You should prefer watermelon plants in this country early enough so that they can produce ripe fruit before autumn in the European climate. In principle, cultivation in pots on balconies and terraces is also possible.

Preparing plants from seed

So that the young watermelon plants can also be placed outside in frost-free night temperatures from May, the watermelon seeds should be sown on the windowsill or in the greenhouse about four weeks beforehand. However, young watermelon plants are usually rather sensitive to pricking due to their very delicate roots. Therefore, it proves advantageous to sow several seeds at once in the large, final pot and only leave the strongest plants after germination. In addition, young plants grown indoors should first be accustomed to outdoor sunlight for a few hours a day before placing them in full sun.

Sufficient watering for healthy plants and plump fruit

The advantage of cultivating watermelons in pots is that the plants receive more heat with this type of cultivation than with planting in a bed. However, the roots in the pot should not be heated too much or dry out. You should therefore choose a large enough pot on the one hand and consider a partially shady location behind a balcony railing or on a terrace wall on the other. During the summer, make sure you water them daily or water them with a trivet, as potted plants are exposed to a lot of water evaporation, especially in warm winds. Just like squashes, melons need plenty of water before the harvest season to develop plump and tasty fruit.

Choose the right location for the pot

So that the watermelons in the pot are not really scorched by the sun, they should be placed on the side of walls and parapets away from the sun. The long shoots of a pot placed in the shade can also grow up on sunny railings and trellis and thus gain a lot of energy for the fructose of the fruit. Pay attention to the pot:

  • a substrate that retains as much water as possible
  • the use of ceramic pots instead of plastic or metal
  • a coaster for watering in stock

tips and tricks

If the seeds cannot be grown in the large pot straight away, sowing in spring pots or decomposable growing pots (€16.68) is also an option. These can then be used completely in the larger pot without damaging the roots of the watermelons.

WK

Category:

Vegetable garden