Today I ate a tasty, sweet, aromatic and fresh watermelon . Watermelon is ideal for those on a diet as it has a high water content and few calories, also to eat during the summer and when the body asks for fresh food.
It is not one of the most popular crops in the garden, but even so today we are dedicated to watermelon because it is an interesting option to include.
Index
- 1 Curiosities of the watermelon
- 2 Pests and diseases of watermelon
watermelon curiosities
The watermelon, whose scientific name is Citrullus lanaus , is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family . It is native to the Kalahari desert in Africa, and grows wild there. Today, its cultivation has spread and is grown in many places, such as Italy, Greece and Spain.
The variety of watermelon with the classic black seeds is the most classic, but few know that there are seedless varieties, which are distinguished by their skin, which does not have the classic stripes.
Watermelon is a tropical fruit and therefore needs a temperature between 23º C and 28º C to be in optimal conditions. Even so, it can adapt to lower temperatures as long as they do not exceed 11 degrees Celsius, as then its growth stops. For this reason, the best time for planting is spring and after frost.
Watermelon grows without problems in well-drained soil with many nutrients , so it must be rich in organic matter. Remember that it is a large fruit so when planting you have to be careful to keep a certain distance between plant and plant, at least 1.5 meters between one and the other. The rows should also be equally spaced from each other. If you don’t have much space, you can grow watermelon in pots, but always make sure that the receptacle is large and deep so that the roots can expand.
From time to time remember to remove the weeds and remove the soil, adding a fertilizer bonus. As for watering, it should be regular but not exaggerated. Pay attention to flowering as these indicate that from that moment on they need a smaller amount of water.
Pests and diseases of watermelon
As with all cucurbits, watermelon is attacked by the following enemies: red spider mite, white fly, aphids and thrips . In addition, it is common for it to suffer from diseases such as ash as well as others of vascular origin and a so-called gummy canker of the stem.
The watermelon cultivation cycle lasts from 90 to 150 days and the harvest occurs once the fruit has matured. To find out, just hit them with your fingers because if they sound hollow, they are ready. You can also try scratching the skin with your nails because if it separates it is an indicator that it is ready.
