To get a good harvest of watermelons, you need to take care of the seedlings in May. When three leaves appeared on the plant, it can be transplanted into open ground or a greenhouse. This moment usually falls at the end of May or the beginning of June. From that period, you need to wait about 60 days. Only after this period can the ripeness of the watermelon be determined.

Of course, the number of days may vary to a greater or lesser extent depending on weather conditions and the type of berry. If it has been hot all summer, then the first harvest will not be long in coming. The size of the fruit does not yet indicate its ripeness, so you should learn how to determine the maturity of a watermelon.

How to determine ripeness

You can determine the ripeness of a green berry in the garden by the peel. When the maturation process begins, it turns from matte to shiny. A good indicator of ripeness are scratches on the watermelon. She remains from the beak of crows. Birds will not peck at an unripe watermelon. How they calculate this is anyone's guess. To avoid damage to the crop by birds, it is necessary to build a scarecrow. In order to prevent overripe, or vice versa, not to pick a green watermelon, you should pay attention to the stalk. It must be dry.

A dry stem indicates that the watermelon has already absorbed all the nutrients and is now ripening.

Tapping sound

You can twist the watermelon in the garden to find a small yellow side with which the watermelon was in contact with the ground. It will be an indicator of the maturity of the watermelon. The tapping method is also practiced. True, it must be carried out several times in different periods of time. During the ripening period, all watermelons will make a ringing sound. Therefore, you need to knock on a watermelon, and then repeat it a week later and compare the sonority of the sound. In a ripe watermelon, the flesh bursts and because of this, the sound will be somewhat muffled.

A green, unripe watermelon also makes an empty, dull sound, so you should be especially careful.

A ripe watermelon has a bright, distinctly patterned, and very tough rind. If you can easily pierce it with your fingernail, then the watermelon should not be plucked, let it ripen. The rind thickens to retain moisture inside the fruit. When patting a ripe watermelon, it will even spring slightly.

In central Russia, it is very risky to grow watermelons, because weather anomalies can lead to crop damage. But do not be disappointed at the first failure, probably next time you will be able to grow this sweet berry in your region.

Watermelons are very tasty and healthy. And when grown in their garden with their own hands, then such watermelons are doubly tastier. It remains to determine when the watermelon is ripe and can be picked.

1. How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon.

Most varieties are ready for harvest 30 days after fruit set. To determine whether a watermelon is ripe or not, you need to examine it and determine the ripeness by external signs.

Antennae and stipules at the stem should be dry,

There should be a hollow sound when hit.

The top layer is shiny, no matte finish,

The pattern of the watermelon is clearly expressed,

On the side there is a small yellow earthen spot.

2. How and where to store watermelons.

You can store watermelons only late-ripening varieties. It is necessary to remove them not ripe, but when the ripening process has just begun. During this period, the flesh of the watermelon is still pink, the seeds are white, just starting to turn brown.

The thing is that if you remove ripe watermelons from the garden for storage. That such watermelons will not be stored for a long time. After some time, the fruits will begin to deteriorate even at the optimum storage temperature.

Therefore, watermelons are removed at the beginning of ripening. After the watermelons are put away for storage, they continue to sing. As a result, such fruits will be stored much longer than mature ones.

3. Under what conditions should watermelons be stored?

Watermelons must be stored indoors at a temperature of +2 ... +3 degrees, air humidity 80-85%. Under these conditions, watermelons can be stored for about three months. This means that in New Year you can put on the table watermelons grown with your own hands in your beds.

Moreover, watermelons will be tasty and juicy, as if they had just been plucked from the garden. Indeed, under such storage conditions, they retain all their qualities.

4. How to store fruit.

So that the fruits do not deteriorate during storage, they must be laid out in one row so that their sides do not touch.

To do this, lay the watermelons on dry straw, sawdust or other material, placing them with their tails up.

There is another option for storing watermelons. To do this, we hang watermelons in nets. With this method, you can save the crop and economically use the space.

