What to do with the finished watermelon. Ways to grow watermelon at home. The best recipes with photos

Growing watermelons at home or on a balcony may seem like a rather extravagant undertaking, but it is actually quite simple. Let's figure out in detail how to grow a watermelon at home!

To grow watermelon at home, it is best to choose small-fruited and early-ripening varieties, which are also used for growing in greenhouses.Their fruits are small with thin ozhuroy. In addition to excellent taste, these varieties are quite resistant to diseases.. Pay attention in advance to the fact that watermelon is a light and heat-loving culture.

In order to grow watermelon in the apartmentor loggias, where there is little light,those varieties and hybrids that are less dependent on the level of lighting are suitable. In general, dFor growing at home, such varieties as “Kaho”, “Gift to the Sun”, “Honey couch potato”, “Spark”, “Siberian”, “Rose of the South-East”, “Volgar” are suitable.A watermelon of one of these varieties could easily be grown at home.

The necessary conditions

Therein, how to grow watermelon on a balconyor at home, there are some nuances. To grow watermelon, southern is best, maximum sunny side(direct Sun rays useful for watermelon). In some cases, western or eastern windows may be suitable, but not northern ones. To grow delicious watermelon, daylight hours will take at least 12-14 hours. make up for the lack natural light can be used with fluorescent or LED lamps, as well as phytolamps.

In cloudy weather, they can be left on all day.With their help, it is also solved pros " can you grow a watermelonat home in autumn or winter.In cold weather, it is better to place the plant near the battery. On the balcony cultivationwatermelons are best in summer.

The optimum temperature for growing watermelon should be 25–30 °C during the day and at least 18 °C at night. This is especially important during the formation of the ovary.

Watermelon grows best in loose and fertile land with a neutral response. Enriched beneficial substances The soil can be purchased at the store or prepared by yourself. To do this, take 1 part of sand, humus, sod land, to this 1/10 part of fine wood ash. To disinfect the soil, it can be kept in the microwave for 10-20 minutes, steamed in a water bath (approx. 1.5-2 hours) or poured over with boiling water.

Sowing seeds

From the emechki you need to choose large ones, without damage or defects. To prepare for planting, soak them in a 5% common salt solution - this will reveal empty seeds. It is also recommended to immerse the seeds for 10–15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. P After that, the seeds can be soaked in wet tissue or sand until they hatch.

Seeds can be planted in seedling cups. AT can also be planted immediately into the container in which they will grow constantly,but in this case, you will need to carefully monitor watering: the land, not yet covered by the root system, may turn sour, which will later cause disease and death of the plant. Seeds should be planted approximately 2 cm deep, 2– 3 in one pot.After the first leaves appear, weak plants should be discarded, and strong ones should be transplanted to a permanent place -into a special landing box, bucket, basin or large flower pot(it is only important to choose opaque, otherwise the roots may dry out). The volume of the container should be 10-15 liters or more.

Growing Features

There are several important tips for Togo, how to grow watermelon at homeconditions and get a delicious fruit.Because watermelon is very light-loving plant, steam will help grow watermelonreflective screens, which will provide the plant with uniform lighting. As the whips grow, they should be tied to the support with soft wide ribbons. For correct formation plants, especially if there is not much space, remove peripheral loops.

Expert opinions on irrigation often differ. Some insist on that growing watermelons at home requires abundant watering , others are sure that during the ripening period it can be limited up to a complete cessation, since water is not needed for the sugar content of the fruit. One way or another, it is recommended to water the seedlings as usual, as needed, and then navigate according to the situation and experience.

When the plant has 3 true leaves, you can start feeding with complex mineral fertilizers, which should contain potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus (preferably in equal proportions). The second time top dressing is carried out during the formation of ovaries, and there should be more potassium and phosphorus. The third feeding is usually carried out after 2-3 weeks. As the watermelon grows, it is advisable to slightly loosen the ground in the container.

Flowering and fruit formation

Approximately two months later indoor watermelon begins to bloom: male flowers appear first, then female(they can be distinguished by a rounded stem). Since there are no natural pollinators indoors, fertilization can be donewith a simple touch of flower to flower or with a soft brush. Before that female flowers can be treated with a special stimulant.

When watermelons begin to grow, you should choose 1-2, remove the rest. So that the plant does not break under its own weight, the fruits must be placed in a net and tied to a trellis or laid on the ground, after placing boards under them (otherwise they may rot). In order for the fruit to ripen, it will need 11 leaves, it is advisable to remove all the rest, like the top of the whip. From the moment of fertilization to maturation, it takes about a month. A ripe watermelon can be identified by a dried stalk; when tapped, it emits ringing sound. As you can see, it's not that hard to grow watermelons on your windowsill!

