How to water watermelons in the open ground: terms and rules
Many of us grow watermelons and melons on our plots, though, that the climate for these crops is not quite suitable. And someone manages to eat the fruit, hand-grown, and someone's berries do not gain the desired weight and sugar content. Why is this happening? May be, right in watering? Many gardeners believe, that watermelons need a hot and dry climate, so they are afraid to flood them. Meanwhile, the yield and taste of fruits depend on the amount of watering. How often to water watermelons, so as not to harm the plants? We will deal with this issue in this article.
How often to water the watermelon
Melons are very heat-loving and demanding of sunlight. They develop normally only at high temperatures: +22-25 ° C in air and not less +20 ° C in the soil. Therefore, one can only imagine, how their root system tolerates such temperatures. Watermelon, growing without watering, not able to form large and juicy fruits, because it lacks moisture. Of course, most watermelons have fairly deep roots, despite, they need watering throughout the growing season.
Watering is especially important for emerging seedlings and young plants, after all, their roots have not yet deepened. At this stage, watering should be carried out daily, until the plants begin to unravel and bloom. In the future, when the whips cover the ground, and it will not dry out so quickly, watering watermelons is carried out as the drying of the top layer of soil. After flowering watermelons in the open ground enough to water 1 once a week at the rate 7-8 l for each bush - this amount of water is enough to moisten the soil to a depth 60 cm
If melons are grown on a large scale and regular watering is not possible, then you need to provide the plants at least 3 abundant irrigation during different growing seasons: after thinning of crops, during active flowering and at the beginning of fruit ripening. To keep moisture in the soil longer, it is recommended to cover the aisles with straw.
Features and rules of watering
To get a good harvest of sweet and large fruits, you need to know, how to properly water watermelons or melons. There are some rules for watering melons:
- only warm water is used to irrigate watermelons and melons (heated to ambient or soil temperature);
- if watering is carried out daily or 3-4 times a week, that's enough 3 l of water for each plant. If 1 once a week or less, the amount of water should be approximately 7 l per bush;
- during flowering irrigation should be frequent, but not abundant, after flowering to moisten the bed less often, but more abundant;
- watering is best done in the evening, so that the water evaporates more slowly;
- you need to pour water under the root, trying not to wet the root collar - this condition is especially important when caring for melons;
- sprinkling and high humidity melons do not like, therefore, avoid getting water on the leaves;
- drip irrigation is considered ideal, because it provides plants with moisture evenly and exclusively in the root zone.
In that, how to water watermelons and melons, there is a difference. In watermelons the root system is deeper, than in a melon, therefore watering for them should not be too frequent, but abundant. Melon roots are weak and not so deep, so, and watering is carried out more often, but less water is used. Sometimes in the heat the melons are needed 2 watering daily - morning and evening. Before flowering melon irrigation is carried out under the root. Then it is better to pour water into small furrows, which are dug in between rows.
Be sure to loosen the top layer of soil after each moistening, so that the earth is not covered with crust. The same should be done after the rain. Because liquid fertilizers predominate for melons, they are convenient to combine with watering. Now, when you know, how often and how to water the watermelons, you will have no difficulty growing these capricious crops, and you will have the opportunity to enjoy the juicy berries of your own harvest.
Video "How to water watermelons"
You will learn from this video, how to water watermelons.
