The method of grafting a watermelon onto a pumpkin has become widespread in temperate latitudes, where it is not enough for a heat-loving watermelon to warm up the soil for full ripening, while grafting increases the cold resistance of the culture. In the article we will tell you about the main methods of vaccination and subsequent care of the grafted watermelon.
Why plant a watermelon?
The main reason that prompted the grafting of a watermelon is its very delicate root system, which does not feel well even at + 18 ° C. Also, for full growth, a watermelon needs sun, and loose, fertile soil. Grafting of two related crops makes it possible to ensure that the stronger root feeds the stalk of a less resistant plant fused with it.
In South Korea, Japan, France, and some other countries, all melons are necessarily grafted.
Consider the benefits of grafting a watermelon:
- Pumpkin roots deliver nutrition to the stem at a ground temperature of +7 ° C.
- Grafting allows the watermelon to form good lashes with a large number of ovaries, and allows the berry to ripen successfully.
- Fruits on a grafted watermelon grow larger, and the yield increases almost 2 times.
- With prolonged cloudiness, the grafted watermelon continues to grow its fruits, while the ungrafted one proceeds to ripening.
- Not affected by fusarium, anthracnose, fungal root rot.
- Allows you to plant plants in a permanent place earlier than usual.
- The rates of development and maturation of watermelons are accelerating.
- It grows and bears fruit even on heavy, infertile soils.
- It has a powerful root system that penetrates into the deep layers of the soil.
- No crop rotation required.
- Drought-resistant.
Will pumpkin affect the quality of watermelon fruit?
Pumpkin stock practically does not affect the taste of watermelon. But those parameters that depend on the provision of nutrients are improved. So, due to the resistance of the stock to unfavorable conditions, more nutrition enters the scion, respectively, the fruits grow larger and more sugar-rich.
What tool do you need?
For vaccination you will need:
- Cutting tool - scalpel or razor.
- Dressing - hemp thread, bandage, washcloth, aluminum foil or polyethylene strips 30x1.5 cm.
- Vaccination clips or a clothespin with smooth clips.
- Wooden peg.
- Marker.
The vaccination tool should be:
- Sharp - a dull blade does not cut, but crushes the cells, in this case moisture cannot enter the tissue of the scion. The best option is a new razor blade, wrap one side with duct tape.
- Clean - if dirt and bacteria get into the graft, the plant will rot.
It is necessary to ensure that the scion is in close contact with the stock so that as many cells as possible come into contact, for this, the graft is tightly tied and squeezed with grafting clips.
Since grafting is a delicate and delicate procedure, it is recommended to sow plants with a margin - only part of the plants can take root.
Methods for grafting watermelon onto pumpkin
Seedlings for grafting are grown in 200 ml glasses. Watermelon is sown first, as it sprouts longer. After 3-5 days, sow lagenaria. The inoculation is performed after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves.
You can vaccinate in several ways:
- Tongue is the most common.
- Center (split).
- By convergence.
- Butt.
- The injection.
- Side cut.
- Into the tube.
The first method is the most common, we will also consider methods 2 and 3, the rest, due to the complexity of execution and the low survival rate of the scion, are rarely used.
Tongue
The easiest and most efficient way. In this case, the watermelon still lives on its own roots for some time. This method has the highest survival rate.
For seedlings, it is advisable to use light, nutritious soil (earth and coconut in a ratio of 1: 3), which should be disinfected before planting in order to avoid fungal diseases.
Vaccination procedure:
- Place the seedlings of the scion and stock next to each other.
- Place the stems of the plants against each other and mark the connection point with a marker under the cotyledons.
- Step 1 cm down from the mark, and make oblique cuts, approximately at an angle of 30 degrees. Cut the pumpkin from top to bottom to the middle of the stem, and the watermelon, on the contrary, from bottom to top. Approximately at an angle of 30 degrees to one another. You should get a cut 6-8 mm long (2/3 of the stem thickness). Thus, "tongues" are obtained.
- Clasp the tongues together so that the watermelon is just above the pumpkin.
- Wrap the inoculation tightly with foil and secure with a clothespin.
- Stick a peg near the grafted stems to keep them upright.
- Plant the interconnected plants in a container with a volume of 0.5-0.8 liters.
- Place in a lighted place.
- After 7 days, squeeze the stem of the watermelon under the grafting with your fingers so that the watermelon begins to take food from the roots of the stock.
- Repeat this procedure a day later, and 9-10 days after inoculation, completely cut off the stem of the watermelon that has faded by this time.
- Remove the leaves from the top of the pumpkin and its growing point.
- When the grafted site has healed, remove the foil.
- A month later, when the plants take root, plant them in prepared soil.
