EntranceWhen to plant watermelons for seedlings: seed preparation and growing rules. Planting and growing watermelons and melons in open ground
Then she is taken to the greenhouse. After this, the seedlings need to be watered with warm water and fed as needed.
Sowing time for seedlings
Seeds must be sown so that the seedlings are no more than 30 days old. The watermelon has a dense shell, so it can take up to ten days for the cotyledons and root to emerge.
On permanent place seedlings are planted when warm weather sets in, when the threat of return of frost ceases to exist.Based on this, it is possible to calculate optimal time sowing seeds. In the middle zone, night frosts end around June 1. This means that it is necessary to start preparing seeds for planting on April 22-25. It is possible a little later - April 26-30.
Look first. When choosing a day for sowing watermelon seedlings, it is better to rely on this night star. So, this work is not carried out during the full moon; at this time you can only prepare the soil and shed it. In “sterile” signs such as Aquarius and Aries, it is also better to refrain from planting.
It is better to plant watermelon on those days lunar calendar, when the “tops” grow well. Then the watermelon will have good astronomical indicators for excellent growth.
Then, the seeds, and then the seedlings, need to be provided optimal conditions for growth and fruiting.
Sowing seeds, growing seedlings
If you look at 2014, an excellent time for planting watermelon is April 30th. It is on this day that you need to start preparing the seeds for planting, and you can bury them on other days, but not on the full moon or the new moon.
On April 29, 2014, landings cannot be made, since on this day there is a new moon, and even a solar annular eclipse - another sign that indicates the undesirability of landings.
The day of April 27, 2014 is very suitable for preparing the soil. So pour at this time fertile land into seedling cups, let it settle a little, and on April 30, soak the seeds first in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then in the existing growth stimulator for 8 hours.
After this, the seeds are soaked in lukewarm boiled water for a day. Now you can put 2 of them in a seedling cup, in the soil that has been prepared and spilled with warm water.
Watermelon seeds do not have 100% germination. Therefore, out of two, only one can ascend. If both begin to grow, then only the strong plant is left.
Seedlings at the age of 20-30 days are planted in soil rich in organic matter, under cover. When the fruits set, no more than one or two are left on one vine. Then the watermelons will ripen well and become juicy and sugary.
Growing watermelons
I probably won’t be wrong if I say that everyone knows watermelon – from children to the adult population of the planet. Its juicy and beautiful flesh cannot leave anyone indifferent. Have you ever wondered how to grow this melon culture yourself? Here we are now Let's talk about technology and some features of growing watermelon.
So, if you decide to grow a watermelon, then start by choosing a place to plant this miracle berry. Designate an area with a southern slope, which is well ventilated and illuminated by the sun. In addition, the soil there should be light, i.e. sandy loam. And, of course, without any trees or shrubs. Melon crops do not tolerate the slightest shade. A best predecessors– grains, legumes, corn, or nightshades – tomatoes or potatoes.
Soil preparation
Watermelon roots go deep into the soil, forming a powerful root system, grow a sufficient number of stems and leaves. Fruits also require good nutrition, therefore, during plowing (digging) it is necessary to apply a lot of organic fertilizers:
humus, compost, non-acidic peat - 6-8 kg per 1 sq.m. You can add 2-3 kg of humus into each hole. Mineral fertilizers are also shown - per 1 sq. m 30-40 g of urea or ammonium nitrate, 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potash fertilizers.
It is still not worth being too zealous in applying fertilizers, so that the plants do not increase green mass to the detriment of fruiting. And excess nitrates can accumulate, and this is completely unacceptable.
Varieties
Early ripening: Atlant, Borisfen, Borchansky, Gloria F1, Au-Producer, Darunok, Crimson, Knyazhich, Ogonyok, Sugar Baby, Royal, Tulip, Aubrey F1 (seedlings in a film greenhouse).
Mid-season: Astrakhan, New Year's, Melitopol 60, Ryasny, Sicheslav, Snezhok, Tavriysky, Whole-leaved (mid-early).
Mid-late- Chill.
