Melon is a very healthy fruit that can be called both a vegetable and a fruit, a berry at the same time, taking into account all its biological characteristics.
Whatever the melon is, it is easy to grow even in the middle zone.
It is only important to pay attention to the growing method, soil and care at all stages of crop development.
Melon and what varieties to choose
If a gardener lives in the middle zone, then he definitely needs to choose a melon from early-ripening varieties. It is best if it is a hybrid, whose characteristics breeders have adjusted to the climatic conditions of regions with a short summer.
Experienced gardeners recommend choosing varieties with small fruits and thin skin. These include "Sibirskaya skorospelka", "Zolushka", "Lemon", "Kolkhoznitsa" and "Dessertnaya".
Methods of Growing Melon
Given the short summer, melon is best grown using seedlings. It is recommended to sow seeds in mid-spring, after disinfecting them in a weak solution of manganese.
It is advisable to germinate seedlings in fertile soil, universal soil is possible. You can plant in any container, including peat pots, which will later become fertilizer. After planting, the crop needs to be given a greenhouse from film, leaving the pots on a sunny windowsill.
Caring for seedlings
It takes approximately 35 days for the seedlings to germinate. Caring for them involves the following steps:
- moderate watering without stagnant water;
- top dressing with liquid mineral fertilizers on 2-3 leaves;
- hardening off seedlings 7-10 days before planting in the ground.
Conditions for planting in open soil
A prerequisite for transplanting is very warm soil. The bed can be warmed up by covering it with film a week before planting the young plants. The procedure can only be carried out after the established daytime temperature is at least +15 degrees and without minus indicators at night. Planting is carried out in holes in soil with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction. There should be a space of about 25 cm between the plants.
Watering the melon
Immediately after planting the crop in the ground, you need to establish proper watering. During transplantation, the soil under the seedling should be slightly pressed down and watered exclusively with warm water. In a greenhouse or hothouse, the humidity level should not be higher than 60%.
Watering throughout the entire period of melon cultivation should be done with water heated in the sun and then the greenhouse should be ventilated so that it is not too humid, so as not to provoke rotting of the fruit.
Plant fertilizing
During the summer, the melon needs to be fed only once and only with minerals. The plant is generally not demanding and can easily survive the season on poor soil. It grows well after garlic, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, corn and any green manure. But carrots and tomatoes are not its best predecessors. Also, this crop cannot be planted in the same place two seasons in a row.
As you can see, melon is not difficult to grow even in the middle zone. It is unpretentious and easy to care for.
