Watermelon In The Greenhouse. How To Grow? Planting And Leaving. Photo

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

Did you know that among the variety of greenhouse crops, watermelon is not the last place. Of course, it is grown in this way not for production purposes, and not in the south, but it shows excellent results and is quite satisfied with the taste of its bold owners. However, the agricultural technology of greenhouse planting is somewhat different from growing in the open field and before planting a watermelon in a greenhouse, you need to find out what exactly.

Content:

• Choosing a variety for growing watermelon in a greenhouse
• Planting watermelon seedlings
• Planting watermelons in a greenhouse
• Greenhouse watermelon care
• Watering and feeding watermelon

Choosing a variety for growing watermelon in a greenhouse

Among the variety of varieties offered by modern breeding, only those that have the shortest ripening period and fruits small in weight, up to 2-3 kg, are suitable for greenhouse cultivation. It can be familiar to many "Ogonyok", "Cinderella", "Siberian", "Ultra early". From germination to harvest, they have about 80 days and with a low weight of the berry, high taste is noted. It is not worthwhile to reckon with varieties with a longer growing season, just for the reason that you can never wait for the harvest.

Planting watermelon seedlings

In mid-April, it is time to plant watermelon seeds for seedlings. To do this, prepare small, preferably peat pots, 10 cm in diameter and a nutritious soil mixture (potassium sulfate and wood ash are added to the existing soil). 1-2 watermelon seeds previously soaked in warm water are placed in each glass to a depth of 2-3 cm and placed on the south window. Despite the fact that seeds germinate at temperatures above 17 ° C, the air temperature in the room should be between 25 and 35 ° C during the daytime and between 18 and 20 ° C at night - this will allow the plants to form efficiently.

For the entire growth period of watermelon seedlings, it is good to carry out one, preferably two fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer, the first of which should take place two weeks after sowing the seeds. As the plants develop, the pots are moved apart so that the seedlings do not touch each other with leaves. As soon as 3-5 true leaves are formed on young plants, they can be planted in a greenhouse. This usually happens after 25-35 days.

Planting watermelons in a greenhouse

If the greenhouse is heated, watermelons can be planted in mid-May, but if not, it is worth waiting until the stable temperature outside reaches 20-25 ° C.

Seedlings are planted in pre-prepared ridges, 20 cm high and 40-50 cm wide, at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other. In this case, the plant is not buried.

An important nuance is the height of the greenhouse and the humidity maintained in it. In order for watermelons to feel comfortable, humidity indicators should be maintained at 60-70%, and the height of the greenhouse ceiling should be 180-200 cm.

Greenhouse watermelon care

Since the watermelon has long lashes, it must be tied up. He himself will not cling to the string. Therefore, making a daily walk around the beds, you need to wrap the overgrown ends of the plants around the trellis counterclockwise. In addition, in a greenhouse culture, a watermelon is formed into one stem, so everything that has formed up to a height of 40 cm (lateral shoots, flowers) is plucked out.

Plants begin to bloom 60 days after planting. The first to appear on them are male flowers, after 10 days - female ones. During this period, pollination is very important. In regions with a warmer climate, for this, the windows of the greenhouse are periodically opened, providing an opportunity for insects to do their work; in the northern regions, pollination is done manually. To do this, the male flower is plucked and applied with stamens to the female one. How to distinguish between male and female flowers? On the female, a small watermelon is initially visible.

If pollination has occurred, the ovary will begin to grow and bend down, if not, the flower will stretch up. Here, too, you need to be on the lookout. And as the watermelons begin to reach the size of a plum, counting up 7 leaves from each of them, cut off the tops of the lashes. The best option is considered if one fruit ripens on one plant, if there are several berries on the whip, the harvest is small.

When the watermelons reach the size of a tennis ball, a net is put on each of them and tied to the upper trellis. If this is not done, the plant will fall from the added weight. A month after the formation of the ovary, you can harvest.

And more … The leaves of watermelons are not thinned out, their rugged structure does not obscure the fruits, but the constantly appearing side shoots greatly delay the moment of ripening - they are plucked out regularly. In addition, the watermelon does not like weeds to grow at its roots, so you need to keep the greenhouse clean. And, if the fruits were formed at the very base of the whip, you do not need to tie them up, however, when laying them on the ground, you must put a wooden plank under the watermelons, otherwise there is a high probability of their decay.

Watering and feeding watermelon

Despite the popular belief that watermelon loves watering, in fact, the plant is drought-resistant and must be watered very carefully. Most of all, he needs water in the first period of growth - before flowering and at the time of the initial development of the ovaries. It is better to water it with warm water at the rate of 10 liters for 8-10 plants. And as soon as the fruits reach the size indicated in the description of the variety, stop watering.

Together with weekly watering, it is good to carry out fertilizing. To do this, you need to mix 1 tbsp. a spoonful of azofoska, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of superphosphate, 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate and 2 teaspoons of any micronutrient fertilizer. In total, no more than 4 dressings are carried out, also until the berry reaches the varietal size.