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, therefore the ideal sowing time is in spring, after the risk of frost has passed. We will be able to collect the fruits about 4-5 months after having sown them.
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 spring. And the plants bloom towards the beginning of summer. We will be able to start harvesting the fruits in August-September.
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 move them to the ground or to larger pots.
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 dailyespecially if we live in a dry climate.
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 savor them. Have a nice harvest!