Is it possible to grow a watermelon from watermelon seeds? Ways to grow watermelon at home

IN last years Growing melons and melons at home on a windowsill is especially popular. The harvest grown in this way can delight with its juicy taste. all year round, and during the cold season it becomes a pleasant surprise for the holiday table. Watermelon is one of the most favorite berries, reminiscent of sunny summer. How to grow watermelon at home, we will look in more detail in the article.

Where to begin

It is recommended to grow this crop in two ways, through sowing seeds and planting seedlings. There are many arguments in favor of each. Since it is not planned to plant the plant in open ground, and young shoots will not be threatened by bad weather, many advise planting watermelon at home from a seed. Others argue that for the first shoots a limited earthen ball is needed; in a large “non-working” mass of soil, the soil becomes acidified and the plant may die.
First you need to stock up on a container, it can be a bucket or tub with a volume of 10–15 liters, no less. Since watermelon has a powerful root system that goes deep, small containers not suitable for him. Transparent dishes are also undesirable; watermelon roots are very sensitive and prone to drying out. The “pot” for the crop and soil is prepared in advance, preferably 1–1.5 days before planting.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare a strong support, which is inserted into the tub or installed nearby. A stem and vines with an ovary are attached to it.

Which varieties to choose

Watermelon - plant southern regions, for full growth it needs a sufficient amount of heat and light; if the first is easy to provide, then short daylight hours are a problem. When growing watermelons at home, it is better to give preference to selected species that are tolerant of low light.
The second point worth paying attention to is precocity. The seed turns into a flowering, well-developed plant within a month; about two more months should pass before the fruits fully ripen. The following varieties are well suited for cultivating watermelon at home:

• A gift from the sun;
• Siberian;
• Ogonyok;
• Ultra early;
• Sugar baby.

For planting, large, even, undamaged seeds are selected that are potentially capable of producing strong shoots.

Growing stages

How to grow a watermelon on the balcony of an ordinary high-rise building and enjoy its fruits at any time? It is necessary to create conditions for the plant that are as close to natural as possible, this depends on light, heat, the presence of minerals in the soil, watering, and pollination. Basic rules for a good harvest:

Sowing

Before planting watermelon at home, it is recommended to immerse the seeds in a 5% saline solution, while the empty seeds float up and are removed, the rest are used for planting. 3-4 seeds are sown in selected buckets or tubs at once; after germination, weak shoots are removed.

Lighting and heat

Ideally, it is better to place watermelon sprouts on southern windows; the scorching rays of the sun will not harm it. But the crop can be grown on both the western and eastern sides, but the northern side is absolutely not suitable. Watermelon needs 12-hour access to light, so on cloudy days additional lighting is turned on: phytolamps, fluorescent or LED lighting.
Watermelon is a heat-loving crop; it does not tolerate drafts and cold. A place on the windowsill above the radiator suits it well, but is it possible to grow a watermelon on the balcony? It is possible, if you create additional heating; hypothermia is especially dangerous during the formation of the ovary. Ideal temperature regime for watermelon, which should be checked regularly, 25–30 °C during the day, 18 °C at night.

Soil and nutrition

It is necessary to plant watermelon in loose soil prepared in advance. For its composition, equal proportions are used: turf, humus, sand, you can add a little wood ash. Before planting, the soil is disinfected by pouring boiling water over it.
Homemade watermelon grows quickly; the first feeding may be needed already in the phase of three true leaves. It's better to use liquid complex fertilizers, which are used to water the plant after normal watering. The next feeding is needed at the stage of ovary development; here it is better to give preference to potassium and phosphorus preparations. The third time fertilizer is applied after harvesting.

Watering

Watering when growing watermelons should be moderate. This culture does not like waterlogging of the soil and air, which leads to a decrease in taste. Many growers recommend greatly reducing watering during fruit ripening, believing that this increases sugar content.

Pollination

It is not enough to know how to plant a watermelon correctly; in order to form an ovary, the plant must be cross-pollinated. Under natural conditions, bees do this, but what about a plant that is grown in “captivity”? Watermelon flowers are divided into male and female, both developing on the same vines. But female flowers have a more rounded stalk, which after pollination forms the fruit.
At home, a watercolor brush with soft bristles is used to cross-transfer pollen, and the entire process is done by hand.