Video "Watermelons on the balcony"

In this video you will hear helpful tips for growing watermelons at home.

Gardeners and gardeners who are fond of new products have probably seen a video or photo of a watermelon in the shape of a cube on the Internet. square fruit is not an example of complex selection. It can be grown with my own hands and on home melons in a conventional garden or greenhouse. It will not differ in taste from its fellow varieties, but it can surprise with its appearance.

Square watermelon: who invented it?

Cubic watermelon is an example of the case when the form is more important than the content. Enterprising Japanese came up with this garden miracle about 35 years ago. Since then, the fashion for it has appeared, then it goes out. The goods are piece, one might say exclusive. Therefore, it costs several times more than an ordinary analogue.

When Japanese breeders invented a watermelon of this shape, they set the following tasks:

• ease of transportation;
• convenience of storage, for example, in the refrigerator.

Square watermelons first appeared in Japan

However, growing a cube on melons turned out to be unprofitable. Therefore, in industrial scale it is produced only as an exclusive product. For home use you will be quite capable of growing several specimens to surprise guests, to please loved ones and friends with a non-trivial gift.

What you need to grow a square watermelon

It has been proven that any kind of watermelon can be shaped into a cube. As a basis, feel free to use a variety of berries that you love and tested in your garden. Moreover, the technology can be adapted to other crops: pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplants, etc. The main thing you need is to make transparent cubes in which watermelons will grow. For these purposes, plastic is often used.

Attention! The shape of the container should be diagonally slightly wider than the diagonal of your chosen variety. Too tight a cube will not allow the berry to fully ripen. In a very spacious room, the corners will be heavily rounded.

Such transparent boxes in the economy, as a rule, do not exist. Therefore, you should work hard to make them yourself. For one copy you will need:

Attention! The corner should be cut into 4 parts. They will fasten the walls of the cube if the thickness of the material does not allow you to connect the sheets with screws.

How to make a polycarbonate cube for melon

The process of making a plastic cube looks like this:

1. Take one of the polycarbonate sheets. Drill or hole saw drill a hole 2.5 cm in diameter.
2. With a hand hacksaw for metal or an electric jigsaw, make 2 cuts in the direction from the hole to one of the edges of the sheet. Remove the cut piece. This is the hole for the watermelon tail.
3. Now do the side. Attach it to the lid, blocking the end. Connect both sheets with gate loops.
4. Make the opposite side by analogy.
5. The two remaining side inserts need to be adjusted in size so that they fit snugly into the remaining openings. Accurately measure the length and width, if necessary - file.
6. Drill pilot holes in the sides so that they go deep into the ends of the inserts (at least two in each). Screw the screws into the holes.

Advice. If a plastic sheets thin, the screws can be replaced with corners. But in this case, fix them very tightly, because under the pressure of the berries, the walls of such a box can protrude from the inside and round. Because of this, the watermelon cube will not work.

The final stage in the manufacture of the box is the installation of the bottom. You need to cut it according to the principle of insertion, with size adjustment. The principle of fastening is similar to the cover (hinges). All loops should be fastened with buckles. Place the latter opposite each loop. Finally, make sure that finished form let in not only light, but also air. Otherwise, the vegetable may rot.

An unusual shape can be given to any variety of watermelon

How to grow a cubic watermelon

You have chosen a proven and reliable variety that is able to ripen in a box, and you have made the transparent boxes yourself in the right amount. The next step is to go from the workshop to the garden. Agrotechnology of cultivation square watermelon simple when all materials and suitable conditions are available:

• Use an ordinary garden bed where watermelons, melons or pumpkins have already been planted. Gourds favor excess moisture and sunlight.
• Grow seedlings - place seeds in individual containers. Water and warm them in the sun.
• After the appearance of 5 dense leaves, the sprouts can be moved to open soil.
• First add humus to the soil.
• The first weeks of future stay cubic watermelons in the garden are no different from ordinary ones. Protect plants from night cooling, water warm water, cover when the temperature drops.
• After flowering and the formation of ovaries, watermelon will require more attention. Wait until the fruit grows to the size of an apple, and take out the transparent boxes. Gently place the berry under the plastic.
• During this period, it is especially important proper watering watermelon: it should be plentiful. Just don't overdo it - that's bad too.

Unusual watermelon will be a wonderful surprise for loved ones

Watermelon will grow to maximum size and will begin to take the form you specified. The fruit will ripen in the interval of 90-100 days after planting seedlings in open ground. After ripening, right in the garden, carefully disassemble the box. Extract the berry and send it to the table, to the surprise of neighbors, friends and acquaintances.

