Why watermelon is not sweet: causes of the problem and methods of preventing it
Many gardeners in our country have tried to grow watermelons on their plots. It turned out that even in Siberia you can get huge striped fruits weighing 15-17 kg. But the resulting harvest is not always pleasing with its taste. In this article we will tell you why watermelon is not sweet and how to avoid it.
Reasons why watermelon is unsweetened
Gardeners are often disappointed: a lot of striped berries have grown, they all look beautiful, but the pulp has no sweetness. There are also bad watermelons in your garden this year and you don’t understand why this is happening? Let's look at the main reasons in more detail.
Adverse weather conditions
Melon crops love high air temperatures - above +30°C. If during the growing process the temperature stays below +15°C, the fruits will stop growing and the harvest will be unsweetened.
The process of photosynthesis slows down in cloudy weather, so sugar does not accumulate in watermelons. Even if the summer was sunny, but the plants were planted in a shaded place, they will still be tasteless.
Constant winds also have a bad effect on the taste of watermelon. Their impact slows down plant growth and can cause mechanical damage.
Mistakes when watering
Frequent watering also reduces the sugar content of the pulp. Young plants are irrigated no more than once a week, and from mid-summer - only once every two weeks. In this case, only warm water is used for irrigation (from +22 to +30°C).
Fertilizer shortage
A lack of mineral fertilizers in the soil also reduces the sugar level in watermelons. It is optimal to feed plants with complex fertilizers containing zinc, iron, boron and manganese. They are brought into the hole upon landing or using drip irrigation.
Organic fertilizers are applied in advance - in the fall. Their number should not exceed 8 kg per meter. If the soil on your site is fertile, adding organic matter is not recommended.
Important! Excess nitrogen in the soil worsens the taste of fruits and makes them unsweetened.
Features of the variety
Late varieties of watermelons are usually sweeter than early ones. But when choosing seeds, it is important to understand that large-fruited varieties can grow up sweet only in the southern regions. If the summer in your area is rainy and not too hot, it is better to choose varieties with small fruits.
Even in the most unfavorable summer, the following varieties and hybrids grow sugary: Golden Tiger F1, Lady F1, Golden, Gift of the Sun, Sagi F1, Prince of Denmark F1, Dumara F1.
Why there may be bad watermelons in a certain year
Sometimes a watermelon harvest can fail en masse in a particular region. There are several reasons for this:
- The melon crop does not tolerate prolonged cold spells or prolonged cloudy or rainy weather. The berry does not like damp places, cold soil and stagnant cold air.
- The worst thing for watermelon, as for any melon crop, is a lack of sunlight. In such conditions, female flowers rot as soon as they begin or without having time to do so at all.
- During periods of high air humidity and low temperatures, pests and diseases actively multiply, which also harms the watermelon crop.
How to grow sweet watermelons correctly
In our country, many gardeners try to grow watermelons on their plots, but not all of them grow sugary. Let's look at how to do it correctly to enjoy the sweet pulp.
Optimal landing place
It is important to choose a suitable plot of land for planting seeds. This plant needs maximum sun and warmth.
It is best to grow fruits on southern slopes, without the slightest shading - there should be no trees or shrubs nearby.
Proper watering
Watermelon tolerates drought well and does not require frequent watering. But moisture is needed during the period of rapid growth of green mass. During this period, water the plants once a week.
After the striped berries reach the size inherent in the variety, the bushes are watered once every 14 days.
During the entire growing period, the melon crop is watered 7-8 times. Two weeks before harvesting, watering is completely stopped.
Important! If it begins to rain during this period, the plants are covered.
The sweetest varieties
Ogonyok - one of the most favorite varieties among gardeners, unpretentious and medium-sized. The fruits are unusual in appearance: a dark, uniform rind without stripes. An early ripening and incredibly sweet variety with delicate pulp.
Crimson Sweet has a medium ripening period, richly sweet taste, red flesh. Suitable for southern regions.
Sugar baby - an unpretentious and tasty variety, it is successfully grown in most regions of our country. Fruit weight is 2-4 kg. The crust is dark, almost without a pattern.
Winner 395 - the variety is very sweet. The fruits are small, 4-6 kg, slightly elongated in shape.
Zenith also suitable for mid-latitudes. The fruits are sugary, weighing 2.5-6 kg.
Secrets of summer residents
When growing melons in cool conditions, the problem of rot often arises. Not only fruits, but even shoots can rot from dampness. To prevent this, a board is placed under each fruit, and three handfuls of sand are poured at the root neck.
It is important not to overdo it with watering - it is only needed in extreme heat. The day after it, the soil is loosened and mulched so that a crust does not form on the surface.
In a cool, short summer, one bush will not have time to ripen a large number of berries. Therefore, no more than five watermelons are left on each plant.
Reference. If it is always windy on your site, sowing curtains - strips of winter wheat or rye - will help protect the plants. Experienced gardeners sow them in the fall, since they must be fully grown by the day the watermelons are planted in open ground.
How to choose the right sweet watermelon when buying
Fragrant large berries have been on sale since the end of June. But even early varieties cannot ripen at this time without adding chemicals, and transportation still takes time. Therefore, it is recommended to buy watermelons in August and September, when their natural ripeness begins.
Here are a few main signs of a tasty sweet fruit:
- the stripes forming a pattern on the peel must be clear;
- the peel is glossy, not matte;
- the crust is hard and cannot be damaged without effort;
- the yellow spot on the side - this is where the watermelon was lying on the ground - should be a rich yellow color.
It is best to choose medium-sized fruits, since large watermelons may have been grown with nitrates.
Conclusion
When growing watermelons, it is important to take into account the peculiarities of the local climate and try to protect the plantings from unfavorable conditions: cold, excessive rain, shading and other negative factors.
By choosing the right variety and creating comfortable conditions for plants to develop, you will certainly get a fragrant and sweet harvest.