Cultivation of watermelons in the northern latitudes

Who does not like watermelon? Probably, such person will not be found - he is adored not only by children, but also by adults who do not even know how the water-melons grow and where they grow. These berries belong to the family of pumpkin. In translation from Persian, watermelon means "big cucumber".

It was possible to grow such a beloved fruit only in the southern latitudes, but now it has become available in the northern - though, it will take a lot of effort to do this.

Even on personal plots located in the southern latitudes, it is difficult to create melons and gourds - for this reason watermelons grow not so sweet and large as in the steppe zone. Cultivation of watermelons in the middle belt is possible only with a professional approach. Summer in the north is not as long as in the south, the weather is unstable and changeable, the earth does not warm up so deeply. As a rule, watermelon is a freedom-loving and extremely sensitive to weather conditions culture.

These berries require increased attention: even minor errors will affect the harvest - the fruits can turn out to be tasteless or too small. The correct growing of watermelons is also based on sufficient watering. A small amount of water leads to small fruits and their poor quality.

Watermelon - growing in the northern latitudes

The nuances of climate influence the cultivation of this culture. In the northern strip, the knotting takes place in two stages. At the end of June, at the time when the white nights end, the bandage of the first layer is completed. The main problem is pollination. The second layer is formed at the end of July. Successful cultivation of fruits will depend on how long and warm the autumn will be. A rainy and unstable summer with a sharp temperature drop leads to the fact that the fruit has a different taste (not very sweet) and grows one-sided. Watermelon, the cultivation of which is hampered by the "capriciousness" of culture, does not get "sugar", if the smallest details in the courtship process were not met. It was noted that if the growth of watermelon is suspended for at least a few days, then in the future it occurs unevenly or the fruit ceases to fill up.

Cultivation of watermelons is largely dependent on the creation of suitable conditions for the development of the root system and continuous division, up to the stage of maturation of the first layer. In the south it happens that the roots of watermelons often reach one and a half meters, and in the north - a maximum of 50 cm, even on the highest and warm beds.

Growing watermelons on a "warm patch" in the open field

The primary task in growing crops outdoors in the northern regions is to create "warm beds". Such beds should be prepared in autumn. To do this, it is necessary to dig a trench of the required length, depth and width of 1 meter. The bottom of the trench should be covered with a drainage litter of expanded clay or sand approximately 10 cm thick, then it is necessary to make a heat-insulating layer about 20 cm thick from sawdust. Then it is necessary to form a good layer of biofuel with a thickness of at least 60 cm, which can consist of a mixture of grass, leaves, food waste, straw, manure. Above this trench should be formed a bed consisting of fertile soil, a width of 80 cm and a height of 20 cm. In autumn you should sow seedlings in autumn, cover with roofing material and straw for winter.

Cultivation of watermelons on such a good "warm patch" allows not using additional shelters. However, it will be superfluous if around your melon you can install shelters from the wind. Hardened seedlings can be planted in the open ground only after recurrent spring frosts. That your plants are not harmed, they can be covered with a mini-greenhouse in the form of plastic bottles, which can be removed when the seedlings get stronger and take root. But even on a "warm patch", as a rule, growing watermelons in the northern strip will require a lot of patience and skills.