How to grow delicious and sweet watermelons outdoors? The subtleties of caring for gourds: we grow watermelon in the open field. Cultivation of gourds in the central regions of Russia Growing of gourds in open ground

1. General value

2. Botanical and biological characteristics

3. Cultivation technology

1. Gourds - watermelon, melon and pumpkin - are cultivated for the sake of obtaining juicy fruits that are distinguished by high taste. They are of great food and fodder importance.

Watermelon and melon are mainly eaten fresh. In addition, honey is boiled from watermelon and candied fruits and pickles are prepared, melon is used in the canning and confectionery industries. Late-ripening melon varieties have become world famous for their unsurpassed taste, transportability and ability to be stored almost until the next harvest. Pumpkin is used in boiled and baked form, it is used for the preparation of candied fruits and honey (from juice). from seed gourds get edible oil.

For livestock feed, fresh fruits of fodder varieties of watermelon and pumpkin are usually used. 100 kg of fodder pumpkin equates to an average of 10.2 fodder units, 100 kg of fodder watermelon - 9.3 and 100 kg of squash - 7.2 fodder units.

Melon growing as a branch of crop production originated in our country in the middle of the last century. Currently, the sown area under melons and gourds is more than 1 million hectares. In terms of sown areas of melons and gourds, the CIS ranks first in the world.

Cultivation areas. Productivity. Watermelon is cultivated mainly in the Middle and Lower Volga regions, in the North Caucasus, Ukraine and Moldova, melon - in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, and pumpkin - in central regions Non-chernozem zone, in the Central Chernozem zone, Trans-Urals, Siberia and Far East. Together with pumpkin, early-ripening varieties of watermelon are also cultivated in these areas. In recent years, the border of melon growing has moved significantly to the north and east.

Outside of our country, gourds are cultivated in many countries of Asia (India, China, Japan), Africa and America. From European countries melons are sown in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy.

The average yield of watermelon on non-irrigated lands is 200-250 centners, and on irrigated lands - 400-500 centners per 1 ha, the yield of melon ranges from 160 to 500 centners per 1 ha, pumpkin - from 350 to 700 centners and more per 1 ha. The highest yields of gourds are obtained in Ukraine, Moldova, the North Caucasus, as well as in the irrigated conditions of Transcaucasia and Central Asia.

2. Botanical characteristics. biological features.

Melon crops belong to the Cucurbita-ceae family, which includes the three most important genera in the culture - watermelon (Citrullus), melon (Melo) and pumpkin (Cucurbita). Plants belonging to these genera are annuals, very similar to each other in the structure of vegetative and generative organs.

Watermelon. Watermelons cultivated in our country belong to two species: table watermelon - Citrullus edulis Pang, and candied watermelon - Citrullus colocynthoides Pang.

The root of the table watermelon is taproot, strongly branched, reaching a depth of 2.5-3 m and extending to the sides up to 5-7 m.

Stem creeping, long-braided (2-5 m), creeping, with 5-10 branches covered with stiff hairs.

The leaves are strongly dissected into pinnatifid lobes, stiffly pubescent.

Flower - yellow, dioecious; female flowers are larger than male ones. Cross-pollination by insects.

The fruit is a multi-seeded false berry (pumpkin) on a long stem, spherical, oval or oblong, painted white-greenish, greenish or dark green, often with a marbled pattern (Fig. 1). The bark of the fruit is leathery, fragile, 0.5 to 2 cm thick. The pulp is of various textures, carmine-red, pink, less often white or yellow, tastes sweet or slightly sweet. The pulp contains from 5.7 to 13% sugar. Fruit weight from 2 to 20 kg.

The seeds are flat, ovoid (0.5-2 cm long) with a scar along the edge and with a hard skin of white, yellow, gray, red and black color, often with a spotted pattern. Weight of 1000 seeds 60-150 g.

Watermelon fodder in its structure is somewhat different from the table.

Its root system is more powerful.

Leaves with larger shortened segments.

The flowers are large, with a pale yellow corolla. Male flowers are located on long stems, female - on shortened ones.

Fruits of various shapes - spherical or oval-oblong, green or light green in color with dark stripes of a marbled pattern. The flesh of the fruit is greenish-pale, contains sugar 1.2-2.6%. Fruit weight from 10-15 to 25-30 kg or more.

Feed watermelon seeds do not have a rib. Weight of 1000 seeds 100-200 g.

The main varieties of table watermelon: Favorite of the farm of Pyatigorsk 286, Stokes 647/649, Melitopol 142, Marble, Rose of the South-East.

The most common varieties of fodder watermelon are: Diskhim, Brodsky 37-42, Bogarny 112.

Table watermelon is one of the heat-loving, heat-tolerant and very drought-resistant plants. In moist soil, its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 10 - 17 0 C. Seedlings appear on the 8-10th day. Frosts in the GS are detrimental to them. The most favorable temperature for the growth of stems and leaves is 20-22 °, and for the development of fruits - 25-30 0 C. Table watermelon is a light-loving plant of a short day. The best soils for it are sandy loamy chernozems clean of weeds.

Feed watermelon, in comparison with table watermelon, is less demanding on growing conditions.

Melon represented by many botanical species. In the CIS, types of melon with soft pulp are common: handalak - Melo chanda-lak Pang., adana, or Cilician - M. adana Pang., cassaba - M. cassaba Pang .; and with dense pulp: charjouskaya - M. zard Pang., ameri-M. ameri Parig., cantaloupe - M, cantalupa Pang.

The stem of the melon is creeping, cylindrical, hollow, strongly branching, coarse-haired.

Leaves are kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, on long petioles.

Flowers are orange-yellow.

The fruits are large, of various shapes and colors. The pulp is loose or dense, contains 12% sugar (Fig. 2).

Seeds are ovoid, flat, white-yellow, 0.5 to 1.5 cm long, contain 25-30% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 35-50 g.

Varieties of melon with soft pulp include Khandalyak Kokcha 14, Dessertnaya 5. Varieties of melon with hard pulp: Ameri 696, Kolkhoznitsa 749/753.

According to its biological characteristics, the melon approaches the watermelon, but it is more thermophilic and easier to put up with loamy soils.

Pumpkin in culture has three types: table or ordinary pumpkin - Cucurbita pepo L., large-fruited fodder pumpkin - С.maxima Duch. And Muscat pumpkin - C. Moschata Duch ..

The stem of the common pumpkin is highly developed creeping. For some varieties of pumpkin, a bushy form (zucchini) is characteristic.

Leaves are five-lobed, with coarse styloid pubescence.

The male flowers are collected in several pieces in the axils of the leaves, the female flowers are single, located on the side branches.

The fruit is obovate (Fig. 3), with fibrous sweet pulp containing 4-8% sugar.

Seeds of medium size and small, oval, with a clear rim, white, cream or darker in color, contain 36-52% oils. Weight of 1000 seeds 200-230 g.

Large-fruited fodder pumpkin has a cylindrical hollow creeping stem. The leaves are reniform, weakly emarginate, pubescent with coarse hairs. The flowers are very large, orange-yellow. The fruits are spherical, flattened or elongated, reaching 50-70 cm in diameter, of various colors. The pulp of the fruit is loose, juicy, orange, less often white, contains 4-8% sugar. The seeds are large (length 2-3 cm), smooth, with an indistinct rim. The seeds contain 36-50% oils. Weight of 1000 seeds 240-300 g.

Muscat pumpkin has a creeping, branched, rounded-faceted stem. Leaves are reniform, cordate-notched or lobed, pubescent with fine hairs. The flowers are green or reddish-orange, the fruit is elongated, with interception. The pulp of the fruit is dense, contains 8-11% sugar. Seeds of medium size, dirty gray with a clear rim, contain 30-46% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 190-220 g.

The most common varieties of table pumpkin: Almond 35, Mozoleevskaya 49, Spanish 73, Gribovskaya 37 (zucchini). Varieties of fodder pumpkin: One hundred pounds, Large-fruited 1, Hybrid 72, Muscat pumpkin has local varieties.

Pumpkin is less thermophilic and less drought-resistant than watermelon and melon. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 12-13°C. Seedlings are less affected by frost. Pumpkin works best on loamy soils.

3. All gourds are demanding on soil fertility and cleanliness of fields from weeds. They work well on virgin and fallow lands, on a layer of perennial grasses and on floodplains.

Place in crop rotation. In field crop rotations, fertilized winter crops and grain legumes are considered the best predecessors of gourds. The gourds themselves are good predecessors of spring, especially spring wheat, and in the southern regions, subject to early harvesting of gourds, and for winter crops.