Planting seedlings

Growing watermelons from seedlings is a more labor-intensive process, but this method guarantees results. How to grow watermelon at home using seedlings:

• Selected seeds are disinfected by keeping them in a slightly pink solution of manganese at a water temperature of 50°C for 15 minutes.
• After which the seeds are kept in damp cloth until they swell and hatch.
• Seeds are planted in cups or special cassettes for seedlings, 2-3 pieces each, in order to remove weak shoots after germination.
• The first shoots appear after about two weeks, and transplantation into the ground takes place after a month.
• Seedlings, like mature plant, does not like waterlogged soil, but insufficient watering can destroy the sprouts.

Harvesting

After planting the seedlings in the pot, intensive development of the root system begins. The main rod can go a meter deep, and the lateral roots are also developed and branched. As they grow, weak lashes are removed, and the rest are tied to trellises.
The speed of flowering depends on the chosen variety; on average, it occurs in a month to a month and a half. Some time after the flowers are fertilized, you can notice a thickening of the stalk on the females - these are future watermelons. To improve ripening and taste, no more than 2-3 berries are left on the branches, and the shoots themselves are pinched so that all the strength of the plant does not go into growth.
To prevent the fruit from breaking off under its own weight, it is placed in a net and tied to a support. It is recommended to place small pieces of plywood under the watermelon; this will prevent contact with the ground and the possibility of rotting. It is very important to follow the watering regime during the fruiting period, since waterlogging can lead to root rot.
From the moment of planting to the opportunity to enjoy the fragrant fruits, it takes about 3 months. The weight of a home-grown watermelon rarely exceeds 1 kg, but in taste it is not inferior to its larger brothers. In addition, the peel of the domestic fruit is thinner.

How to check the ripeness of a watermelon and determine the moment of harvesting? In a ripe fruit, the stalk dries out and the hairs fall off. The bark of an unripe watermelon is dull, while a ripe one is shiny and smooth. You can check the watermelon by lightly clicking it with your fingers; a dull, deep sound indicates the readiness of the fruit.
Growing watermelons on the balcony is a feasible task; it is only important to approach the matter with love and try to create optimal conditions. Not everyone succeeds in growing a finicky melon crop the first time. But perhaps, after working on your mistakes, you will be able to please yourself and your loved ones with the fragrant taste of summer.

It is rare to meet a person who does not like the taste and aroma of melon striped berries. The watermelon season won't last long, and the next one won't be any time soon. Thanks to modern technologies You can pamper yourself with your favorite delicacy at any time of the year right from the windowsill. How to grow watermelon at home so that it has the same quality and taste? To do this, you need to learn all the intricacies of growing and caring for the plant.

General characteristics

Watermelon is a melon crop that was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians more than 4 thousand years ago. He came to the territory of our country at the time Kievan Rus, was especially popular with Tsars Alexei Mikhailovich and Peter the Great.

Watermelon pulp is not only tasty, its consumption is recommended for people suffering from the following diseases:

• gout;
• atherosclerosis;
• kidney and liver problems;
• cardiovascular diseases.

If you are overweight, watermelon is often included in the diet menu due to its diuretic effect and low calorie content. Potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins, valuable amino acids will help normalize metabolic processes and improve the functioning of almost all systems.

How to grow a watermelon from a seed

Wherever you plan to grow watermelon, the first thing you need to do is choose a place that will fully satisfy all the needs of the plant. For striped berries will do well lit, sunny place, warming up all day.

Important! Watermelon needs 12 hours of daylight, otherwise the fruits will develop poorly and will not ripen.

Temperature is also an important factor:

• daytime temperature should be 25-30 degrees Celsius;
• At night, 18-23 thermometer readings are enough.

Watering should be plentiful until the ovary appears, then it is significantly reduced.

Growing watermelon begins with choosing seeds. They are bought in specialized stores; the seeds collected with one’s own hands are not suitable; the berries grow in completely different conditions. Eat hybrid varieties, which grow well with shortened daylight hours, are distinguished by the early ripening of fruits, and are not picky in care.

Seeds are sorted out of the bag and small and damaged ones are immediately thrown away. Then they are soaked. You can do this in ordinary water, or maybe in a solution of salt or manganese. Hatched seeds are planted in 4-5 pieces. V plastic cups or in peat pots, so that you can then remove the sprout along with a lump of earth.

Important! Watermelons do not like transplants, so it is better to grow seedlings in individual containers.

