Peculiarities of melon cultivation in greenhouses and hotbeds

Growing melon in greenhouses and hotbeds

Melon is a light-loving and heat-loving crop, demanding regarding growing conditions. A lack of sunlight impairs fruit set and sharply reduces flavor qualities. Sugar accumulation in fruits is also hindered by an excess of nitrogen nutrition, overcast cool weather, and too late a harvesting">harvesting. For successful crop cultivation in protected ground, it is important to strictly observe the temperature regime and the rules for seed treatment.

• Minimum seed germination temperature — 15 °С
• Optimal germination temperature — 24–30 °С
• Temperature for growing transplants — from 18–19 to 25 °С
• Age of transplants for planting — 20–25 days
• Thickness of the biofuel layer on beds — at least 25 cm

Light soils rich in organic matter are suitable for growing melons. Preparation of the seed material is carried out in several stages.

1. Manually select the largest seeds.
2. Perform disinfection: soak seeds for 30 minutes in a potassium permanganate solution (10 g per 1 L of water), then rinse them with clean water.
3. Soak seeds for 12 hours in one of the solutions of your choice: 1% baking soda solution (10 g per 1 L of water) or 0.02% boric acid solution (0.2 g per 1 L of water).
4. Germinate the prepared seeds.
5. When sprouts 3–4 mm in size appear, plant them in individual pots with a diameter of 8–10 cm.

When growing transplants, ensure maximum lighting and regular ventilation, protecting plants from low temperatures. Seedlings should be watered moderately, avoiding water contact with stems to prevent root collar rot. During this period, provide top dressing: about 100 ml of mullein solution (1:6) with the addition of 20–25 g of superphosphate per 10 L of water is used per plant.

Transplants are planted on hotbeds with a biofuel layer of at least 25 cm. Before planting, prepare holes using a 70x70 cm spacing. Do not use overgrown transplants: during transplanting, they lose part of their root system, which significantly slows down plant growth.

Care for the plants includes irrigation at the root, loosening the soil, microclimate control, and mandatory bush shaping. The first pinching is carried out after the appearance of the third true leaf, as melon fruits form on vines of the 2nd and 3rd order. When 5–6 leaves grow on these vines, the tips are also pinched to stimulate fruiting. Leave 3–5 fruits on one plant, timely removing all excess fruit sets — delaying this procedure reduces harvest quality and delays its ripening. When growing vertically, fruits are suspended in nets made of twine or polymer materials.

For top dressing growing melons, use a mullein solution (1:6) at a rate of 500 ml per bush and a solution of mineral fertilizers (30 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium sulfate, and 20 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 L of water).

Harvesting is carried out selectively as they ripen, guided by the change in skin color from green to yellow and the easy separation of the stalk. Under-ripe melons are left to ripen for 8–10 days in a heated room.

Growing cabbage transplants in protected ground

Cabbage is a traditional vegetable crop with a long growing season, which is why it is grown exclusively by the transplant method. The modern assortment includes red cabbage, savoy, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, as well as leaf types — Napa and Chinese cabbage. White cabbage and cauliflower remain the most popular, although other types represent high value due to their chemical composition.

For successful development, cabbage requires dense, well-fertilized soil with a constant level of humidity. Light sandy soils are poorly suited for this crop as they dry out too quickly. Preference should be given to moisture-retaining clay soils.

Transplants of early cabbage cultivars are prepared in hotbeds by sowing seed at the end of March or early April. Transplants of late cultivars are grown in special nurseries.

In the southern regions of the country, cabbage is grown from transplants, sometimes raised simply on ordinary beds, provided that there is no risk of flea beetles on these beds. When sowing cabbage in hotbeds, care must be taken to ensure it does not get too hot; therefore, in the event of excessively high temperatures in the hotbeds, they are immediately and thoroughly ventilated; otherwise, the plants will become spindly and may prove completely unsuitable for planting in the soil.

The cultivation of red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kohlrabi is generally similar to that of white cabbage. Only cauliflower is more demanding than others — it thrives only in well-fertilized soil and requires a large amount of moisture.

A sunken hotbed using biofuel is used for growing transplants as early as March. After growing the cabbage transplants, other crops are planted in the hotbed.

In addition to hotbeds, hotbeds on manure layers (steaming beds) are used for growing cabbage transplants. To construct them, a small pit up to 30 cm deep and 125 cm wide is dug. Biofuel is placed at the bottom of the pit, and a layer of soil is poured on top. The steaming bed is covered with film or any non-woven material.

The simplest covers for obtaining transplants are film-based frame structures. They are installed over beds with sowings in the spring. The height of the resulting arch should be at least 30 cm. For ventilating the sowings, the film is lifted from the sides or ends.

