The Experience Of Growing Watermelons And Melons In A Greenhouse

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Read part 1 Growing and planting seedlings of tomatoes and peppers

Watermelons and melons

Melons grew in narrow beds in the neighborhood of this tomato ridge on both sides. The melon lashes were thrown over a glass partition at a height of 1.8 m. Gradually, as the melon lashes grew, I cleaned the bottom of the plants from leaves and shoots to a height of about 0.5 m.

The number of shoots on each melon plant was left as follows: the main stem plus 4 first side shoots. I usually first lay the main stem on the ground to a length of 70-80 cm, pin the stem to the ground, and the first four lateral shoots go up from it. I remove the rest of the shoots. The distance between the plants of melons is 1-1.2 m. Soon, as the lashes of melons grow, a green net is formed from them. Airing the greenhouse does not harm this green wall; fresh air flows around it, as it were, without causing any harm.

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On these two beds, melons set much later than on ridge No. 6, but at the end of August we were already removing ripe fruits from them. In mid-September, there were isolated melons on the Gerd hybrid and six fruits on the late Joker hybrid. On these two ridges, we planted hybrids Cinderella, Gerda, Joker and Pineapple variety. Fruits were harvested weighing 1 to 2.5 kg (Gerda). The Pineapple variety on ridge No. 2 did not show itself in the best way, the plants "fattened" and did not set fruit well, probably this variety needs less fertile soil.

The first layer of single fruits of all plantings on these ridges lay on the stumps placed under them, the second layer was tied mainly at a height of 1.8 meters, and almost all the fruits were located on the upper shelf of the glass partition. We tied single fruits in nets to the partition on both sides. Hybrid watermelon Gift to the North on ridge No. 2 tied two fruits, one weighing 2.5 kg was removed in mid-August, and the other, weighing 4 kg, at the end of August.

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We were especially pleased with the ridge number 6 with melons. The ridge itself was very warm, well manured, and this led to a rich harvest of melons. We planted eight melon plants on it: the Cappuccino variety, the Sweet Pineapple hybrids, the Scythian Gold, Lada, Gerda. Above the seedlings, two steps were made of boards 12 cm wide: one at a height of 70 cm, the other at a height of 1.8 m.

The second step was displaced in comparison with the first to the east by 30 cm, which had a good effect on the lighting of the lashes. These steps were necessary for tying the whips and for laying the bulk of the fruit on them. We carried out the formation of melon plants in the same way as on the ridges 2,3. The first single fruits, as well as on ridges 2 and 3, settled on the substituted stumps, the first main layer of melons was located on the first step.

The formation of melons on this ridge: the main stem and 4 lateral shoots, if shoots appeared from the leaf axils and a fruit was tied on them, then this shoot was left, the tip of this shoot was pinched, and the fruit itself was laid on the step. If fruits were not set on a third-order shoot, then this shoot was completely removed. As a result of this formation, the wall of melon shoots is not overloaded with excess tops.

On the first step, there was a moment when 25 fruits lay on it from four melon bushes. In late August - early September, the same number of fruits settled on the upper second stage - at that time two bushes of the Golden Scythians and two bushes of the Gerda hybrid were bearing fruit. Bush Sweet pineapple and Cappuccino "fattened", did not begin to bear fruit for a long time, it was necessary to remove a lot of excess tops. We came to the conclusion that less fertile soil should be prepared for these varieties.

Fruiting on these varieties was late, but the number of fruits was large. We would like to especially note the hybrid Zlato of the Scythians. For the second year in our melon plant, it has been producing excellent results: early fruiting and a large number of tasty fruits. True, by the end of August, the last fruits are ripening on this hybrid.

Tomatoes and peppers

For ourselves, we made the following conclusions on ridge number 6: you cannot plant many varieties on it - difficulties arise when leaving; the best result can be achieved if no more than two different varieties of melons are planted on the ridge.

On ridge No. 5, 0.5x1 m in size, our favorite and crop-stable determinant hybrid of Blagovest tomato was planted - 6 bushes, as well as 5 bushes of Skazka tomato variety. This variety reaches a height of 1.8 m in our country. On the eastern side of this ridge, indeterminate (tall) tomatoes were planted: the Konigsberg and Argentinian miracle varieties, the Pink King hybrid (VIII) and 1 bush of the indeterminate tomato Swift F1.