Watermelon, melon, cherry plum and other southern crops [We grow in the middle lane] Kolpakova Anastasia Vitalievna

Harvesting watermelon

As watermelon fruits ripen, dry matter and sugars accumulate. While the seeds are being formed, there are relatively few sugars in the pulp and juice, because a significant part of them is spent on the formation of seeds, as well as on their "breathing". Over time, the seeds stop growing, the activity of their "breathing" decreases. Accordingly, they no longer need the same amount of sugar. Therefore, sugars now begin to accumulate in the pulp. In fruits aged 15-20 days, glucose predominates. By the 30th - 40th day, the percentage of fructose and sucrose gradually increases, due to which the taste of watermelons improves.

On average, from one hectare of area, you can get 20 - 30 tons of watermelons, or 20 - 30 kg / 10 m 2. Under favorable conditions, the yield reaches 45 - 55 tons per hectare. Each watermelon weighs approximately 26 kg or more.

Early ripe varieties of watermelons are harvested in several steps, as the fruits ripen. Usually cleaning is carried out 2-3 times. Mid-season and late varieties, as well as fruits grown for seeds, are harvested once.

Watermelons, unlike melons, do not ripen well during storage, so they are harvested at the moment when the flesh has already turned pink, and the seeds have acquired the color characteristic of this variety.

Fully ripe watermelons are also not suitable for long-term storage. After about a month, their flesh softens.

The first harvest is carried out when about half of all watermelons are ripe. The last collection is carried out before frost. Not all watermelons have time to sleep by this time. Unripe ones are also removed and salted for the winter.

It is not easy for beginners to determine the ripeness of a watermelon “by eye”. External signs are not always reliable. In a mature watermelon, the stalk and antennae near it dry out. The crust becomes shiny, elastic, the color becomes intense, the pattern characteristic of this variety appears more and more clearly. If watermelons are grown in open ground, as they ripen, large yellow spots form on their crust from the side of the ground. You can lightly slap the watermelon with your palm or click on it with your fingers: the ripe fruit gives off a dull sound. This is because ripe watermelon pulp has more juice. When squeezed, a well-ripened watermelon crackles.

Watermelons are cut off from the stems and side shoots with a knife, leaving a tail about 5 cm long. It is not recommended to pick watermelons with your hands: this often damages the fruit itself, and the place of tear quickly rots.

Early-ripening varieties, as well as the first "wave" of mid-ripening and mid-late varieties, are harvested by hand. In this case, a wide-cut conveyor TSHP-25, platforms POU-2 and hinged inclined trays are used.

It is advisable to resort to mechanized harvesting only in the case of uniform development and amicable ripening of watermelons.

Mounted trays can be made from aluminum pipes like those designed for irrigation mechanisms. The pipe is unfolded in the form of a gutter, connected to the bearing corner and attached to the frame of the self-propelled chassis with the ends. A pitched tray is fixed under the tractor in the longitudinal direction. The back of the tray is set so that the watermelons roll down the side of the road. The trays are raised to the desired position with the help of cables and a hydraulic cylinder. The inclination of the tray in the transport position is 30°, and in the working position - 6 - 7°.

To load watermelons into a vehicle, a wide-cut belt conveyor with a mechanical drive is used. If it is not possible to purchase such a unit, watermelons are loaded manually, however, in this case, labor costs during harvesting increase by 50 - 60%.

The mechanical fruit picker PBV-1 can damage the fruits. Therefore, it is used only for loading fodder fruits. Watermelons grown for food purposes are loaded into vehicles manually.

The last harvest of mid-late varieties is carried out mechanized. With a tractor windrower UPV-8 or VBK-8, watermelons are rolled into a swath, that is, in even rows. Then the fruits are loaded into the vehicle with the help of loader conveyors.

It is convenient to harvest watermelon with the help of a KAP-10 trailed combine. Moreover, the fruits can be collected selectively or all at once. Selective mechanized harvesting is carried out directly from the field. You can do it differently: first, manually prepare the rolls, and then harvest watermelons from them with a trailed harvester.

Harvested crops are dumped into the box vehicle or stacked in containers mounted on a tractor trailer. When loading in bulk, the fruits are subsequently reloaded into containers TKB-113 (400-450 kg) or KB-1200 (1200 kg).

Proper organization of harvesting watermelons reduces crop losses and has a positive effect on the commercial quality of the fruit. The melon is broken up in advance into strips 20-40 m wide. The aisles are cleared of plants, the fruits are removed from there, that is, they prepare the road along which the harvested crop will be taken away from the field.

