Melons care in June. Melons - advice on growing watermelons, pumpkins, melons from experienced gardeners. Video about growing melons and gourds
Golden melons, pot-bellied pumpkins, sugar watermelons - all these are melons. They are all relatives, but each plant has its own secrets of cultivation. How to get the good harvest melons and gourds, the nuances of planting and care, agricultural techniques - so that all the relatives of the harbuzs are alive and well.
Traditionally and mistakenly, it is believed that good watermelons and melons grow only "in the south". And we are in a hurry to buy imported fruits, but we don't even buy seeds of watermelons and melons. But in vain! Modern varieties and hybrids can be successfully grown in our gardens.
Watermelons, melons, pumpkins grown from seeds with our own hands will not yield to the southern ones in taste. And nutritionists have long been talking about the benefits of these fruits. They contain a lot of carotene, potassium, phosphorus, organic acids, iron salts. In terms of useful qualities, they, in many ways, are in no way inferior to fruits.
General rules for growing melons and gourds from seeds
All melons and gourds need a lot of light and heat, moisture in the soil and dry air.
- The peculiarity of melons and gourds in their thermophilicity and the need for direct sunlight, without shading.
- The temperature at which pumpkin, watermelon, melon from seeds develop best is above + 20 ° С. For abundant flowering of female flowers and fruit setting - the recommended temperature during the day: + 20 ° С - + 25 ° С, and at night it does not fall below: + 18 ° С - + 20 ° С.
- At a temperature of + 12 ° С, the development of melons and gourds slows down significantly, and at + 10 ° С and below it stops altogether. With frosts, melons and gourds can die.
- The root system of melons and gourds is strong, well-developed, therefore pumpkins, watermelons, and melons can successfully withstand drought. Pubescent leaves - prevent moisture evaporation from the leaf plate.
- In order for the yield of melons and gourds to be plentiful, and the fruits tasty and large, you need to ensure regular watering.
- The increased air humidity in the place of cultivation from melons and gourds seeds must be excluded. At high humidity, they can be affected by diseases. To keep the air dry, water at the root.
- Melon seeds are sown in one place every 4-5 years. You should not sow melons and gourds in one place annually. Bad predecessors for watermelon, melon and pumpkin:,. Good: cereals, cereals, potatoes, etc.
- Melons and gourds respond well to feeding, the number of female flowers, the formation of the ovary, the pouring of the fruits, their taste and quality increase.
- Melons can also be grown from seeds through seedlings. It is better to grow only early and mid-season pumpkins and early watermelons and melons by direct sowing of seeds into the ground.
- To get large fruits and more ovary, whip pumpkin, watermelon, melon - pinch. One way: by the end of August, pinch the tops of all shoots on which there is an ovary. The second way: pinch the plant over 4-5 real leaves so that lateral shoots appear, and then remove the tops after 2-3 ovaries appear on each.
Different melons and gourds have their own characteristics of growth, development, care. Let's look at the nuances of agricultural technology, the choice of seeds of different varieties and growing crops.
Features of growing melons and gourds
In the southern regions, you can grow any varieties, and in cooler regions - the best varieties of melon: super-early, reliable early, traditional, etc.
Soils and illumination.
Neutral or slightly alkaline cultivated soils without stagnant water are suitable for growing melons. Good melons will only grow in full sun. Seeds are sown in soil fertilized since autumn.
Preparing melon seeds for sowing.
Dip the seeds in 1% -2% salt solution before sowing. The best seeds will sink to the bottom. Rinse them with water and treat sprouting.
Sowing melon seeds.
Sow for seedlings in containers with a volume of 150 ml or more. Sow 3-4 seeds each. Before planting in open ground, seedlings should be 25-35 days old. Seedlings will appear within 6-10 days at a temperature of + 25 ° C. Sowing depth 4 cm - 7 cm. In the garden, seeds are sown when the soil warms up to at least + 12 ° С
Melon planting.
Plant the melon in nests of 3-4 plants in each hole. The distance between the nests is 50 cm - 70 cm in a row. Row spacing - from 120 cm. When planting, add a full complex to the planting site.
Melon care.
When 5-6 real leaves appear - remove the weakest plants from the hole, leave 1-2 of the strongest ones. Feed the plants several times per season. Water regularly at the root. Stop watering 203 weeks before the fruit ripens. Then the melons will be sweeter.
When choosing watermelon seeds, please note that the most delicious are mid-late and late varieties, and the earliest ones will definitely have time to fill and ripen, regardless of the weather. The most popular varieties: oval with light green skin, with bright yellow flesh - variety, etc.
Soils and illumination.
Watermelons love light sandy loam soil, enriched with compost or humus in the fall. And sunny locations without the slightest shade.
Preparing watermelon seeds for sowing.
In a 3% -5% salt solution, the best seeds will sink to the bottom. Rinse them, treat them with a stimulant and sow.
Sowing watermelon seeds.
The timing of sowing watermelon seeds for seedlings is determined as follows: the age of the plant for open ground is 30-35 days. Seedlings appear within 10 days. When the soil warms up to + 12 ° C, you can sow in open ground. Sowing depth: 4 cm - 6 cm.
Planting a watermelon.
Several sprouts or seeds - form 3-4 plants in holes. After a month, 1-2 of the strongest plants are left. Distance in a row between nests - from 50 cm. Between rows: from 150 cm.
Watermelon care.
Top dressing is carried out regularly, like a melon, once every 2 weeks, starting from the moment 3-4 of this leaf is formed. To prevent the whip from fluttering in the wind, you can sprinkle it with peat or other mulch. Watermelons don't like it when their leaves turn over and break. The ends of the whips - pinch on general rules for melons.
Of all the melons, the pumpkin has one of the longest ripening periods. For most varieties, it is 110-120 days from germination to harvest. There are seeds of early pumpkin varieties, usually short-growing or bushy plants, with fruits weighing up to 2 kg (portioned). Pumpkin has the ability to ripen during storage and can be stored at room temperature for several months without loss of taste. And there is a pumpkin, the seeds of which are formed without a hard shell, they can be eaten without peeling -.
Soils and illumination.
The pumpkin plant itself is unpretentious and will survive on any soil. But in order for sweet, ripe fruits to grow from seeds, cultivated light nutritious soil is needed. You can plant a pumpkin in a light partial shade, but the lashes will rush to the light and the best fruits will be only in a well-lit, well-warmed place.
Preparing pumpkin seeds for sowing.
Choose the fullest and largest seeds, treat them with a stimulant before sowing.
Sowing pumpkin seeds.
In order to get larger and more mature fruits, and the harvest is richer, grow seedlings. Sowing both in the beds and in containers is done to a depth of 4 cm - 6 cm.
Planting a pumpkin.
Seedlings and seeds are planted in a garden bed when the temperature at night no longer drops below + 12 ° C. Plants are planted in nests, holes up to 50 cm in diameter are made in advance, and they are filled with fertilizers. Large-fruited pumpkins are grown - 1 plant per nest, hard-bore and nutmeg - 2-3 plants.
Pumpkin care.
Fertilize and water the pumpkins regularly, especially when the fruit is being poured. While weeding and loosening, slightly huddle the bushes.
Grow melons - pumpkins, watermelons and melons good quality and sugar content is possible in any region of Ukraine. To do this, you only need to follow the growing recommendations and buy seeds of the varieties that are suitable for you.
Watermelon, melon, pumpkin are all-purpose plants.
Their fruits are rich in sugar, organic acids, vitamins, salts of iron, phosphorus, potassium, as well as substances that contribute to the regulation of many physiological processes in the human body. In terms of the content of vitamins, melons are not inferior to fruits, and in terms of the content of carotene (provitamin A) they surpass red carrots several times.