Seed preparation
Growing watermelons. Seeds of watermelon
Surprisingly, some features of their distant ancestors have been preserved in the genetic memory of watermelons. Apparently, driven by the wind across the hot expanses of the Kalahari Desert, the seeds, being in balls of dried fruit, were thoroughly warmed by the sun. After such heat treatment, they quickly sprouted and, using scarce moisture reserves, managed to form fruits, and in them - ripened seeds.
That's why the seeds modern varieties It is also advisable to warm it up heating batteries, beds, dryers.
At first they are kept at a temperature of 15-20 degrees, gradually increasing to 50-60 degrees. Heat for 3-4 hours, stirring constantly and making sure they are dry and not steamed. Good results It also gives warming in the sun for 7-10 days.
Next is germination, important stage. To do this, heated seeds are soaked in a warm solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, washed several times in clean water, wrapped in cloth from natural material and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 20-30 degrees. About alternative ways seed treatment can be read
Planting watermelons
As soon as 10% of the germinated seeds hatch, they must be sown immediately.
By the way, soaking seeds in ash extract, mullein, slurry, or humate stimulates seed germination.
There is no need to rush with sowing watermelons. This should be done after the soil warms up at a depth of 10-12 cm to 12-14 degrees. On average, this is the second half of April - May. IN different areas this happens in different terms, so focus on your weather. Make sure that the seeds do not fall into cold soil - they may lose viability or be damaged by wireworms or other soil pests.
Watermelons, especially late varieties, grow to form lashes-stems 1.5-2 meters long. Therefore, they should be sown at the same distance between the rows, and in rows – every 70 cm. Denser is allowed.
For watermelon, it is very important to quickly get shoots and strong plants with 5-6 leaves, the so-called tent phase.
Such plants take deep roots, which supply them with moisture well.
In arid areas, when sowing watermelons by hand, they practice watering 1.5-2 liters of water in each hole. The depth of the holes is made 10-12 cm, but after pouring water, add soil from the edges so that the seeds lie at a depth of 4-7 cm.
Growing watermelons
Growing watermelons. Shoots
An important condition when growing watermelons is timely, often even before germination, loosening the soil
. Therefore, when sowing watermelon seeds in the holes, it is recommended to add some seeds of plants that germinate within 3-5 days (peas, sunflowers, radishes). These will be peculiar "beacons"
, indicating the rows and holes of watermelons, which will allow you to loosen the soil and remove weeds even before they emerge. But do not forget to delete these “beacons” in the future. It’s only better to do this by cutting with a hoe or knife (along with excess watermelon shoots) so as not to damage the root system of young, not yet rooted plants.
When caring for watermelons, you should pay attention Special attention loosening the soil, which should be carried out several times during the growing season.
Fertilizing should be carried out during the period of growth of leaves and the beginning of the formation of lashes-stems of plants. Based on 10 sq. meters of 150 g of ammonium nitrate or urea, 150 g of simple (powder) or 60 g of double granulated superphosphate and 50 g of potassium salt. Fertilizing is timed to coincide with rains or waterings. In general, although watermelons are drought-resistant, if possible, try to water them during the growth of stems and leaves, flowering and fruit set. But during the ripening and harvesting of fruits, watering is highly undesirable, because... Excess moisture leads to cracking of fruits and a deterioration in their quality and transportability.
Believe it or not...
Melons are considered unpretentious crops, if they are provided with comfortable climatic conditions and pick up optimal soil for disembarkation. Grown berries do not contain nitrates and are much cheaper. For getting juicy fruits you need to know when to plant watermelon seedlings.
In most cases, watermelons are grown using seedlings. This method allows you to reduce the duration growing season when he is in open ground. Also, the use of seedlings significantly increases the yield of the plant. The process of obtaining material for planting is quite labor-intensive, since any discrepancy with the growing conditions can lead to the death of the seedlings.
In most cases, watermelons are grown using seedlings.
The optimal time for planting watermelons is April. In the southern regions they grow without greenhouses, and in more northern regions- without closed premises not enough. Therefore, in these regions, growing watermelons in greenhouses is considered the most popular.
If the seeds are planted directly into the soil, then you need to choose early ripening varieties and carry out the procedure in May.
The process of growing watermelon begins with choosing a variety. When purchasing berry seeds, you can inquire about the characteristics of the variety and the speed of ripening. The place where the seeds are brought from is no less important. If for southern regions this is not important, then for cultivation in the northern regions it is better to choose the following species:
- Olginsky;
- Sugar Baby;
- Ogonyok;
- Siberian lights.
