Gourds are grown. Cultivation of gourds in the central regions of Russia. Overview of the triticale market in Russia

Lecture plan

a) the choice of soil and relief, the predecessor;

b) basic and pre-sowing soil preparation;

c) preparation of seeds for sowing;

d) timing of sowing seeds;

e) plant care and harvesting.

1. The choice of soil and relief, the predecessor.

Gourds do better on light sandy and sandy loamy soils, they grow worse on chernozems and chestnut soils. Poorly structured heavy loams are especially unsuitable for them.

An important role in the life of gourds is played by the relief of the site. According to the orientation of the site to the cardinal points, the slopes that are better illuminated and warmed up are most suitable - usually they are southern and southwestern. However, it should be noted that in very dry conditions, the southern slopes dry out faster and, due to the lack of soil moisture, are unsuitable for melon crops. Usually, crop rotations with gourds are located mainly on flat steppe spaces.

Melons are placed in field or fodder crop rotations. To obtain high yields, these crops are grown on a layer of perennial grasses or on virgin soil. Virgin and fallow lands are reserved for melons, most often on sandy soils. In non-grass field rotations, fallow winter wheat or row crops such as maize are a good predecessor. Of the main vegetable crops and potatoes, potatoes will be the best predecessor for melons; vegetable crops such as onions, cabbage and carrots are also good predecessors.

Undesirable is the permanent culture of gourds for several years in one place or their frequent return to the same field where they have already been grown. This contributes to the development of diseases and, as a rule, leads to a sharp decrease in yield. This is evidenced, for example, by the experience carried out at the Uzbek vegetable and melon station. So, if in the first year of melon cultivation in one area the yield was 164.6 centners per hectare, then in the third year it decreased to 71 centners per hectare. Also undesirable are compacted crops of gourds with corn, sorghum, as well as the placement of gourds in the aisles of orchards and vineyards. Which significantly delays the ripening of fruits, reduces the yield. The gourds themselves are good predecessors for other crops.

2. Basic and pre-sowing soil preparation.

One of the main conditions for obtaining high yields is the use of the correct tillage system. In the conditions of the arid climate of the south of Ukraine, the tillage system should include: an increase in the loose arable layer for the accumulation and preservation of moisture, the creation of favorable conditions for the water, air and food regime of the soil for the growth and vital activity of the root system. In addition, proper tillage is a means of controlling weeds and diseases. During autumn tillage, the timing and quality of autumn plowing are of particular importance. The timing of autumn plowing depends on the time of harvesting the previous crops, the state of humidity and the degree of contamination of the field. Long-term experiments show that the earlier autumn plowing is carried out, the greater its effectiveness. With early autumn plowing, more nutrients and moisture accumulate in the soil.

In areas freed from under early crops, plowing of fallow land for gourds and gourds begins with soil peeling immediately after harvesting the previous crops. Plant residues are destroyed by preliminary peeling, the top layer of soil is loosened, which sharply reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil, and when there is little precipitation, it contributes to the rapid germination of weed seeds. Depending on the germination of weeds, 2-3 weeks after peeling, autumn plowing is carried out with a plow with a skimmer. If the previous crop is harvested late, then the plowing of the fallow is carried out without preliminary peeling, immediately after harvesting.

The main plowing is carried out, as a rule, in autumn, but on sandy soils, to prevent blowing out, the soil is plowed in the spring. The depth of plowing should be at least 25 - 30 cm, plantation and semi-plantage plowing is even better.

A large increase in the yield of gourds during deep plowing can be achieved by increasing the volume of the loose soil layer, which improves its aeration and food regime, increases the amount of water-soluble phosphoric acid, nitrates and moisture reserves in its deeper horizons. At the same time, a powerful root system develops, which penetrates much deeper into the soil than with conventional plowing. In addition, at deeper plowing, melons and gourds develop, as a rule, a two-tier root system, and not a single-tier one, as in conventional plowing.

Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied under plowing under gourds. In the steppe zone of Ukraine, on chernozems, rotted manure is used at a dose of 10 t/ha. The application rate on chestnut soils in the central part of the southern zone and in the Crimea is recommended to be increased to 15 t/ha, and on alkaline soils - up to 20 t/ha.