A distinctive feature of melons is thermophilicity. Plants develop normally at fairly high soil and air temperatures, and an abundance of sunlight.
Seeds of watermelon and melon begin to germinate at a temperature of 14-16, and pumpkin seeds - at +13. With the most intensive germination (25-30), seedlings appear on the fifth or sixth day.
Three to five days after germination at an average daily temperature of 18X, the first true leaf begins to form, then after the same time - the second true leaf, etc. After five or six true leaves, the plant begins to branch out, "to beat off the whips." Flowers appear five to six days after the start of branching under favorable conditions.
During the growing season, watermelon needs more heat than melon and pumpkin. However, the melon is more resistant to heat. Pumpkin is a more cold-resistant plant than watermelon and melon.
At the same time, excessively high temperatures have a negative effect on the cultivation of melons. At high temperature as a rule, the relative humidity of the air decreases. Under these conditions, the ovules are not fully or not at all fertilized, the fruits are not set.
The optimum temperature for flowering and fertilization of melons is 18-20C at night and 20-25 ° C during the day.
Melons are very sensitive to low temperatures. When it decreases to 12 ° C, the growth and development of plants is delayed, and below 10 ° C, it completely stops. Both spring and autumn frosts are detrimental to melons.
Melons and gourds are considered to be drought-resistant. This is explained by the adaptability of the plants themselves (powerful root system, dissection of leaves covered with hairs, etc.). In fact, melon plants, especially pumpkins, consume a lot of water.
Thus, these crops need a long frost-free period from sowing to harvest, light soils, sufficient space for the development of a large mass of lashes and leaves, a lot of solar heat and light, soil moisture and dry air.
Melons, especially watermelon, strongly react to the relief, preferring elevated, gently sloping, well-heated and illuminated areas. Here the plants grow better, the fruits ripen earlier, their taste and marketability improve.
Placing crops in low places is extremely risky. In such areas, as a rule, the soil is strongly compacted, it warms up longer and worse, often a lot of wireworms accumulate in it, there is a real threat of damage (primarily watermelon) by fusarium wilt.
The best predecessors for melons are perennial and annual grasses, winter cereals, corn and vegetables. Melons should not be sown on melons in order to avoid the development of fungal diseases. You can return to melon plots again in at least four to five years.
Melons respond well to the use of organic and mineral fertilizers. Under the influence of fertilizers, the growth of lashes and leaves increases, the number of flowers increases, the setting improves, and, consequently, the number of fruits on the plant increases and their quality improves.
The greatest effect is obtained by applying fertilizers for autumn plowing per 1m2: 2-3 kg of manure, 20-25 g of superphosphate, 15-20 g of ammonium sulfate, 10-15 g of potassium salt. The plants are fed with slurry, bird droppings or mineral fertilizers - the first time in the phase of three to four leaves, and the second - during flowering.
Wells are made around the plants and 1 liter of solution is added (bird droppings or slurry are diluted with water in the ratio: bird droppings - 1:12, slurry - 1: 5), the dose of mineral fertilizers: 10-15 g of ammonium nitrate, 7-8 g of potassium chloride and 15-20 g of superphosphate in the form of an aqueous extract in a bucket of water, and preferably 20-25 g of crystal.
The next day after fertilizing, the plants are spud.
The main cultivation of the soil for melons is carried out in the same way as for other vegetable crops.
Deep autumn plowing (digging) makes it possible to accumulate moisture and elements of mineral nutrition, to reduce contamination of crops, creates favorable conditions for the powerful development of the root system and is an effective means of combating pests and diseases.
Light loamy and sandy soils are cultivated in spring. The plot is harrowed, before sowing, it is good to loosen it to a depth of 8-10 cm.
It is extremely important when cultivating melons and gourds to quickly get friendly shoots. To do this, it is necessary to timely and efficiently carry out all the measures for the preparation of seeds.
The most effective are soaking, germination, cold hardening, as well as seed treatment with various preparations.
before sowing, the seeds are pre-heated for five to six days in a well-heated room or near heating devices with a temperature of 25-30 ° C. This technique increases the vigor of germination and germination of seeds, accelerates the formation of female flowers on plants, enhances growth, and accelerates the development of plants.
For earlier seedlings, seed soaking is used warm water... The seeds are poured into a cloth bag and immersed in warm water (60 degrees for 4-5 minutes, then removed, allowed to drain and left in a warm room.
Watermelon seeds are kept at room temperature for two days, melon seeds - no more than a day.
The best way to prepare seeds for sowing is to combine heating with germination. After warming up (4-5 minutes), the seeds are placed in a damp cloth and kept at a temperature of 25-30 ° C for two or three days until seedlings appear.
Sprouted (hatched) seeds are planted in warm, moist soil.
Nice results gives seeds soaking in solutions of microelements (manganese, boron, molybdenum) 0.05% concentration for 16 hours. An obligatory method of preparing seeds for sowing is dressing them with TMTD at the rate of 5 g per 1 kg of seeds.
The seeding rate depends on the seeding method and plant density. For crops, it is 1 mg: watermelon 0.4-0.5 g (6-8 seeds per hole), melon 0.2-0.4 g (6-8 seeds per hole), pumpkin, zucchini and squash 0 , 5-0.8 g (4-6 seeds per well).
Usually, the sowing of melons begins when the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm is at least 12-14 ° C. In the south of the region this is the third decade of April or early May, in the north and east - the first decade of May. However, it should be borne in mind that in some years, calendar dates are sometimes significantly shifted. Depending on the weather, the difference can be two to three weeks.
The sowing time is also influenced by the exposure of the site and the type of soil.
On the southern and southwestern slopes, sowing dates come a little earlier than in the areas of the northern and northeastern exposures, and on light sandy and sandy loam soils, earlier than on heavy soils.
Zucchini, squash and pumpkin are sown first, as they are more cold-resistant, then melon and watermelon. The seeding depth is 3-7 cm. It depends on the weather conditions, the type of soil and the degree of desiccation of its top layer.
In dry, warm weather on light soils or when the top layer of the earth is severely drained, seeds are sown at a greater depth than in cold weather, heavy soils or weak drying of the top layer of the earth. When sowing seeds in the holes, it is better to put them at different depths.
It is important to determine the feeding area of the sowing scheme for melons. Taking into account natural conditions South of Russia, the food areas for crops will be as follows: watermelon - 2 × 1 m, 1.4 × 1 m, 1.4x melon - 1.4 × 1 m, 1.4 × 0.7 m, pumpkin - 1 2 × 1 m, 1.4 × 1.4 m, 1.4 × 1 m, squash and pumpkin bushes and squash - 1.4 × 0.7 m, 0.9 × 1 0.7 × 0.7 m, one each plant in the nest of each crop.
Care for melons includes inter-row cultivation, loosening, breaking through rows and holes, powdering and pinching, as well as combating weeds, pests and diseases, feeding, watering, etc. seeds into a moist soil layer, preferably with water.
The main conditions for obtaining a high yield of melons are to keep the crops clean from weeds, and the soil - in a loose state. For this, two or three inter-row works are carried out: one when the first leaves appear in the plants to a depth of 8-10 cm; a friend with feeding to a depth of 6-8 cm in the phase of the moon.
Subsequent treatments are carried out as needed until the row spacings are closed. At the same time, weeding is done in the rows. At the first weeding, the plants are thinned out, leaving three to four healthy and powerful ones in the hole.
The second (final) thinning is carried out in the phase of three to four leaves and one or two plants are left in the hole. All operations for the care of crops must be carried out strictly on time.
