Watermelon appearance and growing season
The watermelon plants grow crawling along the ground with their long tendrils, but they also climb up if they find a suitable trellis, net or other climbing option. The main principle is always to be able to absorb as much sunlight and thus energy as possible with the large leaves. In contrast to pumpkin leaves, the leaves of the plants are pinnate, but otherwise resemble them in terms of growth form and size. Watermelons need a lot of warmth and light due to their origin from African regions. Therefore, in this country in spring they should ideally be placed in a pot on the windowsill if they are to produce fully ripe fruits outdoors by late summer or autumn.
also read
- The origin of the watermelon
- Is the watermelon a fruit or a vegetable?
- Grow watermelon yourself in the garden
Different varieties for different growing locations
Even if there are hundreds of varieties of watermelon around the world, the Crimson Sweet and Sugar Baby varieties have established themselves for commercial cultivation. Due to its heavy weight of up to 15 kilograms per fruit, the first variety is usually only sold in the following European countries:
- Italy
- Spain
- Hungary
- Turkey
The smaller Sugar Baby variety can be found in stores as an imported fruit almost all year round. It is also perfect for growing in a greenhouse, as the plants can also grow up there and the small fruits can also ripen while hanging from them.
Prefer melon plants and plant them out
So that the young watermelon plants can be planted out from May, the seeds should be sown around mid-April at room temperature. Sowing in rotting pots is ideal, as the roots of the young plants are very sensitive and can thus be protected when planting out.
Tips & Tricks
Although watermelons are often considered a fruit due to their sweet taste, botanically they are actually a vegetable due to the annual death of all parts of the plant.
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