How to pinch a melon in the garden and in greenhouse conditions. Correct formation of a melon bush: what are the differences between greenhouse plants

In many gardens in our country, such a heat-loving crop as melon is often found. You can get its fruits ahead of schedule by planting the plant in a greenhouse. In this case, it is important to know how to form a melon in a greenhouse in order to place as much as possible in a small area. more bushes.

Main feature Any greenhouse requires a strictly limited space. Therefore, forming a melon under such conditions is a mandatory requirement. Without this procedure, the bushes will bear fruit poorly, and the fruits themselves will turn out small and tasteless.

In addition, you need to pinch the melon so that the plants occupy a small area. To get even in a greenhouse bountiful harvest, bushes are tied to special supports. As a result correct formation behind the bushes in greenhouse conditions It will be much easier to follow. This simplifies the procedure for picking berries. It is worth noting that the formation should be carried out not only in the greenhouse, but also when the melon was planted in open ground.

When to tie a melon

Due to lack of space, the melon in the greenhouse must be pinched and tied. The main thing here is to clearly know when to plant a melon in a greenhouse. The choice of time for this procedure directly depends on when the melon was planted in your greenhouse. Typically, pinching is performed 14 days after planting, when two healthy and strong shoots are formed on the bush. During this period, two stems are left on the plant, and all the rest are cut off. The remaining shoots need to be hung on a trellis. It should be noted that gartering of melons should be done carefully so as not to damage the ovaries and flowers.

When a large number of ovaries have formed on the plant, they are torn off. You need to leave 2-3 ovaries on the bush. A properly formed plant will occupy a minimum of space in the greenhouse, while producing several fruits.

Basic rules of formation

The formation of melon in a greenhouse is carried out according to a special scheme. Moreover, it is important to know not only how to properly pinch and tie the bush, but also under what conditions the crop should be grown in a greenhouse. Otherwise, the timing of this procedure will be difficult to predict.

In the greenhouse it is necessary to observe following conditions growing:

• temperature in the range of +19-25 degrees;
• regular ventilation. Sometimes it allows melon to be pollinated in a greenhouse naturally (with the help of insects). However, melon pollination under such conditions is often carried out manually;
• good lighting.

To achieve such conditions, the greenhouse can be covered with greenhouse film or sheathed special material(for example, polycarbonate). It is best to grow melons in a polycarbonate greenhouse. In order for the melon bushes to develop sufficiently in two weeks, they are fed with a solution of mullein (ratio to water 1:6), a solution of superphosphate (20-25 g per 10 l), and also watered moderately. This type of care is also carried out in open garden bed.

The scheme for the formation of melon in a greenhouse is as follows:

• The first time pinching is performed at the stage of formation of the 3rd leaf;
• the second time it is carried out when shoots of 2-3 orders are formed on the remaining two lashes. 5-6 leaves should appear on them. This time the top is pinched off. This stimulates the formation and ripening of fruits.

As a result of formation, several ovaries remain on the bush. If you are late, the melon will yield much more less harvest. Therefore, it is important to follow all the rules that involve the formation of bushes. They are identical for all regions of the country. However, depending on climate zone(in Siberia, southern regions, etc.) certain nuances may arise.

Rules for forming melons:

• the top is removed with your fingers. In this way, stepchildren can also be removed;
• for the first time, male flowers should be kept on the stem;
• Only the strongest shoots are left. They are hung from a trellis.

As you can see, these rules are easy to follow. If you pinch the stem correctly, the plant will form large fruit. If you follow the above rules, then even a novice gardener can correctly form a bush of this crop.

Growing this crop in a greenhouse requires some care for pinched bushes. Care in this case includes moderate watering and the application of mineral fertilizers. Plants have to be pollinated manual method. If the melon in a polycarbonate greenhouse is often ventilated, then bees that fly into the structure can also take part in pollination.

When forming bushes, remember that in the end the plant should have two well-developed shoots.

They are suspended at a distance of approximately 30 cm from the ground surface. In this case, all side stems must be cut off. You can only leave a couple of particularly strong and developed shoots.

