Soaking watermelon seeds before planting. Determining the favorable time for planting watermelons Do I need to soak watermelons before planting?

The history of the origin of the culture is so ancient that it is now difficult to imagine the time distance between the beginning of watermelon cultivation and the present time. South Africa is considered its homeland, but very soon the berry began to be grown in Egypt, China and Europe.

The culture is thermophilic, requires a lot of sunlight, loves more southern regions of growth.

As you know, breeding work is carried out constantly, and already in our time growing watermelons can even be produced in greenhouses. WITH bunch of watermelons so diverse that it is sometimes difficult to give preference to one or another seed.

Methods of growing watermelons

Before we begin, how to grow watermelons, it is necessary to decide on the method of their cultivation. There is seedling and direct planting of seeds in the ground. The first makes it possible to get what you want harvest a couple of weeks earlier. And also growing watermelons from seedlings allows you to reduce the percentage of seed loss from insects.

Berry cultivation in open ground seeds are more traditional, but experts recommend its use only in the southern regions of Ukraine. Nevertheless, the majority of gardeners choose direct sowing. seeds into the ground.

Soil and variety preparation

To plant seed melons, beds or peat pots (diameter 8-10 cm) are first prepared. The sites are chosen to be level, with sufficient lighting. Preference is given to aerated nutrient soils.

You need to decide on a date when to plant watermelons for seedlings, because they can be transplanted into open ground at the age of 25-30 days. Choice varieties melon crop (for example, early or middle variety) is also important, because in central Ukraine such varieties are most suitable for cultivation.

Pwatermelon sediment begins with pre-sowing preparation of seed material. It consists of a number of events, the importance of which is undeniable. This includes sorting, dressing, soaking and drying, as well as germination of seed.

Sorting and dressing

A significant part of the success in obtaining a stable harvest is given to the quality of the selected seeds, so they are sorted before planting as seedlings or directly into the soil. To do this, prepare a saline solution (1 tablespoon of salt per ½ glass of water), into which you place seeds. P After mixing, all the waste will float to the surface of the water. The selected planting material is washed with running water and dried.

It’s not enough to sort the seeds; they need to be pickled, because they can contain pests and bacteria. The simplest method is potassium permanganate, but there are other pickling methods (soaking in a solution of hydrogen peroxide or acetic acid). After the actions taken seeds Be sure to wash in cold water.

Soak

In principle, seed material can be planted directly into the soil without soaking, but seed germination may not be complete, but growing watermelons it will take a little longer, which is not desirable for a gardener. In addition, cultivating watermelons in the middle and northern regions without soaking is unacceptable, because the protective shell of the seed is very strong, and it will take some time for the sprouts to open it.

Thanks to this process, you can expect quick and friendly shoots. The soaking time for seed material ranges from 12 to 24 hours. When seeds when they swell, they are ready for germination. And to improve the quality seedlings, you can add a growth stimulator.

If treated seeds were purchased, then they do not need the soaking process; such an action will only harm the seeds, and their germination rate can be reduced by 30%. Potassium permanganate is especially dangerous for treated seeds; when it reacts with chemicals, it harms the seeds and significantly reduces their germination.

Solutions for soaking seed material

Everyone knows the solution of potassium permanganate, which most gardeners use, but there are other methods, and one of them is soaking in biological preparations. This method allows you not only to quickly germinate seeds, but also to rid them of fungal and bacterial infections. The use of potassium humate during soaking makes it possible to germinate seedlings a week faster, while the crop yield increases significantly (30-50%).

Features of the development of melons

Growing watermelons is associated with heat, so the soil temperature should not be lower than +15 o C. Crops in peat pots are covered with film, this helps create a greenhouse effect. In this case, the air temperature should not be lower than + 23 o C. After the seedlings appear, the temperature is reduced to +17 o C for 3 days, then raised again to the same level.

Regular watering seedlings warm water will additionally stimulate it to grow rapidly. After about a week, the seedlings are fed with diluted mullein. Before, how to plant watermelons on the beds, the seedlings should have 3-4 leaves and a developed root system. When planting seedlings, it is important to remember that each plant requires more than 1 m2 of free space.

Cultivation care

Easy to cultivate, watermelon still requires compliance with some agrotechnical measures. Gardeners' knowledge of the basics how to grow watermelons, will help you get the desired high-quality harvest.

After disembarkation seedlings or the emergence of seedlings in the beds, be sure to loosen the row spacing, regularly water the plants, and pinch out the canes.

With the soil cultivation method, the seedlings are thinned at the stage of 3-7 true leaves. No more than two plants are left in the hole, the rest are cut off (although experienced gardeners successfully plant excess seedlings in free space).