If for northern regions choose seeds brought from warm regions; the likelihood that they will take root is minimal.
The place where the seeds are brought from is no less important. Before planting, you need to check them for fertility. To do this, you can pour the seeds with salted water: those that float are considered unsuitable for planting.
The seeds that have sunk to the bottom are poured with warm water for 10 minutes, after which they can be stored in it until germination.
After seed germination, when the sprout has already reached 1-2 mm, hardening must be carried out.
After seed germination, when the sprout has already reached 1-2 mm, hardening must be carried out. There are two ways to do this:
- The first is to place the seeds in a damp cloth in the refrigerator. To do this, it is better to choose a place under the freezer, where the temperature will be maintained at about 0 - 2 degrees Celsius.
- The second method is to place the seeds in melting snow or even ice. The seed hardening time should not exceed 6 - 8 hours.
If you decide to grow a watermelon, planting and caring for the seeds must be carried out in strict accordance with growing standards. It is better to sow seeds in individual cups about 10 cm high. The seeds are placed to a depth of 3 cm. Gardeners recommend planting two seeds in each container. If both seeds are accepted, the weaker sprout is removed. It is better to cover the crops with film so that moisture is retained inside the soil. After the sprouts appear, you need to put the pots in the brightest place and lower the temperature.
Gardeners recommend planting two seeds in each container. Microclimate for seedlings
To create an optimal climate for cultural development, the following factors must be taken into account:
- lighting;
- soil selection;
- temperature;
- watering features;
- feeding
To grow watermelon seedlings, the same soil mixtures are used as for. The best option soils are considered chernozem, sandy soils and supersandy soils. The soil mixture should ideally consist of sand, peat and turf soil.
The best soil options are black soil, sandy soils and supersandy soils. Lighting
Watermelon seedlings are demanding of light. She needs good lighting, which is not always possible to achieve using natural sources. In this case, you need to equip the room with fluorescent lamps or move containers with seedlings to a well-lit windowsill.
Before seed germination begins, the temperature can fluctuate between 20-25 degrees Celsius. At night, the temperature should not be allowed to drop below 18 degrees. 
Before seed germination begins, the temperature can fluctuate between 20-25 degrees Celsius.
After the first shoots appear, it should be reduced to 18 degrees. During the entire further growth period, the temperature should fluctuate between 23-25 degrees Celsius during the day and 18-20 at night.
Watering
It is necessary to water the soil with seeds and sprouts only with warm water. The main thing is to observe moderation. Oversaturation with moisture can lead to rotting of the plant's root system and the appearance of diseases. To avoid this, you need to periodically ventilate the room with seedlings.
After the first leaf appears, the soil in which the seeds are located must be fed. An infusion is used for this bird droppings with the addition of superphosphate in a ratio of 2 grams per liter of liquid. It is advisable to repeat feeding after a couple of weeks. Before planting seedlings in the ground, you need to fertilize the soil with mineral fertilizers, ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride. Each plant is watered with the solution at the rate of 250 ml per specimen.
For feeding, an infusion of bird droppings with the addition of superphosphate is used in a ratio of 2 grams per liter of liquid. Pulling seedlings
Quite often, gardeners are faced with the fact that seedlings stretch out. The reasons for this may be:
- Usually this process is associated with a lack of light. Watermelon is a plant that is very sensitive to light. Therefore, it must receive 12 hours of light per day. If daylight hours are shortened, the stems may elongate more than required by the growing conditions.
- Another reason for this anomaly may be an increase in planting density. Because of this, the branches shade each other, and the tops reach towards the sunlight.
- Another reason for the stems to stretch above the norm may be the abundance of watering combined with an increased temperature in the room.
When dealing with pulling, you need to reliably identify the cause. To stop pulling, it is enough to correct one of the factors: if there is not enough light, add a source, if abundant watering- reduce, and if the planting density is to blame, you need to place the seedlings so that they do not touch.