Place the cups with seedlings in a place with good lighting and no drafts. Watering is carried out frequently so that the soil is always well moistened, but avoid flooding. Favorable temperature conditions for watermelon seeds are 23 degrees during the day and not lower than 16 at night. If the air temperature does not rise above 13, then you can forget about seedlings. If all conditions are strictly met, the seedlings will sprout within a week after planting.

1. After 20-25 days, one sprout is left in the glass, which in appearance will be the healthiest and strongest.
2. The appearance of a third full leaf indicates that the plant needs to be replanted. If you plan to grow berries on a windowsill, then you will need containers of 5-15 liters.
3. At home, prepare a mixture of universal primer and perlite in a ratio of 2:1, fill the prepared tubs with it and compact it a little there.
4. If the future residence of watermelons is planned in the garden, then planting in open ground is carried out after all the frosts in your region have passed.
5. When planting seedlings, it is necessary to take into account that each plant needs about a square meter of land.

Important! Avoid crowding of plants, this will have a negative impact on the size of the fruit.

Choosing varieties

In order to please yourself and your loved ones with delicious berries from melons grown with your own hands, you need to know what varieties of watermelons can ripen in your region.

Important! When choosing seeds, pay attention not to the maximum weight of the fruit, but to the timing of its ripening.

There are many early ripening varieties of this plant that become sugar after 60 days. They will be medium in size, but one such berry will be enough for a family of 4 people.

For the middle zone, the following varieties of watermelons are considered the most popular:

• "Spark";
• "Kaho";
• "Siberian";
• "Volgar";
• "Gift of the Sun"

They have excellent germination, can withstand transportation and transplantation of seedlings, have a sweet taste and a pleasant aroma of the pulp. These varieties are ideal for growing striped berries from seeds in winter.

Growing watermelons in a greenhouse

The technology for growing melons in a greenhouse is quite unique; you should take all the advice seriously and adhere to the sequence of work.

To begin with, at the site where the watermelon is supposed to be planted, you need to make a trench on the bayonet of a shovel, put hay in it and sprinkle it with earth. Next you need to compact the soil in this place and cover double layer films.

The soil will quickly warm up to 15 degrees, even if it is cool outside, this will be facilitated by rotting hay, which will also release heat. After two weeks, you can start sowing the seeds; the distance between them should be at least 50 cm.

Advice! Before this, it is advisable to fertilize the bed; to do this, mix a bucket of sand, a bucket of humus, and a liter of wood ash. The resulting mixture is distributed over square meter and mix lightly with top layer soil.

First you need to water the bed, do it correctly from garden watering can water about 25 degrees Celsius. Place 2-3 sprouted seeds in each hole, sprinkle lightly with soil and cover with halves of plastic bottles.

Care and proper watering

In greenhouses and tubs on balconies favorable conditions Watermelons will begin to bloom in 35-60 days, depending on the variety chosen. Male flowers, the so-called barren flowers, immediately appear, and then female flowers with small watermelons after the sepals. In order to ensure productivity, it is necessary to artificially pollinate the plant. To do this, carefully pick the “male” flower and touch the stamens and pistil to the female flower.

Advice! Experienced gardeners say that pollinated flowers bend down, and unpollinated flowers reach towards the light.

Watermelon is a vine; for its normal development, a support is often built on balconies to which the plant is tied.

It is important to pinch the watermelon in time; this is done after the sixth leaf appears. When the ovary begins to develop, no more than two or three berries are left on one plant. This is exactly how much can grow as much as possible and gain the necessary sweetness; the rest are simply torn off so that they do not draw juices from the plant.

Watering is necessary warm water with the addition of vegetable fertilizers according to the product recipe.

Advice! It is better to use mineral and organic fertilizers during the growth period, both potassium and phosphorus after the formation of the ovary.

Harvesting

Ripe berries have the following external indicators:

• dried stalk;
• rich fruit color and glossy surface;
• dull sound when tapped.

Depending on the variety, ripeness is also determined by squeezing the fruit; it should crunch.

Watermelon can be grown in the country and on the balcony; you just need to choose the right variety and provide the plant with proper care.

Many people love watermelons. But watermelons appear on the market only during a certain season.

What to do if you want to enjoy the juicy pulp at another time of the year? There is a way out - to grow watermelon from seeds at home.

True, not everyone has personal plot, on which you can put a greenhouse and grow watermelons. But everyone has a windowsill or balcony, and this is quite enough to grow this plant at home.

