In the northern regions of Russia, the only way to enjoy the taste of a ripe, hand-grown melon is to plant it in a greenhouse structure. Before planting pre-grown seedlings in a greenhouse, you need to know how to do it correctly. Otherwise, if the melon is grown incorrectly in a greenhouse, it will not produce juicy, ripe, formed fruits, and may even die. This is due to the fact that such a plant crop is heat-loving and needs good lighting and ventilation. It is characterized by an extended growing season and intolerance to cold weather. You can cope with all the capricious characteristics of the melon by creating the right conditions in the greenhouse.
Landing rules
There are several features of growing melon in a polycarbonate greenhouse. To get a rich harvest, before planting, the summer resident must determine a care plan for this crop, forming a plan for timely planting of seedlings, replanting them, and ensuring optimal conditions for plant growth.
The first step is to select a site suitable for planting. In this case, you should refuse to use a greenhouse, since its dimensions are too small. The greenhouse must have a minimum height of two meters. This is due to the fact that the melon gradually begins to climb along the trellises, and in lower structures there will be no free space left for the full formation of fruits.
If the days in the region are not bright enough, the greenhouse should be equipped with special lamps. Since melon prefers to grow in warm conditions, it is necessary to provide a greenhouse with devices that maintain the optimal temperature for its growth. Good ventilation must be installed in the greenhouse, since melon does not develop in high humidity. At the same time, drafts should not be allowed to form.
Next, you need to form the beds. This is done taking into account the following instructions:
- 20 centimeters of the surface soil layer is removed.
- Twigs, crushed stone, and expanded clay are placed in the resulting recess.
- Hay is placed on the laid drainage. This component can also be replaced with mowed grass.
- Then everything is sprinkled with humus.
- The fertilizer is covered with fallen leaves and sawdust.
- The formed layer is covered with soil, to which lime and mineral fertilizers are added.These components should be added only if the soil is heavy and acidic.
- You should finish working on the bed by watering it with warm water and covering it with dark material that allows the soil to quickly warm up.
With the help of such instructions, you can create a warm, nutritious environment in which the plant will develop comfortably.
Melon can only be planted in a greenhouse using seedlings. To get a strong, hardy plant, you must follow several rules for growing seedlings:
- You need to sow seeds in pots made of peat with a diameter of 14 centimeters. Since melon does not like transplanting, this method will avoid damage to the seedlings.
- The crop should be sown only when optimal temperature indicators have been established: during the day 23 degrees with a deviation of 3 units in both directions, and at night 18 degrees.
- Before planting the material, it should be hardened by reducing the night temperature to 16 degrees.
- It is better to place seedlings on southern windows. If the weather is cloudy, phytolamps should be installed on the windowsill. The same device should be installed if the daylight hours are less than 12 hours.
- Watering the seedlings requires warm, settled water. Watering is organized only after the top layer of soil dries.
To protect the sprouts from excessive moisture, it is better to use soil with added sand for growing.
Planting in a greenhouse
Melon planting in a greenhouse structure made of polycarbonate sheets is carried out in the last days of May. But it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions of the season.
It is also necessary to pay special attention to the choice of melon variety. For greenhouse cultivation, the best options are the following varieties:
- Collective farmer.
- Galia.
- Canaria.
- Ozhen.
- Sharena.
These varieties are distinguished by their sweet taste, reduced ripening time, tolerance to temperature changes, and good yield.
If planting is planned in a harsh climate, it is better to give preference to early ripening varieties:
- Golden.
- Siberian Skorospelka.
- Gribovskaya.
- Tobolin.
- Golden.
Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to prepare the soil and warm it up. The holes are made according to the 40x40 or 45x45 pattern. Humus or compost is poured into the bottom of the holes. For this you should use 0.5–1 kilogram of fertilizer. You can replace it with 15 grams of mineral fertilizers. Then 20 millimeters of soil is poured and watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
The age of planted seedlings should be 30–35 days. 2–4 seedlings are planted in the holes. Seedlings should be replanted directly in peat pots. The plants are dug in, watered with warm, settled water, and sprinkled with mulch made from calcined sand.
Seedlings need to be planted so that they protrude 3 centimeters above the bed.
To speed up the adaptation of seedlings, a film cover should be formed over the bed. It is attached to arcs and pegs. The film should be removed when the plant begins to actively develop. Compliance with the rules also affects the quality of the harvest. formation of melon in a greenhouse. When the fifth leaf appears, the plant must be pinched, eliminating the growing point for the formation of adventitious vines. The weakest of them are cut off.
