The content of the article:
Cultivation of watermelons in the central part of Russia has its own peculiarities due to the harsh climate and the heat-loving nature of large berries. The fact is that you can plant them, but if they manage to mature, that's the question. Therefore, gardener living there for a long time have deduced one truth: to receive a crop of melons is possible only using a seedling method of their planting.
Now the main thing - in order to have time to eat a juicy pulp, it is important to know when planting watermelons for seedlings in the middle lane. In addition, attention should be paid to the following points:
- to choose the right sorts;
- grow quality seedlings.
How to determine seed sowing time?
Before proceeding to seeding seeds for seedlings, it is necessary to carefully study the instructions on the sachet and pay attention to the following data:
- number of days needed for growing full-fledged seedlings;
- the number of days that watermelons will be required from the moment of berries and until their full ripening.
On average, seedlings of watermelons (and other representatives of pumpkin) can be obtained in 30 days. The same time it will take for the shoots to grow and grow stronger. The optimal time for transplanting the seedlings to the bed is on the 20th of May. Therefore, it is necessary to sow seeds about two months before this date, but not later than April 1.
Later sowing will not bring results, because watermelons will not have time to ripen.
Choosing a watermelon for the middle band
Experienced gardener advise to use for cultivation in the middle band only early-ripening varieties of watermelons and not too chase large sizes. The main thing is that the berry is sweet to the taste and has time to ripen, while the warm weather is standing.
For this region, the following varieties are perfect:
- Near Moscow Charleston.
- A gift to the North.
- Pink Champagne.
- Krimstar.
Seeds are best purchased in a specialized store or truck farmers, who collected them from home watermelons.
Growing seedlings
Before sowing it is necessary to reject hollow seeds. To do this, seeds simply fill with water and choose those that have surfaced. The remaining seeds should be wrapped in a piece of damp cloth and left to grow, keeping the cloth moist. So shoots will appear faster.
Fresh, last year's seeds are worse than seeds of two years ago.
Sprouted seeds are planted immediately in separate cups, so as not to damage the root system after transplanting them into the soil. Put the pots on a well-lit window sill and keep the temperature in the room about 25 degrees Celsius. In the process of growing seedlings, feed them 2 times with mineral complex fertilizers.
For 7-10 days before landing in a greenhouse or on a plant bed it is necessary to begin to temper. At the time of transplantation, about 5 real leaves should form in the seedling.