Ripe watermelons are plucked from the bushes, put in bags or on a stretcher in groups of 3-5 pieces. and dragged to the place of loading. If the work is organized correctly, plants and unripe watermelons will not suffer.

If harvesting is carried out using wide-cut conveyors or mounted trays, they do it a little differently. The unit moves along the rows, pickers follow it and put the plucked fruits on the trays. Watermelons roll down the trays and form a swath along the road. In this case, 12-15 people are required to service one machine.

Watermelons are transported to the place of storage or sale in containers or on pallets. They are lined with straw or shavings. The rows of watermelons themselves are shifted with the same materials. You can transport watermelons without any containers, laying them out in one row on a straw bedding.

From the book The Golden Book of a Rich Harvest author Samsonov Sergey Anatolievich

Harvesting and storage of crops Early and mid-season varieties white cabbage, as well as cauliflower should be harvested as the heads ripen. To prevent the heads of early ripening cabbage from cracking, they need to be bent 2-3 times in one direction. Thus limited

From the book Pepper, eggplant. Varieties, cultivation, care, recipes author

Harvesting and storage In order for carrots to be stored longer, they are harvested as late as possible. Late-harvested carrots are already well ripened, and therefore they are stored much better. But it is necessary to have time to harvest before the onset of the first night frosts. Even barely

From the book Raspberry, Blackberry. Varieties, cultivation, care author Zvonarev Nikolai Mikhailovich

Harvesting and storage of the crop The first fruits of cucumbers can be harvested as early as late July or early August. Fruit picking is recommended in the morning or in the evening, it is at this time that the cucumbers are most resilient. You should never leave cucumbers in the wind or in the sun, from this they

From the book Gooseberry. Planting, growing, harvesting author Zvonarev Nikolai Mikhailovich

Harvesting In 30-45 days after the formation of the ovaries, the technical ripeness of the fruit comes, later - the biological one. The fruits are harvested in the phase of technical maturity. Technically ripe fruits are considered to be fully formed: the length of elongated fruits is at least 6 cm,

From the book Watermelon, melon, cherry plum and other southern crops [We grow in the middle lane] author Kolpakova Anastasia Vitalievna

Harvesting Raspberries begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year after planting, but at this time it is still considered young and the harvest: sometimes insignificant. It enters full fruiting in the third year after planting. Harvesting is the most time-consuming process, which accounts for up to

From the book Cherry. Zoned varieties. Growing experience in the Chernozem region author Nozdracheva R. G.

Harvesting Gooseberries are harvested by hand. In a day, a qualified gardener can gain from 25 to 80 kg. Labor productivity at the harvest depends mainly on the yield and size of the berries (large ones are picked more, small ones - less). Depending on the destination

From the book Canning and the best culinary recipes of experienced gardeners and gardeners author Kizima Galina Alexandrovna

Harvesting and storage of a harvest Harvesting of a melon Fruits of a melon develop in two stages. At the first, an ovary is formed and growth occurs. With the end of growth, the second stage begins, which lasts until maturation. At the first stage, intense oxidative processes occur in the fruits,

From the book The New Encyclopedia of the Gardener and Gardener [Supplemented and Revised Edition] author Ganichkin Alexander Vladimirovich

Harvesting and storage of harvest Harvesting of quince Quince is harvested as late as possible, so that the fruits have time to acquire all the flavors characteristic of the variety. Early varieties of quince reach removable maturity in late August - early September. Other varieties ripen at the beginning

At the end of each summer, everyone looks forward to the ripening of an unusual green berry - watermelon. Sweet and juicy berries are loved by adults and children. They serve as a wonderful decoration for any festive table and perfectly replace dessert. But not many people know that watermelon is also a medicinal berry. Due to the huge water content, it has a positive effect on kidney function and lowers blood pressure. It is recommended to use it for diabetes mellitus, as well as for the prevention of heart and eye diseases. There is an opinion that the substances that make up its composition reduce the risk of developing cancer and increase immunity. Also, the striped berry saves those who want to lose weight, providing them with a light and satisfying snack.

Unfortunately, in the markets every year the price of watermelons is getting higher and higher, and the quality of the berries is of great doubt, so many make attempts to grow crops on their own plots. Despite all efforts, this is still a rarity in the gardens of the Moscow region. Not easy, but possible to grow a heat-loving crop in a temperate continental climate. In order for the efforts to be successful, you need to choose the right seeds. Given the relative short duration of summer, it is worth paying attention to early-ripening varieties.