If stretching has already occurred, the best solution may be to cover the plant with soil to form additional roots. Therefore, when preparing containers for planting, it is necessary not to add a few centimeters of soil, so that later you can correct the stretching of the berry stems. After filling the soil, the seedlings must be placed on the windowsill and additional lighting must be provided.
To prevent new watermelon sprouts from pulling out, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:
- It is necessary to grow seedlings in separate containers with a diameter of 8 to 10 cm.
- The temperature regime must be carefully observed. Not only growth, but also the health of the culture depends on this
- If there is a shortage natural light seedlings require an additional source of lighting.
- Watering should be moderate. As the intensity increases, the crop grows quickly, but the stem becomes thinner and cannot hold the heavy fruit.
- Young plants can stretch various reasons. This could be a drawback useful substances in the ground. To prevent this from happening. It is necessary to feed the soil with the necessary fertilizers.
It is necessary to grow seedlings in separate containers with a diameter of 8 to 10 cm. Pests of seedlings
In order for the crop to take root and be healthy when transplanted into the ground, it is important to know how to plant watermelons so that the seedlings are not exposed to various diseases, characteristic of cultures of this type. The melon crop is considered not very resistant to pest attacks. Most often it is exposed to the following diseases:
- powdery mildew;
- melon aphid;
- thrips;
- blackleg.
To avoid this, the sprouts need to be treated with special preparations.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground
By the time of planting, the seedlings should have developed roots and 3-4 leaves on the stem. Many people are faced with the problem of how to plant watermelons after preparing the seedlings? It is enough to complete the following steps:
- On the eve of transplantation, the soil with seedlings should be watered abundantly and the soil should be loosened to the entire planting depth. The plant should be planted in a greenhouse at a distance of 30-40 cm between the bushes. In open ground, the distance between bushes should be at least two meters, since watermelon loops are quite long. When planting, do not bury the neck of the plant's root. If the day is sunny, it is better to plant young shoots in the afternoon. In case of extreme heat, the plant should be shaded with paper.
- The planting holes need to be watered generously and the top layer of soil moistened.
- If the transplant was carried out in a greenhouse, then at the end of the work it is tightly closed. And if the seedlings were planted directly into the ground, then they need to be covered with film, having previously installed metal arcs as a frame. The edges of a kind of greenhouse are sprinkled with soil so that the seedlings take root better in the new place.
- During the week after the first day after planting the seedlings, it is better to water every other day, and in dry and hot weather, watering can be increased more often.
The soil for planting seedlings should be slightly alkaline. If there is no such type of soil on the site, it is necessary to take measures to reduce the acidity of the soil. For this purpose, fertilizers containing calcium and magnesium are used. Ground limestone, wood ash and ground chalk will also work.
Knowing how to plant watermelons correctly, you can not only grow the berry for your own consumption, but also organize entire plantations of the plant to create a business.
Beginning entrepreneurs need to decide where the plant will be grown. If, then it is necessary to create a structure of such an area that is necessary for growing a certain volume of plants.
If you grow a plant for yourself, you can use an existing greenhouse. It is prepared in the fall: it is fertilized, weeds are removed and it is ventilated. Therefore, when the time comes to plant new watermelon sprouts, optimal conditions have already been created.
As long as the distance between the rows of watermelons is not overgrown with vines, it is enough to fluff the soil after each watering and remove any weeds that appear. When the fruits of the berry reach the size of an apple, the vines of the plant need to be pinched and tied up.
Whatever method of germination and planting seedlings is chosen, if you perform all the actions recommended by experts, you can be sure that the plant will take root and begin to bear fruit over time.
In that on the usual personal plot It is possible to grow real, high-quality watermelons, as even the most distrustful and cautious gardeners, who were afraid of the capricious nature of the “striped berry,” managed to see. The process is really not too complicated even for a novice melon grower. But if in the southern regions watermelon is sowed directly into the ground, then in the average climate zone with its short and cool summers, good seedlings grown at home cannot be done without good seedlings grown at home. We will talk about how to grow strong and healthy watermelon seedlings.
Dates of sowing and planting in the ground
Watermelon seedlings are planted in a permanent place when they are 22-26 days old. By this time, the soil on the site should warm up to +12°-14° C. If further cultivation will take place in open ground, sowing is carried out in late April-early May, for greenhouse cultivation - a week earlier.
