An annual plant from the pumpkin family - watermelon. Its homeland is South Africa, where to this day the culture of the colocynth species, which is considered the ancestor of the modern watermelon, grows.
It was brought to the territory of Russia in the 13th century. Today, the largest producers of this berry are China, Turkey, Iran and other states, including Russia.
Planting watermelon seeds in open ground
Outdoor watermelons can be grown directly from the seed. This option is used in regions with long, very warm and dry summers and warm winters.
Seedlings after planting watermelons with seeds in open ground appear within a week. And when 4 real leaves grow on the plant, the seedlings are thinned out, removing weak plants by cutting them at the root.
In order for the seedlings to appear quickly and not to die, you need to choose the right planting period so that the earth warms up enough. The best time to plant watermelon is at the end of May.
Summary table: problems in growing watermelons and their solution
| Problem | Possible reason | Decision |
| Leaves of watermelons, seedlings turn yellow |
|
|
| Dry, wither leaves or their tips |
|
|
| White spots on the leaves of seedlings | Sunburn. | Remove seedlings from the windowsill or shade them so that direct sunlight does not fall. |
| Watermelons bloom with barren flowers |
|
|
| The stems on the seedlings are pulled out, the leaves are shrinking |
|
|
| Watermelons do not grow or grow poorly |
| Create appropriate growth conditions for the watermelons. |
| Uneven shoots |
|
|
If problems arose during the cultivation of watermelons, pests attacked the plants or the bushes got sick, this does not mean that there will be no harvest. With the timely detection of the problem, adherence to the rules of treatment and prevention, plants can be saved.
Seedling method of planting watermelon
This option of planting watermelon is resorted to in regions where the summer is not long enough.In May, seeds are planted in containers with a volume of at least 300 g. This makes it possible to exclude additional transplants, since watermelons, like all pumpkin seeds, do not tolerate them well.
Seed preparation is carried out in almost the same way as when planting watermelon seeds described above.
With this planting method, the seeds are warmed in water at a temperature of 55 degrees, and then left to germinate in damp sand. And only then they put 3 things in separate cups and leave them under the film at a temperature of about 30 degrees. After germination of seedlings, the temperature is reduced to 17 degrees.
Before planting plants in open ground for 10 days, the seedlings are taken out into the street with a gradual increase in the duration of their stay there. Disembarkation is made when the sixth true leaf of the watermelon appears. This period falls around the beginning of June.
Watermelons do not dive, since during this procedure the roots are easily damaged, which affects the survival rate.
The best antecedents for watermelon are onions, cabbage, legumes, and perennials. And after harvesting the watermelon in this area, it is better not to plant pumpkin seeds for about 7 years.
Prevention of the appearance of pests on melons
Prevention of pests is the same as of diseases: removal of plant residues, destruction of weeds, observance of crop rotation. But there are other protective measures:
- The larvae of many pests hibernate in the soil, so the site should be well dug up in autumn and spring.
- An obligatory stage is preventive treatments with insecticides. They are carried out after the emergence of sprouts and during the flowering period. Apply BI-58, Fitoverm.
Fitoverm is a broad-spectrum insecticide that will protect watermelons from pests
- You can also spray young plants with onion peel infusion (200 g per bucket of water).
- In hot weather, watermelons are watered with clean water to prevent aphids from breeding.
- The seeds are treated with Fentiuram.
- To destroy the wireworm, Bazudin is introduced into the soil before planting.
Varieties of watermelons
The early varieties of watermelon include those that have time to ripen in 55-65 days. The fruits of these varieties can weigh both 10 and 4 kg. There are also seedless hybrids among them.
The early ones include the American hybrid Victoria, Skorik, Jenny, Stabolit, as well as many other varieties.
Mid-season varieties mature after 70 days, and some require a longer period. These varieties include Lezheboka, Antey, Ataman, Top Gan. Among them there are also plants, the fruits of which can reach 10 kg, and some have a weight of up to 5 kg.
There are varieties of watermelons that are exotic for us. The Densuke Japanese watermelon has an almost black skin.