Following the autumn plowing, the site is planned in two tracks.

In the southern arid zone, autumn harrowing and fallow cultivation are becoming more common, which give particularly good results in years with insufficient soil moisture from autumn and dry winters.

In early spring, at the first opportunity to leave the field, harrowing is mandatory. As a rule, this work is done quickly, in one to three days, and first of all, elevated areas are harrowed, where the soil dries out faster. Particular attention should be paid to fields with alkaline soils, since a delay in harrowing on such soils even for one day leads to the formation of a crust that is difficult to work.

Used in all zones of Ukraine, harrowing is accompanied by single and double cultivation, depending on the conditions of spring. The depth of cultivation should be such that no lumps remain on the surface of the soil after it has been carried out. Pre-sowing cultivation is carried out to the depth of seed placement. It is necessary to do it in such a way that immediately after it is carried out, the seeds are sown.

3. Seed preparation for sowing

Sowing melons and gourds must be done with seeds of promising varieties and hybrids that are conditioned in terms of germination. For sowing, it is better to use well-sorted large full-weight seeds (class I seeds). Large, healthy seeds contain more nutrients for the embryo and therefore produce more complete plants and higher yields. Seeds are sorted by specific gravity by immersing them in a 3% sodium chloride solution. Seeds can also be sorted by size, passing them through a sieve with cells of 1.5 × 1.5 cm. However, various centrifugal sorting machines are more productive, the SP-0.5 pneumatic sorting table is especially convenient for these purposes.

In order to combat fungal diseases, melon and pumpkin seeds are pickled. Many melon growers prefer two-four-year-old seeds, and when using one-year-old seeds, they heat them at a temperature of 35-40 ° C for five hours. This ensures a more uniform emergence of seedlings, accelerates the appearance of female flowers, fruit ripening and increases the yield. So in this case, the increase in the yield of gourds from heating can be 30 - 40%.

To accelerate the emergence of seedlings, melon seeds are soaked. Soak the seeds in a wooden, glass or metal stainless dish, pouring them with a layer of 15 cm. You can also soak the seeds in bags. In this case, the seeds should occupy no more than half the bag. Soak the seeds in water with a temperature of 18 - 22 ° C for 20 hours, changing the water after 10 hours. Seeds soaked in this way begin to grow faster.

Good results are obtained by the method of pre-sowing seed preparation proposed by P. Genkel. Seeds are alternately soaked for 48 hours at a temperature of 18 and 30 ° C and dried. This increases the energy of germination and germination of seeds, increases the intensity of respiration, activates the activity of enzymes and increases the yield.

Germination is an effective method of presowing preparation of gourd seeds, which significantly accelerates the emergence of their seedlings. Seeds are germinated so that they start growing, or, as they say, peck. Seeds are germinated in a bowl, on burlap or boiled sawdust with a layer of no more than 5 - 6 cm. Germination is carried out at a temperature of 25 - 30 ° C for 70 - 100 hours, while every 8 - 10 hours the seeds must be mixed. When slightly noticeable seedlings appear in 1/3 of the seeds, they are slightly dried and sown. Germinated seeds should only be sown in moist soil. If such seeds fall into dry soil, the seedling will dry out and die. From germinated seeds in moist soil, seedlings appear already on the 3rd - 4th day.

4. Terms of sowing seeds.

The timing of sowing will depend on local soil and climatic conditions and crops. Usually, the sowing of watermelon and melon begins when the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm reaches 12 - 13 ° C. In the south of Crimea, this happens on April 5 - 15, and in the steppe regions on April 20 - 28, and on the Kerch Peninsula - in mid-April. Some melon growers prefer to sow in warmer soil - in the first days of May. Pumpkin is sown 8-10 days earlier than watermelon and melon.

The correct choice of the sowing time is a very responsible matter, since the friendliness of the emergence of seedlings and the size of the crop largely depend on it. With very early sowing in unheated soil, the seeds will swell, but they will not germinate and may die; if sowing is delayed, the soil may dry out and seedlings may also not appear. Usually, dry seeds are sown earlier, and wet and pecked seeds are sown later, but in such a way that the soil has sufficient moisture reserves.