Melon grown in a greenhouse or garden bed open type, requires some care. To make it as complete as possible, you must follow the advice experienced gardeners. For example, there is no need to plant melons together with cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. After all, these crops need different conditions content. The melon is formed strictly at a certain time. It is pollinated with a brush - such manual pollination is carried out if natural pollinators do not have access to the plants.

It is important that when suspended, the fruits do not come into contact with the surface of the earth. Typically, gartering of pinched bushes is carried out 7-10 days after the fruit reaches the size of an apple. As you can see, forming a bush of this crop in a greenhouse is a simple procedure. It is carried out according to a single scheme, both in Siberia and in any other region of the country. The main thing is that the care of the plantings after pinching is complete. Proper care and timely pinching allow you to achieve not only good yields, but also reduce the risk of pests or diseases.

Video “Shaping a Melon”

From this video you will learn how to properly shape a melon.

Melon is a melon crop from the pumpkin family. The melon fruit is scientifically called “false berry.” Crops grow not only in Central Asia and in other hot regions, but also in average, and even northern latitudes. Many gardeners dream of growing their own melons, so they carefully study the rules for planting crops in their region and learn how to care for them.

When to start shaping the melon

Formation should begin when the plant produces its fourth normal leaf. The fact is that only male flowers, and then pollination will not occur. Female flowers are formed on the side shoots.

Melon Forming Methods

There are two main ways to grow melons: in a greenhouse and in an open garden. The open method can be used in those regions where the climate is warm, temperate, without sharp changes temperatures In beds without a greenhouse, crops usually grow “in the spread”, i.e. without trellises and garters - they creep along the ground. You need to understand that the process cannot be left to chance, otherwise the harvest will be meager. Creeping plants require special care.

With the trellis method, twine is suspended from the crossbars, the lower end of which is wrapped around the plant. As the plant grows, it will need to be wrapped around this twine. Fruits that begin to swell and become heavy will need to be placed in mesh bags, and these bags will also need to be hung from trellises. Heavy melons can break off the branches before they have time to ripen, and garter bags will prevent them from falling prematurely.

At open method you need to make sure that the leaves do not completely block the fruits from the sun, and when ripening, the fruits themselves should be placed on plywood, a board, or a piece of linoleum - so that the melon does not lie on bare ground: this can cause it to begin to rot.

Formation schemes

The formation of a plant with any method of cultivation is regular pinching. When 4 strong ones are formed on the stem, good sheet, the stem should be cut just above the last leaf. Next, the plant will produce shoots from the side leaves. When 5 strong leaves appear on the shoot, it is also cut off. Unnecessary ovaries on the early branches of the shoots should be removed, as they will not bear fruit. good fruits.

There should be a formation on the shoot female flower. You will notice him: he is much larger than the male one. In addition, the female flower contains a stigma in the middle, and not stamens, like the male one.

Ideally, the bush should be formed in such a way that each shoot bears one real fruit, which should be left for harvest. All further shoots and branches should be removed, then the nutrition will go not to the tops, but to the fruits - and the melons will grow sweet and healthy.

On average, one crop plant produces from 4 to 8 good fruits. How many full-fledged fruits your seedlings will produce depends on the growing region, climate, and the quality of fertilizers and soil.

Feeding melon before and after the procedure

The land for melon needs to be prepared from the end of autumn, when the crop is harvested. The soil needs to be dug up well and fertilized with manure or humus. For each square meter It is advisable to use up to 6 kg of manure/compost. You can also use the mineral potassium phosphate fertilizers. For each square meter 20-30 grams.

In the process of growing melons, you need to remember a few basic important points- feeding melon and its formation. Without these processes it is impossible to grow tasty juicy melon in mid latitudes.

Melon Forming Methods

It should be noted that the lashes for this fruit are placed in two ways:

In a trellis;

In spread.

In order for you to get a vertical (trellis) crop, you need to make and tension a frame in advance, which is recommended to be constructed from wire. The tension must be made to a height of about two meters. At the same time, we tie the upper end of the harness to the frame. The lower end must be suspended from the plant, after which the free lashes must be tied. This procedure It is recommended to perform three to four days after you planted the plant.

