How to grow watermelons in a polycarbonate greenhouse, planting and care, formation diagram

Watermelon is considered the most popular plant among melons. The main advantage of watermelons is their unpretentiousness and ease of care for planted bushes. However, despite this, you need to familiarize yourself in advance with the peculiarities of growing watermelons in a greenhouse in order to get a good harvest.

Advantages of growing watermelons in a greenhouse

It is no secret that the yield of melons and melons depends on weather conditions and soil moisture. Therefore, many gardeners prefer to grow them in greenhouses. This allows you to create optimal conditions for growing watermelon bushes and independently maintain the level of soil moisture and temperature. By growing in a greenhouse, you can improve the taste of fruits and achieve high yields. However, these are not the only advantages of using greenhouses.

Other advantages include the following:

1. Protection of seedlings from late frosts. Residents of the northern and central regions often encounter night frosts, which stop the development of bushes and negatively affect the amount of harvest. When using polycarbonate greenhouses, you can completely protect melons and melons from nighttime temperature drops.
2. Humidity control. High air or ground humidity worsens the taste of watermelon berries. They become too watery and not sweet. By growing plants in greenhouse conditions, it is possible to control humidity to preserve the taste of the crop.
3. Protection from damage. Sometimes, due to mechanical damage, watermelon seedlings grow worse. To preserve the integrity of the planted bushes, it is recommended to grow them in protected greenhouses.

Selection and preparation of a greenhouse

Before you start planting melons, you need to prepare a greenhouse. Large structures are suitable for planting, since watermelons are planted at a distance of at least one meter from each other. Therefore, to plant more than ten bushes, you will have to use a greenhouse 5 meters long and 3-4 meters wide.The material from which the structure is made is also determined in advance.

They are made from the following materials:

1. Film. Greenhouses made of film are considered the most affordable for most gardeners. The disadvantages of film structures include the fact that they cannot be equipped with additional heating systems. Therefore, it is impossible to monitor the air temperature in film greenhouses. Most often, film greenhouses are used for growing melons and melons in early summer.
2. Glass. Glass structures are the largest and heaviest. To install them on the site, a solid foundation is made. Glass greenhouses allow you to install a heating system for growing plants in winter.
3. Polycarbonate. Polycarbonate structures are among the most expensive and reliable. Experienced gardeners recommend using them for growing watermelon bushes. They are ideal for winter or spring planting.

The best varieties for growing in greenhouse conditions

The amount of harvest directly depends on the variety that is grown. It is recommended to select in advance the variety of watermelon that is better than others for planting in greenhouses.

Siberian

Sibiryak is excellent for growing in greenhouses in the northern regions. This variety was bred several years ago by Ural breeders. The distinctive features of Sibiryak are its early sowing time and rapid ripening of watermelon fruits.

The variety grows well even in unheated greenhouses, as it is resistant to temperature changes and high humidity. The advantages of Siberian include the weight of ripe fruits, which grow up to five kilograms.

Crimson

Popular among Ural vegetable growers watermelons Crimson, which grow well in greenhouses.

The plant belongs to the group of early-ripening watermelons, which manage to ripen within 40-50 days.

Crimson's fruits are quite large, as they grow up to 8-10 kilograms. They are distinguished by a smooth, durable surface and juicy pulp with a sweetish taste. At least 40-50 kilograms of crop are harvested from one bush.

Ogonyok

Gardeners who plan to plant early watermelons in a greenhouse should pay attention to Ogonyok. Its fruits can fully ripen in two and a half months. To harvest a ripened harvest in the second half of July or early August, the seeds are planted in a greenhouse in mid-May.

Ogonek berries are round in shape and colored bright green. Ripe fruits gradually become covered with dark stripes. Ogonyok cannot boast of large watermelons, since they only grow up to 3-4 kilograms. However, 4-5 fruits are planted on each bush, which allows you to collect more than 20 kilograms of harvest.

Sugar

This watermelon is considered a versatile variety because it copes well with cold and dry climates. Therefore, gardeners grow it not only in greenhouses, but also in the open air. However, in greenhouses Sugar grows faster and bears fruit better.

The fruits are distinguished by their oval shape and smooth surface, colored greenish.

Many gardeners consider the advantages of Sugar to be its taste, characterized by a pleasant aroma and sweetness. Watermelon berries grow up to five kilograms when grown outside. In greenhouses their weight can reach 7-8 kilograms.