Mulching the soil
Providing proper care for melons in a polycarbonate greenhouse also affects the need for mulch. Immediately after planting, the soil should be covered with mulch. To do this, it is recommended to use stone mulch, protecting the plantings with stones.Also, bottles filled with water and made of dark glass should be placed near the plants. The bottles are stacked to form a triangle, surrounding each plant.
This coating is necessary so that the water poured into the bottles warms up under the influence of the sun's heat and protects the sprouts from the cold. If this is not done, the fruit will not be fully formed, as the plant will be weakened.
Tying and pinching
On the 4th day after planting, the melon begins to be tied to a polycarbonate greenhouse trellis. The bushes are tied up in a checkerboard pattern. The twine is tied around the first leaf and secured with a slip knot on the wire. As the plant grows, the lash is wound onto the twine from left to right.
Greenhouse melons should be formed into 2 fences, fixed on a trellis. The remaining shoots of the melon need to be plucked off. Pinching the side stems of a melon in a greenhouse is carried out after the formation of 4 leaves, and the main lash - when it reaches the level of the wire.
To get a rich harvest, no more than 6 ovaries are left on one vine of small-fruited varieties, and no more than 2 of large-fruited varieties. It is recommended to immerse all formed fruits in a nylon net and fix them on a trellis artificially, since they can break off under their own weight. If the melon lies on the ground, you need to place plywood under it, which will protect the crop from rotting.
Rules for watering melons
Melon is a plant crop that tolerates drought well; excessive watering is detrimental to it. Therefore, when growing in a greenhouse, you must follow the rules for watering melons:
- Only warm water should be used, its temperature should be between 33–35 degrees;
- during the active phase of fruit formation, watering increases, as the crop begins to need increased nutrition;
- when watering, water should not fall on the leaves, stems, or root collar area, otherwise root rot will form;
- During the formation of flowers and ripening of fruits, it is necessary to reduce the humidity in the greenhouse, ensuring regular ventilation.
When growing melon in a greenhouse, it is necessary to ensure that condensation does not form on its walls, as it will have a detrimental effect on planting.
Fertilizer use
Growing the southern fruit in a greenhouse requires fertilizing the soil. This must be done taking into account several nuances:
- During the period of fruit formation, complex fertilizers must be applied once every 2 weeks. The best option for this is Kemira fertilizer. It is also recommended to add mixtures prepared from potassium sulfate or ash. This feeding will help ensure that the melon needs an increased amount of potassium nutrition. If the question arises why the ovaries of a melon growing in a greenhouse turn yellow, you need to pay attention to the amount of potassium in the soil.
- The frequency of fertilizing the plant must be increased when its fruits begin to fill. At this time, the soil should be fertilized once every 7 days. Suitable for processing are Zircon, Epin, and humates. These substances are excellent growth stimulants; their use should be alternated.
The use of these fertilizers makes the plant strong, which is why pests and diseases affect it less during cultivation.
Hand pollination and melon formation
When grown in a greenhouse, melon pollination occurs manually.To do this, it is necessary to spray with fruit formation stimulants, for example: Bud, Ovary. Under the influence of these agents, pollen is actively formed.
After spraying, the male flower is inserted into the female one. Next, several light rotational manipulations are done. In this case, the flowers must not be damaged. You can also apply pollen to a female flower using a brush. Pollination should be done early in the morning.
To get a rich harvest, you should not only pollinate flowers, but also form a melon in a greenhouse. This must be done according to the instructions presented above.
Harvesting a delicious harvest
With proper care, the melon ripens in early August.. You can identify a ripe fruit by its appearance. Annular cracks form in the tail area, and a sweet aroma emanates from the fruit itself. If the fruit springs back in your hands when squeezed, it means it can already be consumed. If you plan to transport your melon harvest, you will need to prepare boxes and wax paper for this. Each fruit is wrapped in paper to prevent rot.
If fruit ripening has not finished in August, the melon harvest can be harvested until October. Ripe melons are easily separated from the stalk; if they grow in a suspended state, they often fall off on their own. Such fruits should be harvested immediately to eliminate the risk of damage to the crop. Fruits should be stored in a dark, cool place. Leaving ripe melons in the sun is prohibited, as this will lead to their spoilage.