In addition to the correct choice of the optimal sowing time, the size of the crop is affected by the feeding area. The feeding area of melons and pumpkins depends on the nature of the soil, the amount of precipitation and the length of the variety. For melons, the feeding area is 1 - 2 m2. A smaller feeding area is given on rich chernozem soils, a larger one is allotted on dry and sandy soils. Sow the seeds of melon and pumpkin in three ways: square-nested, row and tape. Square-nesting method, leaving two plants in the nest, late varieties of melon according to the scheme 140 × 140 cm.

In the ordinary way, early ripening melon varieties are sown according to the scheme 140 × 70 cm, pumpkins according to the scheme 280 × 70 and 280 × 140 cm.

More promising are the belt crops of gourds, as they allow to lengthen the period of mechanized processing of row spacing. Melon is also sown with a two-line tape according to the scheme (140 + 70) × 70 cm.

Sowing is carried out with seeders, which can be used to pick up interchangeable discs of sowing machines for each variety. These planters provide the right area of nutrition and good seed placement.

However, in the spring in the southern regions of Ukraine, the weather is dry and windy, the top layer of the soil dries up very much, and therefore it is difficult to get seedlings on rain-fed lands. Previously, with the manual method of sowing, water was poured into the wells. This is a very labor intensive job. Less time-consuming is mechanized sowing with adding water from tanks suspended on a tractor and connected by hoses to the seeder coulters. Such a unit is designed on the basis of the SKGN-6A seeder, sowing in a similar way allows you to get normal seedlings.

The seeding rate varies depending on the sowing scheme and seed size, and is 3-4 kg for watermelon, 2-3 kg for melon and 3-4 kg/ha for pumpkin.

Seeding depth depends on crop, sowing time, seed size and soil conditions. On heavy clay soils, melon seeds are sown to a depth of 3–4 cm, watermelons to 4–5 cm, pumpkins to 7–8 cm; on light sandy loamy soils, the sowing depth increases by 1–2 cm, respectively.

The sowing depth can be much greater: for melons and watermelons up to 8 cm, for pumpkins up to 10 cm.

After sowing, the soil is rolled with ringed rollers. This allows you to create better seed-to-soil contact and get more, better seedlings.

5. Plant care and harvesting.

Caring for melons and gourds consists in the timely breakthrough of plants, loosening the soil and the destruction of weeds, in the fight against diseases and pests. Timely, correct and thorough care of melon plants is a decisive target for obtaining a good harvest, since due to the loosening of the soil and the destruction of weeds, moisture and nutrients are retained in the soil.

Care for gourds begins with cultivation and the so-called row-spacing, which is often carried out before full shoots appear.

On crops of gourds, on some, transverse cultivation is used. Bouquets are left with sizes of 35 - 50 cm, and the gaps between bouquets are equal to the future accepted distance between plants in a row.

The first inter-row cultivation of crops personally begins at the time when the first true leaf develops in the plants. Since the root system of gourds at that time mainly develops in depth, it is better to process the row spacing to a depth of 14-16 cm to destroy weeds.

The second cultivation of melons and gourds begins in the phase of formation of 4 - 5 true leaves to a depth of 10 - 12 cm. The first two cultivations must be completed within 30 days after emergence.

The third and fourth cultivation is carried out as weeds appear and soil compaction, but no later than 12-16 days after one another. In order not to damage the root system of plants, the cultivation depth should be no more than 8-10 cm, and deeper cultivation is acceptable in wet years, and in dry years the depth can be reduced.

If during the 3rd and especially the 4th cultivation there are large lashes, then they should, if possible, be moved to the nests, and after the passage of the machines, they should be laid out again in the aisles.