Fertilizer. Gourds are responsive to the application of organic and mineral fertilizers. The most effective joint application of these fertilizers. It is especially important to fertilize light sandy soils. As the main fertilizer, manure is applied under deep autumn plowing in the amount of 15-20 tons for watermelon and melon and 30-40 tons per 1 ha for pumpkin. Higher doses of manure for these crops should not be applied, as this can cause a delay in fruit ripening and deterioration in their quality. Simultaneously with manure, mineral fertilizers are applied (N 6 oP 45 K 5 o). Of great importance is the application of mineral fertilizers when sowing in rows (N 10 P 15 Kio). In addition to the main and sowing fertilizer, fertilizing is also desirable during irrigation before flowering plants (N 30 P 45 K 45).

Soil cultivation. Under gourds, deep autumn plowing is carried out in autumn, and in spring - harrowing and at least two pre-sowing cultivations with simultaneous harrowing. On heavily compacted soils in the northern areas of melon growing, the first cultivation is often replaced by plowing.

Sowing. Seed preparation. For sowing, seeds are taken from fully ripened healthy fruits. Their germination should be at least 90%. To increase germination, the seeds are subjected to air-thermal heating for 3-5 days. Before sowing, the seeds must be treated with 80% TMTD (5 g per 1 kg of seeds) or fentiuram (4 g per 1 kg of seeds).

Sowing dates. Sowing of gourds should be started when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 14-16°C. When sown in unheated soil, as well as when cold weather returns, the sown seeds do not germinate for a long time and can rot in the soil.

Seeding methods. Seeds are sown in square-nested, rectangular-nested and row methods with corn, cotton and special seeders. The distance between nests or rows for watermelon and pumpkin is 2.1-3 m, for melon - 1.4-2.1 m and zucchini - 0.7 m. scheme 2.1x2.1, 1-2 plants per nest (2.3-4.6 thousand plants per 1 ha), melons -2.1x1.4 or 1.4x X 1.4 m, two plants per nest (7.5-10.2 thousand plants per 1 ha) and squash-70x70 cm, ІхІ m (10.2-20.4 thousand plants per 1 ha).

Seeding rates for watermelon seeds are 2-3 kg, pumpkins - 3-5 kg, melons and zucchini - 2-4 kg per 1 ha. The sowing depth of watermelon and pumpkin seeds is 6-8 cm, melon and zucchini - 3-5 cm.

Crop care. Before germination, harrowing and loosening are carried out with rotary hoes to destroy the crust and destroy weed seedlings. In the future, inter-row processing is carried out to a depth of 12-15 cm during the first and 8-10 cm during subsequent treatments. When processing row spacings, overgrown lashes of plants must be removed to the side so as not to damage them with tractor wheels and tillage implements. To prevent swelling of the lashes by the wind, they are sprinkled with damp soil. This causes the formation of additional roots, which improves plant nutrition. Good results are obtained by pinching (chasing) the ends of the lashes during the flowering of male flowers. In the experiments of the Voronezh Agricultural Institute, chasing fodder watermelon increased the yield by 66.7 centners per 1 ha. Irrigation of gourds begins long before. flowering and spend 3-5 waterings at intervals of 10-15 days. During flowering, watering is temporarily stopped, and they are resumed when the fruit is set. Irrigation rate is 600-800 m 3 of water per 1 ha. After each watering, the row spacing is loosened.

Harvest. The ripening of gourds with a long flowering period does not occur simultaneously. Therefore, table varieties of watermelon, melon and zucchini are harvested as they ripen in several steps, and pumpkin and fodder watermelon - in one step, before the onset of frost.

Signs of ripening watermelon fruits are the drying of the stalk, the coarsening of the bark and the appearance of a clear pattern on it. Ripe melon fruits acquire the color and pattern characteristic of the variety. The ripeness of a pumpkin can also be determined by the color of the fruit and the density of the skin. Zucchini is harvested until the bark is coarsened. In plucked fruits, to improve keeping quality, the stalks should be left.

Ripened and undamaged fruits of pumpkin and fodder watermelon can be stored in a dry and insulated room at a temperature of 2-5 ° C almost throughout the winter. Table watermelon and melon, with the exception of Central Asian and Transcaucasian, are not stored for long.

Their distinctive feature is long stems with antennae. In the event that supports are placed next to these crops, the whips will begin to “climb” along them. In order to correctly apply the cultivation technology, which will be described below in the article, you need to know exactly which crops are melons.

These are melon, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, zucchini and some others.

Two-year-old seeds are considered the most suitable for sowing in gourds. If there is no opportunity to obtain such planting material, you can use annual ones. However, in this case, they need to be heated to 60 degrees for 2 hours. In order for the seedlings to be more friendly, the seeds of gourds are also germinated. To do this, they are wrapped in gauze and dipped in warm water for four hours. Then they are placed in a damp burlap and kept for a day or two.

Most gourds prefer sunny places, warm weather and are resistant to a long absence of moisture. The thing is that the homeland of all these cultures are the hot regions of the planet. Watermelons, for example, grow wild in South Africa, and melons and pumpkins in Asia.

Melons not only tolerate dry air well, but also produce tastier and sweeter fruits under such conditions.

Seeds are planted in the ground only when the summer weather becomes stable, that is, in early June. In order to get a harvest a little earlier, gourds can be grown in seedlings. For this, peat cups are used, because these plants do not tolerate transplantation well. Melons are planted in the ground either in a nested way or in rows. Each such plant requires a lot of space. Firstly, they have long lashes that need space to develop, and secondly, they have large fruits, which is why they require a huge amount of nutrients.

Melon crops are planted in 2-3 pieces. Melons and watermelons - to a depth of 4 cm, pumpkins - 6 cm. In warm weather, seedlings appear on the tenth day of sowing, and the first real leaf - a week later. Depending on the variety, the main shoot may begin to form in 15-40 days.

Then shoots of the second order, the third, etc. branch off from it. The flowers of these plants are of different sexes - both female and male specimens bloom on the same plant.

As for top dressing, during the season gourds on early stages development can be fertilized with infusion of mullein. In the autumn, after harvesting, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied for digging, and nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring when preparing the beds. Although the plants of this family are drought-resistant, they still give a higher yield when watered. During the season, the soil under them is well moistened 9-12 times. However, during the ripening of the fruit, watering the plants should be as rare as possible. Otherwise, the fruits will grow watery and not too sweet.

Growing gourds is a rather complicated matter, since the climate in Russia is not very suitable for them. Often, even with proper care, the gardener does not receive a crop. The result after all in many respects depends on weather conditions. If you still want to grow watermelons or melons on your site, then you should try to do it. If you're lucky, you can diversify your diet with delicious and unusually healthy fruits.

Watermelon and melon are associated with the taste of summer, and every gardener dreams of growing delicious fruits on his plot. Watermelon has long been used as a healing diuretic to cleanse the body. Melons are thermophilic and grow in a warm climate, so for their cultivation and planting watermelons in open field you need to have specialized knowledge.

Be sure to find out in advance whether it is possible to plant gourds if a cucumber, pepper, pumpkin or zucchini grows nearby.

Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side?

Melons belong to the gourd family. Cultures are very useful and contain a huge amount of vitamins. If you learn how to properly grow these plants, you can get a high yield of delicious fruits.

Melon is quite suitable for "neighborhood" with watermelon. Plants tend to grow. It is not recommended to plant them too close together..

Melons are prone to infection with various identical diseases. Therefore, if you plant nearby, you need to understand the risks of spreading diseases from one culture to another.

And melons and watermelons tend to run wild

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings at home

Seeds for seedlings are planted approximately 60 days before planting in open ground. So, already in mid-March, the seeds should be bought. You can buy them at any specialized store or ask those who have already managed to grow a quality crop of watermelons and melons.

From the seeds of last year's watermelon it is impossible to get good harvest. The best seeds to plant- 5 years ago. It is important to understand that only any early-ripening varieties with a ripening period of up to 70-85 days are suitable for our climate. It is better to give preference to hybrid varieties that are more adapted to adverse conditions.

When preparing seeds, you need to make sure that they are not empty. To do this, seeds are immersed in a container with water, Anything that comes up can be safely thrown away.. Watermelon seeds germinate more slowly than melon seeds. Therefore, it is recommended to scald watermelon seeds with boiling water, for better germination, and only then sow.

Preparation for planting and soaking

1. Soak. Each individual type of seed must be wrapped and soaked in cloth rags and maintain in a moist environment until germination. You can also soak in special napkins.
2. If the seeds have already hatched, but there is no way to plant them in a timely manner, you can leave the seeds in the refrigerator.