When weeding and loosening in rows, hilling of plants gives good results - the soil is poured under the cotyledon leaves.
This technique creates a favorable air regime for the soil, plants form additional roots, and their nutrition improves.
Melons and gourds are very responsive to irrigation... The greatest need for watermelon and pumpkin in water is noted during the period of flowering and fruit formation.
education. At the same time, they react negatively to excessive soil moisture. Under the condition of a normal year of precipitation, an average of three to four irrigations with a rate of 60-70 liters per 1 m2 are sufficient. Irrigation is ineffective in wet years.
According to the Krasnodar Research Institute of Vegetable and Potato Growing, it is recommended to carry out irrigation: the first - water charging (with low moisture accumulation); the second is in the phase of two or three true leaves; the third - during flowering and the fourth - during the growth of fruits.
One of the conditions for the cultivation of melons- powdering lashes. The wind easily turns and twists the whips, while the leaves break off, which negatively affects the growth and development of plants. Before the lashes close, sprinkle a knot that is 3/4 of the length from the base of the lash or shoot. The covered area is slightly pressed.
Pinching is a laborious technique, therefore it is not widely used, but it protects the ovary from shedding, increases the size of the fruits and increases the yield of melons. The first time it is recommended to pinch the top of the plant in the phase of five to six true leaves, which stimulates the formation of fruiting lateral shoots, the second - all points of growth at the beginning of fruit set.
Fruit formation is a rare but very effective technique. When the size of the ovary is the size of a goose egg, it is set with the stalk up. At the same time, all sides of the fetus develop evenly. The fruits acquire the correct presentation, the quality of their pulp improves.
To lengthen the period of consumption of melons, you can use early ripening varieties, various methods of seed preparation, thickened sowing, pinching of lashes, irrigation, enhanced phosphorus-potassium nutrition, etc.
But the most effective methods are the seedling method of growing melons, growing them under temporary film shelters, and especially a combination of these methods. Seedlings are grown in greenhouses or greenhouses after planting early cabbage in pots or sod 8 × 8 cm.
The temperature in the greenhouses is maintained at 20-25 ° C during the day and 15-18C at night. Watered in moderation, but not often with warm water, avoiding excessive waterlogging.
After the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving one plant in the pot. The first feeding is carried out with a solution of mineral fertilizers 5-8 days after germination (5 g of ammonium sulfate, 15 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt are dissolved in 10 liters of water), the second and third feeding - with an interval of 7-8 days (for 10 liters of water 20 g of ammonium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride). 5 liters of solution are consumed on the greenhouse frame.
Before planting in the ground, the seedlings are gradually hardened. A few days before landing, in the absence of the threat of a cold snap, it is not closed around the clock. The best seedling age when planting: for a watermelon 25-30 days, for a melon 20-25 days.
Higher yields of early production (6-fold compared to open ground) can be obtained using film covers. Sowing is carried out 20-25 days earlier than the optimal time. The seeding pattern and feeding area are the same as for open ground. An even greater effect is achieved when these two methods are combined.
Protected ground (hotbeds and greenhouses) is an important source of early production of melons and gourds. For its cultivation, the most productive, with high quality fruits, early ripening varieties of watermelon and melon are used.
Watermelon varieties
A twinkle. Early maturing, growing season 65-75 days. Fruits are spherical, with a smooth surface, black-green in color. The bark is thin. The pulp is bright red, grainy, juicy, sweet. The total sugar content is 6-8%. The seeds are small, brown. Transportability and keeping quality are weak. Productivity is 2-3 kg from 1 ll2 (200-300 kg from one hundred square meters).
Nice. Early ripening, fruitful (up to 3.5 kg from 1 l2). The growing season is 70-75 days. Fruits are round-oval, smooth. The background color is light green. Pattern - narrow green stripes with smeared edges. The pulp is raspberry, grainy, sweet, juicy. The bark is thick. Seeds are small, dark brown, speckled. Sugar content up to 9%. Transportability and keeping quality are high. The variety is especially valued for its resistance to fusarium wilt and anthracnose. Promising for all zones of the Krasnodar Territory.
Atamansky. Early maturing, growing season 70-80 days. Productivity 2.5-3.5 kg from 1 m *. Fruits are round-elliptical. The surface is smooth, light green with green threadlike stripes. The pulp is red, tender, juicy, sweet. The total sugar content is 8.0-8.5%. Transportability and keeping quality are good. Anthracnose and Fusarium are mildly affected.
Shironinsky. Mid-season, vegetation period is 90-95 days. Productivity 2-3 kg per 1 m2. The fruits are round. The surface is smooth and white. The pulp is pink, grainy, sweet. The total sugar content is 8.5%. Transportability is good; anthracnose and fusarium are moderately affected.
Early Kuban. Mid-early ripening, vegetation period 75-90 days. Productivity is 2 kg from 1 m. Fruits are spherical and obtuse elliptic. The surface is smooth, slightly segmented, light green with dark green stripes. The pulp is pink, tender-lobed, sweet. The total sugar content is 8%. Relatively resistant to anthracnose and bacteriosis.
Astrakhan. Mid-season, vegetation period 85-95 days. Productivity 2.5 - 3.5 kg per 1 m2. Fruits are globular, slightly segmented. The background color is green with dark green prickly stripes. The pulp is dense, pink, coarse, juicy, sweet. The total sugar content is 7 - 8.5%.
Transportability and keeping quality are average. Fusarium wilt and anthracnose are moderately affected.
Rose of the South-East. Mid-early, growing season 70-80 days. Relatively resistant to fusarium. The surface of the fruit is smooth or slightly segmented. The pattern is wide dark green stripes, the background is light green. The bark is medium, flexible. The pulp is carmine-red, grainy, of high sweetness. The total sugar is up to 8-9.5%. Seeds are yellow-gray, with a smooth surface, storage and long-distance transportation of little use. Productivity 2-3 kg per 1 m2.
Favorite of Krasnodar (King of the Kuban). Mid-season, vegetation period of 80 days. Anthracnose resistant. Fruits are spherical, smooth, light green background. Pattern - wide scalloped stripes of dark green color with smeared edges. The pulp is red with a pink tint, watery, sweet, juicy. The obi sugar content is up to 8%. Seeds are medium in size, oval, brown to light brown, smooth. The fruits have good keeping quality and transportability. Productivity 2.5-3 kg per 1 m2.
Melitopol-142. Medium ripening, vegetation period 90-96 days. High-yielding (3-3.5 kg per 1 m2), transportable weight, relatively stable, slightly segmented fruit surface Bark pattern - dark green with blue, prickly stripes, green background. The pulp is intense red, grainy, very good taste. The total sugar content is up to 8-9.5%. The seeds are large, smooth, red.
Extraordinary. Mid-season, vegetation period 80-90 days. Fruits are oval cylindrical, smooth, with a dark green rind. The bark is medium, flexible. The pulp is red with a raspberry hue, grainy, sweet. The total sugar content is up to 9%. Seeds are large, dark brown, speckled. Keeping quality and transportability are good. Fusarium wilting, anthracnose and powdery mildew is only slightly affected. Productivity 3 kg from 1 m2.
Melon varieties
Of the melon varieties released in the region, the following are recommended:
Golden. Medium early, high-yielding (2-2.5 kg per 1 m2). From mass shoots to the first harvest 80-85 days. Fruits are round, large and medium-sized, yellow-orange, in a net. The pulp is white, thick, tender, sweet, of high taste. The seeds are creamy, medium. Transportability is good. Keeping quality is average. It works well in greenhouses.
