Growing melons in the open field and proper care

To make melon growing easy and fruitful, you need to know some secrets. If you choose the right variety, then honey fruits can be successfully grown not only in a greenhouse, but also in open areas.

When to plant?

Melon is a heat-loving and light-loving crop, so you need to plant it in open ground only when the weather is warm. During the day, the air temperature should not be lower than +15, and at night not lower than +7 degrees.

When deciding when to plant melons, you need to adapt to the characteristics of the climate. Sometimes favorable weather can be established already in April, and sometimes only by mid-May. If after planting the air temperature drops sharply, then it is better to cover the beds with foil, additionally insulating with paper, leaves, branches.

The melon seedlings to be planted should be about 25 days old. The most favorable days for planting seeds for seedlings for the middle lane are the first days of May. In this case, the transplant will take place in early June, when the weather is already set for sure. If it is planned to plant young seedlings in a greenhouse, then seeds can be sown at the end of April.

If it is planned to plant a melon immediately with seeds on the plot, then you need to wait for the soil to warm up well, but no later than mid-June. If you miss the deadline, then the melon fruits will not be able to ripen in time.

In central Russia, it will be possible to grow only early-ripening melon varieties.You should not choose varieties with large fruits, this result can be achieved only in the southern regions. When choosing a variety, it is important to pay attention to the ripening time of melon fruits. No more than 75 days should pass from the moment of emergence of seedlings to collection. The main thing is that the formed ovaries grow and develop quickly.

For growing melons in the open field, for example, varieties such as Pink Champagne, Charleston near Moscow, Indian Summer, Cinderella, Kapitoshka are suitable.

Location

To grow melons, you need to choose a warm place on the site, which will receive sunlight without obstacles all day. But at the same time, the site should be sheltered from through winds. It is better if the garden bed is protected by trees and shrubs on the north side, and there is open space on the south side.

To prevent the spread of rot and fungal infection, the place where the melon grows must be dry. It is better to plant on a hill where water cannot accumulate after rains and watering. The soil should be light, neutral and not prone to acidification.

The best place to plant a melon will be where onions, cabbage, turnips, beets, beans used to grow. You can plant corn in the neighborhood. It is not recommended to plant cucumbers and pumpkins nearby.

Processing the landing area

To grow melons in the open field, you need to prepare in advance. The selected land plot begins to prepare in the fall. The bed is weeded from weeds, the remains of vegetation are removed. After that, they dig deep and apply organic fertilizers (for example, rotted manure or humus). Melon feels good in loose soil. Therefore, if the earth is loamy, it is recommended to add river sand.

In the spring, the soil for sowing melons in open ground is also deeply dug up (by 20-22 cm). It is recommended to add potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen at the same time.

Preparing seeds for sowing

To care for melons in the open field in the country did not bring difficulties, you need to prepare the seeds for planting.

Among the seeds, only large, dense ones are chosen, preferably a two-year-old crop. You can use a saline solution in which the seeds fall asleep. Bad and empty grains should float to the surface of the water. The remaining seeds that have gone to the bottom are washed with water.

Seeds prepared for planting must be disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. To increase germination, the seeds are placed in a solution that stimulates growth and development. A composition based on boric acid and zinc sulfate is suitable.

So that changes in air temperature do not cause the death of the melon crop, the seeds need to be hardened. To do this, planting material is immersed in hot water for a while (temperature is about 35 degrees), then left to lie at room temperature for a day. The last step is to move the seeds to the refrigerator for 15-17 hours (preferably on the door, where the air temperature is close to 0).

Growing seedlings

Melon is a heat-loving plant, but it does not like transplants and the root system is difficult to take root in a new place. It should be borne in mind that when planting seeds, the temperature of the soil should warm up to at least +12 degrees. Therefore, it is better to grow melon seedlings at home in advance.

The melon root system does not tolerate picking and transplanting, so it is better to sow immediately in separate containers. Peat tablets or pots are a good option.

The soil for seedlings must be mixed from humus, peat, sand and ordinary garden soil. All components are taken in equal parts. Additionally, it is useful to add wood ash. The prepared land is watered with warm water, complex fertilizer is applied and seeds are planted.