Abundant watering during flowering and fruiting is required. Feeding is also important, which is done 2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings. Fertilize with diluted mullein or chicken droppings infused with nettles.

If you follow the correct agricultural practices for watermelons, they practically do not get sick. And in the case of illnesses, success in the fight against them is the correct identification of the disease and the choice of the right drug for treating melons.

To avoid it becoming a waste of time, it is necessary not only to properly care for the plant, but also to carefully prepare its seeds for planting (both in open ground and as seedlings for the greenhouse). In particular, it is extremely important to properly germinate watermelon seeds, which will help not only to activate the process of their growth, but also to increase their germination. Below is a detailed description of how to germinate watermelon seeds before planting in the ground or as seedlings in a greenhouse.

Preparing watermelon seeds before planting in the ground for seedlings

Experienced gardeners know that proper cultivation of watermelon involves, first of all, high-quality preparation of seed material. The main thing in this matter is the correctness and consistency of actions. So, before sowing seeds in the ground or for growing seedlings (in a greenhouse), it is necessary to do certain actions with the planting material that will help minimize the possibility of low seedlings:

1. Choosing the right watermelon variety. Choosing a variety suitable for cultivation in your garden plot must be approached very carefully. If you do not have much experience in growing melons, it is better to opt for hybrid varieties, which, as is known, have better characteristics compared to the main watermelon varieties: they are distinguished by early ripening, resistance to many diseases and unfavorable climatic conditions.
2. Seed calibration. At first glance, this procedure does not seem so important. But in fact, the germination of seeds and the development of young seedlings will largely depend on it. The fact is that larger seeds “inhibit” smaller ones and the latter, accordingly, develop rather slowly. If you divide the seeds into several groups (depending on size) and plant them in separate groups, the seedlings will be generous and friendly.
3. Scarification of seeds. An optional procedure for preparing the material, which is still worth carrying out if you plan to grow watermelon seeds in fairly harsh conditions. The essence of the operation is to damage the outer seed coat, which will contribute to their faster germination.
4. Warming up the seeds. But this procedure cannot be skipped when preparing watermelon seeds for planting. Warming is a kind of growth catalyst for them, activating all biochemical processes. The seeds are placed in a deep container and filled with warm water (about 50 degrees). After half an hour, the water can be drained.
5. Seed disinfection. And finally, the last stage of preparation is the disinfection of the material for sowing. For these purposes, potassium permanganate is most often used (the solution should be weak). The seeds are soaked in a pink solution for 15-20 minutes, after which they are thoroughly washed with water.

Advice. Some gardeners believe that disinfecting watermelon seeds is not such an important procedure. In fact, the seed should be treated: this will help minimize the possibility of infection of young seedlings or damage by pests (this does not apply to those seeds that were treated during the production process).

Germination of watermelon seeds: subtleties, features

After completing all the preparatory procedures, you can proceed directly to germinating watermelon seeds. It is advisable to keep the seeds, pre-treated and washed with water, for about 10-12 hours in a nutrient solution in order to saturate them with the microelements necessary for active growth.

Advice. After soaking the seed material in a growth stimulator, under no circumstances should it be washed: it is enough to dry it under natural conditions (in the sun).

Immediately before soaking watermelon seeds, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes to slightly soften the dense top layer of the peel. Make a small bag of gauze folded several times and place the seeds there, trying to maintain some distance between them. Place the gauze with the seeds in a shallow container. Be sure to wet the bag with water (but do not fill it). Place the container with the seeds in a warm, sunny room. Do not forget to periodically check the gauze by touch and, if necessary, moisten it with water.

You can cover the container with a transparent film: this will help optimize the environment in which the seeds are located and retain moisture for a longer period of time.

Watermelon seeds germinate quite slowly, and you will be able to detect the first sprouts that have hatched above the gauze only after a week.

Experienced gardeners note that the rate of germination of watermelon seeds can be affected by the temperature of the room in which this process is carried out. You can, for example, install a system that will gradually increase the temperature under the seed container. But whether this is necessary is up to you to decide.

These are all the subtleties that are worth remembering when preparing watermelon seeds for planting, in particular when germinating them. Good luck!

Growing watermelon from seeds: video

Watermelons are one of the most widespread melon crops. But attempts to grow them are not successful for everyone. Sometimes the seeds germinate poorly, grow slowly, the fruits turn out small and do not ripen in time. If you fail to get a decent harvest, don’t give up. The solution to problems with the germination and development of plants is extremely simple: you just need to correctly approach the initial stage of their life - planting from seeds. How to germinate watermelon seeds before planting and what else needs to be done for a good harvest? It's worth looking into this in detail.