Lorisovskaya (Hybrid-251). Early ripe, fruitful (more than 2 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 60-70 days. Fruits are round, good presentation, large, yellow-lemon, with and without a net. The pulp is white, dense, thick, tender, sweet, of good taste. The seeds are medium, white. Transportability and keeping quality are weak. Recommended for local consumption. Promising for the North Caucasus.
Lemon yellow. Early ripening, average yield (up to 2 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 75-80 days. Fruits are medium, flattened, with a segmented surface. The bark is firm, lemon yellow in color. The pulp is firm, white, sweet. The seeds are medium, creamy. The keeping quality and transportability are satisfactory.
Collective farmer-749/753. Mid-season, low yield (1 - 1.5 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 80-90 days. Fruits are spherical, small, with a smooth surface. The color is orange-yellow. The bark is hard. The pulp is thin, white, firm, very sweet. Seeds are medium, pale cream. Transportable, not easy.
Early-133. Early ripe, productive (up to 2 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 60-70 days. Fruits are of good presentation, round-oval, large, yellow, with and without a net. The pulp is white, thick, crumbly dense, tender, sweet, good taste. The seeds are medium, creamy. Transportable. Recommended for early production through seedlings and protected ground.
Dessert-5. Medium early, productive (2 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 80-90 days. Fruits are rounded-oval with a slightly segmented surface, the mesh is small. The background color is pale yellow, the color of the ribbons is salad. The pulp is white, juicy, of high taste. Seeds are medium, yellow. Keeping quality and transportability are weak.
Iliyskaya. Early ripe, productive (up to 2 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 71 - 83 days. Fruits are rounded-flattened with a slightly segmented surface. The color of the bark is yellow-orange. Drawing - orange-colored ribbons, no grid. The pulp is white, of medium thickness, tender, sweet, juicy. The seeds are medium, elongated, creamy, smooth. Transportability and keeping quality of fruits are poor. Purpose - for local consumption.
Samara. Early ripe, fruitful (2.5-3 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 75-90 days. The fruits are oval, with a slightly segmented surface, the mesh is sparse. Background color is yellow, of varying intensity. The bark is thin and smooth. The pulp is thick, white, tender, melting, very sweet. Contains up to 8 - 9% sugars. Seeds are medium, smooth, white. Transportability and keeping quality are average. Anthracnose and powdery mildew affects moderately, bacteriosis weakly. Purpose - for local consumption.
Golyanka. Early ripe. Productivity 1 - 1.5 kg per 1 m2. The fruits are round-oval. The surface is smooth, orange, with a weak mesh. The pulp is white, firm, sweet. The total sugar content is 7%. Transportability is good. Powdery mildew is strongly affected.
Natalina. Medium early. The growing season is 65-80 days. Productivity 1 - 1.5 kg per 1 m2. The fruits are spherical. The surface is smooth, yellow, mesh. The pulp is white, medium density, sweet. The dry matter content is 8%. Transportability is good. Medium susceptible to powdery mildew.
Slavia... Mid-season, vegetation period is 90-100 days. Productivity 2.5-3 kg per 1 m2. The fruits are oval. The surface is smooth, gray-green with a bronze tint, in a grid. The pulp is white, grainy, slightly crispy, tender, juicy, sweet. The total sugar content is 11-12%. Transportability and keeping quality are high. Resistant to extreme environmental conditions. Weakly affected by powdery mildew.
Pumpkin varieties
In conditions. The following pumpkin varieties are recommended in the Kuban:
Winter dining room A-5. Late maturing vegetation period of 136 days. Fruits are flat-round, with a segmented surface. The bark is light gray, the flesh is dense, orange, sweet, the seeds are large, glossy, yellow. Ripen in prone. Transportable. Productivity 2 - 2.5 kg from 1 mg.
Marble. Late ripening, for table use, fruitful (2.5-3 kg with 1 mj). The growing season is 136 days. Fruits are medium (5-6 kg), flattened. The surface is wrinkled-segmented, tuberous. The bark is gray and dark gray with specks like marble. The pulp is intense orange, thick, firm, crunchy, very sweet, tasty. The seeds are large, yellow-orange. Very good shelf life - a shelf life of eight to ten months.
Azure. Late maturing, vegetation period 110-120 days. Productivity 2.5-3.5 kg from 1 mg. Fruits are flattened, with a wrinkled and segmented surface, dark gray with a brown tint. The pulp is orange, thick, dense, crispy, sweet. Dry matter content 16-20%, total sugar 8-12%, carotene 14-20 mg%. Appointment canteen. Transportability and keeping quality are high.
Winter sweet. Late maturing (110-140 days). Universal use - for feed and dining purposes. Productivity 1.5-2 kg from 1 mg. Fruits are flattened, segmented, lumpy. The surface is dark gray. The pulp is orange, thick, dense. Total sugar content 6%, carotene 1 mg%. Medium resistant to powdery mildew.
Basal-1. Early ripening, universal purpose, fruitful (4-5 kg per 1 m2) Vegetation period 90-95 days. The fruit is flat-round, medium-sized, slightly segmented. The bark is light gray and gray. The pulp is thick, medium density, yellow-orange. The seeds are large, white. Transport is white. The fruits are stored for two to three months.
Large-fruited-1. Mid-season, fodder, high-yielding (3.5-4 kg per m2). The growing season 110-115 days? The fruits are large, slightly flattened. Ps the surface is weakly segmented. The bark is gray with pink spots. The pulp is thick, egg-yellow, of medium density. Lying, transportable.
BFB. Mid-late ripening (110-120 days for fodder purposes. Productivity 3.5-4 kg per 1 m2. Fruits are medium-illusory, segmented. The surface is gray with medium-sized pink spots. The pulp is orange-yellow of medium thickness (4-6 cm), loose, slightly sweet. Content dry matter 7.5-8.5, carotene 2-3 mg% Transportability good keeping quality Powdery mildew affects moderately.
Vitamin. Late ripening, fodder value, productive (4-5 kg per 1 m2), high carotene. Vegetation period 130 days. Fruits are large and medium, oval and elongated-oval, orange and dark orange with a green pattern in the form of a grid and heel. The pulp is red-orange, tender. Seeds are medium, dirty cream, with a scar. Transportable, stable.
Muscat. Late ripening, fodder, high-yielding (3.5-4 kg per 1 m2). The growing season is 130-135 days. Fruits are medium, irregularly ovoid. The surface of the fruit is slightly segmented. The rind is orange-yellow, with an indistinct mesh pattern. The pulp is red-orange.
Prikubanskaya. Late maturing, vegetation period 110-130 days. Productivity 4.5 kg from 1 m *. Fruits are cylindrical in shape with a thickening towards the flower end in the form of a club, where there is a small seed chamber. The surface is smooth with orange bark. The pulp is red-orange, dense, tender. Dry matter content 10-12%, total sugar 6-8%, carotene 16-18 mg%. Keeping quality is good. Universal purpose. Resistant to extreme environmental conditions.
Melons are harvested as they ripen.
The ripeness of a watermelon is determined by the drying of the antennae in the axil of the leaf near the stalk; loss of dullness on the surface of the fruit and the acquisition of shine, lightening of the pattern; by a dull sound when hitting with a click (for error-free use of these signs, you must have practical skills).
The ripeness of melon fruits is determined by a change in the color of the bark from green to yellow, fragrant smell, easy separation of the fruit from the stalk.
The ripeness of pumpkin fruits is determined by the dried and corky stalk. It is usually removed in one step before freezing.
I will share my experience
Gymnospermous pumpkin- a very rare vegetable, the seeds of which do not have a peel, are in a thin film, do not require cleaning, it is easy to make kozinaki, halva, cookies from them. Pumpkin is cultivated in any soil. The scourge reaches three meters. It bears fruit in 3 - 5 pieces, and in each pumpkin there are 200 - 300 seeds.
