How to properly plant melon seedlings outdoors?

It is rather difficult to harvest a good melon in the middle lane, the plant is very thermophilic, and if it is planted directly into the soil, it can quickly die or not sprout. That is why it is grown first at home in special containers, and only after the threat of frost has passed, the melon seedlings are planted in the open ground. Usually, seeds begin to germinate on April 15–20, and after a month the seedlings are transferred to the street under a film shelter. However, not everything is so simple here, you should know how to care for the 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 melon cultivation. 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.

The early varieties include the following varieties.

• Early 133.

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

• Krinichanka.

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

• Summer resident.

The growing season is 65–70 days. Fruits are round, segmented, with longitudinal green stripes. The average weight of a melon is 1.5 kg. The flesh is creamy, crispy, sweet.

• Cinderella.

Melon reaches ripeness in 60–70 days from the moment of germination. The shape is slightly oval, the color is yellow, the rind is covered with a continuous rough mesh. Fruit weight can range from 1 to 2 kg. The pulp is 3 cm thick, crispy and sweet.

• Altai.

Oval golden melon with a convex mesh, weight up to 1.5 kg. Ripening period - 65-75 days. The skin is thin, the pulp is grainy, sweet, has a yellowish tint.

Timing recommendations

Melon is a thermophilic culture, therefore, it should be planted in the ground only when the air temperature in the daytime rises to 15–20 degrees, and at night it will not drop below 7. Sometimes this weather can be established already in April, however, do not rush worth it. Very often, after a while, a cold snap sets in, and sometimes night frosts. But already in the second half of May the weather, as a rule, becomes stably warm. If, nevertheless, the air temperature has dropped sharply, the plants must be covered with an additional layer of film, and at night, add rags, paper or other auxiliary materials. It is also helpful to check the long-term weather forecast before planting your melon seedlings outdoors.

Melon planting

Approximately 30-35 days after the appearance of the first shoots, 5-7 true leaves grow in the seedlings, and it can already be planted in open ground. But in order for the melon to grow well, you need to choose the right place where to plant it. The soil should be light, with a neutral reaction, without high humidity and tendency to acidification. It is best if the beds on the north side are protected by fruit trees or a structure. From the south, the space must 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, put compost on the bottom, and then manure with a layer of at least 10 cm, top up the previously removed soil.When decomposing, the fertilizer will release heat, which will help protect the roots of the seedlings from a short-term cold snap.
2. Dig holes at a distance of 50–70 cm (row spacing - 1–1.5 m), pour warm water over each one.
3. Then you need to plant seedlings. When taking it out of the pot, care should be taken not to damage the roots. To do this, 1–2 days before planting, the soil in pots is watered abundantly. Plants should not be buried, the seedling lump should protrude a couple of centimeters above the surface. Otherwise, there is a risk of rotting of the hypocotyl knee.
4. After the planting is over, the holes must be sprinkled with dry soil. This will avoid crusting.
5. If there is a film cover, melon seedlings are immediately covered with a film. In its absence, the plants should be covered with cut plastic bottles for the first time at night.

Growing methods

Melons can be grown in two ways - in spreading and on a trellis. In the first case, to increase the yield, the seedling shoot is pinched over the 5th leaf. In the future, the plant lets out two lateral shoots, which are pinched in the same way and fixed on the ground. Thus, the nutrients are consumed in the fruit and not in the 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, it should be fixed on it with a rope. As they grow, the shoots 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.

Advice

In order for the fruits to be 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 so that the fruits can pick up sugar, it is important to maintain the necessary moisture, as well as feed the seedlings with mineral and organic fertilizers. It is especially important to care for the melon at the time of the formation of lateral shoots and when it begins to bloom. There are other rules as well.

1. After the planting of seedlings in the ground is over, the greenhouse must be ventilated for the first week (provided that the air temperature in it rises to 30 degrees and higher).
2. The first watering is carried out in 1–1.5 weeks. One hole requires about 2 liters of water (always warm). Then you need to water melon seedlings once a week, increasing the volume at the beginning of flowering. But during the ripening period of the fruit, the amount of water must be reduced, and 2 weeks before harvesting, completely stop.
3. Feed the plants nitrogen fertilizers can be done within 10 days after landing in the ground, but no more than 3 times during the entire time. For the first time, they usually take nitrogen fertilizer (20 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water), and then apply complex feeding.
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 in order for insects to gain access to plants and pollinate them. If this is not possible, then you should do it yourself. When the flower opens, you must carefully transfer the pollen from the male flower to the female one. To distinguish them, it is enough to pay attention to the ovaries, they are absent on male flowers.
5. Also, do not forget to pinch the tops above each 5-6th leaf, and after the formation of 1-4 fruits, remove all other ovaries and shoots. So the plant will spend all its energy on pouring the melon, in addition, the illumination will improve.

Advice

Be careful when using nitrogen fertilizers, an excess of them can increase the growing season and fruiting.

Everyone 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 to the table, but you need to choose early varieties.It is also important to germinate the seedlings to begin with, and when the heat comes, plant them in open ground.

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

The ripeness of the fruit is determined by the rich aroma and color of the peel. In addition, a ripe melon has a sagging crust on the side opposite to the stem. The fruits are stored at a temperature of +4 degrees, the optimum air humidity is 70%. The only negative is that early varieties do not ripen in the room. But how much use is fragrant melon! It has unsurpassed dietary, anti-aging properties, it contains iron, potassium, calcium, sodium and chlorine, vitamins A, C, PP, B1, B2.