Growing sweet melons: when to plant, how often to water and how to fertilize

Melons are a symbol of warmth, summer and sunshine. In addition, these flavorful fruits are not only delicious but are also a storehouse of vitamins and minerals.

To get a large and sweet harvest, you need to follow certain rules when growing melon. OBOZ.UA tells about them.

Growing melon on your plot is not as difficult as it seems. Despite the fact that it is a very thermophilic crop, summer house residents can get a good harvest even in the Ukrainian climate.

Planting dates

As already mentioned, melon likes warmth, so it should be planted only after the risk of frost has passed. Usually, this crop begins to be grown from the end of April. It can be done either by the seedling method or by sowing the seeds directly into the open ground.

If you choose to grow melons through seedlings, experts recommend sowing seeds in special cassettes as this can help increase yields.

Crop rotation rules

Before planting a melon, it is important to make sure that tomatoes, carrots, or other pumpkin crops have not previously grown on the site. Even if you have grown melons before, you should change the planting site every year.

At the same time, melons grow quite well after cucumbers, cabbage, garlic, corn, onions, beans, peas, or herbs.

Watering

Watering is an extremely important part of plant care, but when it comes to watering melons, you should be careful. Under no circumstances should moisture be allowed to get on the leaves, stems, or flowers of the plant.

In addition, excess water can cause root rot, so watering should be done sparingly and about once a week. Be sure to use lukewarm water.

Care

To provide the roots with access to oxygen, the soil around the plants should be loosened regularly.

Also, this crop, like any other, needs fertilizing. Fertilizers should be applied before the leaves close because it is not recommended to do so after the fruit begins to ripen.

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