Eggplants - features of growing and rules of care + 78 photos
Grapes - history, description, features of care, varieties and diseases + 80 photos
- Stinging nettle - medicinal properties, effects and application + 74 photos
California Cross is an American hybrid with very large berry sizes. But the smallest is the Pepkinos watermelon. The vector has a nutmeg flavor. And Lunny not only amazes with its yellow pulp, but also with a lemon flavor.
Harvesting
The watermelons have grown, it's time to harvest them. It is very important to correctly determine the maturity of the watermelon. Large size is not yet a guarantee of maturity.
The ripeness of the fetus can be determined by several signs:
- antennae and bracts must dry;
- crackles when squeezed;
- dull thud when tapping;
- the fruit is large, but light;
- shiny surface, clear pattern;
- a small yellow spot from lying on the ground;
- surface without damage and cracks.
If the watermelons are to be transported, they must be harvested two days before ripening.
Photo of watermelon
How to huddle
When the first leaves of a watermelon appear, it is necessary to work out the ground well: loosen, remove unnecessary lumps, weeds, after which it is necessary to huddle the neck so that a roller is formed on the ground (to prevent soil compaction).
They spud the second time when 4 real leaves have already appeared. Such operations are carried out in order to enable the roots to grow and feed on moisture more.
Watering is an important part of growing
How much water is needed to irrigate watermelons? You need to choose something in between. At some point, they themselves will begin to look for moisture for themselves. If you have a small area:
- After sowing before sprouting - every 4 days
- After germination: May - after 5 days, June-July - after 6 days, August - 10 days
If watering is done in the field:
- The first watering must be carried out during the formation of lashes.
- The second watering is when the fruits begin to bloom and set
- The third watering - with the growth of the fetus
On average, the amount of water should be about 50-60 liters per square meter.
What are the medicinal properties of the fruit
Interestingly, before, watermelon was just a delicious berry, no one considered it useful. But over time, people have studied its beneficial properties.
- The most important advantage of watermelon is the presence of folic acid, which is indispensable for blood formation.
- Watermelon is an excellent diuretic and choleretic agent, it contains vitamins, iron salts, keratin, fructose.
- This berry can contribute to the treatment of many diseases: diabetes, Botkin's disease, disruption of the liver, gallbladder, heart disease.
By eating watermelon, you can cleanse the kidneys even from small stones in them.
Exposure
The suspicions of skeptics who doubt the achievements of Japanese breeders have been confirmed... Thanks to Google, the original photograph of Asidus was found. It had an ordinary red watermelon, and its blue color was the result of color correction in a graphics editor. The news that caused such a resonance turned out to be an ordinary fake (deception).
Soon enough, a number of revealing videos appeared on the network.... On them, people showed how in a few clicks to give the red pulp a rich blue hue.
It is interesting. Fictions about the amazing ability of blue watermelon to change the taste of products have a very real basis. The Magic Berry (Sunsepalum Dulcificum), which grows in West Africa, has this property. Its fruits contain glycoprotein and miraculin, which act on the taste buds of the tongue. After eating this fruit, sour begins to seem sweet.
Chemical composition
The nutritional value of 100 g of yellow watermelon pulp is as follows:
- carbohydrates - 5.8 g;
- water - 92.6 g;
- ash - 0.4 g;
- dietary fiber - 0.4 g;
- organic acids - 0.1 g
Important! All watermelons, including yellow varieties, tend to accumulate nitrates, so if the fruits are not grown with your own hands, then their use should be treated with caution.
Vitamin composition:
- A - 0.017 mg;
- beta-carotene - 0.1 mg;
- B1 - 0.04 mg;
- B2 - 0.06 mg;
- B5 - 0.2 mg;
- B6 - 0.09 mg;
- B9 - 0.008 mg;
- C - 7 mg;
- E - 0.1 mg;
- PP - 0.2 mg.
Minerals:
- potassium - 110 mg;
- calcium - 14 mg;
- sodium - 16 mg;
- phosphorus - 14 mg;
- magnesium - 12 mg;
- iron - 1 g.
Did you know? Ukrainian breeders have bred kavbuz - a molecular genetic hybrid of watermelon and pumpkin. The new vegetable got this name, as in Ukrainian watermelon is called "kavun", and pumpkin is called "garmelon". It tastes more like pumpkin and has the same shelf life, but contains more vitamins.