Sowing seeds and growing seedlings

Before you start growing watermelon seedlings, you should familiarize yourself with the features of planting seeds and their germination until the first shoots appear.

Preparing seeds

Only pre-prepared seeds that have been pre-treated should be planted in the ground. When preparing seeds before planting, be sure to warm them up. The procedure is carried out to remove all bacteria and pathogens from the surface of the seed. To warm up, you will have to use special heating devices.

For example, you can place the seeds in the oven for 5-7 minutes. The first few minutes it should be heated to 20-30 degrees, after which the heating temperature gradually increases to 60 degrees. During heating, all the seeds are periodically stirred so that they warm up more thoroughly.

Also, to disinfect seed material, use manganese liquid. To create a mixture, add 2-3 grams of manganese to 100 milliliters of water. Then the seeds are placed in a container and soaked in it for about half an hour. Some gardeners add wood ash to the solution during the procedure to speed up the process of seed germination. After removing the seeds from the manganese solution, they are washed with running water and dried.

Containers and soil

Experienced gardeners advise, to grow watermelon seedlings, to plant the seeds in bulk or peat-humus pots. You can also use cardboard egg trays or plastic cassettes for planting melons. However, some people use peat pots.

When using such containers in the future, you will not have to pick the planted plants, since they can be placed in the ground along with the pot.

Having decided on the most suitable container for watermelons, they begin to prepare the soil mixture for planting. Planting seeds should be done in previously prepared soil filled with nutrients. When creating a soil mixture, humus is added to the ground, which is made from rotted plants or manure. Peat is also considered an essential component, which is often used to improve soil fertility. It makes the soil looser, allowing moisture to penetrate into its upper layers faster.

After preparing the soil, they plant the seeds. To do this, shallow depressions are made in the soil, into which 2-3 seeds are placed. When the seedlings grow to 5-8 centimeters, they are transplanted into a greenhouse.

Rules for caring for greenhouse watermelons

It is no secret that all planted seedlings must be grown correctly in order to harvest large fruits. To do this, you will have to regularly care for watermelons, water and fertilize the bushes. Also, during care, seedlings must be tied to supports.

Watering frequency

Melon crops are distinguished by a complex root system, which allows them to effectively absorb moisture even from the lower layers of the soil. Therefore, you should not water the bushes too often. Gardeners recommend moistening the area when the leaves begin to fade. When watering, liquid is poured under the root to protect the upper leaves from water.

Light and thermal conditions

The amount of light and thermal parameters affect the yield of watermelons. People who grow watermelons are advised to monitor the lighting and climatic conditions in greenhouses. The optimal temperature is considered to be around 25-30 degrees.

The duration of daylight hours should not be less than 12 hours. Therefore, you will have to install lamps near the beds for additional lighting.

Fertilizer

Each bush begins to be fed when the height of its stems reaches 20-30 centimeters. The plant grows to this size within a month after being transplanted into a greenhouse. First, only organic fertilizers are added to the soil. Next time, the area is fertilized before flowering and fruit formation. This time, mineral fertilizers are used in the form of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate.

Formation of melons

The quality and quantity of the harvest depends on the formation of the bush. Therefore, it is recommended to familiarize yourself in advance with how to properly form plants in a greenhouse.

When forming watermelons, first pinch the stems above the fifth leaf. After a few days, additional shoots appear at the bottom of the shoots, which need to be pinched. Some gardeners cut them out immediately after they appear. Shoots that have not formed ovaries are also pruned.

The described pruning scheme will help to grow strong bushes that will bear large and juicy fruits.

Watermelon tying technology

Every gardener should know how to tie up watermelons correctly. The first garter of plants is carried out two weeks after they are planted in the soil. To do this, supports are installed along each row on which the wire is pulled. When the plant grows to 40 centimeters, it is tied with threads to a wire.

After the fruits are formed, the garter is repeated. In this case, you will have to hang special nets on the trellis in which the ripening watermelons are placed.

Harvesting

Watermelons are harvested after they are fully ripe.The maturity of the crop is indicated by the drying of the connecting vine near the fruit. Also, ripe watermelon berries are covered with dark stripes of a greenish tint. The harvested crop is cleaned of dirt, washed, dried and transferred to the cellar for storage.

Conclusion

Anyone can cope with growing watermelon bushes in greenhouses. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of planting watermelons and the rules for caring for them.