Seeds germinated at home are planted in separate small pots with a diameter of 10 cm, preferably peat. The soil should be a mixture of: humus, sod land 3:1, add peat, sawdust, humus 3:1:0.5.

planted in each pot 2 seeds to the depth 5 cm. Moisten the soil with a sprayer. Cover the container with cling film on top and put in a warm place +25 degrees.

It will take 40-45 days to grow watermelon seedlings, and 30 days for melon.

It will take about 40 days to grow watermelon seedlings.

• when the seeds germinate, move them to sunlight at a temperature +22 degrees. Remove the film;
• the best place for seedlings is the windowsill on the south side of the house;
• a week after sowing, feed the seedlings with mineral fertilizers, and a week later - infusion of mullein with superphosphate.

Landing in open ground

When planting in open ground, you need to focus on climatic conditions, the selected crop variety, and the readiness of seedlings.

Soil selection

Before planting melons in open ground, you need to choose a place for planting. Exotic plants love sunny places where there is no shade and wind.

Melons love nutrient soil and sunny plots of land

Melons and watermelons need rich soils, as well as those that can withstand moisture well. The ideal option is sandy and sandy loamy soil with a pH of 6-7 units.

Site preparation is carried out in the fall. When digging, they add 4-5 kg ​​of manure per square meter, 40 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt. and ammonium sulfate.

Preparing seedlings of watermelons

When the seedlings appear 5-7 leaves, it is ready for transplanting into open ground. Best time - the end of May. However, you need to focus on weather conditions so that at night the air temperature remains +15 degrees.

A week before planting in open ground, seedlings must be taken out for hardening at a daily temperature of + 16 + 20 degrees.

Seedlings are ready for transplanting after the appearance of 5-7 leaves

Outdoor Landing Pattern - Depth and Distance

For planting in open ground, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Holes should be made in the garden at a distance 0.5-0.7 meters apart in a checkerboard pattern. Leave 70cm spacing between rows.
2. Seedlings are placed in holes so that the surface remains only a few top leaves. The soil should be crushed and sprinkled with sand around to protect the plant from rot.
3. Harvest after planting should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
4. To protect a young plant from the scorching sun, it is necessary to close the sprouts for 2-3 days with moistened caps made of plastic or paper.

10-14 days after planting, you need to feed the crop with a solution ammonium nitrate 20g per bucket of 2 liters for each bush. During the period when the buds appear, you need to feed melons with infusion of mullein.

Seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of about half a meter

Features of growing melons

To ensure free access of oxygen to the roots, the soil needs to be constantly loosen to a depth of 10 cm. With the development of lateral loops, spud the culture. In order for the plant not to spend all its strength on gaining mass during the growth period, you need to pinch the main stem. For the full development of melons, three shoots are enough.

When fruit ovaries appear, 2-6 of the strongest and largest specimens are left on the bush. To reduce the load on the whip, it is recommended to tie the fruits into nets and hang on a support. The fruits are placed on foil linings to prevent rotting.

To reduce the load on the whip, the fruits can be hung in a net.

If watermelons will be used for storage and transportation in the future, then it is better to take a berry not fully ripe.

Advantages of planting in open ground:

• in warm weather, you can achieve maximum ripeness fruits;
• daily watering of the culture is not necessary;
• it is possible to increase the yield if the basic rules for selecting soil and planting seeds for seedlings are observed.

Growing watermelons and melons in a summer cottage is quite realistic. Some even grow them in bags or greenhouses. If you follow all the recommendations, then by the end of summer you can enjoy sweet, sugary fruits. The main advantage of growing melons in your garden is the absence of chemicals.

(OKVED 2) 01.13.2 Cultivation of gourds

Melon crops include one- or perennial plants of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), which have long outstretched or climbing stems with tendrils: watermelon, melon, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, etc. The most popular, for obvious reasons, are watermelons and melons, which are cultivated for juicy fruits with high taste. Watermelon and melon are eaten mostly fresh as a dessert. However, jam, jam, molasses, watermelon honey (nardek, bekmes) are also cooked from the fruits of these gourds, candied fruit, marshmallow and pickles are prepared, they are still quite widely used in the canning and confectionery industry. From the seeds of many plants of the gourd family, valuable vegetable oil is obtained.

As part of this article, we will look at a seasonal watermelon growing business. Watermelon owes its high popularity to its valuable dietary, taste and nutritional properties. Watermelon contains high amounts of sucrose and fructose, which give it sweetness, and watermelon pulp and skin contain various beneficial amino acids, macro- and micronutrients, including antioxidants, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, folic acid and sodium.

General information about watermelons

In our country, watermelons are grown on an industrial scale in the Volga region and in some areas of the southern regions, as well as in the Crimea. Watermelons are heat-loving plants that are well cultivated in the steppe climate with long, hot, dry summers, so in these regions they ripen freely in the open air, acquiring excellent taste. In the middle black earth regions of Russia, as well as in more northern regions, watermelons are usually grown not in the fields (in open ground), where they simply do not have time to ripen in a season, but in greenhouses (under a film). Watermelon has a powerful root system, which provides the plant with enough moisture and nutrients for the ripening of large juicy fruits. The main root of watermelon plants can penetrate the soil to a depth of two meters, and the lateral roots form a large number of roots of the second and third orders, reaching a depth of 3-4 meters.

Profitable franchises

At first, the vegetative mass of plants develops rather slowly, since the root system grows intensively during this period. But already 20-30 days after germination, the plants begin to grow actively, forming side shoots. Their growth can reach two meters in just one day. The timing of the flowering of watermelon depends on its precocity. As a rule, flowers can be observed already a month and a half after the emergence of seedlings, and flowering continues until the end of the plant's growing season.

Watermelon flowers, as a rule, are dioecious, that is, both male and female flowers can form on the same plant. In the most common varieties, however, bisexual, that is, hermaphroditic, and male flowers are more often formed, and in some species, female, male, and bisexual flowers. It is possible to distinguish female and male flowers by size: the former, as a rule, are larger, have a wide five-lobed stigma on a short style. Bisexual flowers are similar in appearance to female ones. They differ only in that they form both stamens and pistil at once. The flowers open in the morning at dawn and fade in 15-16 hours. Female and bisexual flowers open earlier than male ones and, if fertilization does not occur, remain open during the next day. Male flowers fade after a few hours.

Depending on the duration of the growing season (that is, from the moment of germination to the onset of the biological maturity of the plant), varieties and hybrids of watermelon are divided into several main types: ultra-early (up to 70 days), early (71-80 days), mid-season (81-90 days ), medium-late (91-100 days) and late-ripening (over 100 days). Keep in mind that ultra-early and early-ripening watermelons tend to be less sugary and more watery than mid- and late-ripening ones. However, for industrial cultivation, these varieties are considered more preferable.

Watermelon fruits can vary greatly in shape, color and size. In most cases, they have an oval-round shape with an average diameter of 20-25 cm and average weight 3-6 kg. The surface of the watermelon bark is usually smooth, but there are also segmented fruits, and the thickness of the bark depends on the variety, cultivation method and soil quality. In most fruits, the thickness of the bark is from one to one and a half centimeters. In some varieties, the thickness of the bark does not exceed half a centimeter, and in thick-skinned watermelons it can reach 4 cm. Watermelons with an average thickness of stern of 1-1.5 cm are still the most popular. Although thick-skinned watermelons are more convenient to transport and store longer, but buyers as a rule, they do not want to overpay for the "extra" weight of the inedible fruit bark. Thin-skinned watermelons have a very short shelf life and require careful transportation.

Watermelon flesh is usually red, but in some varieties it can be orange, yellow, or even pearly. However, experienced entrepreneurs rely mainly on traditional rather than exotic varieties. Seeds also differ in shape, color and size. They can be large, medium or small in weight from 30 to 150 grams / 1000 pieces. black, yellow, white, reddish brown or even greenish. Seed germination is usually maintained for 4-5 years.

Of all the species of these gourds, the common watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is the most widespread. It is a herbaceous annual plant with fruits of spherical, oval, cylindrical or flattened shape with bark of various shades from white and yellow to dark green with a pattern in the form of stripes or spots. Its flesh is usually pink, red or crimson, but there are also varieties with white or yellow flesh. The stems of this culture are thin, creeping or curly, very flexible. They can be up to four meters long. The seeds of the common watermelon are flat, often bordered, with a scar. This plant blooms throughout the summer months, while the fruits usually ripen no earlier than August-September.