Features of growing a square watermelon in a greenhouse

The principle of giving the berry a cubic shape in the greenhouse is the same as in the open field. For gourds, a greenhouse height of about 1.7 m is needed. Moreover, watermelons do not really like the neighborhood in this space with any other crops. Desirable level of air humidity - up to 60%, temperature - up to +30°С. In the greenhouse, watermelon is planted with seeds.

Advice. Even when growing in a greenhouse, you need to have a watermelon cover ready in case of cold snaps at night.

The dull sound of the fetus is not an indicator of its readiness. This suggests that he overdid it. Externally, the ripening of a watermelon can be determined by a dried tail, tarnishing of the bark and yellowing of the lower part of the berry.

Thanks to modern technologies growing berries and vegetables is no longer a fantasy. To understand how to grow watermelon at home, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances in advance that will allow you to harvest an ecological and tasty crop after some time.

Not every variety of watermelon can be grown at home. Seeds delicious watermelon from the market or shop are not suitable for this purpose, because this variety is grown in open areas in spring and summer. For the same reasons, they will not suitable varieties, which are grown in summer cottages.

But there are hybrids that are resistant to lack of light, early ripening, they do not need special care. The following varieties are considered excellent: Ogonyok, Kaho, Sibiryak, Volgar, Gift of the Sun. They sprout very well, are tenacious, the fruits have a sweet taste.

After acquisition planting material required to be selected before growing a watermelon at home. Small and damaged seeds are excluded immediately. Large seeds are dipped in a glass container containing a solution of table salt. It is done like this: 5 g of salt per 0.1 liter of water. Seeds that have sunk to the bottom must be removed, washed in water, and dried. It is these seeds that are needed for planting.

Then they are soaked in a solution of humate (0.5 g per 1 liter of water). This is done as follows: gauze is wetted, in which the seeds are left for a day. This will increase germination and reduce stress. You can also leave the seeds in gauze moistened with ordinary water until they begin to hatch.
Then the seeds need to be planted in small plastic cups of 4-5 seeds each, the earth should be a little tamped in them.

Watering should be carried out in such a way that the soil is always moist. For seedlings to appear, the temperature must be around 25 ° C. Then shoots will appear after 1 week. If the temperature is below 13 ° C, then seedlings can not be expected.

Cups should be in a well-lit and warm place. Drafts should not be allowed. After 2-3 weeks, 1 seedling should be left in each cup.

watermelon care

As soon as 3 leaves appear, the plants are transferred to containers, the volume of which is from 5 to 15 liters. They should have a mixture of seedling soil and perlite in a ratio of 2: 1. Water the plant often, but not abundantly so that the water does not stagnate. Every 2 weeks the soil must be fertilized. Liquid fertilizers for vegetables are suitable here. It is necessary to add 1 tsp to 1 liter of water. fertilizers. This solution can only be used for 1 watering.

When 6 leaves grow, pinch the plant over 4 leaves. The plant needs enough light. If there is not enough lighting, then additional LED or energy-saving lamps will be required.

Pollination of the plant and the appearance of fruits

In most cases, watermelons begin to bloom 30-50 days after germination.

Flowers require pollination to produce an ovary.

To do this, you must first find male flowers that have a thin stem. Such flowers will need to be carefully plucked, they need to be pollinated female flowers by touching the pistils with stamens.

After a certain period of time, the withering of the petals and the increase in the peduncle will be noticeable, which after a while will become a fruit. As the lashes grow, they will need to be pinched to stop their growth.

A few weeks before the full ripening of the fruit, watering should be minimized, stimulating the appearance of sugar in the berry. When the grown fruits are ripe, you can harvest.

How to grow watermelons in the country (video)

About the beneficial properties of watermelon

This berry has a lot of sugar (about 12%). It is quite easily absorbed by the body and, unlike refined sugar, benefits.

Watermelon juice has a diuretic effect, so it is able to flush the kidneys and ureters well. Thanks to him, salts dissolve and are washed out of the body. Watermelon juice is considered beneficial for people suffering from kidney disease. Watermelon juice is also useful for people who have diabetes, cystitis, atherosclerosis.

Now you know about growing watermelon at home. wish good harvest!

We plant seedlings of watermelon in open ground (video)

Gallery: watermelon at home (15 photos)

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Cooking interesting watermelon dishes is not as difficult as it seems. You just need to really want it, and strain your imagination. Many people think that berries are only suitable for jam, but this is a very big mistake.