РЕ ИИ На Ха. ииаь РИА 3 ще ее 4 = 9 АО 5

Warm nursery (cross-section): 1 — wooden frame boards; 2 — air space under the cover; 3 — straw mat;

4 — soil; 5 — pit filled with biofuel (dimensions

‚ 2 я 1 оч 3 4 1 ту А БЕЯ а о; 15 А а. рок 6 ”; Те в с

Small-sized film covers for cabbage: a — frameless (cross-section); b — tunnel; c — tent-like. 1 — film;

2 — soil ridge; 3 — frame tunnel arch; 4 — ridge

As soon as the soil in the hotbed or under the cover warms up to 18—20 °C, one can begin sowing. The largest and darkest seeds are selected, which are then treated, for example, thermally. The seeds are kept in water at a temperature of 50 °C for 20 minutes, then quickly cooled by immersion in cold water for 2—3 minutes, and dried by spreading them in a thin layer.

After sowing, the hotbed is closed with frames and covered with insulating material. The first emergence appears on the 4th—5th day. After their appearance, the insulating cover is removed during the day. The seedlings are not watered at first.

Upon the appearance of the first true leaf, the seedlings are pricked out, although from a biological point of view, this operation is not strictly necessary and can be replaced simply by thinning the plants. After pricking out, the temperature in the hotbed is raised by 2—3 °C and maintained within the range of 10—12 °C.

When the transplants have several leaves, watering is increased, but the soil is not over-moistened. Usually, plants are watered in the morning.

Shortly after pricking out, the cabbage begins to be fertilized. For the first top dressing, 20 g of nitrogen fertilizer, 40 g of superphosphate, and 10 g of potash fertilizer are taken per 1 bucket of water. This portion is used for one hotbed frame.

The second time, the transplants are fertilized only with nitrogen fertilizer (25—30 g of fertilizer per 1 bucket of water) or diluted cow manure (1:10).

And just before selection for sale, the transplants are fertilized a third time — 30 g of nitrogen fertilizer and 20 g each of phosphorus and potash fertilizers are taken per 1 bucket of water. Fertilizer that gets on the leaves of the plants is washed off with clean water.

A few days before selecting the transplants, the hotbeds begin to be ventilated by opening the frames for the entire day, and in good weather, at night as well. Before the actual selection, the plants are thoroughly watered.

Finished transplants of cabbage must have at least 3—4 leaves and a well-developed root system (late cultivars should have 5—6 leaves). The soil is not shaken off the roots.

It should be kept in mind that transplants with purple-green stems are better than those with tender green stems.

Transplants with a pure green color always have a poorly developed root system and, therefore, take root worse than those with a violet tint and more robust roots.

Transplants with round leaves produce cabbage with round or slightly flattened heads.

Transplants with oval-elongated leaves produce oval, elongated heads.

If the stem of the transplant is short but thick, and the leaves are large, the cabbage heads will be large, dense, and on a short stalk.

You can obtain 600 seedlings from one hotbed frame. In the central regions, transplants of early-maturing cabbage cultivars are planted in the soil from April 25 to May 5, late-maturing from May 10 to 20, and mid-season from May 20 to 31. ` ии УИ ООВ ИИ бод ПИРНЫ А уче `^ - ^ р; „и 1 2 3 4

Pricking out of cabbage seedlings: 1 — correct; 2, 3, 4 — incorrect (2 — root is bent; 3 — root is not in contact with the soil)

When planting cabbage transplants, the soil must be well amended with fertilizers, especially organic ones, preferably humus (at a rate of up to 7-8 kg per 1 m²).

Cabbage is placed in areas where cabbage or other crops from this family (rutabaga, turnip) were previously planted no earlier than 4–5 years later; the soil for it is dug up in the autumn to a depth of at least 20–22 cm. And compost is applied during this tillage.

In the spring, heavy soil is usually tilled again, but to a shallower depth, and if organic matter could not be applied in the autumn, it is applied in the spring and thoroughly harrowed. On soil that is prone to crusting, "ridges" are cut.

Cabbage crop maintenance: planting schemes, loosening, and top dressing

The success of growing cabbage in protected ground depends on the nutrition area of the plants and timely soil maintenance. The distance between heads is chosen based on the earliness of the hybrid, and the row spacing is made convenient for the passage of machinery and manual labor. In total, during the growing season, the crop is loosened 3–4 times to ensure oxygen access to the roots.

• Scheme for early-maturing hybrids — from 50 cm in the row
• Scheme for late-maturing hybrids — up to 70 cm in the row
• First soil loosening — 6–7 days after planting
• Number of loosenings per season — 3–4 times

The first tillage is carried out just a week after planting the transplants, combining this operation with the application of nitrogen top dressing. The second feeding scheme is planned for the stage before the head begins to form, using complex preparations. Precise application rates and forms of fertilizer are given in the table.

To give the plants greater resistance against rain and wind, hilling is performed. This agricultural practice helps to strengthen cabbage stems in the soil. It must be carried out in compliance with technological timelines.