Mid-season
- Astrakhan The most popular watermelons in demand among buyers and farmers.They are valued for their high yields, disease resistance, and long shelf life. Massive berries with a thin skin can weigh up to 6 kg. They have a fresh aroma and an amazing sugary taste - this is the sweetest variety of watermelon. The shape of the fruit is oblong, with a striped surface. The pulp has a distinct red color. The seeds are black, medium in size.
- Black Prince. It is resistant to temperature fluctuations and is characterized by good fruit preservation. The bush is large with a long main lash and wide green leaves. The fruits are oval, rather elongated. The inner content of the berry is bright red with dark, dotted seeds and a loose structure. The skin is of medium density. The average ripening period is 95 days.
Variety selection
The choice of a variety should be approached with special responsibility. For the middle zone of the Russian Federation, it is advisable to choose only early-ripening varieties, and there is no need to chase after huge fruits in this matter - such watermelons realize their potential by 100% only when grown in the south of the country. Be sure to read the description of the variety on the package - it contains information about the duration of ripening (the ovaries of plants should ripen as quickly as possible).
Choosing a watermelon variety
On a note! Some qualities can be neglected when choosing a variety. First of all, it is large-fruited and transportable. Also, do not pay attention to the color and shape of the fruit - this is necessary only in those cases when you grow watermelons not for yourself, but for sale.
The most common varieties of watermelon are:
- "Kai";
- "Sugar baby";
- Ataman F1;
- "Ultra early";
- Stokes;
- "Ogonyok";
- Charleston F1 near Moscow;
- "Yarilo";
- Krimstar F1;
- "Leader";
- "Pink Champagne F1";
- "Gift to the F1 North".
This is just a small part of the varieties that can be grown not only in the south of the country, but most often people choose them. Having decided on the type of watermelon, you can start growing.
There are many different varieties of watermelon
What does a novice farmer need to know?
In order to get a good harvest of tasty and juicy berries, novice farmers should find out what varieties of watermelons are grown in their area. The correct choice of seed is always the key to the expected result.
In special stores you can buy seeds of watermelons that grow even in Siberia. There is a sufficient selection of crops that can tolerate a drop in temperature, and also have a strong immunity to anthracosis. There are early and late types of melon.
For the middle zone of the country, a suitable option is to grow crops in a greenhouse. For the arrangement of such premises, a dense film or polycarbonate is usually used. This material allows air and light to penetrate, which are necessary for seed germination and plant growth.
Seeds should be treated with copper sulfate before planting watermelons. This will protect the plants from disease.
Application
Most often, berries are used for pickling and preservation. For this purpose, they can be removed a little immature.
Jam and candied fruits are made from the peel of watermelons, and also used as a medicine. The crusts from ripe watermelons are washed, cut into thin strips, and dried well outside or in special dryers. Infusion from this part of the plant relieves puffiness.
If you prepare dried watermelon flowers from summer, then in winter such a medicine will serve as an excellent expectorant.
Truth or fiction
Photos of berries with blue and blue pulp have appeared on resources such as Snopes, Tumblr, Yahoo Answers, and Pinterest have generated a lot of controversy and discussion. Some were convinced that such an unusual color was the result of exposure to strong chemicals. These users discouraged others from experimenting with food.
The topic of GMOs was often raised in discussions. The most popular was the version with chemical dyes, which changed the usual red color of the fruit.
Japan and China have long established themselves as suppliers of highly exotic things., so blue watermelons did not stand out too much from the rest of the products. This is probably why users so easily accepted the existence of Asidus and boldly ordered it.
Some users reacted to these photos with suspicion. There were also those who believed that a rich shade of pulp was not an achievement of breeders, but masters of Photoshop or another graphic editor.
Preventive measures
In order for your crop not to be spoiled by pests or fruit diseases, you need to follow some rules:
- Remember to remove weeds and dead plants
- After harvest, remove rotten fruits and leaves
- Choose your planting material carefully
- Constantly disinfect and decontaminate the area
Remember to ventilate your greenhouses and avoid temperature extremes.
