Who does not know the unusually tasty and fragrant melon, which is available to us in the second half of summer? It can be eaten fresh, cook jams and preserves, dried and dried sliced slices. This product is useful to any person, it is easily absorbed, improves health, helps with malnutrition and anemia. Melon is useful for babies and the elderly, due to the fact that it contains many vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances.
If you are the owner of a private house with a personal plot or cottages in the middle lane or in the northern regions, then you can independently grow a melon in a greenhouse. This does not require special agricultural technology, it is only necessary to properly prepare the soil, and stockpile the necessary fertilizers. We must not forget that the melon does not like abundant watering, it needs a lot of sunlight and more heat. The soil for this plant must be breathable, loose, with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction. To feed the beds with melons use weak solutions of mineral fertilizers.
Melon grows poorly, if there is:
• In the greenhouse, the soil with an acidic or slightly acidic reaction is dense, which prevents the roots of the plant from developing normally, moisture stagnates and poorly evaporates;
• Humid, stagnant air, there are cold drafts;
• Plants are watered with cold water, it is cool in the greenhouse;
• Manure or overly concentrated doses of mineral fertilizers are used for feeding.
Growing melons in a greenhouse is not difficult, but all the requirements for open ground apply. It is necessary to provide maximum sunlight, a little moisture, a lot of heat and proper, limited watering - this is necessary in order to grow melon in a greenhouse sweet and tasty.
What kind of lighting is needed?
Adequate lighting is of great importance for the melon, due to which it will develop rapidly, the lighting intensity should be at least 5000-6000 lux. Keep in mind that melon is a short-day culture, it quickly forms inflorescences with a day duration of no more than 12 hours. Experiments have shown that when there is an excess of light for seedlings, it affects in the future, less adult flowers appear in adult plants obtained from them. The optimal time for sowing melons in the greenhouse is March, when sowing at this time you can grow more quality products. In the conditions of our climate in the greenhouse you can collect melons from spring to October, during this period the plants receive everything that is needed for growth and fruiting.
Optimum temperature
Of great importance are the temperature conditions in the greenhouse, as any kind of melon is very fond of heat. Seeds hatch at a temperature of 15 degrees, but a temperature of 25-30 degrees is considered the most suitable. In the open ground in spring it is difficult to create such conditions, but warming the greenhouse can be done without problems.
At this temperature, the seeds will bite after 48 hours, if the temperature is higher, this process will be delayed. When the temperature drops below 15 degrees, the sprouts will die, at 1 degree heat in 2-3 hours the seeds will die.
Melon seedlings
During the growing season, for the melon in the greenhouse you need to maintain the temperature within 28-30 degrees, the air should not contain much moisture.
Seeds should be selected 2-3 years of age, with high germination, before sowing they need to be processed in potassium permanganate 1 hour. Seeds are sown in peat pots with a diameter of 8 cm or plastic cups. The soil mixture for seedlings is prepared by their humus and garden soil in a ratio of 1: 3, add 20 g of potash and nitrogen fertilizers and 50-60 g of phosphorus fertilizers to it in a bucket of soil.
Sunflower seeds are buried 2-3 cm into the soil, 2 pcs. on a pot, and cover with a plastic bag until emergence. For seeds to germinate quickly, a temperature above 23 degrees is needed, the seedlings that have appeared need to be highlighted for 12-14 hours using a fluorescent lamp. Polyethylene shelter over cups with shoots removed. Weakened seedlings are torn out, and strong seedlings are grown until 2 real leaves appear.
Melon Care
Since that culture loves heat very much, it is necessary to plant it in a greenhouse after the soil warms up at a depth of 10 cm, at least 15 degrees. The air temperature should be about 24-29 degrees, and during fruit ripening about 29-40 degrees.
For proper lighting of plants, it is necessary to provide vertical trellises on which the lashes of melon will be suspended. Due to this, they will not touch the soil, which will reduce the possibility of infection with bacterial and fungal infections. At a height of 1 and 2 meters above each row, 2 rows of wire are pulled, melon shoots are suspended from them.
During the appearance of inflorescences and the formation of ovaries, the humidity in the greenhouse must be maintained within 70-80%, when the fruits begin to sing, it must be reduced to 50-60%. It is convenient to change the humidity with the help of irrigation and ventilation (to close or open the windows).
Melon dressing:
• For a normal crop, plants in the greenhouse need to be fed with complex compounds (nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium).
• The first time they feed the melon after the appearance of the first true leaflet. Once again, 10-15 days after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse;
• For seedlings, prepare a mixture of 1 gr. ammonium nitrate, 2 gr. superphosphate and 1.5 gr. potassium chloride;
• Suitable ready-made complex preparations are suitable for this;
• During the formation of inflorescences, the amount of nitrogen in top dressing is reduced, it accelerates the growth of green mass, which will only hurt when the fruit weight is increased. Twice a month, plants are fed phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, adding them to water for irrigation.
Forming and tying melons
Seedlings begin to tie to the trellis on the 4th day after transplanting. The twine is wrapped around the shoot near the first leaflet and fastened to the wire with a sliding knot. As the plant grows, the twine needs to be wrapped around the whip from left to right.
Melons in greenhouses must be formed into two shoots, extra processes must be cut off. The side shoots are shortened after 4 sheets, and the main whip when it reaches the wire. For a normal crop on each shoot of small-fruited melon varieties, no more than 6 ovaries should be left, for large-fruited varieties no more than 2 pieces, all other emerging ovaries break.
After the failure of the first fruits, the appearance of secondary ovaries is possible, but the fact that they will ripen is doubtful. Each fruit (not lying on the ground) is preferably placed in a nylon net, which is hung on a trellis, as their weight gradually increases and they can break off over time. Under the melons that lie on the ground lay plywood and a board to prevent decay.
Pollination of melon inflorescences in the greenhouse can be complicated, for this reason, when the flowers open, it is necessary to leave all the windows and doors open so that insects can enter the greenhouse. They can be lured by spraying the supports of the building with honey water or planting honey plants nearby. If the weather does not allow insect pollinators to fly out, then you will have to pollinate the plants yourself. This work is carried out at 9-10 a.m., it is necessary to break off male inflorescences and apply their stamens to the stigmas of female inflorescences. Note that for pollination of one female inflorescence, you will need to use several male ones.
