Watermelon or watermelon is a must-have summer fruit. Its juicy and sweet flesh is irreplaceable in hot weather. See for yourself that everyone can have their own watermelons in the garden. Growing a watermelon is not at all difficult if you remember a few important rules. Here are all the most important information about growing watermelon and the secret - can watermelon be grown in a pot?
Watermelon, watermelon - cultivated in the ground in Poland
Watermelon(Citrullus lanatus), another name for which iswatermelon , belongs to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae).It is characterized by short, reproductive growth and shallow rooting. The watermelon leaves are dark green and covered with a tin. The edible and most characteristic part is the fruit. The characteristics of the fruit, such as the color of the skin and flesh, and the size, depend on the variety of the watermelon.
Growing watermelon
The basic criterion forgrowing watermelonis temperature. The best temperature for growing a watermelon is around 21 ° C to a maximum of 29 ° C. It is also worth remembering that the soil temperature is sufficiently high, which can be raised by covering it with e.g. black agrotextile, foil, straw or other material for mulching the soil.
The substrate forwatermelon cultivationshould be humus-rich and rich in nutrients. The best soil pH is 5.5 to 6.0. Fertilization is also very important, preferably with well-distributed manure. Watermelons also need regular watering to form large fruits.
How to prepare a watermelon seedling?
Watermelonis an annual plant grown only from seedlings. If you want to get seedlings, sow the watermelon seeds about 4 to 5 weeks before planting them permanently, preferably in mid or late April. It is best to sow seeds in pots under a foil tunnel, in a greenhouse or in an inspection, and the minimum is to cover the seedlings with foil. Thanks to this, we will obtain a higher temperature and the seeds will germinate faster. When the seedlings will have 3-4 actual leaves, the temperature under the foil should be slightly reduced and watering should be reduced to harden the seedling. We transfer the prepared watermelon seedlings to a permanent place into the ground or to a greenhouse or a foil tunnel (depending on the preferences of a given variety and our cultivation possibilities).
Planting watermelon
When planting watermelon seedlings, remember to keep the appropriate distance between the plants. Best planted at intervals of at least 0.8 - 1 meter in a row and only one row in the bed. Thanks to this,watermelonwill be able to create large fruits.
Watermelon care
During the growing season, the plants should be regularly checked for pests or diseases, remembering thatwatermelonis often affected by powdery mildew of cucurbits and downy mildew of cucurbits. You should also regularly weed the soil around the plants so that the watermelon does not have any competition for nutrients in the soil.
Collection of watermelon fruits
The moment whenthe fruit of the watermelonare ripe is quite difficult to feel. The time for harvesting watermelons starts in mid-August, but usually falls in September. The most recommended method to checkthat the watermelon is ripeis to squeeze the fruit with your hands. If you hear a crunch or crunch, it means the watermelon is ripe. Another method is by tapping the fruit. If we feel that the rind is taut and that the fruit makes a sound as if it is empty inside when tapping, it means that the watermelon is ready to eat.
Storing watermelon
The picked watermelons can be stored whole for a week. If we provide them with a temperature of 8 - 10 ° C, the storage period can be extended to several weeks.
Watermelon varieties
Many varieties of watermelons are grown today. If our goal isto grow watermelon in the ground , choose early varieties that will mature before the fall, preferably grown in Poland. Such varieties have been obtained, among others, at the Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. All thevarieties of watermelonsrecommended below can be grown in the open and are not susceptible to disease. They include red and yellow flesh watermelons, as well as green or yellow skins. Therefore, every amateur of growing plants in the garden will find something for themselves here. Here are the recommended varieties of watermelon:
Watermelon Rosario F1- an early variety, with good fruit binding at lower temperatures, perfect for cultivation in the ground in Poland. The fruit is quite large, weighing 3-4 kg and has a dark green skin.The flesh is pink and red, juicy and sweet. Creeping shoots up to 1.5 m long.Watermelon varietynot very sensitive to mildew.
Arbuz Janosik- medium early variety. The fruits are elliptical-round, large, weighing 3.5-5.5 kg. The skin of the fruit is quite thin, dark green with darker, narrow streaks and slightly marbled. The flesh is yellow, sweet, juicy, firm, with a small amount of seeds. Creeping shoots of medium growth strength. A variety that yields well and is tolerant to diseases.
Watermelon Złoto Wolicy- early variety, also suitable for cultivation in the ground. This watermelon has large, spherical-ovoid to almost spherical fruit. The peel of the fruit is green at first and turns yellow as it matures. The flesh is red, firm, juicy and very sweet. Creeping shoots up to 2 meters long. Watermelon variety not very sensitive to mildew.
Sometimes you can grow your ownwatermelon from seeds , which come from fruit you buy at a grocery store. The seeds are kept in a paper bag over the winter and sown for seedlings in the spring.However, it is not recommended, as the shops usually sell fruit imported from abroad and are not always suitable for cultivation in our climate.
Watermelon in a pot
An interesting idea isgrowing a watermelon in a potIt is possible even though the watermelon does not like limiting the root space very much. You should choose a pot that is large enough (not too small, but it doesn't have to be huge) and fill it with a suitable substrate. It is best to mix garden peat with sand to make the substrate light. You should also regularly water and fertilize the plant so that it has a lot of nutrients needed to produce the fruit. Under no circumstances should the substrate dry out! When the fruits appear, you should also support them so that they do not break off the stem due to their weight or overturn the entire pot.
Katarzyna Matuszak
