by Despite the fact that melon is a heat-loving southern crop, it can be grown in the middle zone under a film shelter or in a greenhouse. But in order for the fruits to have time to ripen, you need to choose the right variety and sow the seeds for seedlings in time.
If you do not live in the southern region, it is better to choose melon varieties and hybrids of early and mid-early ripening periods: Aikido F1, Altai, Pineapple F1, Assol, Dessert, Caramel, Malaga F1, Sybarite’s Dream, Scythian Gold, Cinderella, Petra F1, Northern Cantaloupe, Fairy Tale, Shanti F1 etc.
Melon seeds are sown for seedlings in the second half of April, a month before the expected date of transplanting the plants to a permanent place. To sow the seeds, you need to prepare fertile soil and separate planting containers, since melon, like other pumpkins, does not tolerate picking.
Soil Preparation
To grow melon seedlings, you can use a ready-made universal biosoil enriched with biohumus or sapropel, or you can prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing peat and biohumus (or humus) in equal proportions. To improve the air and water permeability of the soil, you need to add 15-20% of any loosening agent: perlite, vermiculite or diatomite.
Add 10-30 g of complex fertilizer with microelements (OMU Universal, OMU for cucumbers, pumpkins and squash, Fasco Bio Vegetables, Fasco Rodnichok, etc.) to 40 l of soil. Then mix all components thoroughly and fill 300-500 ml planting containers with the soil mixture.
To create a favorable microflora for growing seedlings and protect future seedlings from root rot and other diseases, water the soil in the planting containers with a solution of a hay bacillus or trichoderma preparation: Fitosporin-M, Alirin B, Baktofit, Gamair, Sporobacterin, Trichoplant, Trichocin, etc.
Processing and sowing melon seeds
It is advisable to soak seeds that are not treated with a fungicide and not covered with a nutrient shell for several hours before sowing in a solution of a biofungicide or growth stimulant (Epin, Zircon, Ecosil, Energen, aloe juice, etc.). After soaking, you can start sowing or leave the seeds in a wet cloth for germination.
Sow melon seeds in moist soil and bury them to a depth of about 1 cm, sprinkling them with loose soil. To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the pots with film with holes. Do not cover them hermetically, since the germinating seeds need air. Then place the containers with the crops in a warm place. The optimal temperature for melon seed germination is 24-26°C.
Care of seedlings
When the melon sprouts, move the pots to a well-lit place with a temperature of 19-21°C. If the seedlings are on a windowsill, protect the tender sprouts from drafts and cold air currents during ventilation.
At the stage of the appearance of the true leaf, fertilize the seedlings with a complex water-soluble fertilizer (Kristalon Special, Biofertilizers for seedlings Fasco, Agricola for seedlings, Dobraya Sila for seedlings, etc.). And after two weeks, repeat the fertilization.
Water the seedlings as the soil dries out, avoiding stagnant moisture. Use settled water for watering, the temperature of which is several degrees higher than room temperature. After watering, you can add a small layer of soil to the cups. This will promote the development of lateral roots.
Preparing the bed and transplanting melons
Melon grows well and bears fruit in fertile and light soil, in a well-lit place. When preparing the bed, add organic fertilizers to the soil: mature compost, vermicompost or humus (7-10 kg per 1 sq.m), as well as wood ash (150-200 g per 1 sq.m) or complex mineral fertilizer according to the instructions.
It is advisable to water the bed prepared for planting melons with a solution of biofungicide based on the fungus Trichoderma (Trichocin, Trichoderma Veride 471, Trichoplant). This will help suppress the reproduction of soil phytopathogens. And after watering, the soil should be covered with agrotextile so that it warms up and does not dry out.
When the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves and warm weather sets in, the melons can be transplanted into a greenhouse or a bed under temporary cover. 7-10 days before transplanting to a permanent place, it is advisable to harden the melon seedlings: open the windows, and in warm weather, take the seedlings outside for a short time or put them in a greenhouse so that the plants gradually get used to the new conditions and bright sun.
Try to remove the plants from the planting containers carefully, without disturbing the earthen lump surrounding the roots. Plant the seedlings in moist soil, in a well-watered hole, deepening the plants to the cotyledon leaves. And sprinkle with dried loose soil on top.
If you planted the seedlings not in a greenhouse, but in open ground, install a temporary shelter on the bed: put up arches and cover the plantings with thick spunbond or film. In sunny weather, in the first 5-6 days after transplanting, shade the melon seedlings, open the vents in the greenhouse, the ends of the temporary shelters so that the plants do not overheat.
Two weeks after transplanting to a permanent location, feed the melon with a solution of complex fertilizer with a high phosphorus content (Kristalon Yellow, Agromaster 13.40.13). And after the fifth leaf appears, pinch the main stem, since female flowers in melons are formed mainly on lateral shoots.