Preparation of seed material
The key to rapid seed germination and the health of future seedlings is competent pre-sowing treatment material, including several stages.
- Warming up - 4-5 days before sowing, watermelon seeds are poured for 30-40 minutes hot water(about +55°C) or keep on for 3-4 hours hot battery heating, stirring occasionally.
- Disinfection - for preventive purposes, seed material is pickled for 20-30 minutes in a warm solution of bright pink potassium permanganate, after which it is rinsed under running water.
- Germination - seeds ready for sowing are wrapped in soft cloth, generously moistened warm water or a solution of a growth stimulator, and leave in a warm place until germination. The process takes about 5 days. The water or nutrient solution should be changed periodically.
Sowing begins when 10% of the soaked seeds hatch.
Container for planting
When choosing a planting container, it is worth remembering that watermelon, like all melon crops, tolerates picking extremely painfully, so sowing seeds for seedlings in a common container is unacceptable. To grow seedlings, it is best to purchase peat-compost pots measuring 10x10 cm. Those that are loved by many summer residents are also suitable. plastic glasses from under dairy products with a volume of about 0.5-0.7 liters. Before sowing, they must be thoroughly washed and scalded with boiling water.
Optimal composition of soil substrate
Use for cultivation watermelon seedlings a universal soil mixture is possible, but many experienced gardeners note that in the substrate homemade seedlings develop much better. The following soil compositions are considered optimal for the crop:
- garden soil, peat, washed sand (1:1:1);
- garden humus, peat, turf soil (2:1:1).
All components are thoroughly mixed, after which the resulting mixture is sterilized for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven or poured with boiling water. Every 5 kg of the finished substrate is filled with double superphosphate (90-100 g), ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate (40-50 g each).
2-3 days before sowing, prepared containers for? fill out soil mixture, which is watered abundantly with soft, settled water.
The procedure for sowing work
Tiny white seedlings serve as a signal to sow sprouted seeds into the ground.
- 2-3 seeds are sown in each container. Subsequently, weak shoots are removed, leaving the strongest shoot for cultivation. Sowing depth is about 2-3 cm.
- The glasses are placed in a tray and covered with cling film.
- In the first 2-3 days, the crops are kept at a temperature of +22°-25° C. You can place the tray on the radiator, prudently placing a thick magazine or a towel folded several times under it.
Waiting for shoots usually takes about 6-7 days, after which the film is removed and the ambient temperature is lowered to +16°-18° C. In the cool (at glass loggia or terrace) seedlings are kept for 8-10 days.
Seedling care
Once the seedlings are returned to the room, they are provided with appropriate care.
- The duration of daylight for future watermelons should be at least 14-16 hours, so the place where the seedlings are kept must be equipped in advance with fluorescent lamps suspended at a height of 45-50 cm.
- Water the seedlings rarely and moderately, avoiding waterlogging of the substrate.
- Before transplanting into the ground, seedlings are fed twice. For the first feeding, which is carried out at the growth stage of the first true leaf, use a solution of bird droppings (1:12) with the addition of superphosphate (2 g/l). 3 days before transplanting, the plants are watered with a solution mineral fertilizers– 1.5 g of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 1 liter warm water. About 250 ml of solution is used for each seedling.
7-10 days before planting, future watermelons begin to harden, gradually lowering the temperature by 2°-3° and reducing watering. The last 2-3 days before planting, the seedlings should spend outdoors. On the eve of the procedure, the soil under the seedlings is abundantly moistened, and the plants themselves are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture for preventive purposes.
Transplantation to a permanent place of growth
By the time of “relocation”, watermelon seedlings should be strong and stocky, have 4-5 formed leaves and a well-developed root system. Seedlings are planted in morning hours, observing the following procedure:
- Along the perimeter of the prepared site in checkerboard pattern dig holes at a distance of 100-150 cm from each other.
- 1.5-2 liters of settled water is poured into each well.
- The seedlings are carefully removed from the pots and, together with the previous earthen lump, are placed in the hole.
- The free space around the seedlings is filled with earth, deepening them down to the cotyledon leaves.
- The soil under the plantings is compacted and sprinkled with a layer of dry sand to avoid the development of root rot.
- At the end of the procedure, the watermelon bed is watered with warm water.