Simultaneously with cultivation on melon crops, manual loosening of the soil in nests or rows is carried out. During the period of these works, it is necessary to carry out thinning of plants. Shoots of gourds are thinned out twice: the first time when 2-3 true leaves are formed on plants, leaving 2-3 plants in the nest, or one in a row after 15-20 cm; the second end of thinning, leaving one of the most developed plants in the nest, is done in the phase of 3-4 true leaves. This period usually occurs 25 to 30 days after germination. Plants removed during thinning must be pinched off, and not kept, as in this case the root system of the remaining plants is disturbed. It is very important to thin out plants in a timely manner and preserve nutrients, the amount of their growth. Delay in thinning even by 5 - 7 days leads to a different decrease in yield (often up to 20% or less).

Recently, efficiency has been proven in some top dressings of melons. For foliar top dressing, various microelements are used. The most effective are boron and manganese. So, according to Karpov, it is sprayed with a three percent solution of boric acid in a proportion of 0.5%. And a solution of manganese sulfate at a concentration of 0.1% at the beginning of flowering and at the beginning of fruit formation increased the yield of watermelons by 30 - 34%. For foliar top dressing, various sprays are used.

Among the still little-studied methods that help increase yields, accelerate fruit ripening and improve the quality of gourds, the pinching of these plants deserves attention. In early ripe varieties of watermelon, melon, pinching must be done twice. The first time the plants will have 4 - 6 true leaves. The second time the plants are pinched during the formation of the link, and at this time the growth points should be removed from a larger number of developed stems, both fruit-bearing and non-fruit-bearing. If the weather is hot, then the removal of growth points from the stems must be done by the second half of the day, so that the plants can more easily endure this operation. Pinching is very important in areas with a short growing season, for example, in the middle lane, and when moving to more northern regions of the country.

Of the other methods of agricultural technology, the artificial pollination of melons deserves attention. As you know, in the southern regions of Ukraine during the beginning and mass flowering of gourds, there is a prolonged high air temperature, as well as drying winds. High temperatures and drying winds affect the process of normal pollination of delicate flowers, since in these far from optimal conditions, pollen quickly loses its ability to fertilize. If fertilization does occur, it is often insufficiently complete. In such cases, the fruits of the gourds turn out to be somewhat ugly in shape, and for the most part, having begun to develop, fall off. In these adverse weather conditions, artificial pollination of female flowers becomes important. According to Makarovsky, additional artificial pollination of watermelon and melon flowers, carried out 5-6 times in 3-5 days, increases the yield of watermelon fruits by 90%, and melons - by 200%. At the same time, the number of large fruits on additionally pollinated crops increased by 1.3 times in watermelon compared to unpollinated crops, and by 5 times in tribute. Makarovsky believes that due to additional pollination, about 50% of the ovary does not fall off.

In Zelenova's experiments, additional pollination of pumpkins increased the fruit yield by 40–150%, depending on the variety. Artificial pollination of gourds should be carried out only in the morning from 6 to 10 o'clock.

For a more complete natural pollination of gourds, beehives with bees are taken to the plantations for 10-15 days at the rate of one hive per hectare of melons. In order to improve the commercial qualities of fruits, it is possible to apply a rare, but very effective method of fruit formation, developed by melon growers. It consists in the fact that the fruits are set with the stalks up with the size of the ovary about the size of an egg. At the same time, all sides of the fruit develop evenly, its long diameter is slightly reduced, the fruits acquire the correct presentation and the quality of their pulp improves.

Table watermelons and melons are harvested selectively, as they ripen, zucchini and squash are harvested when the fruits reach a standard size, pumpkins are harvested in the fall, when the crop mass ripens or before the end of the growing season.

The fruits of early-ripening varieties of watermelon and melon are harvested more often, and mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties are harvested more rarely. Depending on the variety and purpose, watermelon fruits are usually harvested 3-4 times, and melons - every 4-7 days. All varieties of pumpkin, as a rule, are harvested in one go after the green mass of the plants ceases to grow. It is better to harvest zucchini at the time when they reach 10 - 12 days of age, as this increases the productivity of plants. Periodic collections of ripe fruits from watermelons, melons and pumpkins also contribute to better development and the formation of new fruits.

During maturation, significant changes occur in the mechanical structure of the tissues of the fetus. The pulp usually softens, becomes more juicy; the bark thins, becomes denser, and in some varieties of pumpkins it even hardens.