Gymnospermous pumpkin refers to the hard-bark variety of pumpkins, it usually has a very strong bark with orange-green stripes, yellow-orange pulp, depending on the variety, sweet or unleavened.
I grow five varieties. The sweetest I have two varieties: this is Cinderella with a flat-round shape of the fruit, very sweet pulp and black seeds and Gymnosperm improved(also has a flat-round shape, but the seeds are light blue).
Other varieties - Gymnosperm and Gymnosperms plus- have a rounded-oblong shape with yellow-green stripes, the first has a completely bland taste, the second has a sweet-fresh taste, the third is a gymnospermous zucchini - with white-yellow oblong fruits.
They are very tasty in milk-rice porridge, in pies with viburnum or dried fruits, with flat cakes or pancakes with sour cream. The gymnosperm pumpkin jam is also tasty, and its juice is very pleasant, therapeutic and dietary.
It is sown at the same time as ordinary pumpkins, but they cannot be planted next to them and with zucchini. They do not get sick, chemical treatment is not required, and it is not necessary, since the seeds are used in medicinal purposes with diseases such as adenoma, prostatitis, diabetes, kidney, urolithiasis, cardiovascular diseases, liver and stomach pain. Pumpkin restores salt metabolism and the immune system.
The special value of gymnospermous pumpkin is that its seeds, unlike ordinary pumpkin, contain trace elements of zinc, which plays the greatest role in metabolism, especially in the work of the pituitary gland and prostate gland.
Zinc deficiency creates disruptions in the rhythmic work of our body, retards growth and mental development in children, increases body weight, reduces the functions of the gonads, resulting in low sexual potency, infertility, prostatitis, adenoma and many other diseases.
Few people know that the appearance of small white spots on the surface of the nails is a signal of the body about a lack of zinc. It is like a red light in the driver's compartment that comes on, announcing that gasoline will soon run out. Therefore, an urgent need to "fill" (replenish) the body with zinc.
Our ancestors at one time did not know such terms as cystitis, prostatitis, adenoma. But on the other hand, they widely used medicinal properties gymnospermous pumpkin. The methods and secrets of its application have been passed down from generation to generation.
Using this knowledge, they successfully treated themselves. And thousands of rubles, as now, were not paid for the brightly advertised drugs like "The Bronze Horseman", with the use of which there is no guarantee against a new disease.
The gymnospermous pumpkin, apparently, was given by nature, God for medicinal purposes. After all, not a single vegetable, except for her, has for some reason bare seeds. Nature has foreseen everything here too, created them naked so that elderly people (and those who are over 50-60 years old suffer from adenoma) do not experience difficulties snapping seeds.
For three courses of treatment, 20-25 pumpkins are required. It is almost impossible to buy them on the market due to their rarity, but you can grow them yourself in your garden, as my grandfather once did.
It will be a personal "doctor" grown by you, a medicinal food product that will certainly stop the development of prostatitis, adenoma and other diseases.
I would advise parents who have male children to feed them not only overseas mars and sneakers, but also sweets that are quickly and easily prepared from gymnosperm pumpkin seeds.
For a more effective and accelerated treatment, it is better to use 5 varieties of gymnosperms at once, they will, as it were, complement each other in the percentage of zinc. Our health and our disease are in our hands.
I suggest vegetable growers start this much needed crop. She will be both a family doctor and a medical food product.
Well, now a few recipes for delicious sweets from this medicinal pumpkin.
Apple cheese "Mosaic".
For 5 kg of apples - 1 kg of sugar, 0.5 g of cinnamon, 170-250 from pumpkin gymnosperms.
We take green or unripe varieties sour apples with a soft peel, wash, remove the core, cut into thin slices, put in an enamel dish and sprinkle with sugar, mix well, cover with gauze and leave at room temperature for 12-15 hours, you can for a day.
Then we wash the resulting juice into a basin, boil for 15-20 minutes, so that a little liquid evaporates. Pour three quarters of the apples into it and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened (half the mass remains).
Pour in the remaining slices and cook for another 2-3 minutes, no more, so that they do not boil and do not lose their green color. At the end of cooking, add gymnospermous pumpkin seeds and cinnamon.
Now we are preparing an oblong bag of gauze and the same one made of polyethylene, but a little wider and longer, so that the gauze bag with apple mass can fit freely. We tie both bags tightly and put them under a slight oppression.
The liquid from the gauze bag flows into the cellophane bag. After a day, I take out the gauze bag, clean it with a spoon and hang it for 4-5 days to dry well, and that's it - the medicinal cheese is ready for use.
The finished cheese looks like this: green slices and white pumpkin seeds are visible in the brown apple mass. Delicious sweet and sour dessert.
Kozinaki.
Put 100 g of butter and 200 g of granulated sugar in an aluminum frying pan.
Heat the mixture over low heat until it begins to acquire a light brown color, then pour about one glass of toasted pumpkin seeds into it, stir thoroughly and transfer to any form, previously oiled, to cool.
Candies. A sealed can of condensed milk must be boiled in boiling water for about three hours. Put the resulting mass in a saucepan, add 150 g of butter and heat in a water bath until completely softened.
Pour 1 -1.5 cups of toasted and lightly crushed pumpkin seeds into it, mix everything, put on a tray greased with butter, cool and cut into squares. The treat is ready.
Surprise cookies. The dough is ordinary, unleavened: 200 g of margarine, 4 eggs, a glass of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of soda and salt each, 3 cups of flour, then add 1-2 cups of fried pumpkin seeds, knead the dough.
Cut it into small balls and bake in the oven. Sprinkle the finished cookies with powdered sugar mixed with cocoa.
Diseases of melons and gourds
Powdery mildew. Fungal disease.
The aboveground organs of cucumber, melon, watermelon, zucchini and squash are affected. The disease initially manifests itself on the upper side of the leaf in the form of white powdery spots, the size of which increases rapidly. Then spots are formed on the underside of the leaf, on the petioles and stems. Affected leaves die off. The development of the disease is favored by sharp temperature fluctuations, high air humidity and abundant dew. During the growing season, the infection spreads by spores, which are transferred from diseased plants to healthy ones by the wind, with watering, with care, etc. The causative agent of the disease remains on the post-harvest residues.
Control measures.
The alternation of crops with the return of the cucumber to its original place not earlier than after 3-4 years. Deep autumn digging of soil. Removal of diseased leaves, plant debris and weeds. If the disease continues to spread, the plants are sprayed with 0.3% colloidal sulfur or dusted with ground sulfur powder at the rate of 300 g per 100 m2. The waiting period is 1 day. With a strong development of the disease, the treatment is repeated after 7-8 days.
You can use an infusion of slurry or hay dust. To prepare the infusion, one part of slurry or hay dust is poured with three parts of water, infused for three days, filtered before use, diluted three times with water and 5 g of copper sulfate is added to 10 liters. Plants are sprayed in the evening or in cloudy weather, treat both sides of the leaves. Treatment of plants with milk (1 liter of milk per 10 liters of water) limits the spread of the disease and reduces its harmfulness. From biological preparations against powdery mildew, treat cucumbers in protected ground repeatedly with an interval of 7-8 days with trichothecin (2 g per 10 m2). The waiting period is 3 days.
Anthracnose.
Plants of any age (cucumber, melon, watermelon) are affected. Large round or oval yellow-brown spots are formed on the leaves and cotyledons, which become covered with a pink bloom at high humidity. The leaves dry up and die. On the petioles, stems and fruits, pink spots are formed in the form of ulcers, which then darken. Affected fruits become bitter. If the disease spreads to the root part, then the plant dies. The damage to plants increases with rainy weather and dew. The infection is transmitted through seeds and plant debris.