Until the leaf turgor is restored, the seedlings must be protected from direct sunlight by constructing paper caps or an improvised canopy made of non-woven material for them.
Watermelon is a melon crop that grows reluctantly in northern and middle latitudes. Therefore, you need to buy seeds of zoned varieties. But they will also have to provide suitable conditions: loose semi-dry soil, lots of sun and warmth.
Sowing watermelons for seedlings
Sowing time
Watermelons are grown not only by residents of the south, but also middle zone, Siberia and Far East. For regions with cool and short summers, this melon crop cannot be grown without seedlings. The timing of sowing seeds depends on the selected variety, as well as on when the threat of return frosts passes in a particular region.
Watermelon seedlings are planted in a permanent place at the age of 30–35 days. Knowing the date of the planned planting, it is easy to calculate when you can start sowing. For example, if morning frosts in your region occur until mid-May, then you need to sow a month earlier plus a week (for soaking and germination), we get the beginning of April.
Watermelon seedlings are 30 days old, can be planted in the ground
When to sow if watermelons grow in a greenhouse?
Planting in a greenhouse or unheated greenhouse, and not in open ground, have almost no effect on the above calculations. If you plan to plant under cover, you can sow a week earlier, but after planting the seedlings you will have to monitor the weather and weather forecasts. The fact is that watermelons do not grow or develop at temperatures of +16 ⁰C and below. And if there are many cloudy days, when the sun does not warm up the greenhouse and it is impossible to ventilate, then the seedlings may get sick and die. In addition, during freezing (at night and in the morning) under film or agrill, the temperature is not much higher than outside. Therefore, the seedlings will have to be additionally covered inside a greenhouse or greenhouse.
But in summer, watermelons feel better under waterproof covering materials, since there they are protected from prolonged rains and cold winds. On sunny days, the shelter is much warmer, and the fruits grow larger and sweeter than in open ground.
Optimal conditions for watermelons: temperature - +25... +30 ⁰C, humidity - 50–60%. Watermelon is a light-loving crop; in cloudy weather, development stops.
Choosing a container for seedlings
Watermelons do not tolerate picking; it is very difficult to take root in a new place if their roots are disturbed. Therefore, each seed is sown in an individual pot or glass in which the watermelon will grow until planting. The size of the cup is 10 cm in depth and the same in diameter. Moreover, the container should be such that the watermelon can be removed from it along with a lump of earth without exposing the roots. Pots made of peat or compressed paper are ideal; seedlings are planted directly in them without removing them.
It is better not to disturb the roots of watermelons when transplanting. The ideal container for growing seedlings is peat or paper cups
You cannot grow watermelons in peat tablets. This is compressed peat, which does not contain any nutrients. Peat tablets designed for germinating seeds of those crops that require picking.
What kind of soil do watermelons need?
Watermelon loves loose, moderately dry and neutral soil. Therefore, on sandy and sandy loam soils, the crop develops faster and produces rich harvests. The soil for seedlings must be prepared in accordance with these preferences. Can be used ready soil for cucumbers or make a mixture of equal parts: river sand, humus, turf soil. Before sowing, the soil must be spilled with boiling water or heated for 10 minutes in the microwave. A sign of successful disinfection is that the earth should float.
Video: Biologist's advice on using containers for seedlings and preparing soil mixture
Seed preparation
Often store-bought seeds are already treated with fertilizers and fungicides against diseases. In this case, soaking and germination are not necessary. It is better to germinate untreated seeds to be sure of their germination. Then, after sowing, a sprout will definitely appear in each glass. To do this, watermelon seeds are first soaked in a growth stimulator. The most common is Epin Extra (4 drops per 1 liter of water). It not only promotes the speedy awakening of the plant embryo, but also softens the seed shell.
Watermelon seeds have a very dense and hard shell, so before planting they are soaked in a growth stimulator solution
Watermelon seeds are kept in Epin solution for 12 hours, and then laid out between two damp cotton pads. Place such a structure in a disposable Plastic container with a lid or on a saucer, which is wrapped in a plastic bag. For rapid emergence of seedlings, a temperature within - +25… +30 ⁰C is needed. After 4-5 days, the seeds should germinate and you can start sowing.