A characteristic sign of ripening by the fruit of all melons is some lightening of their color, but, in addition to this, different species and even varieties of melons have their own special signs of ripening.

When the fruits of watermelons ripen, the tendril located opposite them dries out, the pattern of the bark becomes more noticeable, the sound when clicked is deaf; when squeezing the fetus, a crack appears.

When melons ripen, the color of the bark changes: the pattern becomes clearer, in some varieties the bark is covered with a network of small cracks, and an aroma appears. In many early and mid-season varieties, a sign of ripening is the ease of separation of the fruit from the stalk.

Watermelons, melons and gourds intended for local use are harvested fully ripe; the fruits of watermelons or melons, intended for long-distance transportation, are removed at the very beginning of ripening. The fruits of winter varieties of melons intended for winter storage are also harvested without waiting for full ripening, and when harvesting the fruits, a stalk 3–4 cm long is left.

Fruit picking is a very laborious work, but it can be facilitated by the use of various types of trailed or mounted transport carts, and at the level of watermelons and pumpkins, a square is used, knocked down from round rails at an angle of 85 °. With the help of a tractor-drawn square, the fruits are separated from the lashes and shifted on both sides of the tractor into two solid shafts. The productivity of a square for a 7 hour working day is 16 - 20 hectares. After harvesting, the fruits are sorted. Mature and healthy fruits are sold for consumption or used for storage, ripe but damaged fruits are processed. Small, underdeveloped fruits of watermelons and melons are salted or used for livestock feed.

Watermelon and melon are associated with the taste of summer, and every gardener dreams of growing delicious fruits on his plot. Watermelon has long been used as a healing diuretic to cleanse the body. Melons are thermophilic and grow in a warm climate, so for their cultivation and planting watermelons in the open field, you need to have special knowledge.

Be sure to find out in advance whether it is possible to plant gourds if a cucumber, pepper, pumpkin or zucchini grows nearby.

Melons belong to the gourd family. Cultures are very useful and contain a huge amount of vitamins. If you learn how to properly grow these plants, you can get a high yield of delicious fruits.

Melon is quite suitable for "neighborhood" with watermelon. Plants tend to grow. It is not recommended to plant them too close together..

Melons are prone to infection with various identical diseases. Therefore, if you plant nearby, you need to understand the risks of spreading diseases from one culture to another.

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings at home

Seeds for seedlings are planted approximately 60 days before planting in open ground. So, already in mid-March, the seeds should be bought. You can buy them at any specialized store or ask those who have already managed to grow a quality crop of watermelons and melons.

It is impossible to get a good harvest from the seeds of last year's watermelon. The best seeds to plant - 5 years ago. It is important to understand that only any early-ripening varieties with a ripening period of up to 70-85 days are suitable for our climate. It is better to give preference to hybrid varieties that are more adapted to adverse conditions.

When preparing seeds, you need to make sure that they are not empty. To do this, seeds are immersed in a container with water, Anything that comes up can be safely thrown away.. Watermelon seeds germinate more slowly than melon seeds. Therefore, it is recommended to scald watermelon seeds with boiling water, for better germination, and only then sow.

Preparation for planting and soaking

Soak. Each individual type of seed must be wrapped and soaked in cloth rags and maintain in a humid environment until germination. You can also soak in special napkins.
If the seeds have already hatched, but there is no way to plant them in a timely manner, you can leave the seeds in the refrigerator.

Seeds germinated at home are planted in separate small pots with a diameter of 10 cm, preferably peat. The soil should be a mixture of: humus, sod land 3:1, add peat, sawdust, humus 3:1:0.5.

planted in each pot 2 seeds to the depth 5 cm. Moisten the soil with a sprayer. Cover the container with cling film on top and put in a warm place +25 degrees.

It will take 40-45 days to grow watermelon seedlings, and 30 days for melon.

when the seeds germinate, move them to sunlight at a temperature +22 degrees. Remove the film;
the best place for seedlings is the windowsill on the south side of the house;
a week after sowing, feed the seedlings with mineral fertilizers, and a week later - infusion of mullein with superphosphate.