Preparatory work

When growing watermelons at home, you can safely skip the stage of planting seedlings, which is necessary if you plan to transplant the plant outdoors. At home, planting occurs immediately in a large container in which the watermelon will grow until fully ripe.

The first thing you need to do to plant a watermelon is to purchase or build your own planting box.

If you can’t find a box, then a basin, bucket or flower pot will also work perfectly.

The main thing is that the volume is large enough for the root system. It is not advisable to use a transparent container - the roots of the watermelon are sensitive and can dry out.

It is better to use store-bought soil rich in microelements as soil. The soil must be enriched with lime fertilizers, since growing watermelons requires an acidity of 6pH. Important to remember:

The volume of the growing container must be at least 10-15 liters!

Seeds, as in many other crops, need to be soaked before planting. It is necessary to keep in water until the seeds hatch.

3-4 seeds are usually planted in one container; planting is done to a depth of about 3 centimeters. But this does not mean that they will all grow in the same container. Of those seeds that sprout, you should leave only one, the healthiest looking sprout.

Watermelon is a plant that needs a lot of light. That's why great solution There will be a placement of seedlings on the windowsill.

If you are planting seedlings in winter time years, then it is necessary to take care of additional lighting, since under natural conditions the plant receives light for 12 hours.

Remember that this plant is heat-loving and freezing it is very easy. Therefore, if you choose a window sill on the balcony, you need to make sure that the temperature there is suitable. The ideal temperature for the growth of this crop is +25-30 degrees during the day and about 17-18 degrees Celsius at night.

Despite the fact that watermelon fruits are very juicy, excessive moisture is very harmful to this plant. So does overwatering.

Plant care

As the plant grows, fertilizers must be added to the soil. The feeding diet must include nitrogen and phosphorus, and after the fruits are formed, also potassium.

It is necessary to place a support in the container with the seedlings along which the vine will grow. When the whip reaches a length of about a meter, it must be pinched. As the watermelon grows, the soil must be constantly loosened.

You cannot leave more than two fruits on one vine. All excess fruit must be cut off. It is better to secure the left fruits on a support using a net.

It is important to know: After introducing potassium into the feed, the amount of nitrogen must be significantly reduced.

Harvesting

At home, fruits rarely exceed a weight of one kilogram. But their peel is much thinner.

It takes about 3-3.5 months for the fruit to fully ripen. However, there are more, which have a ripening period of 60-80 days.

The maturity of the fruit can be easily determined: if the peel is shiny, the stalk is dry, and the sound when struck is dull, then the fruit is ripe.

If you didn't manage to grow a watermelon at home the first time, don't worry. You just need to make another try, taking into account the recommended varieties for growing in your region and reviews from amateur gardeners.

Below, we invite you to watch a video about how watermelons grow on a windowsill:

You don’t have to grow seedlings, but just sow them right away. permanent place. Based on the fact that the plant needs to have a powerful and branched root system for a better food regime, you can choose a plastic bucket up to 10 liters as a container. The soil needs to be highly fertile, with humus and all mineral elements, including a set of microelements. The soil must be prepared a month before sowing, limed to an acidity of 6.0-6.5 pH.

Sowing is done in the middle of the container, to a depth of 3 cm, with two or even three seeds. After germination, you can leave one (larger) plant. For initial testing of culture in room conditions You need to grow no more than two plants. You can place them on wide window sill or in front of the window. The frame should be tight so that cold air does not enter the plants. The bottom of the bucket needs to be perforated and placed on a tray to drain excess water if this happens from watering. The light-permeable walls of the vessel must be wrapped in something black, preventing the roots approaching the walls from turning green.

In greenhouse conditions, it takes about 3 months to get the first watermelon fruits. Half of this period is spent on the growth of the vegetative mass of the plant, the second half on the growth and ripening of the fruit from the moment of setting. This period can be adhered to in the room.

Before the day is 12 hours long, the watermelon needs additional lighting. For this they use fluorescent lamps, mounted to the window, and reflectors for volumetric lighting. By nature, watermelon has a thin stem and even thinner shoots, as well as small leaves. Nutrition with full abundance and balance of elements can slightly enlarge these organs. At first, plants need equal amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, while fruits need a lot of potassium and little nitrogen. In accordance with this pattern, feeding is given. Potassium and phosphorus increase the sugar content of fruits, nitrogen - reduces it.

