Growing Seedless Watermelon

The seedless melons are actually the result of the pollination of the melon in the tetraploid state by the normal plants. The job of producing seeds for the seedless watermelons is a very hectic job and requires a lot of hard work. The germination of the seeds for these types of seedless melons is done using the containers that are transplantable. The advantage in doing this is that we can ensure that the conditions while germination are proper. After the germination process is over, the seedless melons are cultivated in the same way as the melons with seeds. A positive thing about the seedless watermelons is that they remain fresh for a longer time and are much in demand from people belonging to different age groups. Now, let us discuss the basics of growing seedless watermelons after which you will easily understand how to grow seedless watermelons.

How to Grow Seedless Watermelons

Seed Production and Cultivation
For the seed production of the seedless watermelons, it is essential to increase the number of sets of the chromosomes to four. The plant which is formed as a result of this is known as a tetraploid plant. This process of making the sets of chromosomes double is done by making use of the chemical known as colchicine. This plant with four sets of chromosomes is planted along with a pollinator, which produces a triploid of three chromosomes, which is seedless. The transplantation of the seedlings take around five weeks.

Ideal Climatic Conditions
It is very essential to discuss the ideal climatic conditions, while discussing how to plant seedless watermelons. For growing seedless watermelons, a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit is needed at daytime and 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the night. From this, we conclude that the seedless watermelons require high temperatures and their growth might get affected at low temperatures.

Importance of Proper Planting
Proper planting is very essential in growing seedless watermelons. Favorable soil temperature is also essential, while planting the seedless watermelons along with the air temperature. As per the view of experts, the soil temperature should not be less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, to prevent germination problems. You should ideally plant two seeds per pellet. The pellets must be soaked and drained well before the actual sowing is done. When the seedlings start emerging, water them well for fast growth but you should avoid over-watering the plants. The required pH of the soil for such plantation is 7. You will be required to get your planting region ready at least three weeks before the actual planting. The planting region should have compost spread over it and granite dust or green sand should be sprinkled over the compost. There should also be black plastic over the bed and it should be with a twelve-inch opening. Now, dig holes in the openings and finally sow the seeds in such a way, that their distance from one another is constant.

Importance of Pollination
The result of improper pollination is that the quality of the seedless watermelons we get is not good. In the process of pollination, the pollen grains are carried by the bees and other insects from one watermelon plant to the other one. Many people suggest to apply the insect attractants to the plants in the peak of the season of pollination for better results. As per the statistics, the number of pollinating insects should be around 15,000 per acre for growing seedless watermelons. Among the insects, the presence of honeybees is vital for pollination of seedless watermelon plants. Every row of the pollinators should be followed with two rows of triploid plants for effective pollination.

The watermelon will be ripe, if the two tendrils near the fruit are found to be dry. You should be aware of the fact that any fluctuations in the temperature, diseases of any types and lack of fertilizers may not give you good quality seedless watermelons. Finally, I hope that this article has given you helpful tips about growing seedless watermelons.