It is enough to plant two grains in each pot. Pre-make a recess equal to 2 cm. After 5 days at an air temperature of +25, the first shoots will appear. As they grow, one strong sprout is selected, and the other is cut off.

The optimum temperature until shoots appear is +15 degrees at night and +20 during the day. You need to water with warm water as the top layer of the soil dries out, you do not need to allow waterlogging. A week after the emergence of seedlings, mineral fertilizer is applied, and a week later, organic components.A urea solution is suitable, in which there is a lot of nitrogen necessary for growth.

One week before the proposed transplantation of seedlings to a permanent place, it is hardened. To do this, you need to take the seedlings to the balcony or loggia. Transplantation begins 25 days after sowing the seeds. If the cultivation of seedlings is carried out for further transplantation into the garden, then sowing begins in early May.

Transferring seedlings to open ground

When do young melon seedlings start planting in open ground? A month later, as the first shoots appear, about 5 leaves should unfold. It is at this time that the transplant begins.

To plant seedlings in the ground, you must follow some rules:

Dig a trench 30 cm deep and 47 cm wide. Compost and manure should be distributed at the bottom, which will protect the roots from a sudden cold snap. A small layer of earth is covered from above.
After they dig holes 50 cm deep and water with warm water.
Only after that they start planting young sprouts, which are taken out of the container along with an earthy clod. The seedling ball should protrude slightly above the ground, it does not need to be buried too much.
Then they start filling the holes with dry soil so that a dry crust does not form.
At night, it is advisable to cover the beds with a film or other protective structure.

In order not to damage the roots, it is better to plant seedlings in peat pots. They are subsequently deepened in the garden along with the seedling into the soil. As the plant grows, the pot disintegrates, simultaneously enriching the soil with elements.

Hilling, loosening

Melons need to be properly cared for. In order for oxygen and nutrients to penetrate faster to the root system, it is necessary to loosen in time. It is noticed that the melon grows well after this procedure. Loosening is carried out simultaneously with weeding.

Loosening is carried out carefully, without damaging the roots, leaves and stems of the melon. The first loosening is carried out three weeks after planting in the ground, deepening garden tools by 8-10 cm. In the future, the procedure is not carried out too deep (loosening depth is not more than 7 cm).

After the appearance of the first side shoots, hilling is carried out, picking up a lump of earth for each stem of the plant. If the leaves of the plant begin to close together, then all procedures are stopped.

Pinch

To grow a melon in the open field and get a good harvest, it is important to form a stem. How to properly form a melon whip? Varietal melons and hybrids should be formed differently.

In a varietal melon, pinch the central stem over the 5th or 6th leaf. As a result, the growth of lateral shoots is activated, it is on them that female flowers develop.

In hybrids, female flowers are formed on the central stem, so you need to pinch the side lashes already above the 2nd or 3rd leaf. If this is not done, then many side branches will form, and all forces will be given to their development, and not to the growth of fruits.

After the appearance of the ovaries, it is recommended to remove all flowers. On one plant, no more than 4 ovaries should be left, with a small distance from each other. The pinching procedure should be carried out once every two weeks.

To avoid the load on the plants, the summer resident has to make a support on which the fruits are laid. If the melons lie on the ground, then under them you need to put, for example, plywood.

Irrigation mode

Be sure to organize the correct watering regimen. In case of lack of moisture, the plant will develop poorly, bloom and form ovaries. If there is a lot of moisture, the risk of developing rot increases, in addition, the taste of the fruit pulp decreases.

You need to water the beds as needed, it is important to monitor the level of soil moisture. The melon root system is powerful and goes to a depth of one meter, so you do not need to water the plant too often. The procedure is carried out in the evening, when the earth has warmed up sufficiently from the heat of the sun.

How should I water the ground around a melon in the open field? Before the formation of ovaries, watering should be moderate, once a week is enough. It is necessary to water with warm, settled water. During watering, you need to ensure that moisture droplets do not fall on the green part of the plant. Melon does not like to be sprinkled, so it is better to water it in holes or in organized grooves.