Fancy drink

Everyone is used to the fact that watermelon should be eaten without pre-treatment by simply cutting it into slices and savoring the juicy, tender flesh. But few know that this unusual berry can cook great amount the most unexpected food. Some recipes do not even fit in my head. For example, the simplest version of a watermelon dish is a drink. It is not difficult to prepare it. For 4 servings you will need:

120 grams of watermelon pulp, ½ lime stuff, a tablespoon of sugar, 60 milliliters of white rum, 4 mint leaves and some ice.

Preparation is carried out in several stages:

1. Cut the lime into slices and crush in a specially prepared container along with sugar and mint.
2. Add watermelon and stir again.
3. Pour in the rum and toss in the ice cubes.
4. Mix the contents well and pour into glasses.

No one will refuse this gourmet drink, which in composition resembles "Mojito". But if the guests suddenly come across non-drinkers, then rum can be easily replaced with Sprite.

"Magic" salad

There is another option for cooking watermelon dishes. This is a salad. Enough unusual combination components in the end gives a surprisingly pleasant taste. To prepare such a salad, you will need:

1.5 kilograms of watermelon pulp, 100 grams of pumpkin seeds, 300 grams of Feta cheese, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and some ground black pepper.

An unusual culinary "miracle" is being prepared as follows:

1. First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Send the seeds into it for 10 minutes, after mixing them with two tablespoons of oil.
3. Cut the watermelon randomly into medium-sized pieces and put them on plates.
4. Grind the cheese on a grater with large cells and sprinkle the resulting crumb on top of the watermelon.
5. Then scatter the seeds on a plate.
6. The resulting mass is left to pepper and sprinkle with the remaining oil.

When serving such a dish of watermelon on the table, you must not forget to put a small plate next to it with lemon slices.

For the little ones

Choosing dishes from watermelon, recipes can be selected for everyone: for adults and for children. Toddlers should especially enjoy popsicles. This delicacy gives them a special pleasure. It needs quite a bit:

based on half a watermelon, take 1 lemon, 3 oranges and a little sugar to taste.

In order to prepare such ice cream, you need to follow a few simple steps:

1. Cut the peeled pulp of watermelon into arbitrary pieces and load them into a blender.
2. Pour the juice squeezed from the fruit there and add sugar.
3. Mix the products well, pour the resulting mass into pre-prepared molds and put in the freezer for 3 hours. This time will be enough.

A fragrant dessert sure to please children. For them, you can cook other dishes from watermelon. Recipes and the technology of their preparation are not complicated, but the original taste and unusual view sure to please the kids.

Medicinal mixtures

Watermelon and melon dishes are not only delicious. They are also very useful for humans. These products are able to increase immunity, remove from the body harmful toxins and just cheer up. Very impressive, for example, looks on the table a summer salad from fragrant melon and juicy watermelon. It consists of the following components:

0.5 kilograms of watermelon and melon pulp, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 4 tablespoons of blackberries and a few sprigs of mint.

You can prepare the salad as follows:

1. Cut out balls from the pulp of both products with a special spoon. Such devices are sold in hardware stores. Otherwise, you can just cut cubes of the same size.
2. Mash the blackberries with a fork together with the juice into a pulp. If the berries taste a little sour, then you can add a little powdered sugar or honey.
3. Combine the prepared products, mix and refrigerate to cool.

At the right time, all that remains is to put everything on plates and decorate the dish on top with mint leaves.

Preparations for the winter

Surprisingly, watermelons, like other products, can be harvested for the winter. Of course, because the human body needs vitamins all year round. How else can you save this delicate product? As a rule, watermelons are harvested in jars. To do this, you first need to prepare all the ingredients:

for 1 watermelon 50 grams of salt, 4 tablespoons of sugar and 100 grams of vinegar.

The cooking process is very similar to canning tomatoes:

1. First you need to prepare the jars and lids.
2. Then cut the watermelon into large slices along with the rind and place them tightly in jars.
3. Pour boiling water over the products and wait 20 minutes.
4. Then the water must be drained into a separate pan and prepare the marinade. To do this, pour salt, sugar into it and boil for 3 minutes.
5. First, pour vinegar into each jar, and then fill it to the top with the prepared marinade and roll it up.

In winter, this unusual, but very delicious product it will be like a find. And if you also remember the benefits that watermelon brings, then you will want to eat it more and more often.

Unusual treat

It should be noted that jam is still the most common way of harvesting berries and fruits for future use. True, few people cook watermelon jam. But in vain. It tastes just like cherry or strawberry. There are two ways to prepare such a delicacy: from the pulp or from watermelon peels. In the first case, the mixture is very tender and more homogeneous. To prepare it, you will definitely need:

700 grams of pulp ripe watermelon, kilogram of sugar, 10 grams each citric acid and vanilla sugar.