Landing in open ground

When planting in open ground, you need to focus on climatic conditions, the selected crop variety, and the readiness of seedlings.

Soil selection

Before planting melons in open ground, you need to choose a place for planting. Exotic plants love sunny places where there is no shade and wind.

Melons and watermelons need rich soils, as well as those that can withstand moisture well. The ideal option is sandy and sandy loamy soil with a pH of 6-7 units.

Site preparation is carried out in the fall. When digging, they add 4-5 kg of manure per square meter, 40 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt. and ammonium sulfate.

Preparing seedlings of watermelons

When the seedlings appear 5-7 leaves, it is ready for transplanting into open ground. The best time - the end of May. However, you need to focus on weather conditions so that at night the air temperature remains +15 degrees.

A week before planting in open ground, seedlings must be taken out for hardening at a daily temperature of + 16 + 20 degrees.

Outdoor Planting Pattern - Depth and Distance

For planting in open ground, you must adhere to the following rules:

Holes should be made in the garden at a distance 0.5-0.7 meters apart in a checkerboard pattern. Leave 70cm spacing between rows.
Seedlings are placed in holes so that the surface remains only a few top leaves. The soil should be crushed and sprinkled with sand around to protect the plant from rot.
Harvest after planting should be watered with summer or slightly warmed water.
To protect a young plant from the scorching sun, it is necessary to close the sprouts for 2-3 days with moistened caps made of plastic or paper.

10-14 days after planting, you need to feed the crop with a solution of ammonium nitrate 20g per bucket of 2 liters for each bush. During the period when the buds appear, you need to feed melons with infusion of mullein.

Features of growing melons

To ensure free access of oxygen to the roots, the soil needs to be constantly loosen to a depth of 10 cm. With the development of lateral loops, spud the culture. In order for the plant not to spend all its strength on gaining mass during the growth period, you need to pinch the main stem. For the full development of melons, three shoots are enough.

When fruit ovaries appear, 2-6 of the strongest and largest specimens are left on the bush. To reduce the load on the whip, it is recommended to tie the fruits into nets and hang on a support. The fruits are placed on foil linings to prevent rotting.

If watermelons will be used for storage and transportation in the future, then it is better to take a berry not fully ripe.

Advantages of planting in open ground:

in warm weather, you can achieve maximum ripeness fruits;
daily watering of the culture is not necessary;
it is possible to increase the yield if the basic rules for selecting soil and planting seeds for seedlings are observed.

Growing watermelons and melons in a summer cottage is quite realistic. Some even grow them in bags or greenhouses. If you follow all the recommendations, then by the end of summer you can enjoy sweet, sugary fruits. The main advantage of growing melons in your garden is the absence of chemicals.

Last season, my husband Boris Petrovich implemented two of his new projects on our site. I want to talk about their results. The first project was a dream he had for a long time: to use watermelon and melon plants as a design element.

We have been getting a stable harvest of these gourds on the site for the fifth year already, but this is not enough. My husband has long wanted to use watermelons and melons in such a way as to show all their beauty. In the last season, which was difficult due to weather conditions, his dream came true. It all started with the fact that in 2008 my husband added a veranda to our small house. The need for it has matured for a long time: guests often come to us, but there was nowhere to receive them. The veranda turned out to be 4x4 meters in size. Boris Petrovich covered it with a 150 micron thick polyethylene film to protect it from rain. For ventilation of the veranda and comfort inside it, a large window was made in the roof, and for better air movement and coolness in two places, the film on the walls could also be rolled up.

The veranda was built in the fall of 2008, so we could only feel the beauty of the sun rays passing through the film only in the coming summer season of 2009. And all winter my husband thought about how to protect himself from the scorching sun in summer and create an unusual green background on the veranda. He wanted our veranda inside to resemble the tropics with rapidly growing vines. That is why his choice fell on watermelons and melons. When he realized which plants would give the desired effect, the whole picture of the project immediately emerged - from the manufacture of warm ridges to the arrangement of plant lashes and their hearths on the veranda.

