Whether watermelons will grow large and sweet depends largely on the planting location.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication Belnovosti, agronomist and landscape designer, tells us where in the garden you need to plant watermelons to get a good harvest.
Where to plant watermelons in the garden
Watermelons need a lot of sun, otherwise they will not accumulate enough sugars.
Choose the sunniest and windless area for your watermelon bed; shade and drafts are contraindicated for watermelons.
As for the soil, watermelons love light, loose sandy and sandy loam soils.
The bed should be prepared in the fall, adding mineral, organic or organomineral fertilizers for vegetables during digging.
If the soil is heavy and clayey, it is necessary to add sand (one bucket per square meter).
Two to three weeks before planting, the bed can be covered with film, this will speed up the warming of the soil.
Before sowing, seeds are calibrated (even seeds of normal size are separated from deformed or damaged ones) and pre-sowing treatment is carried out.
The seeds are soaked in warm water for two to three hours. You can add growth stimulants (Zircon, Epin).
The seeds are disinfected by soaking them in a disinfectant solution (phytosporin, potassium permanganate).
Seeds are also germinated in a humid environment (moistened cotton pads, gauze, fabric).
Earlier, the expert explained which components can and cannot be used to make compost.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
