Watermelons are grown in two ways: from seedlings and by sowing seeds directly to a permanent place. Regardless of the method, I recommend germinating the seeds before planting. How to do it correctly, I will tell you in this article.
The need for germination
The culture is characterized by an intensive growth process. With sufficient soil moisture and a temperature of 25-35 ºС, the planting material germinates in about 10 days.
But in central Russia, such temperature indicators are not found, especially in April and May. From non-germinated seeds, you will have to wait for shoots for a long time.
Germination is a fairly simple technique that allows you to get a harvest much faster. This procedure has the following advantages:
- Seedlings from germinated planting material are almost one hundred percent. For planting, you can choose only the highest quality seeds.
- Seedlings appear amicably, making it easier to care for the sprouts. All plants are at the same developmental stage.
- The crop can be harvested 1-2 weeks earlier.
How to germinate seeds correctly
Before starting the process, you need to carry out preparatory work. First, I sort the seeds. I choose the strongest and largest seeds. The variety or hybrid must be suitable for the growing region.
I check the selected planting material using a saline solution. Pour 1 tablespoon of salt into half a glass of water. I immerse the seeds in this solution. I delete those that come up. The rest are thoroughly rinsed in clean water and dried.
To accelerate germination, the planting material must first be pickled. This will get rid of pathogenic bacteria and other pathogens. The etching procedure is mandatory. It is performed using a solution of potassium permanganate - 1 g of the substance should be added to 1/2 glass of water. You need to soak for 15 minutes.
Then I wash the seeds with running water. After that, I soak them in a solution of heteroauxin for 10 hours. This allows you to enrich the planting material with trace elements necessary for normal development. After removing the seeds from heteroauxin, I do not wash the seeds, I just dry them in the sun.
Now you need to soak the seeds in warm water for 10 minutes to soften the skin of the watermelon seeds.
After that, I wrap the planting material in a damp cloth or gauze and place it in a jar. The container should be in a warm place. From time to time, the gauze should be moistened with water, as it must be constantly wet.
If you follow this instruction, then after 5-7 days you will receive germinated seeds, and they can be planted.
Planting germinated seeds
When the seedlings are 1-1.5 cm long, they can be planted in the ground. Most often, watermelons are grown in seedlings. But if the weather permits, you can immediately plant on the site.
Planting seedlings
For watermelons, a cucumber substrate, which can be purchased from specialized stores, works well. But I am using DIY substrate. To do this, I mix sod soil, sand and humus in equal parts.
I take small containers for growing seedlings. Their diameter should be about 10 cm. I fill the pots with a substrate, spill them thoroughly with water, after which I make a depression of 3 cm. I put the seed there and sprinkle it with earth.
I cover the pot with foil and put it in a warm place. The room temperature should be at least +25 degrees before germination. After that, I remove the film and transfer the containers to a well-lit place. If the weather is cloudy, young plants need additional lighting.
Do not water the seedlings abundantly. I water it when the soil dries out to a depth of 1 cm. The water should be kept warm. It is also advisable to feed the plants with complex fertilizers. This is done 7-10 days after germination and about 1 week before transplanting to the street.
Landing in open ground
The most suitable time for planting outdoors is late April or early May. To protect the garden from the cold, cover it with foil. If the weather is rainy and cold, the garden should be covered overnight until June.
A large area is required for plant development. Watermelons should be planted at a distance of 1 m from each other. The distance between the rows is 2 m.
If sprouting is done correctly, germination can be increased and yields can be obtained earlier than usual. Sprouted seeds are suitable for planting seedlings and for cultivation in the open field, so do not neglect the germination procedure.
Do you grow watermelons?
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