With the new arrival of summer, the season of summer fruits such as the melon or watermelon. Two foods that can quench our thirst due to the large amount of water they have. There is nothing like growing your own food, so we are going to propose that you grow your own melons and watermelons without leaving your home.
Ah, you don't have a garden? Do not worry. They are plants that they can grow without problems in a pot, as long as some things that we will tell you below are taken into account.
Cucumis melo (Melon)
El melon or melonera, whose scientific name is Cucumis melo, is an annual creeping herbaceous plant native to practically the entire planet. It was already cultivated in Ancient Egypt (about 5000 years ago) for its fruit, the melon, which has a sweet taste.
The seeds need heat to germinate, so the ideal planting time is in spring, after the risk of frost has passed. We can harvest the fruits about 4-5 months after sowing. To learn more about starting a garden, visit our article on how to make a home garden.
Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon)
La watermelon, whose scientific name is Citrullus lanatus, is native to the African continent. It is an annual creeping herbaceous plant, widely cultivated in many parts of the world, especially in Asia.
Its seeds are sown in springAnd the seedlings bloom towards the beginning of summer. We can start harvesting the fruits in August-September. If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of growing at home, check out our guide on potted gardens.
Tips
Seedbeds
We can use as seedbeds anything we can think of: trays, yogurt cups, ice cream jars (plastic), etc. We will fill it with substrate for seedlings and we will place a maximum of two seeds in each one, in full sun, and with frequent waterings in order to keep the soil always moist.
Transplant
The transplant will be carried out once the plants have two to three pairs of true leaves. Only then will it be time to transfer them to soil or larger pots. If you need to prepare the soil properly, check out our article on prepare the land for a garden.
To Earth
If we plant our plants on land, it will be convenient to leave a distance of a minimum of 40cm between them, so that they can grow properly and thus bear a greater quantity of fruits.
Irrigation should be practically daily, especially if we live in a dry climate. Also, consider the possibility of install a homemade drip irrigation system to facilitate maintenance.
Potted
In order to grow melons or watermelons in pots, it will be important have large pots or very large, or even make them ourselves by recycling a tire.
Being creeping plants, we will have such pots on the floor so that they can grow their stems without problems. Irrigation should also be frequent, but avoiding waterlogging.
And now yes, there is only wait for the fruits to ripen to be able to taste them. If you want to obtain an effective fertilizer for your crops, you can check out how prepare effective homemade fertilizers.
