La watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is one of the most refreshing and popular fruits in the warm season, appreciated for its sweet flavor and high water content. If you're considering incorporating it into your garden, here you'll find a Complete guide on how to plant watermelons in the garden, the optimal conditions for growing them, and the best tips for obtaining large, juicy, and tasty fruits.
Optimal conditions for growing watermelons
For watermelon cultivation to be successful, it is essential to ensure three key requirements: direct sun, abundant water and ample space for its development. In addition, choose a fertile soil, well-aerated and with excellent drainage. Watermelons are vigorous growers and need an environment where their roots can spread comfortably. Learn about the most common causes and how to avoid them to ensure good production.
- Sun: Watermelon requires at least 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Full sun promotes flowering, pollination, and sugar formation, resulting in sweeter fruits.
- Space: Each plant needs between 1,5 and 2,5 square metersIn small gardens, they can be grown in arches or the branches can be trained to make the most of the available space.
- Temperature: It prefers warm climates and long summers. Ideal temperatures range between 20 and 30 °C, while frost can severely affect its growth, it is therefore recommended to wait until there is no risk of frost to sow.
- Humidity and soil: Excessive moisture and compacted soils can cause fungal problems and poor growth. The optimal soil pH for watermelon is 6,0 to 6,5.
Soil preparation and planting
Before planting watermelons, remove stones, weeds and aerate the soil to about 30-40 cm deep. Mix the substrate with mature compost or well-rotted manure to provide nutrients, and in the case of acidic soils, use agricultural lime to adjust the pH. You can consult more details about the cultivation.
There are two methods for setting watermelons:
- Direct sowing: Suitable for temperate or warm climates. Sowing of 2-3 seeds per hole, 3-4 cm deep.
- Transplants: Ideal for regions with short growing seasons. Start seeds indoors or in protected seedbeds and transplant them to the final soil when they develop a pair of true leaves.
For both cases, leave distances from 1,5 to 2 meters between plants and between rows. If you want to harvest large fruits, respect these spaces for optimal development.
Essential care during cultivation
- Irrigation: Keep the substrate moist, but never waterlogged. Increase watering frequency after flowering, adjusting according to the ambient temperature. Drip irrigation is the most recommended system to prevent fungal diseases.
- Nutrients: Watermelon is demanding and needs a balanced intake of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sulfur, as well as micronutrients like iron, boron, and zinc. Apply organic fertilizers like compost, manure, or worm castings, and reinforce with potassium-rich fertilizers to improve the size and sweetness of the fruits.
- Pruning: If you want to concentrate your energy on a few fruits, remove secondary shoots and branches outside the main branch. Leave a maximum of 2-3 fruits per plant for larger specimens.
- Pollination: Bees and other pollinators are key to fruit set. In protected crops, gently shake the flowers or use hand pollination if you notice low insect activity.
Prevention of pests and diseases
Watermelons may be threatened by common pests such as aphids, caterpillars, red spiders and thrips, as well as diseases caused by fungi, highlighting the powdery mildew and fusarium. Use crop rotationMaintain space between plants and remove plant debris to reduce risk. In case of infestations, use organic treatments such as potassium soap or plant extracts.
Harvesting and storing watermelons
- Time since sowing: Depending on the variety, watermelons are ready to harvest between 70 and 100 days after sowing.
- Optimal harvest time: Look at the yellow spot on the fruit (where it rests on the ground), check that the tendril near the stem is dry, and the rind has a matte tone. When tapped, it should sound hollow.
- Harvesting and handling: Cut the fruit with a sharp knife, leaving a small piece of stem. Handle carefully to avoid damaging the rind.
- Storage: Store watermelons in cool environments (between 10 and 16°C) and avoid temperatures that are too low to affect the pulp and quality of the fruit.
Varieties and seed production
Among the best-known varieties The most notable varieties are 'Crimson Sweet', 'Sugar Baby', 'Yellow Crimson', and 'Black Diamond', each with unique flavor, size, and flesh color characteristics. To obtain seeds, select ripe fruits, remove them, wash them, and dry them in the shade before storing them in an airtight container.
Starting a watermelon garden not only offers the satisfaction of harvesting one of the most refreshing fruits, but also promotes biodiversity and makes the most of the garden's space. By following these steps and taking care of them, you'll enjoy Homemade watermelons full of flavor and qualityIf you want to expand your knowledge, you can also .