The most popular variety in the Moscow region is Crimson Sweet. Round and very sweet fruits ripen in just 70-80 days, and such watermelons can weigh more than 10 kg. The variety "Spark" is also popular. The fruits grow small, weighing only 2-3 kg, but their taste is very soft and delicate.

A good harvest can be obtained from the Skorik variety. The berries of this variety are small, with small seeds and a pleasant aromatic pulp. Due to their thick rind, they are suitable for long-term storage.

Watermelons of an unusual elongated shape with a marble pattern of the Honey Giant variety also take root perfectly in the climatic conditions of the Moscow region and give a good harvest, somewhat pale, but no less tasty. The Peasant variety is similar in color and shape, their only difference is in the thickness of the peel. The second grade is thicker.

Fans of traditionally striped fruits can plant the hybrid varieties Farmer F1, Delicious F1 or Cinderella F1.

Growing seedlings

Given the climatic conditions of the region, planting seeds in open ground will not give results. Watermelons in the Moscow region are best planted in seedlings when the weather is already warm outside. Particular attention should be paid to the air temperature at night. It should not fall below 12-13 degrees. At the time of planting in open ground, seedlings should reach a month of age, which will allow it to take root without problems and quickly grow.

In order to get viable seedlings, the seeds must be planted in peat pots. Mixed peat, soddy soil and humus in equal proportions with a total volume of 0.5 liters are ideal for growing. It is better to plant 2-3 seeds in each pot, and then leave one, the strongest shoot. Weak plants are carefully trimmed. In no case should they be pulled out so as not to damage the roots of the main shoot. The only care for the plant at this stage is regular watering. Do not water the sprouts during the day when the bright sun is shining. They can fall and stunt growth. It is better to postpone watering for the evening.

Seeds can be hardened before planting. To do this, you need to put them in a gauze bag and dip them three times alternately in cold, then in hot water (not boiling water!). It is believed that such hardening will increase the resistance of seeds and plants to changing weather conditions.

Choosing a place to land

Every year, watermelons are planted in a new place. Ideally, if earlier cabbage, onions, legumes or root crops grew in this place. You should not plant them after potatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers or squash. Ideal "neighbors" will be peas and corn. They will promote the growth of the seedling and improve the taste of the fruit. It does not get along badly in neighboring beds with potatoes.

You should not plant next to a green berry plants similar in structure: melons, pumpkins, etc. They need the same substances that are actively absorbed from the soil, thereby impoverishing it. If such a neighborhood is unavoidable, it is worth fertilizing regularly so that there is enough “food” for all plants, and there is no negative effect on the crop.

Planting seedlings in the ground

When the temperature outside has settled, and the third full-fledged leaf has appeared on the seedlings, the watermelon is ready for planting in the ground. Most often, despite the warm spring days, the soil has not yet had time to warm up, which is detrimental to tender seedlings, so you need to warm it up artificially. The place chosen for planting is poured with hot water and covered with a film to keep warm. Next, holes are prepared at a distance of 50 cm, a spoonful of complex fertilizer is added to each hole, a plant is planted and sprinkled with soil to the root neck, after which it is watered again.

After planting, you should not expect rapid growth from the watermelon; the plant spends the first few weeks on the formation of a long root stem.

seedling care

Once in the ground, the plant experiences stress. To reduce the negative impact on the seedling, it is recommended to cover it with a film fixed on the arcs for the first few weeks and let it “breathe” for only a few hours. Thus, the seedling will more easily tolerate a change in temperature.

Seedlings should be regularly watered twice a week. Do not use cold water from a hose. It is better to water watermelons heated in the sun and settled water.

Twice a month it is worth feeding the plant with complex fertilizers. Over time, it is worth forming the plant into one stem, cutting off all side shoots in order to get one excellent fruit on each plant.

Pests and diseases

Throughout the growth of watermelons should be protected from various diseases:

white and black rot,
angular spotting,
powdery mildew,
anthracosis,
downy mildew

and pests:

melon aphid,
slugs, etc.