You need to cook this jam slowly:

1. Cut the watermelon pulp into pieces, put in a basin, sprinkle with sugar and leave it in this state for a couple of hours. During this time, juice should stand out.
2. Put the basin on the fire, bring the mixture to a boil and boil it over medium heat for about 15 minutes. After that, remove and leave to cool completely.
3. These actions must be repeated 3 times.
4. Last time at the end of cooking, pour the remaining ingredients into the basin and boil the mass for another 5 minutes.

Increasingly, field and horticultural crops they settle at home on window sills and balconies, because you really want to grow your favorite fruit, vegetable or berry on your own. No one is surprised by the desire to grow peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and aromatic crops in the apartment, but you can rarely meet watermelon. However, it is quite possible to grow this giant berry at home from the seed. And taste qualities such a watermelon can be on top, although you should not wait big size, because even when good top dressing provide the required amount nutrients unreal.

Variety selection and seed sowing

Watermelon is usually grown from the seed as annual crop with a short growing season. If you plan to grow a watermelon at home, then special attention should be paid to the choice of variety, taking into account the characteristics of indoor cultivation.

Watermelon is a heat-loving and light-loving culture. If a high temperature easy to provide in the house, then enough level lighting, especially if grown in autumn-winter period becomes a significant problem. Therefore, when choosing a variety, special attention should be paid to varieties and hybrids resistant to low level lighting. In addition, you need to pay attention to the timing of maturation. Best grown at home early varieties, in which the first fruits can be tasted after 3 months.

Advice! AT winter time watermelon will feel quite good on the windowsill near the batteries central heating, especially since low humidity air has a positive effect on growth.

The following varieties and hybrids are best grown on a windowsill or loggia:

• Volgar;
• a gift to the sun
• Twinkle;
• Rose of the Southeast;
• Siberian;
• Stokes.

For sowing, it is necessary to select large bones without visible damage. All small and underdeveloped bones should be removed immediately. Selected seeds should be soaked in a 5% common salt solution to separate the empty seeds. After that, be sure to rinse the bones, dry slightly and use for sowing. After good seeds selected, it is worth thinking about how to grow a full-fledged watermelon at home from the stone.

Features of home care

A characteristic feature of watermelon is fast growth and powerful well developed root system. After 1-1.5 months, the bone will turn into flowering plant. To grow such a vegetative mass, it is necessary a large number of nutrients. At home, it is almost impossible to fully meet all the needs of a plant, but to make the task easier, when choosing a container for planting, preference should be given to a spacious and roomy container.

Growing watermelon seedlings at home is not much different from others cucurbits. You can sow the seeds in small pots or cassettes for seedlings in several pieces, and after the appearance of the first true leaves, remove weaker plants. A strong seedling must be transplanted into a bucket or other container with a volume of at least 10 liters with a nutritious loose substrate. It is necessary to water moderately, but often. Several times a month, it is recommended to fertilize with fertilizers along with watering or immediately after it on wet soil.

Advice! In order not to mess around with seedling cassettes, you can immediately plant the seeds in suitable capacity, but at first, until the root system masters earthen clod watering should be closely monitored.

An important factor for successful cultivation watermelon is light. Duration daylight hours should be at least 12 hours a day with a high enough intensity so that the grown watermelon can accumulate enough sugars. It is best to place the watermelon pot on the south window, but even with this location, you should not rely only on sunlight, especially when grown in the autumn-winter period or in early spring. At this time, not only a short daylight hours, but also a large number of cloudy days. Therefore, it is recommended to provide the plant with additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

Plants with six true leaves can be pinched back to encourage branching on the main stem. The lashes need to be supported, and for future berries, nets should be prepared in which they can be hung from the trellis, but which will not interfere with the pouring of the fruit. If space is limited, it is worth periodically pinching the side shoots to give the plant a compact shape.

Flowering and fruit formation

Long, well-developed lashes are not yet a guarantee of a good harvest. Growing watermelon at home in most cases is impossible without artificial pollination. On the lashes, 2 types of flowers are formed - male and female. The latter can be distinguished by a rounded stalk, which, after pollination, will grow into a berry. In the field, bees carry pollen from male flowers to female flowers. AT room conditions where the occasional bee is rare, you will have to carry the pollen with a brush or simply pluck male flower and attach to the stigma of the female flower.

Watermelons grown indoors rarely exceed 600-800 g, but this does not detract from the merits of the berry. At good level lighting, such a fruit will be no less sweet than that brought from southern regions, and in winter it will become a real exotic, designed to give bright and sweet memories of the summer.