Control measures.
Compliance with crop rotation and destruction of post-harvest residues. Sowing with healthy seeds. For healing, the seeds are sprinkled in a thin layer (up to 2 cm) in the sun (in the open air) and constantly stirred throughout the day. Heating continues for 2-4 days. The sun's rays disinfect the seeds and stimulate their germination. You can disinfect seeds with phytoncides. For 100 g of water, take 25 g of garlic pulp, mix thoroughly, place the seeds in the prepared mixture and leave them in a closed jar for 1 hour. Then the seeds are washed and dried. You can also heal seeds for 6 hours in aloe juice diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio, or in mullein prepared in a 1: 6 ratio.
To ensure friendly germination and increase resistance against the disease, the seeds should be treated with microelements before sowing. To prepare the solution, you can use ready-made tablets or individual fertilizers, spending 0.5 g per 1 liter of water boric acid, potassium permanganate, zinc sulfate, ammonium molybdate, 0.05 g of copper sulfate and 5 g of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The seeds are kept in solution for 24 hours, then dried. No less effective is the use of an aqueous infusion of wood ash, which contains up to 30 nutrients necessary for a plant, including microelements. To prepare it, 20 g of wood ash is infused for 1-1 days in 1 liter of water. The seeds are kept in solution for 4 to 6 hours. When the first signs of the disease appear, the plants are treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid, rhizoplan solution (titer 5 × 10 ″ f / ml). For prevention, foliar feeding of young plants (after thinning) can be carried out with the following solution: 20 g of superphosphate, 7 g of urea, 2 g of manganese sulfate, 4 g of copper sulfate, dissolved in 10 warm water. During the growth period, three foliar dressings are carried out.
Bacteriosis, or angular spotting.
Develops in all phases of growth. Leaves develop oily angular light brown spots. Over time, the spots dry out, turn brown and fall out. The leaf becomes perforated. On the stems, petioles and fruits, small watery spots first appear, which subsequently dry up and look like buried ulcers. The development of bacteriosis is facilitated by an increase in humidity and air temperature. The infection persists on the seeds and on the affected post-harvest debris.
Control measures.
Compliance with crop rotation. Improvement of seeds (see measures to combat tracnose). When the first signs of the disease appear, the plants are treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid. The consumption rate of the working fluid is 1 liter per 10 m2. The treatment is repeated after 10-12 days. Bordeaux liquid is used 15 days before harvest. Destruction of post-harvest residues.
Fusarium wilting. Plants are affected by Fusarium wilting at any age. On the affected seedlings, the cotyledons wilt, the lower part of the stem rots, and mass death of seedlings is often observed, in which the roots are rotten or withered. In adult plants, it is affected vascular system and they wither or become dwarf. Fusarium wilt affects all pumpkin crops. The fungus hibernates in plant debris, penetrates into plants through the root system. The disease develops especially in wet weather with a sharp temperature drop.
Control measures. To prevent the disease in the germination phase and during the entire growing season, watering of melons is carried out along the furrows, in which the root collar, whips and fruits of cultivated plants are located on a dry aisle. In the lash formation phase, one or two spraying with Bordeaux liquid is recommended (100 g of copper sulfate + 100 g of lime per 10 liters of water). In autumn, plant residues are removed. It is necessary to observe the crop rotation, taking into account the return of the pumpkin to their original place in 6 - 8 years. It is advisable to place melons on a layer of perennial grasses.
Downy mildew (downy mildew). Fungal disease.
The disease develops in protected and open ground. It affects cucumbers, melon, watermelon, pumpkin. It manifests itself on plants of any age, starting with seedlings. The symptoms of the disease are varied. Most often, in affected plants, yellowish-green spots of a round or angular shape are formed on the upper side of the leaf. With an angular form of spots, the disease is often mistaken for bacteriosis. Sometimes the younger leaves have a mosaic color, which resembles the defeat of plants by a virus. With any form of damage to the leaves on the underside, a gray-purple bloom is formed, which consists of sporulation of the fungus. With the further development of the disease, the spots increase and cover the entire leaf blade. Gradually, the leaves turn brown, dry up, crumble. The development of the disease increases with high air humidity, the presence of dews and fogs, as well as when crops are grown in poorly ventilated and shaded areas. The infection persists on plant debris.
Control measures.
Compliance with crop rotation with the return of affected crops in 3 - 4 years. Seeds are sown only in well-warmed soil or seedlings in pots. Particular attention should be paid to the introduction of organic fertilizers and optimal doses of mineral fertilizers. An excess of nitrogen, especially when there is a lack of phosphorus and potassium, reduces the resistance of plants to diseases. The first preventive chemical treatment should be carried out in the phase of 2 - 3 true leaves, the second - after 10 - 12 days, the next - when the first signs of the disease appear and repeat after 7-12 days, depending on weather conditions. Spraying is carried out with a 0.4% solution of cuproxad, kartozid or efal (20 g / 10 l of water). From chemicals, apply copper oxychloride 20 days before harvest or Bordeaux liquid - 15 days.
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1. Total value
2. Botanical and biological characteristics
3. Cultivation technology
1. Melon crops - watermelon, melon and pumpkin - are cultivated for the sake of obtaining juicy fruits that are distinguished by high taste. They are of great food and feed importance.
Watermelon and melon are eaten mostly fresh. In addition, honey is boiled from watermelon and candied fruits and pickles are prepared, melon is used in the canning and confectionery industries. Late-ripening melon varieties have gained worldwide fame for their unsurpassed taste, transportability and ability to store almost until the next harvest. Pumpkin is used boiled and baked, it is used for making candied fruits and honey (from juice). Edible oil is obtained from the seeds of melons and gourds.
For livestock feed, fresh fruits of fodder varieties of watermelon and pumpkin are usually used. 100 kg of fodder pumpkin equals on average 10.2 fodder units, 100 kg of fodder watermelon - 9.3 and 100 kg of squash - 7.2 fodder units.
Melon growing as a branch of plant growing emerged in our country in the middle of the last century. At present, the sown area for melons and gourds is more than 1 million hectares. The CIS ranks first in the world in terms of the cultivated areas of melons and gourds.
Cultivation areas. Productivity. Watermelon is cultivated mainly in the Middle and Lower Volga region, in the North Caucasus, Ukraine and Moldova, melon - in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, and pumpkin - in the central regions of the Non-Black Earth Zone, in the Central Black Earth Zone, Trans-Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Along with pumpkin, early ripening varieties of watermelon are also cultivated in these regions. In recent years, the border of melon growing has moved significantly to the north and east.
Outside our country, melons and gourds are cultivated in many countries of Asia (India, China, Japan), Africa and America. From European countries melons are sown in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy.
The average yield of watermelon on non-irrigated lands is 200-250 centners, and on irrigated lands - 400-500 centners per hectare, melon yield ranges from 160 to 500 centners per hectare, pumpkin - from 350 to 700 centners and more per hectare. The highest yields of melons are obtained in Ukraine, Moldova, the North Caucasus, as well as in the irrigated conditions of Transcaucasia and Central Asia.
2. Botanical characteristics. Biological features.
Melon crops belong to the Pumpkin family - Cucurbita-seae, which includes the three most important genus in the culture - watermelon (Citrullus), melon (Melo) and pumpkin (Cucurbita). Plants belonging to these genera, annuals, are very similar to each other in the structure of vegetative and generative organs.
Watermelon. The watermelons cultivated in our country belong to two types: table watermelon - Citrullus edulis Pang, and fodder watermelon (candied) - Citrullus colocynthoides Pang.