Feeding

Melon needs organic elements more than mineral fertilizers. If the soil is fertile and organic matter was introduced in the fall, then it is quite possible to do without mineral dressings. The fruits will not be large, but the pulp will be sweet.

The first feeding is recommended two weeks after planting in open ground. You can water melons with infusion of mullein or bird droppings. Such top dressing can be done every 10 days.

If the soil is poor, then a week after planting, you can water the beds with a solution of ammonium nitrate. 30 g of the component is dissolved in a bucket of water. After another week, the treatment is repeated again. Melons love foliar feeding. The solution is well absorbed by the plant through the leaves.

Melons and gourds in a certain period of their development must be fed with different components.

Most often, fertilizer application occurs during the formation of green mass and ovaries. During the ripening of the fruits, top dressing is not carried out, as this can only harm. It is important to choose a solution than to feed the melon during flowering. At this time, it is recommended to introduce phosphorus-potassium compounds into the soil.To prepare the solution, it will be necessary to dissolve 30 g of superphosphate and 60 g of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water. A solution based on wood ash is also suitable (150 g of ash is dissolved in a bucket of water).

Top dressing is mandatory after watering or rain. This will allow all the nutrients to be better distributed and not damage the root system. Drops of the solution should not fall on the stem and lower leaves. After feeding, loosening is useful.

Protection from diseases and pests

In case of violation of agricultural practices and care rules, melons often begin to get sick with fungal diseases and be attacked by pests.

How to grow melons outdoors to prevent infection or get rid of it quickly?

Septoria can be recognized by rounded white spots on the leaves with a dark center.
Cucumber mosaic appears as green-yellow spots on the leaves. Leaves curl, warp, dry and wither.
Powdery mildew is characterized by the appearance of white spots on the stem and leaves of the plant. The leaves change color, curl, dry out and fall off.
Fusarial wilt causes plant growth to slow down. Leaves turn pale with gray spots.
Peronosporosis affects the leaves of the plant at an early stage of melon development. Yellow-green spots appear on them. A gray-purple bloom forms on the back of the leaves.
Fungal infection of the root neck of the melon Ascochitosis is manifested by pale spots on the roots, which gradually increase and spread to the entire green part of the plant.
Anthracnose can be recognized by brown or pink spots on the leaves. Gradually, they increase in size, holes form, the leaves begin to curl. The lashes are thinner and easily torn. The fruits rot before ripening.

You can prevent the development of diseases in advance. You should not plant melons every year in the same place, you must definitely dig the soil deep and remove plant debris from the site. It is recommended to loosen the soil and prevent excess moisture in the garden. The best friend for melons is the heat of the sun. It prevents infection and disinfects the surface of the plant.

In case of a problem, you can use drugs such as Topaz, Oksihom, a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Suitable and folk remedies. You can make a solution of zinc sulfate, urea and copper sulfate.

Common pests of melon beds are: spider mites, wireworms, scoops, melon aphids, melon fly. As a preventive measure, the beds can be treated with drugs such as Rapier, Zenith, Fitoverm, Arrivo.

Harvesting

In regions with an unstable warm climate, no more than 4 fruits can ripen on one stem. How many ovaries should be left by the time the fruit ripens? If there are a lot of ovaries on the plant, then only those that have grown and have reached a size of more than 6 cm are left, the rest are cut off.

The timing of the ripening of the melon crop depends on the variety chosen and can be 45-75 days. The melon must be harvested on time. If you collect unripe fruits, then after three weeks they can rot.In the middle lane, the ripening season begins in late July, early August. You need to collect only fully ripe fruits.

Ripe melons are distinguished by the color declared for the variety at the stage of full ripening, formed on the skin of a full mesh, easy separation from the lash and a characteristic sweet aroma.Some varieties of melon do not form nets. Therefore, ripeness is judged by the rich honey-yellow color and sweet aroma. These melons should be eaten within a month.

For storage of melons, only those in which the skin is half covered with a net are selected. The air temperature in the storage should be around 0 degrees. Slightly unripe melons can be stored in a cool place for up to 6 months.