Growing watermelons from seeds

Many gardeners use seed germination as a technique to speed up the emergence of seedlings. But, as a rule, the seeds of vegetable crops, which are more popular and often eaten, are sprouted. And germinating watermelon seeds is considered troublesome and even unnecessary. It is those who hold this opinion who are most often left without a harvest. To ensure that your work does not go to waste, it is enough to learn how to germinate watermelon seeds.

Watermelons are grown in two ways: seedlings, suitable for the Middle Zone and northern regions of the country, and without seedlings, practiced mainly by melon growers in the south. The latter, having become skilled in growing melons and watermelons, do not neglect germination, although the warm climate is already favorable for delicate plants.

Benefits of Sprouting

Of course, germination is not a panacea for all problems associated with obtaining a decent harvest of watermelons. However, this method has several advantages worthy of attention:

• The seeds sprout vigorously. When sowing dry seeds, sprouts appear unevenly, when one seedling is already producing true leaves, the other is just emerging from the ground. Such inconsistency leads to the fact that many plants do not have time to form fruits on time, while others have already successfully passed the fruiting period and began to die off;
• The strong ones rise first. During germination, you will immediately see which seeds have produced healthy, viable seedlings. For a small garden bed, you can select the best ones for planting;
• Makes it easier to care for seedlings. Seedlings growing together have the same needs for watering and fertilizing, and it is more convenient to care for them;
• High percentage of germination and survival. If the seeds have sprouted or at least sprouted, the abundance of seedlings is guaranteed. It is not always possible to predict whether dry seeds, even high-quality ones, will germinate;
• Acceleration of harvest. When using sprouted seeds for planting, the fruits can be removed from the melon two weeks earlier than usual.

There is only one disadvantage to germinating watermelon seeds: you will have to spend time and effort on painstakingly caring for the seeds. However, the resources spent will certainly be repaid by a good harvest.

Rules for germinating watermelons

First you need to select suitable seeds. They must be large, full, without damage, and belong to varieties that are optimal for growing in a given area.

Important! It is advisable for residents of the northern regions to choose early-ripening and cold-resistant varieties; southerners can opt for later ones.

Then there is a quality check in the following way. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to ½ glass of water and stir. The seeds are immersed in the resulting solution. Those left at the bottom are good for germination. They are washed with clean water and dried. Substandard floats are removed. If the seeds have not been treated, you will need to do this yourself to protect them from disease. The process is simple: first you need to prepare a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 1 g/100 g of water. Next, watermelon seeds are immersed in the resulting liquid for 20 minutes. Then they are washed again in clean water, preferably running water.

To saturate the seed with nutrients and speed up germination, you can use growth stimulants, for example, Heteroauxin. To do this, the drug is diluted with water in the proportion indicated on the package, and the seeds are immersed in it for 10 hours. There is no need to rinse them after this, just dry them.

On a note. Before germination itself, the seeds are soaked again, this time in hot water (45-50°C). This will soften the thick skin of the seeds.

After 10 minutes, the seed material is placed in gauze, folded several times. The fabric is placed in a flat container, for example, a saucer, and placed in a warm place. All that remains is to monitor the condition of the seeds and humidity: the gauze should not dry out. But there is no need to fill it with water. To reduce evaporation, cover the container with polyethylene.

If there are not so many seeds and there is enough time, you can further speed up the germination process by scarification. To do this, selected and calibrated grains are processed with sandpaper. More precisely, the nose of the seed wears off a little. This will make pecking easier.

Germination time

Note! To determine how long it takes for watermelons to sprout, you need to make sure that all preliminary steps have been completed correctly. The speed of germination depends on them.

Provided that all of the above procedures were carried out correctly, the seeds will be ready for sowing in a week. Germination may be delayed if pre-soaking in hot water was not carried out. It is more difficult for a sprout to break through an unsoftened skin. Non-compliance with the temperature regime can also slow down the germination rate.

Melon growers who are seriously involved in growing watermelons install special systems that increase the temperature under the container with seeds from 20 to 50°C. Whether bottom heating is needed is something everyone decides for themselves. The seeds will need 20-30°C heat for germination.

