We grow unusual square watermelons in our garden

Recently, square watermelons have become popular. Japan patented this technology more than 30 years ago. But our vegetable growers were also able to adopt this agricultural technique, created special forms, and use them with great success. We will also solve any problem and learn how to grow one of our favorite fruits of an unusual shape - a square watermelon.

Advantages of square watermelons: space saving during storage of finished products and during their transportation, unusual and attractive appearance, high price, great demand, fewer competitors, clean fruits that do not touch the ground, are stable, adhere perfectly to open surfaces. But this technology will have to make a lot of effort.

Preparation for growing square watermelons

It is necessary to design and make a container for growing a square watermelon. But you need to make a mistake with the size of the fruit. In a small container, the watermelon will not fully ripen. After filling out the entire form, it will stop growing or the base will simply burst due to pressure. In a large box, the fruit can remain round.
The length of the edges depends on the variety and its capabilities. Early hybrids of square watermelons reach a mass of no more than 2-2.5 kg. It is on them that we will try the blank. Then we will adjust it for other plants.
First, create cubes with a side length of 20 to 25 cm.

For work you will need: ready-made polycarbonate or plexiglass; aluminum corner (width 3 cm); loops 4 pcs.; overhead hinges for doors 2 pcs.; self-tapping screws.

We cut out 6 blanks, they will come in handy for the walls of the cube. The bottom and top covers must cover the side edges. The corners should only be used for vertical walls. We attach the hinges, 2 pieces each, to the horizontal surfaces and one piece to the door trim. In the middle of the upper edge we drill a hole 2.5 cm. From it to one edge we cut a straight slit 2 cm wide. There will be an ovary here. We sow the seeds of a square watermelon.

Growing seedlings

For planting square watermelons in the Middle Lane, it is best to take early varieties of watermelon: Crimson Premium, Sugar baby, Meteor, Ogonyok. In early May, you need to soak the seeds in a cloth for 2 days, then pack them in a bag.
Let's prepare a mixture of peat, humus, river sand in a ratio of 2 :: 2: 1. An acidic environment must be neutralized with ash and dolomite flour. In 0.5 cups we pierce the drainage holes. We fall asleep with soil and make a deepening. We lay out 1 grain in a container. Pour with potassium permanganate and cover with 1 cm earth. Cover with foil, remove to a warm place.
After a week, you can see the first seedlings. We gradually remove the coating. We put it on the windowsill. For the first week, it is advisable to lower the ambient temperature to 16-18 degrees, this will help prevent the seedlings from pulling out.
In the morning and in the evening, you need to put on lighting with lamps. 2 times a month we feed it with a complex fertilizer for vegetables. As the top layer of the soil dries up, pour it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, this will save you from the "black leg".
You need to plant seedlings in the ground in early June.

Square watermelons: care in the beds

Square watermelons are best grown in beds with nonwoven fabric stretched over arcs.

Advantages: less moisture enters the vessel, which means that the fruit will not rot, protection from the bright sun, reduced risk of overheating inside the cube; quick receipt of the first harvest; protection against large temperature drops at night; less water evaporates from the beds, a favorable microclimate is created inside the greenhouse.

Regular weeding, loosening in the first stage, will help the seedlings take root well and begin to grow actively. You do not need to feed with a lot of fertilizer and water often. In the second half of summer, this must be stopped, because the plant must be given the opportunity to independently extract useful substances.
When the ovary reaches 6-10 cm, it must be placed in the container through the slot on top. Square watermelons are poured under the root, and you need to try not to get inside the cube. After reaching the boundaries of the walls, the watermelon takes the shape of a square. If the container is completely filled, the characteristic color of the variety is present and the whip has dried, the product is ready.
The square watermelon is cut from the mother bush. Open the bottom cover and take out the crop. After that, they start tasting. If you guessed right with the size of the shape, then the watermelon will turn out ripe, sugary and juicy.
Having mastered the new technology, you can arrange a holiday for yourself and your loved ones and celebrate the successful implementation of the project. Surprise guests with a square watermelon. In the future, try other geometric shapes.