Growing watermelons in open ground

To begin with, you will need to choose suitable varieties for growing watermelons on melons. Approach this issue with great care. Do not pay attention to the bright pictures on the sites and the assurances of the sellers. To get started, read the growing guidelines or consult an experienced agronomist. When choosing, pay attention to the fact how many days this variety will need to ripen.

The best varieties melon watermelons Astrakhan, or Bykovsky (white), monastic (green with white stripes and red or gray seeds), Kamyshinsky (of the same color), Crimson Sweet (early) and a number of others are considered. Seeds are usually sold in packs of five for 35-45 rubles per pack. At the same time, some suppliers set a minimum purchase lot - from 500-700 rubles.

Profitable franchises

Melon crops are planted only when hot weather finally sets in. As a rule, this is the middle-end of May (in the southern regions) or the beginning of June. Watermelon belongs to heat-loving plants, it does not withstand frost and does not tolerate temperature drops to 5-10 ° C. For the normal development of the plant, the temperature should be from 20-25 ° C and above (optimal - 30 ° C). Of great importance is the humidity of the air (it should ideally be 60%) and soil. On the one hand, thanks to a powerful root system, watermelon survives even in arid regions. However, if you want to get large, juicy and tasty fruits, then you need to maintain soil moisture at a certain level.

As mentioned above, watermelon seeds remain viable for 4-5 years. At the same time, two-year-old seeds are considered the most suitable for sowing, since plants grown from fresh seeds (from the previous crop) are not particularly prolific. In extreme cases, annual seeds can also be planted, but in this case it is recommended to warm them up to 60 ° C for a couple of hours. To obtain uniform seedlings, melon seeds are pre-sprouted. To do this, they are wrapped in gauze, dipped in warm water for four hours, and then laid out on wet burlap, wrapped in cloth and kept in it for two days. After that, they can be planted in the ground.

If you want to plant watermelons earlier than usual (in the second half of May), then you can grow them in seedlings using peat cups, as gourds do not tolerate transplanting. When planting watermelon seeds early, they must first be hardened off to increase their resistance to cold. To do this, they are first soaked, and then hardened for 1-2 days at a temperature of 0 to 20 °C.

Watermelon prefers mechanically light or sandy soils that warm up quickly in the sun. It is best if perennial grasses, winter wheat, corn for silage, green fodder or legumes were grown on the field before melons. Experts recommend returning watermelon crops to the previous place of cultivation of the same or other crops of the pumpkin family no earlier than in 5-8 years. However, this rule is often not respected.

Experienced people advise laying watermelon seeds in the soil not vertically, but horizontally on their side. Thus, it will be easier for the leaves to break through the thick shell of the seed. In open ground, watermelons are planted in rows or nesting. Take into account the fact that one plant should have a fairly large space. This requirement is due, firstly, to the length of the lashes, and secondly, to the size of the fruits, for the ripening of which plants need a very large amount of nutrients. Watermelon seeds are sown manually in shallow holes 4-6 cm deep. 2-3 seeds are placed in one hole, then it is filled with water and covered with earth.

Shoots appear, as a rule, on the tenth - eleventh days of sowing. After another week, the first leaf blooms, and the main shoot begins to form at least two weeks later, or even later, depending on the variety. Caring for gourds is standard - weeding and loosening the soil, removing weeds and regular watering. For the whole season, you need to weed and loosen the melon at least four times, but water it - from 3-4 to 9-12 times per season, depending on the weather and the condition of the plants. When the central leaves of plants begin to wilt, this is a sure sign that they are not getting enough moisture. Watermelons need to be watered warm water(temperature from 15 ° C) to the very root. Watering should be relatively plentiful so that moisture penetrates deep into the entire arable layer. Water consumption is from 50 to 100 cubic meters per hectare. In not very dry weather, the next, more abundant watering is done after the formation of the ovary and when the fruits reach a weight of 3-5 kg. In this case, the water consumption can be 150 cubic meters per hectare. It is extremely important to develop your own schedule and watering rates, depending on the region and weather conditions, and strictly adhere to them. A lack or excess of moisture can cut the resulting yield by more than half. With excessive watering, there is a high risk of developing various fungal diseases of plants, and excess moisture during fruit ripening can adversely affect their quality: watermelons will turn out unsweetened and watery.

At the beginning of growth, melons and gourds are recommended to be fertilized with cowshed infusion (rotted manure). After harvesting, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied for digging melons (half the dose of phosphorus and nitrogen and half the dose of potassium). In some manuals, you can find recommendations for additional fertilization of melons in the spring with nitrogen fertilizers. However, they must be used with extreme caution. Excessively large doses of nitrogen fertilizers reduce the taste of fruits, which, although they grow larger, do not have a characteristic sweet taste. Moreover, high levels of nitrates can be harmful to human health.

With proper care (with regular weed removal), suitable climate, favorable weather conditions, fertile soil and watering, 20-40 tons of crops can be harvested per hectare of sown area when grown on the ground, and 40-70 tons when grown on film. As we mentioned above, the ripening process for early-ripening fruits takes 60-85 days, for mid-ripening and late-ripening fruits - an average of 100 days. You can determine the maturity of the fetus by its appearance- elasticity and brilliance of the bark, its color, brightness of the pattern. If you hit a ripe fruit with your palm, the sound will be deaf. When squeezing such a watermelon, a crackling of the pulp inside is heard. In cool weather, ripe watermelons can remain on melons for up to a month. However, in extreme heat, they burn out in less than a week under the scorching rays of the sun, so take care of the room for storing ripe fruits and timely harvesting in advance.

Growing watermelons in greenhouses

Profitable franchises

If you want to get an early and / or more abundant harvest, if you plan to grow watermelons in regions where the climate is not suitable for gourds, then you can not do without greenhouses. The following varieties of watermelons are suitable for greenhouse cultivation: F1 Gift to the North, Cinderella, Ultra Early, F1 Charleston near Moscow, Ogonyok, Pannonia F1, F1 Rose Champagne, Siberian, F1 Krimstar ".

Seedlings for the greenhouse are recommended to be sown in the second half of April. For forcing seedlings, a special mixture is prepared, which includes three parts of humus with one part of the earth, a tablespoon of potash and nitrogen fertilizers, three tablespoons of phosphorus fertilizer. Also, if you do not use mineral fertilizers, you can add a glass of wood ash and one teaspoon of potassium sulfate per bucket of soil mixture.

As with sowing seeds in open ground, when planting seedlings, they are laid to a shallow depth - up to 2-3 cm. Before germination, the soil with seeds should be kept at a temperature of 22-25 ° C. When the first shoots appear, the temperature can drop at night to a maximum of 15-17 ° C.

In general, care for watermelon seedlings is the same as for cucumber seedlings. It is necessary to provide the shoots with a long daylight hours - from 12 to 14 hours, otherwise, if there is a lack of light, they will begin to stretch too quickly, giving long but weak shoots. You can provide the necessary lighting with the help of special lamps that are used for greenhouse crops. A week after germination, it is recommended to shade the seedlings with a black film from 18 to 8 hours (from evening to morning). On the tenth day after the shoots appear, the plants are fed with mineral fertilizers (10-15 grams of potassium chloride, ammonia sulfur, 20-25 grams of superphosphate per 10 liters of water).

Do not forget to prepare the soil in the greenhouse in advance for planting seedlings. It is planted only in "warm" beds. To prepare them, a week before planting, a layer of earth 15-20 cm thick is removed from the soil. Hay with humus is laid in this trench, which is sprinkled with nitrogen fertilizers and abundantly moistened hot water, and then covered with soil and black film. After the soil warms up to at least 10-12 ° C, it will be possible to plant seedlings in it to a depth of 10 cm. - in the third decade of April - the first decade of May. When the lashes appear and as they grow, they are tied to the trellises, and the fruits themselves, due to their large weight, are recommended to be hung in nets. For the rapid growth of plants, the lashes are pinched, leaving three leaves above the fruit and removing weak shoots.

The greenhouse must be regularly ventilated, avoiding drafts. It is desirable that insects that pollinate female flowers get into the greenhouse. However, you can do it yourself. To do this, carefully monitor the appearance of male flowers, which fade very quickly. With manual pollination, they are plucked, the petals are carefully removed and the anthers are applied to the stigma of female flowers several times. Experts advise doing this in the morning at an air temperature of about 20 ° C, but only on condition that the night before this the air temperature did not drop below 12 ° C.

Do not forget to leave enough seeds after harvesting for the next crops. Watermelons that grow from these seeds resist various diseases better and grow faster.