The root of the table watermelon is pivotal, highly branched, reaching a depth of 2.5-3 m and extending to the sides up to 5-7 m.
The stem is creeping, long-plaited (2-5 m), creeping, with 5-10 branches covered with hard hairs.
The leaves are strongly dissected into pinnately cut lobes, rigidly pubescent.
Flower - yellow, dioecious; female flowers are larger than male ones. Cross pollination using insects.
The fruit is a multi-seeded false berry (pumpkin) on a long stalk, spherical, oval or oblong, colored white-greenish, greenish or dark green, often with a marble pattern (Fig. 1). The bark of the fruit is leathery, fragile, with a thickness of 0.5 to 2 cm. The pulp of various consistencies, carmine-red, pink, less often white or yellow, has a sweet or slightly sweet taste. The pulp contains from 5.7 to 13% sugar. Fruit weight from 2 to 20 kg.
Seeds are flat, ovate (0.5-2 cm in length) with a scar along the edge and with a hard peel of white, yellow, gray, red and black color, often with a spotted pattern. The mass of 1000 seeds is 60-150 g.
The fodder watermelon is somewhat different in structure from the table watermelon.
Its root system is more powerful.
Leaves with larger, shortened lobules.
The flowers are large, with a pale yellow corolla. Male flowers are located on long legs, female flowers are on shortened ones.
Fruits of various shapes - spherical or oval-oblong, green or light green in color with dark stripes of a marble pattern. The pulp of the fruit is greenish-pale, contains 1.2-2.6% sugar. Fruit weight from 10-15 to 25-30 kg or more.
The seeds of fodder watermelon do not have a scar. The mass of 1000 seeds is 100-200 g.
The main varieties of table watermelon: Favorite of the farm of Pyatigorsk 286, Stokes 647/649, Melitopolsky 142, Marble, Rosa of the Yugo-Vostoka.
The most common varieties of fodder watermelon: Dishkhim, Brodsky 37-42, Bogarny 112.
Table watermelon is one of the thermophilic, heat-tolerant and very drought-resistant plants. In moist soil, its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 10 - 17 0 C. Seedlings appear on the 8-10th day. Frosts in the HS are destructive for them. The most favorable temperature for the growth of stems and leaves is 20-22 °, and for the development of fruits - 25-30 ° C. Table watermelon is a light-loving plant of a short day. The best soils for it are sandy loam chernozems, clean from weeds.
The fodder watermelon in comparison with the table watermelon is less picky about growing conditions.
Melon represented by many botanical species. In the CIS, types of melons with soft pulp are widespread: Khandalyak - Melo chanda-lak Pang., Adana, or Cilician - M. adana Pang., Kassaba - M. cassaba Pang .; and with dense pulp: Chardzhou - M. zard Pang., Ameri-M. ameri Parig., cantaloupe - M, cantalupa Pang.
The stem of the melon is creeping, cylindrical, hollow, heavily branched, coarse-haired.
The leaves are reniform or cordate, with long petioles.
The flowers are orange-yellow.
Fruits are large, of various shapes and colors. The pulp is loose or dense, contains 12% sugar (Fig. 2).
Seeds are ovoid, flat, white-yellow, from 0.5 to 1.5 cm long, contain 25-30% oil. The mass of 1000 seeds is 35-50 g.
Melon varieties with soft flesh include Khandalyak Kokcha 14, Dessertnaya 5. Melon varieties with hard flesh: Ameri 696, Kolkhoznitsa 749/753.
By its biological characteristics, the melon is close to the watermelon, but it is more thermophilic and easier to put up with loamy soils.
The pumpkin in culture has three types: table pumpkin or ordinary pumpkin - Cucurbita pepo L., large-fruited fodder pumpkin - C. maxima Duch. And butternut pumpkin - C. Moschata Duch ..
The stem of the common pumpkin is highly developed, creeping. Some pumpkin varieties are characterized by a bush form (zucchini).
L and s t I five-lobed, with coarse subulate pubescence.
Male flowers are collected in several pieces in leaf axils, female flowers are single, located on lateral branches.
The fruit is obovate (Fig. 3), with fibrous sweet pulp containing 4-8% sugar.
Seeds are medium in size and small, oval, with a clear rim, white, cream or darker color, contain 36-52% oil. The mass of 1000 seeds is 200-230 g.
Large-fruited fodder pumpkin has a cylindrical hollow creeping stem. The leaves are reniform, weakly globular, covered with coarse hairs. The flowers are very large, orange-yellow. Fruits are spherical, flattened or elongated, reaching 50-70 cm in diameter, of various colors. The pulp of the fruit is friable, juicy, orange, less often white, contains 4-8% sugar. The seeds are large (2-3 cm long), smooth, with an indistinct rim. The seeds contain 36-50% oil. The mass of 1000 seeds is 240-300 g.
Butternut pumpkin has a creeping, branched rounded-faceted stem. The leaves are reniform, cordate-notched or lobed, pubescent with fine hairs. The flowers are green or reddish-orange, the fruit is elongated, with an interception. The pulp of the fruit is dense, contains 8-11% sugar. Seeds are medium in size, dirty gray with a clear rim, contain 30-46% oil. The mass of 1000 seeds is 190-220 g.
The most common varieties of table pumpkin: Almond 35, M ozoleevskaya 49, Spanish 73, Gribovskaya 37 (zucchini). Fodder pumpkin varieties: Hundred-pound, Large-fruited 1, Hybrid 72, Local varieties of muscat pumpkin.
Pumpkin is less thermophilic and less drought tolerant than watermelon and melon. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 12-13 ° C. Seedlings suffer less from frost. Pumpkin works best on loamy soils.
3. All melons and gourds are demanding on soil fertility and cleanliness of fields from weeds. They work well on virgin and fallow lands, on a layer of perennial grasses and on floodplains.
Place in the crop rotation. In field crop rotations, fertilized winter crops and grain legumes are considered the best predecessors of melons and gourds. Melons themselves are good predecessors of spring crops, especially spring wheat, and in the southern regions, subject to early harvesting of melons and gourds, and for winter crops.
Fertilizer. Melons and gourds are responsive to the application of organic and mineral fertilizers. The most effective joint application of these fertilizers. It is especially important to fertilize on light sandy soils. As the main fertilizer, manure is applied under deep fall plowing in the amount of 15-20 tons for watermelon and melon and 30-40 tons per hectare for pumpkin. Higher doses of manure for these crops should not be applied, as this can cause a delay in fruit ripening and deterioration of their quality. Simultaneously with the manure, mineral fertilizers are applied (N 6 oP 45 K 5 o). Of great importance is the application of mineral fertilizers when sowing in rows (N 10 P 15 Kio). In addition to the main and pre-sowing fertilization, it is also desirable for irrigation to fertilize before flowering plants (N 30 P 45 K 45).
Soil cultivation. For melons and gourds, deep autumn plowing is carried out in the fall, and in the spring - harrowing and at least two presowing cultivation with simultaneous harrowing. On highly compacted soils in northern regions melon growing, the first cultivation is often replaced by plowing.
Sowing. Seed preparation. For sowing, seeds are taken from fully ripe healthy fruits. Their germination rate must be at least 90%. To increase germination, the seeds are subjected to air-thermal heating for 3-5 days. Before sowing, seeds must be treated with 80% TMTD (5 g per 1 kg of seeds) or fentiuram (4 g per 1 kg of seeds).
Sowing dates. Sowing melons and gourds should be started when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 14-16 ° C. When sown in cold soil, as well as when cold weather returns, the sown seeds do not germinate for a long time and can rot in the soil.