It should be noted that the shoots begin to grow over time. In this process, you should wrap them around a rope. You need to know that if the lashes are located in a vertical position, then much more light falls on them, and, consequently, more branches will form on them that bear fruit.

If you want to place the melons in spreads, then first you should spread the melons on the ground. IN in this case formation there is no need to build any frames or greenhouses (this is a very simple and low shelter made of film).

How to shape a melon - formation diagrams

Photo: Formation different varieties melons

Melons need to be shaped. To do this, you should pinch the apical growth points of the lashes. If you do everything right, then nutrients from the roots they will begin to flow not into the lashes themselves, but into the melon fruits. In this case, more will happen early maturation, and the melons will turn out very sweet, and also very large.

Photo: Standard formation of a melon plant

It should be noted that in trellises for formation, the plant is pinched above the third or fourth leaf. All this must be done at the moment when you have just planted the melon in the ground. In the future, axillary buds will form, and from them, lateral shoots will subsequently form. Of these, in the future it is necessary to select the two most developed ones and leave them as pinching ones. Weaker shoots must be removed when melon branches are forming.

Those shoots that we left must be tied to the trellis so that the plant takes on a V-shape. If you are growing a melon in a spread, then you must also pinch the main stem, above the third or fourth leaf. Also, in the future it is necessary to leave only the two most powerful shoots.

Feeding melons before and after the formation of lashes

Feeding the melon plant is carried out strictly in accordance with the monthly schedule. Depending on the month and stage of plant development, it is necessary to apply different fertilizers.

How to feed melons when preparing the land

It should be noted that it is recommended to start preparing the land in the fall. At this time of year, it is necessary to dig up this area very carefully and apply fertilizer to it. Moreover, it is recommended to use manure that is sufficiently well rotted or ordinary humus. These substances should be taken at the rate of five to seven kilograms of manure or humus per square meter. If you use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, then they should be calculated as follows: for one square meter you need to take approximately twenty to thirty grams of the substance.

Feeding melons in spring

In the spring, you can simply loosen the area that will be used for planting melons. If you have a desire, then you can apply some fertilizers at this time of year. It is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers in exactly the same dose as in autumn period. At the moment when the growing season of the plant begins, it is recommended to start watering the melon without big amount nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.

If you added very much to the soil in advance a large number of organic fertilizers for feeding, it is necessary to reduce the amount of applied mineral fertilizers.

It should also be noted that if you add a lot to the soil nitrogen fertilizers, then this will have a very good effect on productivity of this plant. But in this case there is also a negative side, because there will be a deterioration in the dietary and taste qualities of the fruit. As a result, you may end up with a completely tasteless melon that you won't enjoy eating much.

If you still want to get fragrant melon, which has improved taste, then the sugar content in it should be increased. This can only be done if you use potassium and phosphorus fertilizers to feed the growing melon.

If you did everything correctly, then you can safely harvest the melons. In this case, the ripe fruit can be easily separated from the stalk. Moreover, it will give a very pleasant aroma. The fact that the melon is ripe can be determined by the color of the bark and its color. Moreover, for each type of melon it will be different. Feeding and shaping the melon is the basis of care!

Video: How to shape a melon correctly

The agricultural technology of melon farming has gone through centuries historical path and is mainly the result practical experience, observations and thinking of unknown melon growers. As is known, temperate regions are characterized by strong fluctuations weather conditions and, in addition, the short frost-free period allows for the cultivation of only the earliest ripening varieties of melons.

It is necessary to surround melon plants with care and attention from the first days after planting. To create Better conditions illumination and place a large mass of fruiting branches, it is advisable to grow melons in a vertical culture. To do this, stretch a permanent horizontal wire frame every 50 cm at a height of about 2 m. The upper end of the twine is tied to the frame, and the lower end to the plant with a free loop.