Ripe watermelons are sold to wholesale companies, private sellers, directly to end customers and through fruit and vegetable stores. With small volumes, it is most profitable to sell watermelons on your own, since wholesale prices differ from retail ones at times.

Sysoeva Lilia

business calculator

Calculate the profit, payback, profitability of any business in 10 seconds.

Enter initial investment

Save the article to carefully study the material

All materials by tag: agribusiness

20.08.2014 10:00:00

Even more interesting

20 types of business for retirees

Older people should pay attention to the most relaxed types of businesses that either do not require complex processes, or are cheap to open, or provide an opportunity to make money on a hobby.

Business plan for growing cherry tomatoes indoors

Business plan for growing cherry tomatoes indoors in the city of Rostov-on-Don. Starting investments - 1,600,000 rubles. Net profit in the first year of operation - 1,038,892 rubles ....

Overview of the pea market in Russia

The pea market in Russia is showing growth. Because internal needs provided by 99%, exports are growing at the highest rate (+124.6% compared to 2014).

Overview of the tomato market in Russia

Tomato market in Russia: fees are increasing, imports are declining, so far no one can replace Turkish greenhouse tomatoes.

Overview of the grain corn market in Russia

The Russian corn market in recent years has shown growth in all respects. In 2016, a record harvest of corn was harvested, exports are breaking records, and domestic consumption is increasing.

Overview of the triticale market in Russia

Triticale production in Russia from 2009 to 2016 increased by 22.8%. The largest producing region of this crop is the Belgorod region, which has a share of 16.9%.

The art of merchandising: how to sell vegetables and fruits beautifully

What sellers of vegetables and fruits go to do to stand out from the background of numerous competitors! And they have a lot to learn: just look at what miracles of merchandising they do.

Many gardeners grow gourds(watermelons, melons, pumpkins) various kinds and varieties on their summer cottages. As a result, many questions often arise. For example, do you need to pinch the shoots, like cucumbers, at the beginning of growth? What are the soil requirements? How often should pumpkins and melons be watered in summer? The fight against diseases of these plants is also important.

Here are some expert advice on the subject.
Melons and gourds are heat-loving plants. Seed germination begins at a temperature of 13-15 ° C for melon, 16-17 - for watermelon, 12 - for pumpkin. The most favorable for the growth and development of plants is the average daily temperature above 15°C, optimal for pumpkin - 20°C, for watermelon and melon - 22-30°C. Plants of gourds light-loving, and when darkened, the yield, sugar and taste of the fruit are reduced. Melon plants are relatively resistant to air drought in the presence of moisture in the soil. Plants are especially demanding of moisture during the period of seed germination and emergence of seedlings. Pumpkins need moisture and consume it in greater quantities than melons and watermelons.

The lack of moisture in the soil and the dryness of the air during flowering and fruit growth have a negative effect. Excess moisture at this time reduces the sugar content in fruits, palatability, and contributes to the spread of diseases.

Gourds grow and develop better on light soils with a sufficient content of organic matter, pumpkins grow well on heavy loamy soils when organic fertilizers are applied. Good results are obtained by local application of 300-500 g of humus, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt to the wells. Melons and watermelons are best grown on light, well-warmed soils located on gentle southern and southwestern slopes, protected from the winds.

Before sowing, the seeds of watermelons and melons are heated for 5 hours at a temperature of 50 ° C and at 60-70 ° C for 2 hours, then disinfection is carried out in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 25-30 minutes, followed by washing with running water . Can be disinfected with 0.5% solution blue vitriol within 24 hours (against bacteriosis). Pumpkin tolerates better than other gourds early dates sowing, so sowing in open ground in the southern regions of Siberia, in particular in Altai, is carried out on May 10-20, watermelons and melons - on May 18-25. Pumpkin seeding scheme: 200×100 cm and 200×20 cm 2-3 plants per hole to a depth of 5-8 cm, watermelon and melon according to the scheme 100×100 cm, 150×60-70 cm and 150×100 cm 1-2 plants per hole or 1 plant per 1m2. Embedding depth seeds Z-b cm, depending on size. For watermelons and melons, it is better to make ridges 10-15 cm high and 30-40 cm wide or ridges. In the soil, first add humus or compost at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 linear meter and the same amount of sod land, 15-20 g of nitrogen fertilizers and potash and 30-40 g of phosphorus. Dig everything carefully. When growing melon and watermelon through seedlings, sowing is carried out in humus-earthen cubes or pots 7x7x8 cm in size, filled with a mixture of soddy soil, humus, peat or sawdust in a ratio of 1:1:1. Seedlings 15-20 days old (from seedlings) take root better, which are planted in the ground on June 10-15, when the threat of frost has passed. In order to get ripe fruits of melon and watermelon 10-15 days earlier, seedlings are planted under temporary shelters in the phase of 2-3 true leaves on May 20-25.

When growing gourds in open ground, it is better to irrigate in the phase of 2-3 true leaves or when planting seedlings, at the beginning of flowering and in the first period of fruit growth. Water abundantly and no more than 1 time per week. After watering and rain, loosening is necessary, especially on heavy soils. When ripe, watering is stopped.

Melon plants form the crop mainly on shoots of the first and second orders and, to speed up maturation, do pinching the main shoot over 5-6 m real leaf. Then, when the ovary reaches a size of 5 cm, pinch the lateral shoot over the 2-3rd leaf after the ovary. In watermelons and pumpkins, the first female flowers are formed on the main stem, so pinching them at an early age delays ripening. For all gourds, to accelerate ripening, a month before the first frost, it is necessary to pinch the tops of all lashes. Bacteriosis, anthracnose, fusarium wilt, ascochitosis are the main diseases spread in the region on melons and gourds. Disease control measures on pumpkin (melon) crops. 1. Disinfection of seeds and selection of disease-resistant varieties. Disinfection of seeds against bacteriosis is carried out: a) in a 0.5% solution of copper sulphate for 24 hours; b) soaking the seeds for a day in a 0.02% solution of zinc sulfate, followed by airing to flowability. Against anthracnose, to increase plant immunity, seeds are soaked in a 0.2% solution of trace elements (manganese, copper, boron) before sowing. 2. Since the source of diseases, in addition to seeds, are plant residues, it is necessary to remove them from the site, and place the pumpkin in the old place in 3-4 years. 3. During the growing season of plants against the listed diseases, the plants are treated with a 0.1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. Against bacteriosis and anthracnose - spraying with a 0.15% solution of copper sulfate. With ascochitosis, especially on the stems, the affected areas are powdered or coated with a mixture of copper sulfate and chalk or crushed coal. With Fusarium wilt, the soil is also the source of infection. Therefore, before sowing and planting seedlings, water the soil with a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate; introduction of trichodermin into the soil, both during planting and during the growing season.

Everyone knows that today buying vegetables in the market from unknown people is quite risky for many reasons.

But there is a way out: grow vegetables in your area. However, in the middle lane, where summer is short for the ripening of watermelons and melons, this is quite difficult to do. But probably!

Do you want an early harvest? Plant seedlings on the window!

Not everyone knows that melons, which are generally planted in central Russia with seeds in the soil in early June, it is quite possible to start growing them already in March on your window.

Why do people rarely use this method? Yes, it is very difficult to simply transplant seedlings of cucumbers, melons, watermelons - their roots are tender and quite sensitive to various kinds of injuries.
It is for this that melon seedlings are prepared in special peat pots, which are then planted directly in them.

And if there are none, then you can make a container ... from plain paper!
On a bottle, for example, a deodorant with a diameter of 3-4 cm, a strip of a sheet 9-10 cm wide is wound so that about 4 cm remains free on the edge. This will be the bottom of the container. It must be crushed in such a way that a glass is obtained. Then the container is carefully removed from the template and filled with earth. This is where the seed is planted.

Seedling care is normal: sunlight, regular watering. It is only important not to fill the glass with water so that it does not get wet right on the window.

In late May - early June, seedlings can be planted in the ground just as directly in a cup. During watering, it will get wet in the ground, and the roots will freely penetrate deep into. This is all the more useful because paper (or a peat cup) protects the roots from the cold for some time. And the need to penetrate the walls of the container is some “charging” for them. So they will become stronger and stronger.

The sprout will be covered by a matryoshka-greenhouse - let it not be afraid of frost at all!

You can plant seeds directly into the ground. They also do this at the end of May. And so that our shoots do not freeze, they are covered plastic bottles. And there is one trick here.
A liter eggplant cut from the bottom is covered with a seed or seedlings, slightly sinking its edge into the ground. You can cover its edge with sand. It is best to remove the cover - it will interfere with watering.

