When to plant watermelons for seedlings in the middle lane?
The cultivation of watermelons in central Russia has its own characteristics, due to the harsh climate and the thermophilic nature of large berries. The fact is that it is possible to plant them, but whether they have time to mature - that is the question. Therefore, the gardeners living there have long deduced one truth: to get a harvest of melons and gourds is possible only using the seedling method of planting them.
Now about the main thing - in order to have time to enjoy the juicy pulp, it is important to know when watermelons are planted for seedlings in the middle lane. In addition, you should pay attention to the following points:
- choose the right varieties;
- grow quality seedlings.
How to determine when to sow seeds?
Before you start sowing seeds for seedlings, you must carefully study the instructions on the bag and pay attention to the following data:
- the number of days required to grow full-fledged seedlings;
- the number of days that watermelons will need from the moment the berries are set and until they are fully ripe.
On average, seedlings of watermelons (and other representatives of pumpkin seeds) can be obtained in 30 days. It will take the same amount of time for the seedlings to grow and get stronger. The optimal time for planting seedlings in the garden is on the 20th of May. This means that it is necessary to sow the seeds about two months before this date, but no later than April 1.
Sowing later will not yield results as the watermelons will not mature in time.
Choosing a watermelon variety for the middle strip
Experienced gardeners advise using only early-ripening varieties of watermelons for growing in the middle lane and not too chasing large sizes. The main thing is that the berry tastes sweet and ripens while the weather is warm.
The following varieties are perfect for this region:
- Charleston near Moscow.
- Gift to the North.
- Pink Champagne.
- Krimstar.
Seeds are best purchased in a specialized store or gardeners who themselves collected them from home watermelons.
Growing seedlings
Before sowing, hollow seeds must be discarded. To do this, simply fill the seeds with water and select those that surfaced. Wrap the remaining seeds in a piece of damp cloth and leave to germinate, keeping the cloth moist. So the seedlings will appear faster.
Fresh, last year's seeds germinate worse than two years old seeds.
Plant the sprouted seeds immediately in separate cups, so as not to damage the root system in the future when transplanting them into the soil. Place the pots on a well-lit windowsill and keep the room temperature at about 25 degrees Celsius. During the growth of seedlings, feed them 2 times mineral complex fertilizers.
7-10 days before planting in a greenhouse or on a garden bed, the plant must be hardened. At the time of transplantation, about 5 true leaves should form in the seedlings.