Cultivation of melons in temperate areas works best seedling method. In this case, this is necessary to lengthen the growing season, thanks to which we get an early and high harvest of melons. Based on many years of agrotechnical experience, the best seedlings considered 20-30 day-old. 20-day-old seedlings take root better when planted in the ground. At the same time, older seedlings produce more than young ones. early harvest with a large number of ripened fruits. 20-day-old seedlings need to be grown in nutrient pots measuring 8*8*8 cm, 30-day-old seedlings - 10*10*10 cm. Melon seedlings are grown in pots filled with a nutrient mixture of the following composition: 2 parts humus, 1 part peat, 1 part turf soil, add 1% wood ash and 3% superphosphate.

At growing melon in the middle zone, we can recommend sowing on April 20. Planting in protected soil after a month in the phase of 5-7 leaves. One or two seeds are sown in each pot. For the first 2-3 days after sowing, the temperature should be 20-23 C. To achieve this at home, the pots are covered with film and placed on a radiator. As soon as the shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to 15-18 C, removing from the battery and removing the film to protect the seedlings from being pulled out.

Melon seedlings should be watered infrequently and moderately, since excess humidity can cause disease and death of plants from blackleg. Drier conditions produce stocky, resilient plants.

Melon seedlings should be grown in maximum light. Therefore, we recommend placing seedlings in pots on the brightest window in your apartment or providing additional lighting, which requires certain costs.

To get high yields, great importance has abundant nutrition for plants throughout the entire period of their development. A lack of nutrients in the first period of development retards growth and leads to a sharp decrease in yield, even with abundant nutrition in the subsequent period of life. Therefore, it is necessary to apply fertilizer to seedlings.

Use bird droppings (1:12) for feeding with the addition of 2 g per 1 liter of superphosphate or use mineral fertilizers. For 1 liter take 1 g ammonium nitrate, 2 g superphosphate, 1.5 g potassium sulfate.

Fertilizing with minerals and organic fertilizers It's better to alternate. The first feeding is in the phase of the first true leaf, the second after 1.5-2 weeks (before planting in the ground). For each plant, 0.25 liters of fertilizer solution are used for the first and second feeding.

Seedlings are planted in protected ground in mid-to-late May; melons are planted in open ground in early June. The soil should be well loosened to the depth of planting seedlings. The day before, the seedlings are well watered. The root collar should not be allowed to deepen, since the subcotyledon of the melon is susceptible to fungal diseases, which causes rotting of the seedlings. On a sunny day, planting should be done in the afternoon; if the weather is hot and sunny, then the planted seedlings should be darkened with paper. For better survival, planted plants are watered 2-3 times with 0.5 liters of water per plant per day, each watering every other day.

Formation

It is necessary to surround melon plants with care and attention from the first days after planting. To create better lighting conditions and accommodate a large mass of fruiting branches, it is advisable to grow melons in a vertical culture. To do this, stretch a permanent horizontal wire frame every 50 cm at a height of about 2 m. The upper end of the twine is tied to the frame, and the lower end to the plant with a free loop. 3-4 days after planting, the plant is tied up. As the stem grows, it is wrapped around twine, thanks to which it maintains a vertical position; sometimes the twine is pulled up so that the plant does not fall over.

With the appearance of the 5-6th leaf, the plant begins to branch. The phase of development of the first leaves before branching lasts 13-15 days, depending on the variety. The stem grows very slowly at first, but after branching begins, the growth of its lateral branches accelerates greatly. At the same time, intensive leaf formation occurs. The branching phase continues during the flowering period, which begins 5-6 days after the start of branching. Both phases last until the plant grows.

Formation- an important agrotechnical technique when growing melons and melons. Directed changes in the processes of growth and development are achieved by pinching or chasing the plant. Pinching the main stem causes increased development of lateral branches. Therefore, to increase the yield, pinching should be applied to all vegetative growth points.

Pinching a melon allows you to regulate the growth and fruiting of the melon and, thereby, ensures early and high yield, promotes the formation of large fruits and an increase in their sugar content. Reduces the fall of ovaries and increases the yield by 70-120%. Chasing (pinching) greatly accelerates the growth of fruits, especially in the first period, which makes it possible to accelerate the ripening period by 6-7 days.