On top of the second shelter will be a larger plastic container of 3 or 5 liters. It is also cut off from below and placed on top of a small one. The lid is left closed. And watering can be done through the neck of the bottles. Of course, during this procedure, the cover is removed.
When the seedlings no longer fit under the bottom bottle, it is removed, leaving only the top. It can be kept over seedlings until mid-June.

Melons are very susceptible to heat and light - this is not a secret. Therefore, they should be planted only in open space, where there are no shading.

Although there are some difficulties here: in extreme heat, plants can burn out. Therefore, on such days it is better to cover gourds from the rays with burdock leaves and newspapers. If possible, you can even pull an awning over them to create a shadow.

Curls, my watermelon curls - it will taste sweet!

So that melon bushes do not fill the ground around, do not interfere with weeding and watering, it is best for them to make a support - let them crawl up, clinging with their antennae! This is both aesthetically pleasing and convenient, and protects the shoots from decay.

Watering water, but do not rot the entire crop!

Another problem for gardeners middle lane Russia - sometimes the fruits lying on the ground rot, just a disaster! Especially on cold and rainy days.
And in order to prevent this incident, experienced melon growers pour a pile of sand at the root neck of the plant - a hill of 2-3 cm. You can use hay or straw.

And many more put planks under the fruits. Others even put nets on them and hang them from supports - and it is not difficult for the bushes to hold them, and they do not come into contact with the ground, and worms and slugs will not get to the fruits.

And there are those who care about the convenience of storing melons. After all, round fruits have the ability to ride, which creates some inconvenience. And if the ovary is immediately placed in a transparent container with a flat bottom, for example, in a five-liter plastic eggplant, then the fruit will gradually fill it and take the shape of a rectangle. This is how you can kill two birds with one stone at once: protect the vegetable from rot and give it its original shape.

We water the melon on the sidelines - we will have a bountiful harvest!

In the northern regions, groundwater often lies quite close to the surface. And the roots of gourds grow intensively in depth. But, reaching the aquifer, they begin to rot.
Cunning gardeners figured out how to deceive nature. If you water the plant not at the roots, but somewhat on the sidelines, then this trouble can be avoided. In this case, the roots will grow in breadth, feeling the moisture.

We just make a groove along the bed - we pour water there during irrigation. But do not forget to loosen and mulch the groove the next day to avoid the formation of an earthen crust. Yes, and watering after the formation of ovaries should be reduced. It is needed only in the heat.

We cut off the extra lashes - we do not interfere with the harvest!

To get the most delicious fruits already in August, you need to take care of this in advance. To do this, you should trim the extra lashes - the plant spends its strength on them, and absolutely all the fruits that have begun to ripen in the conditions of the middle lane will not be able to ripen, this is a proven fact.

Therefore, watermelons need to cut out all the side lashes, leaving only the main one - female flowers form on it. Leave no more than 6 ovaries on one bush.
For melons, the main lash above the 6th leaf should be removed. Also, do not allow the plant to "feed" more than 5-6 fruits.

Taking advantage useful tips, which experienced experts share, even a novice gardener will be able to pamper his family with gourds grown with his own hands.

Video about growing watermelons 20-35 kg.

Lecture plan:

a) features of the agricultural technology of melon growing on sandy soils;

b) agricultural technology for growing melons and gourds on irrigated lands;

c) agrotechnics of fodder melons;

d) agricultural technology for growing melons and gourds on drip irrigation.

1. Features of agrotechnics of melon growing on sandy soils.

In our country, melon growing on sandy soils occupies quite a large area. Biggest Harvest gourds are given on unused sandy loam enriched organic matter and on sandy loam soils. Of the gourds, watermelon develops best on sandy loamy soils.

On sandy soils melons and gourds give higher yields, higher quality and lower cost.

However, in order to obtain high yields of gourds on the sands, it is necessary to apply specific cultivation techniques. These include: crop rotations with perennial herbs, the introduction of large doses of humus, spring plowing of the soil, various anti-erosion measures, such as sowing wings, planting forest belts, and other techniques specific to melon growing on sandy soils.

On sandy soils, in most cases, deep autumn plowing is used, which is especially useful for a horizon with layers of sand compacted to a solid state. Such deep plowing is carried out, usually in two years on the third. On very soft sandy soils in areas with strong winds, autumn plowing is not used to avoid wind erosion, and the main tillage is carried out in the spring. It consists of plowing to a depth of 25 - 27 cm with simultaneous harrowing in one track. It is best to carry out plantation plowing on sandy soils. At the same time, sometimes plowing is done in strips 70 - 80 m wide, and unplowed strips 5 - 6 m wide are left between them. The strips protect the crop from wind, sand and dust, and serve as a place for the removal of fruits for transportation.

For the northern regions of Kazakhstan with sandy soils, the scientist Ehrenburg, for example, recommends: Sowing strips 50-100 m wide, occupied by gourds, alternate with intervals of the same width, occupied by perennial grasses. After 3 - 4 years, the grass layer is plowed under melons, and the former melon strips are occupied with perennial grasses. The stripes are usually located across the prevailing winds. Good results are obtained by rolling the field after sowing with annular rollers, which increase the yield of gourds by almost 40%.

On sandy and sandy loamy soils, rotted manure with deep plowing gives a great effect. It improves the water regime of sandy soils and enriches them with organic matter in the zone of the greatest development of the root system. It is applied at a dose of 30-40 tons per hectare. Simultaneously with manure, mineral fertilizers are given: 3 - 4 centners of superphosphate, 2 - 3 centners of ammonium sulfate and 1.5 - 2 centners per hectare of 40% potassium salt. On sandy soils, the incorporation of organic and mineral fertilizers should be as deep as possible.

For melons and gourds, sandy soils with a shear level of groundwater are most characteristic. With a deep occurrence of groundwater, they become inaccessible to plants, and when they stand close, they displace soil air and lead to wilting of plants.

In areas where a large amount of precipitation falls in the form of snow, snow retention is effective, which allows increasing soil moisture reserves.

Spring tillage on sandy soils consists of one pre-sowing cultivation, which is aimed at the destruction of weeds.

Seeds of gourds on sandy soils are sown somewhat deeper than on bound soils, and the feeding area is provided significantly, more: for watermelons, for example, from 4 to 9 m2, instead of 1.5 - 3 m2, and for pumpkins from 8 to 11 m2 , instead of 2 - 4 m2.

On sandy soils, a strong positive effect on melons and gourds is provided by feeding them with fertilizers in liquid form. Fertilizer rates for top dressing are as follows: bird droppings give 4 - 8 centners, ammonium sulfate 1.5 centners, superphosphate 3.5 centners and potassium salt 0.7 centners per hectare. The first top dressing is applied to a depth of 6 - 8 cm, the second - to 10 - 12 cm.

Cultivation of row-spacings on sandy soils is carried out in the same way as on connected soils, but taking into account the spraying of the topsoil. On sandy soils, they try to reduce the number of inter-row cultivation to a minimum, and in the absence of weeds, do not carry out at all.

Forest belts on sandy soils are planted 10 m wide with an inter-strip space of 140 m. They increase the yield of gourds by 30-100% and accelerate the ripening of fruits by 10-12 days.

Sorghum, corn, sunflower, winter rye, sudanese and other tall plants. The wings are placed at a distance of 20 m from each other. In width, they consist of 2-3 rows of tilled tall plants. Backstage, as forest belts, according to research, also increase the yield of gourds by 30 - 100%.

An important method of erosion control is the furrowing of the field. Furrowing is carried out with a single-hull plow with plumb lines in the middle of the row spacing, 6 m along and 6 m across the rows. The groove, as it falls asleep, is restored periodically every 10 days.

The above methods of agricultural technology make it possible to obtain second crops of gourds on sandy soils. These techniques also make it possible to protect light sandy soils from erosion, by which they are damaged to some extent than cohesive soils.

2. Agricultural technology for growing melons and gourds on irrigated lands.

During the growing season, watering of gourds should be carried out with a decrease in soil moisture in a layer of 0 - 80 cm to 80% HB with an irrigation rate of 500 - 700 m3 / ha.

Watering is carried out until the melon wilts and, depending on soil moisture, to maintain it at the above optimal level and is repeated after 5-15 days. Then watering is not carried out for about 30 - 40 days until the time the ovaries appear on the plants. berry fruits. Such a long break in watering is necessary in order to increase the growth of roots in depth, delay the growth of the vegetative mass and accelerate the onset of fruit formation. After a break, from the moment the ovaries appear on the melon, watering is resumed and carried out when the soil moisture decreases from 0 - 80 cm to 80% HB. Watering continues until the time of the final formation of the fruits, so that the ripening of the fruits does not take place during the dry period. If melons are watered regularly, without interruptions during flowering and fruit ripening, then, as melon growers say, the ovaries will fall off on the plants, and the set and formed fruits will not be able to ripen normally and will be watery, not sweet.