To insure the project, he connected the veranda with the house with an open opening. Additional heat through it came to the veranda on cold May days and in early June, and then in the second half of August, when the bulk of melons and gourds began to ripen.

This veranda was very useful to us at the beginning of May for keeping the grown seedlings of vegetables and flowers there. Since May 15, almost all containers with young plants have been there.

In May, I still do not live permanently in the country. And therefore, on my next visit there, a surprise awaited me, which at first upset me. The fact is that on the south side of the veranda, to the right and left of the entrance, the husband made two warm ridges with an area of 1.5 m? and a height of 50 cm. I did not like these structures, as they seemed uninteresting and out of place here. In addition, one of these ridges covered from the south and west from the sun the seedlings of flowers I recently planted near the house. At that time I did not really understand what would come of his idea? But an experiment is an experiment. And I gave him two cups of seedlings of watermelons and two cups of melons for this. The case was new, so we decided to use new varieties. To decorate the veranda, we used seedlings of Zemlyanin and Sorrento watermelons, which we purchased for the first time, as well as a new hybrid of Roxalana melon. There was no second melon novelty; I had to use the already tested Gerda melon hybrid. We sown the seeds of these melons and watermelons for seedlings on April 8th.

By May 10, having filled the warm ridges with organic matter, Boris Petrovich covered them with plastic wrap for quick heating. After a dozen days, the ridges breathed warmth. The husband built over them wall-mounted mini-greenhouses made of polyethylene film, which could be opened for planting seedlings, airing the plants and watering them. On May 20, seedlings were planted in mini-greenhouses.

Ten days later, Boris Petrovich decided to complicate his experiment: he planted one glass of cucumber seedlings - the Ecole hybrid - to two melon plants, and a glass of curly bean cowpea vegetable variety Countess to two watermelons. And it was convenient to plant all the plants and take care of them outside the veranda, for this it was enough to roll up a film on mini-greenhouses only a third.

Plants of watermelons and melons were formed into three stems: the main and two strong first lateral shoots. The cucumber was formed into one stem, the husband pinched all the side shoots - two ovaries and a leaf.

After planting, all seedlings quickly took root and began to grow. Already after June 10, all the lashes of melons and watermelons were introduced into the upper part of the veranda from its south side. A week later, the bean shoots caught up with their neighbors and went inside the veranda.

The husband watered the beds twice a week with warm, slightly podzolized water. He constantly monitored the landings so that they would not overgrow. Inside the veranda, under the film ceiling, I pulled the cords in order to guide the whips of developing plants along them. Boris Petrovich built a variety of shelves and swings for the fruit-setting, so that they would lie securely and comfortably on these coasters. I had to work hard, but the veranda turned out to be unusually interesting and beautiful - plants flourished at the top, and below there were comfortable benches and a table for family and guests.

The first melon started on June 10, and the first watermelon was pollinated on June 11. As a result, four watermelons grew on the veranda last season: from the whip of the Sorrento variety - one watermelon weighing 18 kg, the other - 3 kg; from a whip of the Zemlyanin variety - one watermelon in 11 kg, the other - 6 kg. We took 18 melons, their average weight was from 1.5 to 2 kg. Three melons, which we picked last, were already 2.5 kg each. And a lot of cucumbers formed on one lash. Their fruits looked very impressive under the ceiling of the veranda. Beans occupied the western wall of the veranda with their lashes, its pods were up to 70 cm long.

Scourges of watermelons and melons evenly covered the entire south side and top of the greenhouse, creating a beautiful openwork shadow inside. The melons and gourds were constantly cleaned: the growth of the main shoots was not limited, and the side shoots were all pinched after the second leaf. If we didn’t do this, we would get thickets of plant tops and a solid shadow inside. In addition, over the years of growing melons, we realized that we get a large harvest of these crops and large fruits due to the powerful, peeled tops of watermelons and melons. We usually pinch the main lash of these plants only at the last moment - during the period of mass ripening of fruits.

