How to grow big and sweet watermelons: easy tips

Most gardeners believe that watermelon is a sun-loving fruit and can grow only in the southern regions. The first statement is true, but with the right approach the sweet berry can be grown in any garden.

OBOZREVATEL asked about the right approach to growing it. It turned out that there are few secrets.

In northern regions it is better to grow watermelons with a greenhouse or greenhouse. And the variety should choose a hybrid - it will be more resistant to the specifics of the climate.

To germinate seeds in a hard shell, you should first soak them in warm water for an hour. Floating seeds are not suitable for germination - they can be thrown away. The rest, after the water cools, put in a container, cover with foil and give them time to sprout.

Grow watermelons in a mixture of universal soil and humus with the addition of mineral fertilizers. The mixture is put in cups with a drainage hole and the seeds are deepened in it by 4 centimeters. Transplanted to the greenhouse seedlings can be when the sprouts appear on three leaves. The greenhouse site should be in the sun.

The open soil for watermelons should be loamy and sandy. It is good if potatoes, cabbage, legumes, carrots or onions grew in it before.

The shoots can be moved into the ground when the spring frosts are over. This is usually the end of May.

Before planting watermelons in the vegetable garden, the soil under them should be loosened and enriched with compost. The distance between the seedlings should be 25 cm. It is best to keep them in greenhouse conditions until the end of June, to protect them from the slightest risk of temperature changes.

About a week after the transfer of seedlings in the ground, under them with irrigation should be made ammonium nitrate. And after another 7 days, start adding mineral fertilizers to the water. The soil under the plants also requires regular loosening.

Watermelon is a juicy fruit, so it needs abundant and frequent watering. But after the plant blossoms, the amount of water should be halved. If you water the watermelons too much at the stage of wilting and ripening, they will grow unsweetened and tasteless.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told us what vegetables grow best in shady areas.

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