerator, and then return to heat again for 6 hours. Seeds prepared in this way must immediately be planted in the ground.
Many experienced gardeners use the third seed hardening technology, which is called the temperature method.
Landing methods
Gardeners use two methods of growing melons - seedlings or direct sowing in open ground. Each method has its own rules and features, therefore, requires a separate consideration.
Dry sowing in open ground
Prepared seeds are planted in open ground in compliance with the following parameters:
- landing scheme - 140x70 cm;
- sowing depth - 4-5 cm;
- the number of seeds for one hole is 3-4 pieces.
In each hole, you can additionally make fertilizers - a handful of humus or 1 tsp. nitrofoski. After sowing, the soil should be sprinkled with earth and slightly pressed down with your foot. Seeds will actively germinate at temperatures above + 15 ° C. During the period of growth, the temperature should be above + 25 ° C with a relatively low humidity.
As a rule, seedlings appear 10-12 days after sowing seeds.
Through seedlings
This method allows you to accelerate the ripening of fruits by 15-20 days.
Sowing seeds
Seeds are sown for seedlings in late April, following the instructions:
- Choose containers for growing seedlings. To get a good melon crop, it is extremely important when transplanting seedlings into open ground not to damage its root system. To do this, seeds need to be sown in peat pots with a diameter of about 10 cm.
- Prepare the ground. Land from the garden should be mixed with loose humus. On a bucket of such a mixture, you need to introduce a 0.5 liter can of ash. In heavy soil, peat is also worth adding. The prepared substrate must be steamed, and then add fertilizer to it - 1 part potassium sulfate and 1 tbsp. superphosphate. You can also use another composition - a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 9: 1. For 10 liters of such soil, you need to make a glass of wood zone. Some gardeners also prefer to use garden soil purchased at the store.
- Sow the seeds. Fill plastic or cardboard pots with the obtained substrate, and then in each of them plant 2 seeds. The optimal landing depth is 1.5 cm.
Seedling Care
After sowing, the pots with seedlings should be covered with polyethylene and kept at a temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° C during the day and + 18 ... + 20 ° C at night. It is best to grow seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse, but in the absence of such conditions, the pots can be placed on the windowsill or any other place where it will be possible to provide illumination with a fluorescent lamp. It should be located at a height of 15 cm above the seedlings. It should be included in cloudy weather and evening hours to illuminate the plants.
Water the seedlings sparingly, otherwise excess moisture will rot the root of the neck. In this case, water must not be allowed to enter the stems. For this, the soil around them should be formed by the cone-shaped method.
During the development period of the plant, two top dressings should be made:
- With the advent of the first true leaf in seedlings. Feed with mullein solution (1:10) or bird droppings (1:15) with the addition of 1 tbsp. from. superphosphate.
- 2 weeks after the first feeding. To make mineral fertilizers, for example, Mortar or Kemira Station wagon. Use the product according to the instructions on the package.
With the formation of three pairs of true leaves, the tops should be carefully pinched to stimulate the growth of side shoots. Moreover, when 2-3 real leaves appear, seedlings must be thinned out, leaving only one, the most developed.
If seedlings are grown on the windowsill, it is also worthwhile to harden the plant. This will require 10-15 days before planting in the soil to gradually accustom seedlings to natural weather conditions. Initially, you need to regularly ventilate the room, and then temporarily take out the seedlings on the balcony or in the garden, and each time the duration of the procedure should be increased. Seedlings should be placed in light partial shade, so that it does not suffer from sunlight.
Getting a full seedling takes 30-35 days. The readiness of seedlings for planting is indicated by the appearance of 4-5 real leaves in her.
Transplant to the ground
It can not be carried out with frost. They can be observed until the beginning of summer, so transplant seedlings should be in early June, following the following instructions:
- Cultivate high beds (10-15 cm) on a prepared plot. To plant a plant in 1 row, the width between the beds should be 0.3-0.4 m, and if in 2 rows - 0.9 m.
- Moisten the soil in each well and feed it with humus or 10-15 g of nitrophoska.
- Pour melon seedlings to easily extract the plant without damaging the root system.
- Move the bush to the center of the hole and fill it with earth to the root neck, which should remain at the level of the soil. Moisten the soil again.
For 2-3 days, the seedlings need to be protected from sunlight, creating a shadow, so that it is better taken root. If strong temperature changes are observed during the day and night, the planted plant should be covered with a film. It is best to tighten it on arcs with a height and width of about 0.7 m. If the temperature drops unexpectedly, you can additionally tighten old polyethylene or any other material on top of the film that will not allow air overcooling.
In sunny weather, it is worth opening the film to ventilate the plants. As a rule, it is worth doing this on the 20th of June. It is during this period that flowering comes, so for pollination it will be necessary to open access to flowers for insects.
Basic rules for the care of seedlings
During the period of formation and formation of fruits for the plant, it is necessary to ensure proper care. What does it include, find out in more detail.
Loosening and hilling
Regular cultivation allows oxygen to reach the roots of the plant. In the first two row-spacing procedures, it is worth loosening to a depth of 10-15 cm, and in the subsequent - not deeper than 8-10 cm. You should not touch the soil next to the stem so as not to damage the root system.