For greenhouses, the formation of a single stem is traditionally considered. To do this, pinch the plant above 3-4 leaves after planting the seedlings. After pinching from the sinus top sheet The main shoot is formed, and from the lower axils - side branches (braids). The second pinching is done when the main stem reaches the top wire of the frame. The upper branches that appear on it are thrown over the wire, and all lateral branches are pinched, depending on the presence of ovaries in the axils of the 1-4th leaf. If there is no ovary in the axil of the first leaf, the lateral shoot is completely removed.

Of particular interest is the formation of two stems, which is carried out by pinching the main stem above the second - fourth leaf, and leaving the two most powerful shoots as replacements. This formation provides gardeners with seedlings if there have been attacks. In this case, to improve the illumination in the area where the leaves are placed, one plant is tied to the right and the second to the left wire and the vertical trellis takes on a V-shape.

U early ripening varieties For melons, you can limit yourself to two periods of minting; for mid-ripening and late-ripening melons, it is better to use a third minting during the fruiting period. Third more late date pinching is called the deep embossing method. At this time, accumulation processes predominate in plants, so the consumption of plastic substances on a large number of ovaries and on the respiration of a large mass of leaves is inappropriate; For the growth and ripening of one average fruit, 5-6 leaves are enough. With deep minting, the percentage of dry matter and sugars in the fruit increases. Deep chasing should be carried out not only on strong, but also on underdeveloped plants. In both cases, there is an increase in yield and an increase in the quality of the fruit. Weak lashes begin to be cut out when 1-2 fruits appear on the plant. The tops of all vines are pinched so that all the nutrients are directed to the growing fruits.

Features of formation when maintaining culture

When growing melon, much attention is also paid to the formation of plants. The first pinching, as with vertical culture, is carried out over the 3-4 leaf. After which there is a strong formation of lateral shoots. Of these, only the two most developed remain. When they grow, they are pinned to the soil and pinched over 4-6 leaves. The third pruning is carried out at the beginning of the formation of ovaries: underdeveloped canes are removed, and fruit-bearing canes are pinched 3-4 leaves above the fruit. The areas damaged by pruning are sprinkled with a powdered mixture of coal, sulfur and lime (in equal weight ratio) for drying and disinfection.

Regulation of fruit formation

The phase of setting and ripening of the first fruit lasts on average 30 days, counting from the beginning of flowering. The fruiting phase lasts from the ripening of the first fruit until the end of harvesting. If a lot of ovaries are formed, it is recommended to remove some of them when the melon fruits reach a diameter of 5-6 cm. Depending on the variety, 3-4 of the most developed fruits should be left per plant, and the remaining ovaries should be cut off. Subsequently, all pistillate flower buds are removed as soon as they form. After removing excess ovaries, the tops of all lashes are pinched. However, individual melon fruits, like other cultivated pumpkin fruits, are not formed simultaneously, but depending on their number and relative position on the plant. It is known that two fruits located close to each other along the lash develop differently: the underlying fruit grows faster, and the overlying one is delayed in growth, as if waiting for the first fruit to ripen, after which it also begins to grow. Sometimes the influence of neighboring fruits leads to the death of the ovary and the fall of female flowers. It is estimated that usually 90% of the ovaries fall off.

Peculiarities when maintaining culture

When growing melon crops, you need to pay attention to plant care. According to our observations, the fruits of melons and melons in the temperate zone, when lying directly on the ground, are subject to spoilage, which must be prevented. To do this, place under the fruits various materials: it can be planks, glass, i.e. something that will protect against fruit contact with the ground. During fruit growth, for more uniform ripening, they should be turned over with the bottom side up at certain intervals. You must turn it over very carefully, as the stalk may break off.

Fertilizers

As mentioned above, melon plants need abundant nutrition throughout the growing season. In greenhouses, plants should be given three feedings: the first when the planted seedlings begin to grow, the second when the vines form, and the third at the beginning of budding.

For feeding, use mineral fertilizers in a concentration of 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 70-100 g of superphosphate, 30-35 g of potassium salt per bucket of water.

Fertilizing with ash at the rate of one glass of ash per bucket of water gives good results. Valuable results were obtained in experiments using magnesium sulfate. When it is added, the sugar content of melons and melons increases. Magnesium fertilizer on light soddy-podzolic soils increases yield and improves seed quality. A single feeding of magnesium sulfate in the amount of 20 g per 10 liters of water is sufficient when growing seedlings.

