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Watermelons are the heart of the summer season. Made with 90% water, watermelons are the perfect fruit to keep yourself hydrated throughout the hot summer months. You can not only chop the fruit and enjoy its natural sweetness, but also add it to your favourite cocktails, shakes, smoothies, and even desserts.
With endless possibilities to experiment with watermelons, the best way to enjoy fresh produce is by adding the fruit to your home garden. Whether you have a huge garden or a backyard, the typical Indian weather is perfect for getting perfectly ripe watermelons. To make sure you get a high yield and a healthy harvest, here are some tips you can follow.
Right Seeds And Location
The first step to growing watermelons in your home garden is to select the right variety of the fruit. You can either use the seeds of a chopped watermelon, or for better results, buy the ones that suit your regional climate from a nursery. Then, before sowing the seeds, make sure you pick a spot that gets at least eight hours of sunlight. Also, sow the seeds at a location large enough to accommodate the vines and roots of the growing watermelon.
Prep The Soil
Watermelons require a slightly acidic soil, so keep the pH between 6 and 7 for proper growth. Before you sow the seeds, make a mixture of garden soil, compost, and sand to ensure the plant roots don’t suffocate. Also, to make sure the soil is nutrient-rich, add cow dung and organic matter generously to promote healthy growth in the early phases.
Water Regularly
While watering the plants is an unsaid practice, be mindful that you water deep into the soil, specifically during the flowering and the fruiting stages. That being said, since the monsoon weather brings unexpected heavy rains, make sure the soilbed is not soggy, which can lead to waterlogging, thus risking root rot.
Pollinate The Flowers
Another important tip for the germination of watermelons is to pollinate the plants yourself. If you don’t see the formation of the fruit in the early stages, you might have to identify the female flowers, which have a small bulb below the petals. Then, you can collect the pollen from the male flower with an earbud or a cotton swab and fertilise the ovary. The best time to hand-pollinate and increase the yield is early in the morning when the flowers are fresh.
Harvest
After about three months of effort and hard work, the fruit will be ready, literally. Once you spot the white pr yellow-coloured spots on the lower side of the watermelon, you should take that as a sign to harvest. Just like sowing the seeds needs to be done under particular conditions, make sure you harvest the fruit at the right time before it gets overripe.
