The melon is a very popular garden fruit in summer, for its fresh sweetness. It can be brought to the table as a starter or as a side dish, the famous raw ham side dish, or as a fruit or dessert, to be tried with port.
At Orto Da Coltivare you will find all the instructions for growing melons in the garden. To harvest this fruit during the summer, you will have to start sowing in the spring, as I explain below.
If you are lazy or inexperienced, you can also decide to buy the seedling in the nursery, but the melon seeds are very easy to germinate, so without much difficulty, you can save the seedling cost and start cultivation directly. from the seeds. As we will see, the melon sowing operation is within everyone’s reach.
Contents [Ocultar]
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When to plant melons
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How to plant melon
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sixth installation
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prepare the terrain
Contents
When to plant melons
The appropriate period for sowing the melon is determined by the climate of the area where your garden is located, since it is a plant that likes hot weather, you must be careful not to put it in the field too early: the cold can damage it, compromise their growth. To be precise, this cucurbit plant has an ideal climate around 25 degrees and below 15 degrees it suffers.
Particularly for those growing in the north, it is therefore recommended to start planting in pots, this way you can give birth to the plants in a protected seedbed and put them in the formed garden as soon as the weather permits.
The average suitable planting period is in March and April for those who sow in the seedbed and late April or May for those who want to opt for direct seeding in the field.
In addition to temperatures and planting time, there are a few other calendar reference numbers worth noting. of this vegetable : after sowing we can expect to see the sowing appear within 10/15 days, transplanting can be done after 30/35 days (provided that the outside temperatures are mild) and the harvest takes place around three or four months after sowing.
In which moon is it sown
If you want to follow the tradition and plant according to the influence of the moon, it must be taken into account that the melon is a fruit vegetable, so it is recommended to plant it in the crescent moon. The growth phase is believed to be the period when the influence promotes the aerial part of the plant organism, including flowering and fruiting accordingly. Personally, I confess that I plant melons when I have the time and when the weather is right, also considering that there is no evidence of any real effect of the moon. However, if you want to try your hand at planting in the recommended phase, I suggest looking at the Moon phase calendar.
How to plant melon
Melon seed is medium to large in size compared to many other vegetables like bell pepper or cabbage, but smaller than some of its relatives like squash and zucchini, in one gram of melon seed there are approx. thirty seeds more or less. If you have tried to eat this fruit, you will have noticed the seeds in the middle, in the part that you normally clean before serving. It is a seed that lasts a long time and can be stored for 4 or 5 years without losing its ability to germinate.
By observing the shape of the seed, you can see that it has a more pointed side: this point indicates the area where the roots will come out. Wanting to get it right, one can plant the seed with the tip down, making it easier to orient the newborn plant correctly.
planting depth
Melon seed should be placed at a depth of more than one centimeter and less than 2 cm. For direct sowing, a small hole is usually dug where you decide to put the plant, while for pot planting, a hole is made in the earth of the boat. After placing the seed, the soil is lightly compacted so as not to leave air pockets, pressing down with the hand, moderate irrigation will follow.