Melon "Retato degli ortolani" (bio)

* Melon.
An annual plant. Heat-, light- and moisture-loving. The optimum temperature for the growth and development of melons is + 25 + 35 ° С. It is grown only through seedlings, which require 12 hours of daylight and a temperature of +25 ° C and then grown in the closed ground or on heated ridges. After planting the seedlings in a permanent place, the plant is formed: the main shoot is shortened over 2-3 leaves, and the side lashes - over the 6th. Two leaves are left above the ovary the size of a walnut. Unfruitful lashes are removed.
The fruits are placed in a net or stocking and tied to a support. Melons are harvested in late summer or early autumn. At temperatures below +15 ° C plant growth stops. Does not tolerate frost. Seeding depth - 2 cm. Distance between plants - 50 cm. Distance between rows - 50 cm.
Sowing seedlings: March-April.
Planting seedlings: May-June.
Harvesting: August-September.
1.0 g = 25-40 seeds.

During the preparation of seeds for sowing, heating the seeds is very effective, it increases germination, stimulates the development of female flowers and accelerates fruiting.
The most affordable way is sunny: on the windowsill of a south-facing window, the seeds are kept for 8-10 days. Pre-sowing treatment with biogenic stimulants increases germination and accelerates germination and plant growth. Aloe leaf extract, diluted 1:10, is used as a biogenic stimulant. Treatment of seeds with microelements improves the vital activity of plants and increases productivity and the content of vitamins and sugars in fruits. Processing is carried out a few days before sowing.
To speed up germination, seeds are soaked in warm water until completely swollen. The swollen seeds are germinated in a damp cloth, burlap or foam rubber at +25°C. It is necessary to ensure that the wet material does not dry out. Fresh seeds give very powerful plants with predominantly male flowers, almost without developing female flowers, so it is better to sow two or three-year-old seeds.
Sow 2-3 seeds in pots with a diameter of at least 10-12 cm, filled with a loose mixture consisting of soddy soil, humus and peat (1:1:1). Wood ash (1 cup), superphosphate (1 tablespoon), potassium sulfate and urea (1 teaspoon each) are added to a bucket of the mixture. Seeds are planted in the soil to a depth of 4-6 cm.
To protect seedlings from damage by the "blackleg", the ground in pots is sprinkled with sand with a layer of 1-2 cm. After 5-7 days after emergence, excess plants are removed, leaving one in each pot. the most developed. Before planting, the seedlings are hardened off, accustoming them gradually to the open air for 2-3 hours a day.
Then gradually increase the hardening time. 25-30-day-old seedlings with 3-4 leaves are planted in soil warmed up to +13+14°C. When planted in cold soil, seedlings are affected by diseases. Plants should not be buried below bed level. Around the stem, you can pour a small mound of earth or river sand.

Melon. Bot. syn.: Melo sativus.