How to grow watermelon on a balcony: Watermelon planting methods and maintenance skills for balcony gardening

How to grow watermelons on the balconyThis article provides an overview of how to grow watermelons on a balcony, including methods and maintenance tips for green plants and flowers, as follows:A few days ago, Flower shared the method of growing watermelons on the balcony in an article, and unexpectedly, there are more people growing watermelons at home than Flower imagined. Many people have reflected that the watermelons they grow are not sweet enough, and some are even inedible, unsure of which step went wrong.So Flower梳理ed some easily overlooked details in growing watermelons and shared them with fellow gardeners, hoping to provide a little help.1. Soaking SeedsWatermelon seeds need to be soaked before sowing. You can choose to soak them in water at about 55℃ to disinfect them.Soaking for 4 hours is most suitable, which helps the seeds germinate better; after soaking, put the seeds in warm water at about 30℃ to continue germination.2. Improving SowingGrowing watermelons requires nutritious soil, which should be disinfected first to prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases later. Adding a small amount of decomposed organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer is best. Place the seeds flat into the soil and then gently cover them with a layer of soil, with a soil thickness of 3 to 5 centimeters being most suitable, while keeping the temperature at about 30℃ to provide a suitable germination environment for the watermelon seeds.Also, after sowing, only spray water to keep the soil moist, do not pour too much water, as the seeds may not germinate; using a spray bottle to spray mist-like water is best.3. Managing Soil and FertilizerTo support the weight of the fruit later, choosing a pot with a diameter of 50 centimeters is most suitable for growing watermelons. If you don't change the pot after germination, you should loosen the soil more often or change the soil directly.It's not easy for a tiny black seed to grow into a watermelon that can satisfy a family, which requires a lot of nutrition. However, since watermelons don't require much water, they naturally depend more on fertilizer.The growth of watermelons is almost entirely dependent on nitrogen fertilizer. During the vine elongation period, high-nitrogen compound fertilizer can be mixed with water and poured, which also has a diluting effect. There's no need to fertilize after the vines reach a certain length.Next, it's time for flowering and fruiting. During the flowering and fruiting stages of watermelons, it's essential to supplement all necessary nutrients, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, but don't forget to supplement nitrogen as well. This will result in fruit that is more solid and expanded, and the application can be split into two doses.After the watermelon flowers wither and the fruits begin to grow to the size of a bowl, you can switch to applying potassium sulfate, and just water after each application. If you notice that the vines start to turn yellow too early, you can also spray some foliar fertilizer to supplement their nutrients.4. Pruning VinesIf the vines grow too much and too vigorously, it will affect the fruiting of the watermelons later, so pruning is necessary. Leave only about three main vines to prevent extra vines from competing for the fruit's nutrients. Sufficient nutrient absorption will result in better flowering and fruiting, making the fruit bigger and sweeter.