Watermelons love warmth and moisture, and an unpredictable or short summer does not always allow you to count on a special harvest.
To increase your chances, you can try not only growing watermelons using the seedling method, but also planting the seedlings in a greenhouse. Here's how to do it.
When to plant watermelon seedlings
Watermelons do not need as much time as nightshades to develop into full-fledged seedlings. It is enough to sit in a pot for 3-4 weeks and you can put them in a greenhouse at the beginning of May. Moreover, it is better to plant three-week-old seedlings in open ground, and not younger than a month in a greenhouse.
But it is better to focus on the weather and air temperature (20-25 degrees). The soil should warm up to +15 degrees.
Soil
Light and fertile soil is best suited for watermelons. You can mix peat, humus and washed sand (1:1:0.5).
Fertilizers
Mineral supplements are added after the first leaf grows. Repeat after a week and a half.
Transfer
The holes in the bed are prepared at a distance of 70 centimeters from each other. Before the seedlings take root, you need to carefully monitor the air temperature - it should not be higher than 30 degrees in the greenhouse.
Until the watermelons bloom, they are watered every other day and only with warm water. And then once a week, but abundantly (about 8 liters per seedling).
During the ripening of watermelons, watering is stopped.