If you have to sow ungerminated watermelon seeds, then to soften their shell, when planting, the soil along with the seed is watered with hot water (+50... +60 ⁰C).
Stages of sowing watermelon seeds for seedlings
Video: How to sow watermelon seeds plus the idea of a greenhouse on the balcony
Caring for watermelon seedlings at home
Temperature and lighting
As soon as the shoots appear, they are transferred for 3–5 days to a sunny and cool place (+18… +20 ⁰C). The temperature in the following days and before disembarkation is +20… +25 ⁰C. Even on a south-facing window, watermelons can stretch out, because the weather does not always please us with sunny days. Therefore, you need to be prepared to highlight the seedlings. In addition, the pots are turned to the glass with the other side every day.
On cloudy days, watermelons reach for the glass; lighting is needed
Watering
In addition to warmth and light, watermelons need moisture. Watermelons are watered rarely, but abundantly, soaking the entire lump of earth, but not getting on the leaves. The signal for watering is when the top layer of soil dries to a depth of 1–1.5 cm. Watermelons love dry air, so there is no need to spray them.
The watermelon root is long and adapted to extract water from the lower layers of the soil.
The water should be settled and warm. It is better to keep it in the same place where the watermelons grow, so that there is no temperature difference when watering. The soil in pots is always kept loose.
Feeding
During the entire seedling period, watermelons are given only 1–2 feedings. The first one, a week after germination, is needed if the plants receive enough light and heat, but grow poorly, the real leaves grow slowly, they are small. This means that the soil taken for planting turned out to be poor and has few nutrients. The second feeding is done a week before planting in a permanent place, so that the seedlings gain strength and can more easily withstand stress.
Feeding watermelon seedlings - table
Fertilizers are applied after watering, on damp soil. Approximately 1-2 tablespoons are poured into each pot.
Photo: Fertilizers for feeding seedlings
Complex fertilizer Fertika Lux (powder) Agricola Forward - concentrate for feeding seedlings 
Uniflor Rost - fertilizing for the rapid development of green mass
Hardening
If watermelons continue to grow in open ground, then hardening is necessary. The seedlings are taken out onto the balcony or a window is opened. You cannot immediately expose young watermelons to straight Sun rays and wind. For the first “walk”, choose a shaded and protected from the wind place. Gradually intensity and time sunbathing increase from 15 minutes to the whole day.
In the open air, the soil in pots dries out faster, which means you will have to check its condition and water it more often.
Problems with seedlings and solutions - table
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| Seeds cannot shed their shells | The seeds are sown finely or the seed is weak, underdeveloped | Moisten the shell with water several times a day; the watermelon will shed it on its own. Do not pull the dry shell with your hands; the seedling may die. |
| Uneven shoots | The seeds are sown on different depths, covered with heavy soil on top, a crust has formed. | Use loose soil for watermelon seedlings and sow the seeds at the same depth. |
| The seedlings died, the stems darkened close to the ground | The seedlings got sick with black leg. Among the reasons: excessive watering, contaminated soil, cold windowsill. |
|
| Not enough light or nutrients |
|
|
| Pests have appeared | Aphids or spider mite can switch to watermelons with indoor flowers or from the land in which they winter. |
|
| Leaves turn yellow | Not enough power | Feed with Agricola, Fertika Lux or Uniflor. |
| Colorless (white) spots on leaves | Seedlings that are taken out of the room into bright sun for the first time often get sunburn. | Start hardening on a cloudy day or shade the watermelons, for example, with paper. On the windowsill, the leaves of the seedlings should not touch the glass. |
| White mold on the soil surface | There are mold spores in the air of any room. It develops in waterlogged soil with a lack of ultraviolet rays. | Loosen, sprinkle the ground with crushed coal, wood ash, spray with a weak solution of brilliant green (1 drop per 1 liter of water). |
When to plant watermelons in a permanent place?
The main rule for a gardener is to plant seedlings in the evening or on a cloudy day. Watermelons should be well watered 3-5 hours before. Of course, there should no longer be frost in the morning. A temperature favorable for watermelons is required: during the day +20... +30 ⁰C, at night not lower than +16... +18 ⁰C. The seedlings are shaded for the first 2–3 days.