On some support, the stem can be grown 1 m or slightly higher, then pinched. Side shoots pinch off, leaving a few leaves above the flower with the ovary. You should not leave more than two fruits on the plant. Hand pollination is carried out using at least three barren flowers.

Once the fruit reaches the size of an orange, it is placed in a net, which is tied to a frame. The fruit of a greenhouse watermelon is usually thin-skinned, but small - 600-800 g.

E. Feofilov, hon. agronomist of Russia, Newspaper "GARDENER" No. 49, 2009.

Growing watermelons in an apartment

Is it possible to grow watermelon at home? Can. And perhaps you will succeed, and six months after the seeds germinate you will be able to enjoy watermelons own production or just sit in the shade of a green watermelon "tree".

First you need to grow seedlings. We plant 20-30 ripe watermelon seeds in humus in some container and place them in a place in the apartment with sufficient natural light. In winter, artificial lighting will also be required. We plant the resulting seedlings in a tub or large tank. Humus is required. Regular watering.

Growing melons in garden beds is possible in almost any region of the country. But before you get down to business, you need to study basic information on how to properly prepare seeds and seedlings.

Where and how do watermelons grow?

In the south of Russia, melons grow very well, but in middle lane, in the North and Siberia they often lack warmth and sun. Seedlings should be planted in well-warmed, open spaces. In regions with cool summers and cold winters, it is necessary to plant plants in greenhouses.

If you know how to grow watermelon at home in your garden, you can achieve good results.

Watermelon at home

Melon crops love moist, loose soil. It would be ideal if tomatoes, potatoes, cereals (corn, wheat, oats, rye) and legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, beans, lentils, soybeans) were previously grown in the beds or in the greenhouse.

The harvest will be good if the bed is built in such a way that the vines grow vertically. It is most convenient to do this in a greenhouse.

It is imperative to fertilize melons. Can buy ready-made fertilizer or prepare it yourself using phosphorus and potassium to prepare the solution.

How to grow watermelons at home

People who do not have a garden or vegetable garden have no choice but to grow a watermelon at home, on the balcony. Both tomatoes and cucumbers are grown on the balconies. So why not try growing melons?

Planting watermelon from a seed

Experienced gardeners know how to plant a watermelon at home from a seed. To do this, you need to choose the largest and best seeds, without cracks. Before planting, the seed must be warmed in the sun or a radiator, then washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate several times. Then wrap in damp gauze or other fabric. Leave the wrapped seeds in a warm place for several days until the sprouts hatch.

After this, you can plant the seed in the ground.

Sprouted seeds are thrown into the ground, into a garden bed or into a greenhouse. But this method is only for southern latitudes.

Note! This option is not suitable for colder regions; in central Russia, melons are grown at home, on window sills and balconies.

Seeds are planted in large pots or containers. Large capacity is needed so as not to replant the seedlings later, as this can cause damage to the roots. As a result, the sprout will develop very slowly or die. Watermelon seedlings have very delicate and sensitive roots.

Pollination of watermelons in the garden

If the flower is not pollinated, the fruit will not grow. It’s great if bees, bumblebees and other insects fly into the garden. What if they are infrequent guests or watermelons grow in a greenhouse? Then you can attract bees or pollinate the flowers by hand. Flying insects will be attracted by the sweet smell; you can pre-plant plants or flowers with a pronounced sweet smell next to the melons, or simply sprinkle water with added sugar or honey on the flowers from time to time.

Artificial pollination of plants

To pollinate plants manually in a greenhouse or at home, you need pollen from male flower transfer to the female flower. This can be done with a brush or cotton swab. Or you can simply pick a male flower and generously shake the pollen over the female one.

Note! female flower differs from the male one in that it (the female) has a small fruit at the bottom.

It is very important to choose the right variety of watermelon, taking into account the region. For example, for Leningrad region Only early ripening varieties should be chosen, and hybrids are best suited for southern cities.

It is recommended to grow seedlings in places where there is a lot sunlight and where high humidity- more than 70%. If there is not enough humidity, you should regularly spray water in the room from a spray bottle.

If the bed is located vertically, you should tie up the fruits during their ripening period to prevent the vine from breaking.

Additional Information. If melons are grown on the ground and the weather is wet and rainy, you need to take care that the fruits do not begin to rot and place a thin board or glass under them.

Following these simple tips and by conscientiously caring for the seedlings, it is quite possible at the end of summer to enjoy your own watermelons grown at home or in the garden.