In his video, the gardener shares his experience of grafting a watermelon onto a pumpkin using the "tongue" method:
Center (split)
This vaccination technology came from China. Its implementation requires experience and accuracy, the engraftment of a grafted sprout is a long process, with the need to create a favorable microclimate, therefore, the vaccination often does not take root.
Sequence of execution:
- As soon as the first true leaf emerges from the pumpkin seedling, cut off the growth bud with an oblique cut to the center, above the cotyledon leaves, so that a deep incision forms in its place, if the incision is too small, slightly lengthen it to 1-1.5 cm.
- For a watermelon with 2-3 true leaves, cut the top obliquely under the cotyledons, so that the cut of the stem looks like the tip of a screwdriver.
- Insert the cut watermelon sprout deep into the cut on the stem of the pumpkin, instead of the cut out growth point.
- Carefully and tightly wrap with foil, so that all sections of the vaccine coincide, rewind with foil.
- Transplant the grafted plant into a glass with a volume of 0.5-0.8 liters, and to create a greenhouse effect, cover with a plastic bottle without a bottom and with a twisted cork.
- When the graft site has healed, remove the foil.
See the following video on the method of grafting a watermelon to a pumpkin using the split method:
By convergence
It is performed using a lateral incision below the cotyledons.
Sequencing:
- Place approximately the same seedlings of watermelon and lagenaria with two real leaves as close to each other as possible.
- In both seedlings, 5-7 mm above the cotyledons, cut off a thin (no more than 2 mm) layer of the skin.
- Align the stems as closely as possible.
- Fix by tightly rewinding with plastic and press with a clip.
- Be sure to sign the containers so as not to confuse the desired plant with a pumpkin in the future.
- After a week, the stalk of the watermelon, under the grafting, transfer so that the watermelon begins to receive nutrition from the roots of the pumpkin.
- Repeat this squeezing of the stem several times until the watermelon begins to dry out in the area of squeezing.
- Remove the pumpkin leaves, leaving 2 cotyledon leaves and 2 ordinary leaves, do not remove the center of growth.
- After transplanting into open ground, you can finally cut off the unnecessary stem and sprout of the pumpkin.
You can see the technology of grafting a watermelon onto a pumpkin by the "convergence" method in the video below:
Features of the procedure and useful tips
Not only the vaccination technique is important, but also the ability to increase its effect on the grafted watermelon.
For this:
- Seedlings of different ages are used - in order to enhance the properties of the grafted watermelon, the stock must be younger than the scion. Then the quality of the scion will begin to prevail in the plant, so the watermelon must be sown at least 3 days earlier than the lagenaria.
- To switch food, all the leaves of the lagenaria must be removed, this will stimulate metabolic processes and, therefore, increase the yield.
- They artificially create a scion for a short day.
- Repeated vaccinations are performed.
A grafted watermelon requires a large area. Therefore, when transplanted into open ground, each plant needs up to 8 sq. m.
Lagenaria is best suited for the stock, watermelon has almost complete compatibility with it, but you can also use ordinary pumpkin.
Preferred varieties: White Honey, Gray Volzhskaya, Mozoleevskaya, and even graft on a squash, but pumpkin and squash with watermelon will have incomplete compatibility, and you will have to leave the rootstock tops. And the best grafts for lagenaria are watermelons of the Astrakhan, Holodok, Kherson, Korean, Chernouska and others varieties.
The grafted watermelon takes longer to ripen, so to get the harvest earlier, the planted plants need to be covered with a film.
Since the stem of the pumpkin is hollow and an environment favorable for root growth is created in it, the grafted watermelon often forms its root system inside the scion.
Grafted plant care
After vaccination, watermelons require special care:
- Be sure to cover the grafted plant for the first time so that the watermelon does not die from a lack of moisture, since it does not yet fully receive nutrition from the lagenaria.
- Air the plants every 5 days, opening them for 20-30 minutes, gradually increase this time. After 2 weeks, when the watermelon gets stronger, remove the shelter completely.
- Plant the grafted watermelon in the sunniest place.
- It is important to maintain a temperature of at least 25 ° C after vaccination. Place the seedlings on the sunniest window.
- When planting a watermelon in open ground, add a bucket of humus and 0.5 kg of ash to the pit, mix, water well and plant the plants, mulch.
- During the growth of fruits, in hot and dry summers, water the watermelons well once a week, but so that the foliage remains dry.
- When the fruit stops growing, stop watering too so that the berries can collect sugar.
Grafting watermelons onto pumpkin seedlings is a rather complicated procedure, and not always successful. But once you have mastered it, you will be able to get good harvests of large and sugar melons every season.