When loosening, carefully remove the weeds. In the southern regions, after fruit set, single weeds can be left that will create shading and protect the melon from sunburn.
As soon as the side loops begin to develop, it is necessary to carry out the hilling of the seedlings. Mechanical soil cultivation must be interrupted when foliage is closed. In this case, it is necessary to regulate the growth of lashes, directing them in the right direction so that they do not fall into the aisle.
Watering
Moisten the soil for planting moderately and once a week. For irrigation use warm water heated in the sun to + 23 ° C. To prevent drops from falling on leaves, stems, flowers and ovaries, it is worth digging an irrigation ditch around each plant or applying the principle of drip irrigation.
In no case should the soil be over-moistened, since in this case the root system of the plant will decay, and it will not be possible to harvest a plentiful crop.
When the fruits begin to appear, the portions of water should be gradually reduced until the watering is completely canceled. Such a maneuver will increase the portion of sugar in ripe melons. One more trick should be used - to put plywood or a plank under each fruit that has been tied, otherwise there is a risk of it decaying when touched with moist soil.
Topping
The first time is carried out when growing seedlings. After planting the seedlings in open ground, repeated pinching must be performed as they adapt. This manipulation allows you to limit the development of the vegetative mass of fruits, which is necessary to obtain a full crop.
Initially, you need to pinch the main lash and leave 2-3 side lashes. If hybrid varieties are grown, then there is no need to pinch the main lash, since female flowers grow on it. Side lashes need to be pinched at the level of the second pair of leaves.
In addition, it is worthwhile to remove all unnecessary flowers, only leaving 2 to 6 fruit ovaries on 1 bush, located not next to each other, but at a distance. The shoots left without fruit should also be removed to prevent the drawing of vital juices from the main stem.
Top dressing
Before closing the leaves, you can make 2-3 dressings:
- After 2 weeks after planting the plant in the ground, introduce fertilizing in the form of ammonium nitrate, chicken droppings or mullein.
- After 10 days from the first feeding or at the budding phase, feed the plant with a solution of organic fertilizers at a rate of 1:10.
- After 3 weeks from the second top dressing or in the phase of growth of the ovaries of the melon, feed the plant with a solution of phosphorus-potassium fat at the rate of 50 and 20 g per bucket of warm water.
When the fruits begin to ripen, fertilizers are no longer needed.
Pests and diseases
Violation of agrotechnics of melons in open ground leads to the fact that the plant becomes ill with various ailments, among which the most popular are:
- Fusarium. Called by fungi, it leads to a decrease in the yield and taste of the melon. It manifests itself as a sudden lightening of leaves that acquire a gray tint and become stained. After a few days, the plant rapidly withers and dies. The plant becomes infected through the root system, and the risk of an epidemic arises when growing melons in the same area for two consecutive years. To save the melon at the stage of bud formation, the plant should be treated with a concentrated solution of potassium chloride, and the affected leaves should be collected and burned. As a prevention, you should adhere to the following measures:
- Do not plant culture on the same bed for 6-7 years;
- before sowing the seeds for 5 minutes soak in a solution of 40% formalin;
- evenly water the beds, avoiding excessive moisture in the soil;
- loosen irrigation furrows.
- Powdery mildew. Often it is this fungal disease that causes the death of the plant. On its leaves, stems and lashes, bluish-whitish spots appear, which eventually acquire a brown hue. As a result, the leaves dry out and die, the growth of the shoots slows down and the development of the fruits stops. In the fight against powdery mildew, beds need to be treated with sulfur powder at the rate of 4 g per square meter. Repeat the procedure every 10-12 days until the moment when 20 days remain before harvesting.
- Anthracnose (coppers). The disease manifests itself in the form of pinkish-brown spots and holes on the leaves, brittle lashes, deformation and decay of the fruit. To combat anthracnose, you need to spend 3-4 treatments of the plant with Bordeaux fluid.
- Peronosporosis. When infected with this disease, yellow-green spots form on the leaves. To get rid of them, the plant needs to be sprayed with an aqueous solution of urea (1 g per 1 liter of water).
A plant can also get viral diseases like a cucumber or watermelon mosaic. In this case, the affected seedlings must be destroyed, since they cannot be cured.
When grown in open ground for melons, various parasitic insects, such as aphids, spider mites, wireworms, biting moths, and tobacco thrips, are also dangerous. To scare them away, young seedlings should be treated with systemic insecticides, and adults with contact medications. Such means as Fufanon, Confidor Maxi, Actellik, Fitoverm are popular among gardeners.
Harvesting and storage
Harvested as the fruit ripens, as evidenced by such signs:
- easy separation of the fruit from the whip;
- color that matches the grade;
- dense network of cracks that evenly covers the peel.
Ripe melons should be eaten for 30-40 days. Suitable for storage are fruits that are only half covered with a net. They need to be stored in a cool cellar, shed, garage or any other room where the temperature is about + 4 ° C and air humidity up to 70%. Shelf life of some varieties reaches 6 months.
Growing melon in the open field is a simple matter, but it requires compliance with a number of important rules and nuances. Although the culture is of southern origin and loves heat, it can be grown even in harsh climates, simply by choosing a cold-resistant variety. Of course, regardless of weather conditions, to get a good harvest you need to competently approach both the preparatory work and the care of planting.