Possible difficulties during germination

Seeds may not germinate in the following cases:

• Old and dried ones were selected. It is hardly worth waiting for shoots from low-quality material; you will have to purchase a new batch of seeds and start all over again;
• The temperature regime is not maintained. Perhaps the seeds are too cold and should find a warmer place for them. How many days after sowing watermelons sprout depends mainly on the temperature of the soil and air;
• No soaking was carried out. You will have to wait a little longer until the thin sprout breaks through the thick seed coat;
• Low humidity. If the gauze and the seeds in it are dry, you need to moisten them generously with water. Otherwise, you will have to sow not sprouted, but dry seeds.

Growing watermelons from germinated seeds

After the watermelon seeds have sprouted, it is time to plant them in the soil. For those who live in regions with a warm climate, you can grow melons directly in open ground, and for residents of the northern regions and central Russia, the seedling method is optimal. It is worth looking at both methods in more detail.

Seedlings from germinated seeds

After the sprouts appear, it’s time to acquire containers for seedlings. They can be cut plastic bottles, yogurt jars. If possible, it is better to purchase special peat cups with a diameter of about 10 cm. The next step is to fill the cups with substrate for seedlings. Soil for cucumbers, which is sold in specialized stores, is well suited for watermelons. You can independently prepare a mixture of equal parts of sand, turf soil and humus. It wouldn't hurt to add a little ash.

Important! This must be done carefully so as not to damage the delicate sprout. It is better to use tweezers for this.

Then the seed is sprinkled with soil on top, and the container is covered with film and put in a warm place (not lower than +25°C). The seeds do not yet require sunlight. After about 10 days, the seedlings will rise above the ground. When this happens, the containers with seedlings are moved to a well-lit place, where they are grown for another 20 days. It may take a little more time. It depends on how many days the watermelon seeds sprouted after sowing. The last 5 days before planting in the ground, the seedlings are hardened by taking them out into the air during the daytime.

If a cold-resistant variety is used, hardening is not necessary.

General care of seedlings during cultivation is simple:

• Lighting must be sufficient. If the weather is not favorable with sunny days, you will have to organize additional lighting. Otherwise, the seedlings will stretch out. It is also worth turning flexible plants with the other side towards the light every day;
• Watermelons should not be watered too much. It is enough to moisten the soil with warm, settled water when it dries to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. At the same time, you must try not to get it on the leaves, so as not to cause sunburn. Watermelon does not need spraying;
• Feed the seedlings possible a week after germination and 7 days before planting in a permanent place. To do this, take such products as Agricola Forward (5ml/1l water), Fertika Lux (1g/1l), Uniflor Rost (2ml/1l water). Fertilizer is applied after watering, 1 tablespoon per container.

Planting seeds in open ground

If you decide to plant germinated seeds directly into the ground, there is no need to rush into it. The optimal time for planting is the end of April. If the weather is not warm, it is better to wait until May.

A watermelon will need a fairly large area to develop lashes. There is a scheme for planting in rows, when the distance between holes is 1 m, and between adjacent rows 2 m. In this case, 5-7 seeds are sown in 1 hole and subsequently only one, the strongest and healthiest seedling, is left.

If the second planting scheme is used - the square-cluster method, then an interval of 70 - 280 cm is left between adjacent holes; exactly how much space is needed depends on the variety.

The depth of seed placement also depends on the variety. Small-seeded seeds are planted at a depth of 4-6 cm, large-seeded plants at a depth of 6-8 cm. If the seeds are buried too deeply, the seedlings will appear quite late. The structure of the soil also matters when planting. Seeds are planted shallowly in loam, and a couple of centimeters deeper in sandy soils.

Note! When planting, the holes are marked so that the rows are visible when loosened.

Plantings can be covered with film to further protect them from the cold. This is especially important if the differences in day and night temperatures are significant. You can hide the sprouts under cover overnight until June, or longer in cold and rainy summers.

Watering should be plentiful, but not too frequent; 1-2 times a week will be enough. After flowering begins, watering is reduced, and after the fruits have formed, they can be stopped altogether.

After 3-4 small fruits appear, the top of the plant is pinched. Watermelons, especially in the northern regions, do not have time to form all the emerging ovaries into full-fledged fruits, so quantity will have to be sacrificed for the sake of quality.

Important! Plants in open ground often suffer from insect attacks. Watermelons are no exception

They are often attacked by aphids, cutworms, and wireworms. As soon as the first signs of damage are noticed, the plants are immediately treated with special insecticides.

Sometimes watermelons in open ground get sick. They are susceptible to the same diseases as cucumbers: anthracnose, ascochyta blight, powdery mildew, and downy mildew. Accordingly, for prevention, the same means are used as for cucumbers: Orlan, HOM, Obiga-Pik, colloidal sulfur.