Watering gourds is recommended along the furrows, since sprinkling causes the development of fungal diseases, in particular powdery mildew and anthracnose. The best time for watering gourds is night and morning hours. Night watering not only increases the yield of melons, but also reduces their incidence of Fusarium wilt.

After watering melon plants loosen and spud. Plants are spudded for the first time when 1-2 true leaves appear. When hilling, the soil is sprinkled with a small roller around the plant. During irrigation, the earth settles, and during inter-row cultivation, the rollers are destroyed, therefore, usually in the phase of 3-4 true leaves, a second hilling is done. The roller protects the root neck from flooding during watering.

Hilling is a mandatory technique when growing gourds in irrigated conditions.

In general, watering correctly carried out at the optimal time leads to an increase in the size of the fruit, a large yield of marketable products, an earlier harvest and an increase in the efficiency of fertilizers.

3. Agrotechnics of fodder melons.

Fodder melons include fodder watermelon, fodder pumpkins and squash. Forage gourds are a valuable special feed for all types of agricultural animals. Their practical significance is due to the fact that, along with silage in winter, they replace green grass. Feed melons, like fodder root crops, are easily absorbed by the animal's body. They contain a significant amount of carbohydrates and vitamins, stimulate the appetite of animals, improve digestion and promote best use roughage. They increase the productivity of dairy cows, the egg production of chickens, the fattening of pigs and other animals. In terms of nutritional value, fodder melons, and especially fodder pumpkin, not only are not inferior to fodder root crops, but significantly exceed them.

Fodder melons - zucchini, fodder watermelon and pumpkin are included in the green conveyor schemes and are their mandatory components in all regions of Ukraine.

The best predecessor for all melons and gourds is the herbal layer of a perennial cereal-bean mixture. Good yields can also be obtained by sowing gourds on virgin lands and perennial natural fallows.

On chernozem soils rich in humus, tilled crops, such as, for example, corn, millet, can be allowed as a predecessor.

Melons are good predecessors for all grain and row crops.

The place of gourds in the crop rotation also depends on the purpose of cultivation, for example, when using fodder gourds in summer to feed cows or pigs, they must be sown near livestock in summer.

When harvesting fodder melons for the winter, they should be cultivated near the winter location of livestock to reduce the cost of transfer.

Autumn basic soil preparation for fodder melons and gourds does not differ from soil preparation for other crops.

If fodder melons are sown on grain crops, then immediately after their harvesting, the stubble is peeled to a depth of 4 - 5 cm. After 2 - 3 weeks, after the germination of weeds, the plot is plowed deeply. With deeper autumn plowing, a higher yield and better quality of melons and gourds are obtained than with shallow plowing.

In the spring, as the ridges of the plowing area dry out, cultivation is carried out once or twice to preserve moisture and better warm the soil.

Fodder melons belong to crops late sowing Therefore, to protect the soil from overgrowing with weeds, it is advisable to carry out pre-sowing cultivation of the soil with a cultivator and a cultivator to a depth of at least 10-12 cm simultaneously with pre-sowing cultivation after harrowing in one or two tracks, it is easier to avoid unnecessary moisture loss.

In general, it is necessary to ensure that in the spring before sowing the field is loosened and free from weeds.

All fodder melons are very fond of fresh, undepleted soils and require a good harvest in non-arable lands. Particularly well called for introduction organic fertilizers. In our southern conditions, more soil at a dose of 15 - 20 tons per hectare must be applied in the fall before plowing. Spring application of humus is unacceptable, because for its incorporation it will be necessary to plow the soil, which is associated with a greater loss of moisture. The introduction of humus should be carried out immediately before plowing the land. Of the mineral fertilizers, superphosphate gives the greatest effect in our southern conditions, which is applied under autumn plowing in the amount of 2-5 centners per hectare, depending on growing conditions.

For sowing, you need to take seeds only good quality, best 1 class. Seeds should be large, well poured and ripe. For these purposes, the seeds are sorted, discarding small, immature and feeble.

Choosing the right time for sowing fodder melons is a moment of exceptional importance. These crops should not be sown too early in the spring, as if sown too early, the seeds do not germinate for a long time and rot in the soil.

The temperature of the soil at a depth of 10 cm when sowing gourds should be at least 10 ° C for pumpkin, and at least 12 ° C for fodder watermelon. Observations show that the decisive moment, for example, for the emergence of friendly seedlings of fodder watermelon is the average air temperature (morning, afternoon and evening) of 15 ° C for at least 1-2 days. Usually, fodder melons are sown in our country in late April - early May. However, the exact calendar dates of sowing cannot be established, since the course of spring, even in the same region, is not the same in different years. In general, fodder marrows are sown first, then pumpkins, and fodder watermelons are sown last.

It is very important that there are no frosts after the emergence of gourds, since at temperatures below zero they die.

Seeding rates for fodder crops range from 2 to 4 kg/ha and depend on the crop, sowing pattern and seed size. The size of the seeds varies relatively little in fodder watermelon and varies greatly in different types of pumpkins. Bush pumpkins (zucchini, squash) are always sown more densely (with a smaller feeding area) and therefore more seeds per 1 hectare are required.

The yield of gourds to some extent depends on the choice of the correct feeding area. There are varieties that produce very long, but not numerous lashes, intertwining with neighboring plants, but not particularly obscuring each other.

A normal yield of fodder melons can be obtained only when favorable conditions are created for the full development of shoots. In thickened crops of gourds, some plants are oppressed by others, which reduces the yield and worsens the quality of the fruit. In the south of Ukraine, the best feeding area for fodder watermelons will be 3 m2, for pumpkin 2 - 4 m2, for fodder marrows 0.5 - 1 m2.

When placing plants on the square, one must reckon with the biology of growth - it scatters its lashes in all directions and therefore each plant must be taken as far as possible in a square. The pumpkin stretches with its main lash most often to the east, occupying an elongated figure with its shoots and leaves, so the area where pumpkin plants should be placed should have an elongated shape from west to east, zucchini have a greatly shortened main lash, so that the bush almost does not stretch eastward, therefore they, like fodder watermelons, require a square footprint.

Seeds of fodder gourds are sown in three ways in row, two-line tape and nesting. With an ordinary method of sowing fodder watermelon and pumpkins with a row spacing of 1.4; 2.1 and 2.8 meters, zucchini with a row spacing of 70 cm.

Sowing fodder pumpkin with a two-line belt method is carried out according to the scheme (2.1 + 0.7) × 1.4 m, it is better to sow fodder watermelons and zucchini in a square way as per the watermelon scheme 1.4 × 1.4 m, zucchini according to scheme 0, 7×0.7 m.

Seeds of fodder gourds are sown to a depth of 4 to 7 cm, the depth of seed placement depends on proper and timely care.

Care should primarily pursue the goal of maintaining moisture in the soil, providing the crop with nutrients, and controlling weeds, diseases and pests.

The main methods of care are cultivation, loosening of row spacings, weeding with simultaneous thinning of plants. The number of spacings between treatments depends on the weediness of the field and the state of the weather, and during the growing season of plants varies from 3 to 5. Especially great importance has loosening of row spacing in dry years.

The procedure for performing work on caring for crops is as follows: after the emergence of seedlings, the first loosening is performed.

With the appearance of the first true leaf in the plants, the cultivation of row spacings is carried out, after 15-18 days, if there are weed roots on the site, the next cultivation is done. When cultivating row spacings, the cultivator must be adjusted so that the undercutting implements do not damage the roots of the plants. Simultaneously with the second cultivation, the final thinning of the seedlings is done, leaving one plant per hole.

The third inter-row cultivation is carried out when the lashes have already grown. Before cultivation, these whips are passed and thrown temporarily on the beds to avoid damage by machines. After cultivation, the whips are placed in their previous positions and at the same time the soil is manually loosened in rows. The straightened lashes are immediately sprinkled with earth near the shoots so that they take on additional roots and improve the supply of plants with moisture and nutrient minerals. Fixing and sprinkling the lashes with earth is quite a big job. They try to attach it or pin it with hooked branches or the device of special wind-shelter wings from tall crops used for silage, such as sunflowers, corn, and sorghum. Three-row backstage, laid simultaneously with the sowing of melons, every 15 - 20 m across the prevailing winds, give good protection from the wind and at the same time completely prevent the twisting of the lashes and the death of part of the assimilation apparatus of plants - watermelons, pumpkins - when twisting the lashes, even the death of young ovaries due to burning by the sun is observed.