When to Harvest

Naturally, when green balls appear in the garden, I want to try them as soon as possible. But don't rush. Like any other fruit, watermelon must ripen well to please with its taste. Determining ripe is quite simple. The stalk of such a fruit begins to dry out. In some varieties, leaves and tendrils also dry next to the fruit.

A ripe berry becomes a uniform glossy green color with a yellow speck in the place where the watermelon was in contact with the ground. If you are not sure about the maturity of the fetus, tap on it, a dull sound indicates readiness. You can also press on the watermelon if you hear a crack - the berry is ripe.

Harvesting continues as it matures until frost. Before the first frosts, it is worth removing all watermelons from the beds. By the way, it is not necessary to throw out unripe fruits, you can pickle them for the winter.

How to store

It is not at all easy to preserve the crop for a long period, preserving all its useful properties and taste, but if you take this task with all responsibility, you can even treat yourself to a watermelon from your own garden on New Year's Eve.

Thick-skinned fruits are best stored. Their pulp is reliably protected from any kind of influences. Before storing a watermelon, it is worth checking it for mechanical damage (cracks, dents, cuts, etc.). The surface of the fruit should be smooth and even. For storage, it is better to choose berries that ripened at the end of September. The maximum storage period is up to 5 months.

It is necessary to pay special attention to the place for storing the crop. It must be well protected from light. Humidity is needed quite high, about 60-80%. It is necessary to observe a fairly strict temperature regime from + 6 ° С to -1 ° С. Also, there should be good air circulation in the room, which will not allow watermelons to start rotting ahead of time.

Storage methods:

Fruits can be stored hanging in a net. Each watermelon should be wrapped with natural cloth so that the peels do not touch, thus reducing the risk of mechanical damage to the fruit.
A layer of clay, wax or paraffin, at least 1 cm thick, will help protect the berries from premature decay.
Simulate soil conditions by placing berries stem down in boxes filled with sand, dry grain or wood ash.
Lay the fruits with straw. This removes contact with a hard surface that can damage the fruit. Straw absorbs excess moisture, preventing the formation of mold.

Well, finally, I understood how to determine when the watermelons ripened in the garden and when it's time to pick them and eat)) Until recently, for me it was dark forest, and I asked everyone who is at least a little in the subject about this. Moreover, tapping a watermelon for me is generally an inefficient way to determine its ripeness, because in this case I guess in 50% of cases, and in 50% the watermelon turns out to be unripe at all.

Here are 4 ways to determine the maturity of a watermelon in the garden that work for me:

1) withered tendril opposite the watermelon (closest to it). So far, it has never been such that with a dried tendril, a watermelon was immature. At the same time, the tail that connects the watermelon itself to the “bush” always remains green. It's crazy that it should be dry! They become dry not from a good life - when a watermelon has long been plucked and lies, lies, lies ... The landmark is precisely

a completely dried mustache, not a tail.

2) Yellow spot (where the watermelon is in contact with the ground), or light yellowing watermelon pattern (unless it is a completely dark-skinned variety).

3) When squeezed, the watermelon emits crackling. This is just a guarantee of a ripe watermelon! At first, we both thought this method was stupid and were afraid to squeeze the watermelon, because. they thought that from this he would deteriorate, if he had not yet matured. But really, it's a great way!

4) Hardening of the bark. If the watermelon is unripe, then it is very easy to miss with a fingernail. If it is ripe, then it is difficult to do this.

And of course the fact that the watermelon has completely stopped growing. When you notice that the growth of the fetus has stopped, then after that you need to observe the appearance of the above signs.

The most-most significant for me is point number 1.

Even these mini-watermelons are delicious)) But, by the way, not all watermelons are sweet. Those that are larger turned out to be just less sweet ... it is not clear why ...

This is what the yellowing of a watermelon looks like:

Dried mustache (most often it is curly):

And with melons, in general, everything is simple - when they fully ripen, they themselves fall off the twig. Or it happens when you take a melon in your hand. And a ripe melon begins to smell fragrant. So it's much easier with them than with watermelons.
By the way, in the very first photo, our home-grown melon Torpedo (have not tried it yet).
This is our Ice Cream Melon:

And also, if you want to make a good, unusual and at the same time really necessary gift for a girl, then be sure to visit this site. He has already helped many of my friends to choose an amazing gift.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon. We harvest