Our veranda in the last rainy summer was a favorite place for grandson to play. We, adults, also often gathered to have tea in it. The sight of ripening fruits, the aroma of ripening melons, the interesting design of the veranda - all this cheered up and inspired for further work. All the fruits we picked there are fully ripe. We think that all the guests who visited our site last summer were also impressed by what they saw on the veranda, they now know that in the conditions of the North-West they can grow, ripen watermelons and melons, that they can also be beautifully inscribed into the site landscape.

I will dwell separately on the feeding of plants that developed on our veranda. After all, it was necessary from two beds with an area of \u200b\u200b1.5 m? get not only the maximum surface of the leaf mass of melons to decorate the veranda, but also a good harvest of fruits. Without top dressing, such a result cannot be obtained. A year ago, Boris Petrovich developed a method of dry top dressing - with a thick layer of mulch. He used this method for fast-growing cucurbits, now he used it for the veranda.

Its essence is that in mid-July, at the time of maximum fruit set and growth, a nutritious mulch was placed under the plants, consisting of burnt sawdust and hay, soaked in the remains of horse manure and urine. This litter with a layer of 5-8 cm, when watered with warm podzolized water, gave fast-growing plants a balanced nutrition. And melons and gourds successfully grew under it last summer. In addition, their root system under the mulch was protected from hypothermia during cold nights. It was she who helped us grow a good crop of watermelons and melons without the use of other fertilizers. Another plus of it is that after watering the surface of the ridges quickly dried out.

This was my husband's first project, which, in my opinion, he managed to successfully implement. I will report on the results of the second project in the next issue of the magazine.

Galina Romanova, gardener, multiple winner of the competition of the Union of Gardeners, Kolpino

Residents of the central regions of Ukraine cannot boast of a melon harvest - watermelons ripen late, grow small, savory. But a miracle crop of watermelon and melon can be harvested if you use a few professional secrets.

“It is better to plant watermelons in the second year after adding organic matter to the soil,” says Orest Barabash, head of the Department of Vegetable Growing at the Ukrainian Agrarian University, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences. - Watermelons grow best on sandy soils. In addition, not all varieties are suitable for mid-latitudes. I would recommend these: Borisfen, Borchansky, Golopristansky, Dumara, Obry, Sichnevy, Chernomorsky. These varieties ripen by mid-August. Melon should be taken mainly of three varieties: Serpyanka, Titovka and Bereginya.

In order for the harvest to be good, melons are best grown in seedlings. Seeds are sown on April 10-15. Before that, they need to be wetted, wait until they hatch, and planted in peat pots 10 × 10 centimeters in size. The pots must be filled with soil up to half - when the seedlings are pulled out, it will be necessary to pour the earth.

Watermelons are planted in open ground from May 18 to May 25, when the threat of frost disappears. If the soil is not sufficiently fertilized, half a kilogram of humus is placed in the pits and 8-10 centimeters of earth are poured on top. When planting, it is necessary to strictly observe the row spacing: for watermelon - 1.8 meters, for melon - 1.4. In a row, watermelon seedlings are planted at a distance of 1.4-1.8 meters, melons - 0.7-1.4. Two plants can be planted in the holes at once.

When the seedlings grow up, they are evenly distributed: one shoot to the right, one to the left. On the central stem, where the fruits are formed, you need to leave 3-4 ovaries, and pinch off the rest of the stem on the 6-7th leaf.

Melons are grown using the same technology. But, unlike watermelon, melon forms fruits on lateral shoots. 6-7 ovaries are left on the plants, and the stems are pinched off over the fruits on the 3rd-4th leaf.

Lunisolar sowing calendar

March 28 - rutabagas, turnips, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, turnip onions, radishes, beets, horseradish, bulb flowers;

Planting and growing watermelons and melons in open ground

Be sure to find out in advance whether it is possible to plant gourds if a cucumber, pepper, pumpkin or zucchini grows nearby.

Is it possible to plant watermelons and melons side by side?

Melons belong to the gourd family. Cultures are very useful and contain a huge amount of vitamins. If you learn how to properly grow these plants, you can get a high yield of delicious fruits.

Melon is quite suitable for "neighborhood" with watermelon. Plants tend to grow. It is not recommended to plant them too close together..