Undoubtedly, backstage plants also consume water and nutrients for their development, so melons located along them give a smaller yield, but the backstage themselves are of particular value, since they go for food along with fodder watermelons and pumpkins.

Fertilizing plants during their growing season gives very good results. Feeding should be done in early periods plant growth. Only then can it have an impact on the harvest.

If top dressing is given once for the whole summer, then it is better to carry it out before the formation of lashes; if 2 - 3 times, then the first top dressing is given at the stage of 4 - 5 leaves, the second - at the formation of lashes and the third - at the beginning of fruit set. When applying liquid top dressing, the solution should not be allowed to get on the plants so as not to cause them a burn.

However, it is important not only to grow the crop, but also to harvest it efficiently, in a timely manner and without loss.

Pumpkins and watermelons are harvested depending on the conditions of fruit ripening.

Pumpkins are harvested as the fruits ripen, which is recognized by their color and hardness.

And open ground is not fraught with great difficulties. Some summer residents refuse to plant gourds, considering it inappropriate to occupy a large area of ​​​​the site. Meanwhile, these crops get along well together and give an excellent harvest, subject to certain rules. In a compact garden plot, it is not necessary to allocate a separate place for melons and watermelons, they can be planted side by side and enjoy juicy sweet fruits.

Seed treatment before planting

Seed material is planted in peat forms at the end of April. Before sowing, it is advisable to warm the seeds well indoors or near a heating device. It is also recommended to soak them in warm water and disinfect in one of the solutions:

• hydrogen peroxide solution is prepared at the rate of 10 tablets per liter of water;
• a weak solution of manganese or boron 0.05% concentration;
• "Epin extra", the stimulant is diluted as follows: 6 drops of bioadditives per 100 ml of water;
• "Zircon", the solution is prepared at the rate of 2-4 drops of liquid per liter of water.

Treatment with biostimulants will not only destroy pathogens, but also allow plants to adapt to temperature disasters, and also increase crop yields. Soaking is carried out in a cotton bag, which is dipped in heated (about 60 °) water, the liquid is allowed to drain and left for a day. During this time, the seeds should swell and crack a little. If this did not happen, planting them in the ground does not make sense: the culture will turn out to be weak. When planting, 2 seeds are placed in each mold, in the future this will allow you to remove a weaker branch.

Simultaneous soaking and warming the seeds is the best preparation for seedlings. Melons are watered only with water at room temperature, while making sure that it does not irrigate the leaves. Seedlings of gourds are quite capricious and require good lighting, warmth and careful watering.

Special soil is sold in stores, but you can cook it yourself. To do this, add to suitable soil mineral fertilizer"Kemira universal". For each pot, 1 teaspoon is enough, then the earth is well mixed. Seeds are buried to a depth of 2-3 cm and watered. Under favorable conditions, the first shoots appear on the 5-6th day, and after a week you can see the first leaf.

Planting gourds in covered ground is carried out at the end of May. By this time, the soil will already warm up enough, and frosts will not damage the root system. Previously, young plants are recommended to be hardened, for this they are taken out into the street at a temperature of 13-15 degrees or the air in the room is cooled to these figures. best age seedlings for planting is approximately 25-30 days.

Before planting, the soil is covered with plastic wrap, in which holes for peat containers are cut. This allows not only to protect heat-loving crops from low temperatures, but also increases productivity. Fertilizers are additionally added to the wells: humus, ash or mineral additives. From above, the nutrients are covered with a layer of earth.

The greenhouse should maintain optimal temperature and light conditions. The temperature during the day should be 20-25°, and at night - 15-18°. Water moderately and infrequently with warm water. To prevent condensation, the greenhouse must be periodically ventilated. Watermelons and melons are quite sensitive to excess moisture, their seedlings can rot, and the fruits themselves grow watery and tasteless. If it gets colder outside, you should cover the soil and young shoots with a film, cotton cloth or paper.

At the time of planting gourds in the greenhouse, you can have time to harvest young cabbage, early radishes and greens. This will not only additionally warm the soil, but also save space.

Boarding order

The scheme of planting in open ground is as follows. The distance between plants should be 40-50 cm for watermelons and 50-60 cm for melons. When grown together in a greenhouse, watermelons and melons are planted in a checkerboard pattern. Peat containers are buried shallowly in the ground, there should be a gap of about 3 cm between the leaves and the ground. This trick will further protect the plant from disease and decay.

When planting, the scheme and the distance between the rows are taken into account. It is usually recommended to plant in 2 rows, between which a piece of land 50 cm wide is left. The next planting of melons in the ground is carried out at a distance of 80 cm from the first rows.

Care for melons in the greenhouse

Caring for watermelons and melons is not particularly difficult and not too laborious. Young shoots can be covered with cut plastic bottles, this protective frame allows you to increase the yield. As the plant grows, the bottle is removed or replaced with a higher shelter. When the stem has grown sufficiently in length, it is attached to a special support - a trellis, you can tie the top with a thread to the ceiling of the greenhouse. Heavy fruits are placed in nets, cardboard boxes. The main thing is that they do not come into contact with the ground.

7-10 days after planting, you can feed with nitrogen fertilizer - urea or nitrate, for this, 20 grams of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water.

Caring for gourds consists in loosening the soil, watering and top dressing. It is necessary to ensure that after planting, weeds do not appear between the sprouts. Young plants are watered once a week, then it is allowed to do this twice a month.

Watermelons and melons are drought-resistant crops, they germinate in the southern regions, where the absence of rain for a long time is considered normal. When the first fruits appear, watering is stopped. Irrigate melons should be carefully, making sure that water does not get on the root part of the stem. Otherwise, the culture may be damaged by rot.

Every 2-3 weeks, the soil should be fertilized with mullein infusion and minerals. During feeding, a small handful of ash can be added to each well.

Artificial pollination in a greenhouse is carried out by a male flower, it is determined by its impressive size. The flower is plucked and applied to female flowers. Before pollination, the crop should not be watered so that excess moisture does not affect the quality of the pollen. Many gardeners attract bees to pollination: they open the doors of the greenhouse, put saucers with sugar syrup.

plant formation

As they grow, the stems are bred in different directions. In the future, they are tied to wooden or metal trellises.

To teach a good harvest, you must follow the rules.

• On melons stop the apical part of the stem. This procedure will be sufficient for early ripening varieties. Late-ripening varieties of melon are docked differently. In addition to removing the top, the side parts are also examined, their thickness and power are estimated. Young lashes are removed, leaving 3-4 strong branches.
• With watermelons will have to tinker. The cultivation of this culture is carried out in one stem, it is chosen according to the presence of shoots in the leaf axils. The stems on which there is no ovary are removed, the rest are pinched. When the culture grows above the size of the trellis, the apical lash is re-pinched at the level of the 4-5th leaf.

Features of growing in open ground

Before planting plants in open ground, you should decide on a place. Watermelons and melons prefer to grow in somewhat elevated flat areas that are well warmed up and illuminated by the sun's rays. Here they grow better, bear abundant fruit and ripen early.

Care is carried out by loosening the soil, removing weeds and excess lashes. In the process of growth, several inter-row tillage is carried out. The first - when young leaves appear, to a depth of 6-8 cm, the second - when 5-6 true leaves appear, loosening can be combined with top dressing.

Harvest watermelons and melons as they ripen. The ripeness of watermelons is determined by the drying of the tendrils in the axils of the leaves, the disappearance of haze and the appearance of shine, and the lightening of the skin of the fruit. If you knock on a watermelon, there is a dull sound, but to distinguish it, you need to have practical skills.

The ripeness of a melon is determined by the dried stalk.

Are melons compatible?

Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side? These crops consume from the soil similar chemical substances and require approximately the same processing methods. If you plant them side by side, this will greatly simplify the care procedures: watering, garter, bait. However, melons and gourds greatly impoverish the soil, and they can be planted in the same place only after a few years. To prevent this, watermelons and melons should be regularly fed with mineral fertilizers.

It is not recommended to collect seeds from watermelons and melons when they are planted together, since mutual pollination occurs. The result of such a hybrid may not be entirely palatable.

If you are the owner of a large plot of land, it is better to plant these crops in open ground in different places in the garden. If the plot is small, then they can be planted nearby, nothing terrible will happen. The proximity of melons to each other will not affect the yield.