Growing watermelons from seeds that are prepared in advance for planting significantly increases the chances of a good harvest. The gardener’s work will not be in vain, and it will not be a sin to show off the juicy fruits to your neighbors, inviting them for a treat.

In the southern regions, watermelons are planted with seeds directly into the ground, and in the middle zone this crop is grown through seedlings. In order for seedlings to appear faster, the seeds of watermelons and other melons need to be soaked and processed.

How to soak watermelon seeds?

Some people sow dry seeds in moist soil in seedling containers, but to speed up the germination process it is necessary to process and warm them. Experts advise heating the seeds in warm rooms or near heating devices for 5-6 days, and the air temperature should be about 25-30°C. Using this technique, the germination of seeds and the energy of their germination are increased, the number of female flowers on plants increases, and the vines grow quickly and develop well.

You can speed up the germination of watermelon seeds by pre-soaking them in warm water. Seeds are poured into a canvas bag and then placed in warm water (heated to a maximum of 60°C) for 5 minutes. The heated seeds are removed and then left in a warm room. In room conditions, watermelon seeds are kept for 2 days until sprouts appear. The sprouted (germinated) seeds are sown in heated soil, previously moistened.

In order for watermelon seedlings to be strong and resist diseases, even at the seed germination stage, they can be soaked in solutions of microelements (boron, manganese, molybdenum). You need to make a solution of 0.05% concentration. You can “feed” watermelon seeds with this solution for a maximum of 16 hours. Also, in order to avoid infection by fungal diseases during mass sowing, the seeds must be treated with TMTD (5 grams of the substance are consumed per kilogram of seeds).

Hatched watermelon seeds are sown in separate containers to a depth of 1.5 cm, then the soil is watered moderately. Seedlings are transplanted into a greenhouse or on a ridge when 4-7 true leaves appear on it.

However, not everyone wants to tinker with watermelon seedlings, preferring to sow this crop immediately in heated soil or in a greenhouse. This should be done when there are definitely no frosts, since watermelon seedlings die even with mild frosts. When sowing without seedlings, watermelon seeds must be soaked, unless they have already been treated with fungicide solutions. The soaking technology is slightly different: first, the seeds are immersed in water heated to 60°C for 4 minutes, after which they are immediately immersed in a solution of Cytovit and Zircon (1 ampoule of each substance is dissolved in 2 liters of water). Watermelon seeds should swell, after which they can be sown in holes, laying out several pieces. When the sprouts grow a little, 1-2 strong plants are left, and the rest are cut off with scissors or a knife. Watermelons, the seeds of which have been treated with microelements and heating, grow much faster and produce a full harvest. All these procedures need to be done a couple of days before sowing seedlings or in the ground (greenhouse).

The seeds of most melon crops are covered with a hard shell, so many inexperienced gardeners do not know how to germinate watermelon seeds before planting. Typically, this method of preparing seed material as germination allows you to slightly reduce the time until germination. In their homeland in southern countries, the seeds of the berry in question were warmed by the sun for a long period, and when exposed to favorable conditions, such grains germinate quickly, which must be taken into account.

As you can understand, the grains should be warmed up in warm water or on a sun-heated windowsill for 5-7 days. Some gardeners use a special type of heating, gradually increasing the temperature from 20 to 50 degrees. This operation is carried out over three hours.

After carrying out this procedure, they proceed to germinating the seeds. To do this, the seed material is disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, after which the grains are rinsed in clean water, dried a little and again sent into a special solution, this time into growth stimulants. Store-bought preparations, as well as a solution of slurry or an extract taken from wood ash can be used as nutritional supplements. It has been noticed that the ash contains a huge amount of various microelements.

Now let's move on to germinating watermelon seeds before planting. After we have kept the seed material in growth stimulants for 24 hours, the grains are again washed in clean water and then wrapped in a damp cloth or placed on several layers of gauze. Seeds are placed in a small glass jar or airtight box, covered with layers of gauze or cloth, moistened with water and placed in a warm place for germination. The environment in which the seed material is located must be constantly moist, but it should not float in water. To prevent evaporation, place a transparent film in the upper part of the container and secure its position with an elastic band. Thus, a small greenhouse was obtained in which a fog-like environment is formed.

During the period of seed germination, you need to monitor the moisture content of the fabric; if necessary, add a little water to the jar or spray the seeds with a spray bottle. The operation should be carried out at a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees. Soon the shells of the grains will begin to collapse and the first sprouts will appear. The signal before sowing seeds for seedlings or open ground is the appearance of sprouts in 15% of the seed material. When carrying out germination, you need to pay attention to the heating temperature of the soil, and in the case of seedlings, prepare suitable containers for watermelons.