Plant melons: when and how to do it

To begin with, from EcologíaVerde we want to tell you that it is totally possible to sow melons directly outdoors. However, there are many who advise starting with an indoor seedbed, especially in colder climates, in order to ensure good development of the plant in its early stages.

In addition, starting with seedbeds will allow you to start planting earlier, so you can plant your melon seeds between late winter and early spring.

Is better use seedbeds generous in size, about the size of a common supermarket yogurt. Use a substrate enriched with compost and peat, and keep the seedbed in an area where the temperature is around 15ºC. Bury the seeds completely in the substrate and water them abundantly but without flooding.

It is also important that it receives an adequate supply of sunlight, especially once the seedlings start to appear. If they don’t get enough light, the shoots can shrivell, which is always best to avoid.

One month after planting, your melons should be ready to be transplanted to their final location. For this, we show you this step by step guide on how to plant melons:

1. The first thing you should do is prepare a soil that is rich in humus.
2. You’ll also want to make sure the soil isn’t acidic. To keep the pH above 7, which is what you want, you can add some lime to the soil.
3. Now yes, you can proceed to choose a location that receives a great contribution of light, especially during the afternoon.
4. When doing the transplant, you can sow in line, with a separation of something more than 1 meter between each melonera. If you make more than one row, respect at least 150 cm of separation between them (unless you use deep beds, in which case you can reduce these centimeters).
5. Bury the plant together with the soil from the seedbed.
6. Make sure that the roots are not damaged during the process.
7. Once you have finished the transplant, water the plant.

Now that we have seen when and how to sow and plant melons, let’s proceed to see the necessary care to take into account so that they develop properly. Follow these instructions if you want to know how to grow melons successfully:

Temperature

One of the most important points to take into account for the correct development of the melonera is the temperature, since it has to be warm enough. This plant is very sensitive to low temperatures, and if you want your melonera to develop well and bear good fruit, you should keep it between 23 and 30ºC. For this reason, it is important to dedicate a location with good lighting to it. Additionally, on cold days you can cover the plant with some type of plastic or canvas that does not crush it and helps it maintain a stable temperature.

Irrigation

Melons have a huge water content. Taking this into account, it is not difficult to imagine that the plant needs a good supply of it to grow healthy and bear large fruits. In the warm months, water your melon trees daily, making sure that the soil is always moist and that it does not dry out completely. In the cold months, you can space out the watering a bit to prevent the soil temperature from dropping too much.

Pass

Melon trees are very demanding when it comes to soil nutrients. They need a soil rich in organic matter, fertilized with compost or humus twice a month in the warm months, and once a month or every two months in the cold ones. If you don’t know how to follow this step correctly, don’t miss this other article on How to feed plants with manure and fertilizers.

Land

Although we have already said that this plant needs a lot of water, it is important that the soil does not become waterlogged at any time. That is why, from EcologíaVerde, we recommend that you ensure good drainage in the area where you plant the melonera.

pests

Melons are also quite susceptible to attack by pests and insects that tend to get into the plant or its fruit. To prevent this from happening, you can use hydrogen-rich fertilizer before the rainy season, or some kind of natural insecticide.

This article on How to make natural insecticides for plants can be of great help to you.

And when is the best time to pick melons? Now that you know all the necessary steps for your melons to develop properly, at EcologíaVerde we want to talk to you about the best time of year to pick melons and be able to enjoy this sweet and delicious fruit.

The ideal time to pick melons is between late summer and early fall. The characteristic smell of the fruit will tell you if the time has really come to pick it or not, because if you can smell the melon even through the skin, it will mean that everything has gone well and that you can pick your melons with ease.

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