The selection of varieties and hybrids of tomatoes on this ridge turned out to be successful: all of them almost simultaneously entered the stage of fruit setting, which prevented the "fattening" of the bushes. On this ridge, we liked all the varieties and hybrids we chose. This ridge bore fruit for about two months. The harvest was excellent in terms of the number of fruits, and the taste was above all praise.

On ridge 7, we planted 4 hot pepper bushes, 8 cherry-type tomato bushes: Kishmish hybrids (red and yellow), Honey Drop and Sweet Cherry, and at the end of the ridge - 4 cucumber bushes. For these tomatoes, a sparse planting is needed, and the soil for them needs to be made less fertile. The plants on this ridge were rampant and quickly out of our control. The rapid growth of the tops forced us to defuse the plantings - to remove the extra plants.

We removed three bushes on this ridge. But the rest of the tomatoes developed so rapidly and powerfully that by the end of the season the planting of cucumbers strangled us. And when the fruiting of melons on ridge No. 6 ended, these predatory plants occupied the entire space above and above this ridge. They bore fruit for a long time and froze in a greenhouse in early October with fruits.

We believe that tomatoes are "carnivores" plants, and small-fruited tomato varieties ranked first in this category. The harvest of small tomatoes was very abundant.

The yellow honey drop tomato produced very beautiful fruits, and they were extraordinarily sweet with an amazing taste. Cucumbers on this ridge developed well in the initial period, but later the tomatoes growing nearby strangled three cucumber bushes. As a result, by September we had only one cucumber bush that could compete with these irrepressible tomatoes.

On ridge 4, on the western side of the greenhouse, 18 sweet pepper bushes and 12 eggplant bushes were planted. We were pleased with this ridge. Despite the fact that the seedlings of these crops were young, we received an excellent harvest of all planted varieties and hybrids of eggplant and peppers. The harvest of hybrid eggplant King of the North and Marzipan was especially plentiful.

We were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful bushes of the Orange sweet pepper. Its bright orange fruits weighing only 30-40 grams, like toys, hung on the bushes. They tasted extraordinarily sweet.

Of the peppers, I also want to highlight the hybrid Snowfall - a powerful, indeterminate plant that sets fruit well. This pepper is very early maturing, gives a bountiful harvest.

And the rest of the sweet pepper hybrids showed excellent results last season - many fruits reached a mass above 200 g.

We have been growing sweet peppers and eggplants for a very long time, have learned how to form them, we know how to work with them in order to get the maximum yield from these plants. We mainly grow vigorous sweet peppers. The main principle of the formation of sweet pepper: we remove all unnecessary shoots where there are no fruits, as well as all lateral shoots located below the first branch of the main stem.

As the tops of sweet pepper plants grow, when it reaches the desired size and the crown begins to close, you can gradually remove all the leaves that are before the first branching of the main stem. This promotes healthy plant growth, good lighting and airing. Inside, we also form each crown for fruiting: excess fruits and leaves, remove the shoots. We form the eggplants as follows: we leave the three strongest shoots, while we tie each of them separately; we remove all new shoots, we also remove all the leaves shading the eggplant flower, because his fruits are tied only when the flower is illuminated by the sun.

The lower part of the plant is gradually freed from the leaves, like in sweet pepper. But in order to learn how to correctly form both sweet peppers and eggplants, you must at least once see how an experienced person does it or carefully study special publications on this issue.

Bitter pepper gave us very good results: from 6 bushes planted in the greenhouse, we reaped a rich harvest. Fruiting of this pepper began very early and ended with the onset of frost in October. And this despite all the inconveniences he experienced: on ridge No. 7 - the pressure from the branches of tomatoes hanging over him, and on ridge No. 3 - from the tops of melons.

We had the same care for all plantings: watering with warm, slightly ash water. Twice we watered the plantings with a solution of double superphosphate. Twice a season, all plants in the greenhouse received foliar feeding with microelements. Watering was carried out only with warm water in the morning, on especially hot days it was watered in the evening, and in the fall - rarely and abundantly, but only during the day.

By watering we regulate the growth, development and fruiting of all plants. Already in the first decade of August, the entire volume of the greenhouse was completely occupied by plants both in height and width, i.e. the entire volume of the greenhouse was used for the harvest. In the fall, when we selected the ground from the first ridge, where the tomatoes grew, we did not find any remnants of hay, which we laid in a thick layer in the spring.

As a result of the work of tomato roots and watering, the hay was completely absorbed by the plant roots. We plant all seedlings in the greenhouse as the ridges are prepared and based on favorable weather conditions. But in the future, when caring for plants, we take into account the lunar phases. How we do this, we will tell in the following publications.