Work calendar:

At the dacha in 2005. In our first melon patch, 3 varieties of melons grew. That season, the melon of the “Kolkhoznitsa” variety worked best.

In 2006, we already worked with 5 varieties: “Lada”, “Kolkhoznitsa”, hybrids “Zlato Scythians”, “Gerda”, and “Joker”. Considering our still small experience in growing melons, the choice of these varieties turned out to be very successful; from all plants we got very decent harvest. We tried the first melon from the hybrid “Zlato Scythians” on August 5, it was very aromatic and sweet. These two years were a great start. melons on our site. Watermelons and melons were registered with us, and every year we grew melons at the dacha, both in a greenhouse and in open ground.

The summer of 2012 was unfavorable for these crops in Northwestern region. Lack of sun, continuous rain and high humidity- all these circumstances excluded the possibility of obtaining a melon harvest this season. For these reasons, this year for the first time we had problems with harvesting melons in open ground. In the greenhouses we collected a decent harvest of sweet melons. Many years of experience turned out to be the key to the success of growing melons and in the past favorable year.
My wife and I try to plant 70% of well-tested melon varieties. But along with proven varieties, we annually introduce 2-3 new varieties, which we carefully select. We get information about new varieties of melons from different sources, read, analyze, and only after that we buy seeds and experiment with them.

In this article I want to tell you what helped us get good harvest melons in the greenhouse. In the spring of 2012, we planted our proven hybrids “Roxalana”, “Joker” and “Zlato Scythians”, as well as new hybrids “Cantaloupe”, “Gallia” and the variety “Dune”.

Sowing and planting melon seedlings

We usually plant seedlings in the greenhouse in early May. For planting melon seedlings in early spring We prepare warm, high beds in the greenhouse. They are rectangular stands: for one plant the area is 0.3-0.4 m2 (60 x 60 cm), for two plants 0.7-0.8 m2 (60 x 120 cm). Larger ones can be used for these purposes. wooden barrels without bottom. Our high ridges are wrapped black film, to quickly warm up the soil in spring and early summer. Around the ridges I leave a space for passage at least 1 meter wide.

On such high warm ridges, at abundant watering powerful tops grow very quickly, which I form into 5-6 lashes. These lashes occupy a large area in the greenhouse. Each cane left for fruiting should have its own personal space - so that the sun illuminates it well and the air can circulate easily. High ridge, well filled with organic matter, and regular watering warm water allow you to quickly grow a huge bush with a large number of fruits. All the fruits in the greenhouse have time to ripen, even in such unfavorable summer conditions. Some varieties of melons, after the first layer of fruits have ripened, still manage to produce an ovary and a second harvest, although all the fruits do not have time to ripen before frost.

Last season, we planted melon seedlings on May 8, under temporary film cover. After passing through the period of return frosts, we remove the temporary shelter from the ridges. We water the plants, begin staking and forming melon bushes.

Formation of a melon bush

The maturity of melon fruits is determined by appearance: the color of the melon becomes more intense, a mesh pattern begins to appear on the surface, it becomes clearer, and the bright aroma of the fruit spreads throughout the greenhouse.

It is impossible to explain all the intricacies of care, watering, and harvesting in one article. This is a creative process that depends on the confluence of many circumstances and each specific season. To get results you often have to rely on your intuition and many years of experience. A person must live the life of his plants and constantly feel what they need at the moment.
Growing melons and watermelons brings me great satisfaction. This year 2012 was no exception: the hybrid “Joker” did not disappoint - it produced a very good harvest of large fruits. From the hybrid “Zlato Scythians” we got an early harvest, 8-10 fruits from each plant. The hybrid cantaloupe cantaloupe set a lot of fruits, but not all of them had time to ripen, apparently there was not enough heat and sun, but these melons tasted very good. We also really liked taste qualities fruits of the Dune variety.

We will continue to gain experience and experiment with this culture. We wish you success in this exciting activity too!