Sowing methods. Seeds are sown in a square-nested, rectangular-nest and in an ordinary way using corn, cotton and special seeders. The distance between nests or rows for watermelon and pumpkin is 2.1-3 m, for melon - 1.4-2.1 m and zucchini - 0.7 m. scheme 2.1x2.1 1-2 plants per nest (2.3-4.6 thousand plants per 1 ha), melons -2.1x1.4 or 1.4x X 1.4 m, two plants per nest (7.5-10.2 thousand plants per 1 ha) and zucchini-70x70 cm, ІхІ m (10.2-20.4 thousand plants per 1 ha).
Seeding rates for watermelon seeds are 2-3 kg, pumpkin - 3-5 kg, melon and zucchini - 2-4 kg per hectare. The sowing depth of watermelon and pumpkin seeds is 6-8 cm, melon and zucchini - 3-5 cm.
Crop care. Before emergence, harrowing and loosening are carried out with rotary hoes to destroy the crust and destroy weed seedlings. In the future, inter-row treatments are carried out to a depth of 12-15 cm for the first and 8-10 cm for subsequent treatments. When processing row spacings, the overgrown lashes of plants must be removed to the side so as not to damage them with the wheels of tractors and tillage implements. To prevent the lashes from swelling with the wind, they are sprinkled with damp soil. This causes the formation of additional roots, which improves plant nutrition. Good results are obtained by pinching (chasing) the ends of the lashes during the flowering of male flowers. In the experiments of the Voronezh Agricultural Institute, the chasing of fodder watermelon increased the yield by 66.7 centners per hectare. Irrigation of melons and gourds begins long before. flowering and carry out 3-5 waterings at intervals of 10-15 days. During flowering, watering is temporarily stopped, and resumed when fruit sets. Irrigation rate is 600-800 m 3 of water per 1 hectare. After each watering, the row spacings are loosened.
Harvest. The ripening of melons with a long flowering period does not occur at the same time. Therefore, table varieties of watermelon, melon and zucchini are harvested as they ripen in several steps, and pumpkin and fodder watermelon - in one step, before the onset of frost.
The signs of ripening of watermelon fruits are drying of the stalk, coarsening of the bark and the appearance of a clear pattern on it. Ripe melon fruits acquire the color and pattern characteristic of the variety. The ripeness of the pumpkin can also be determined by the color of the fruit and the density of the rind. Zucchini is harvested until the bark is roughened. In the case of plucked fruits, the stalks should be left to improve keeping quality.
Ripe and undamaged fruits of pumpkin and fodder watermelon can be stored in a dry and insulated room at a temperature of 2-5 ° C for almost the entire winter. Table watermelon and melon, with the exception of Central Asian and Transcaucasian, are not stored for long.
And the open field is not associated with great difficulties. Some summer residents refuse to plant melons, considering it inexpedient to occupy a large area of the site. Meanwhile, these crops get along well together and give an excellent harvest, subject to certain rules. In a compact garden plot, there is no need to set aside a separate place for melons and watermelons, they can be planted nearby and enjoy juicy sweet fruits.
Seed treatment before planting
Seed material is planted in peat molds at the end of April. Before sowing, it is advisable to warm the seeds well indoors or near a heating device. It is also recommended to soak them in warm water and disinfect them in one of the solutions:
- hydrogen peroxide solution is prepared at the rate of 10 tablets per liter of water;
- a weak solution of manganese or boron of 0.05% concentration;
- "Epin extra", a stimulant is diluted as follows: 6 drops of a dietary supplement per 100 ml of water;
- "Zircon", the solution is prepared at the rate of 2-4 drops of liquid per liter of water.
Treatment with biostimulants will not only destroy pathogens, but also allow plants to adapt to temperature disasters, and also increase crop yields. Soaking is carried out in a cotton bag, which is immersed in heated (approximately 60 °) water, the liquid is allowed to drain and left for a day. During this time, the seeds should swell and crack a little. If this does not happen, it makes no sense to plant them in the ground: the culture will turn out to be weak. When planting, 2 seeds are placed in each mold, in the future this will allow you to remove a weaker branch.
Simultaneous soaking and warming of seeds is the best preparation for seedlings. Melons are watered only with water at room temperature, while it is necessary to ensure that it does not irrigate the leaves. Seedlings of melons and gourds are quite capricious and require good lighting, warmth and gentle watering.
Special soil is sold in stores, but you can prepare it yourself. For this purpose, mineral fertilizer "Kemira universal" is added to the suitable soil. For each pot, 1 teaspoon is enough, then the earth is mixed well. The seeds are buried to a depth of 2-3 cm and watered. Under favorable conditions, the first shoots appear on the 5-6th day, and in a week you can see the first leaf.
Planting melons in indoor ground is carried out at the end of May. By this time, the soil has already warmed up enough, and frost will not damage the root system. It is recommended to harden young plants in advance, for this they are taken out into the street at a temperature of 13-15 degrees or the air in the room is cooled to these figures. The best seedling age for planting is approximately 25-30 days.
Before planting, the soil is tightened with plastic wrap, in which holes are cut for peat containers. This allows not only to protect heat-loving crops from low temperatures, but also increases productivity. Fertilizers are additionally applied to the holes: humus, ash or mineral additives. From above, the nutrient components are covered with a layer of earth.
The greenhouse should maintain optimal temperature and light conditions. The temperature should be 20-25 ° during the day and 15-18 ° at night. Watered sparingly and infrequently with warm water. To prevent condensation from occurring, the greenhouse must be periodically ventilated. Watermelons and melons are quite sensitive to excess moisture, their seedlings can rot, and the fruits themselves grow watery and tasteless. If it gets colder outside, cover the soil and young seedlings with foil, cotton cloth or paper.
At the time of planting melons in the greenhouse, you can have time to harvest young cabbage, early radish and greens. This not only warms up the soil additionally, but also saves space.
Landing order
The scheme of planting in open ground is as follows. The distance between plants should be 40-50 cm for watermelons and 50-60 cm for melons. When grown together in a greenhouse, watermelons and melons are planted in a checkerboard pattern. Peat containers are buried shallowly into the ground, there should be a gap of about 3 cm between the leaves and the ground. This trick will further protect the plant from disease and decay.
When planting, the scheme and the distance between the rows are taken into account. Usually it is recommended to plant in 2 rows, between which a piece of land 50 cm wide is left. The next planting of melons in the ground is carried out at a distance of 80 cm from the first rows.
Care for melons in the greenhouse
Caring for watermelons and melons is not difficult and not too laborious. Young shoots can be covered with cut plastic bottles, this protective frame allows for increased yield. As the plant grows, the bottle is removed or replaced with a higher shelter. When the stem has increased sufficiently in length, it is attached to a special support - a trellis, you can tie the top with a thread to the ceiling of the greenhouse. Heavy fruits are placed in nets, cardboard boxes. The main thing is that they do not come into contact with the ground.
7-10 days after planting, you can feed it with nitrogen fertilizer - urea or saltpeter, for this, 20 grams of the substance are diluted in 10 liters of water.
Care for melons consists in loosening the soil, watering and feeding. It is necessary to ensure that weeds do not appear between the shoots after planting. Young plants are watered once a week, then it is allowed to do this twice a month.
Watermelons and melons are drought-resistant crops, they germinate in the southern regions, where the absence of rain for a long time is considered normal. When the first fruits appear, watering is stopped. Watering melons should be done carefully, making sure that no water gets on the root part of the stem. Otherwise, the crop can be damaged by rot.
Every 2-3 weeks the soil should be fertilized with mullein infusion and mineral substances... During feeding, a small handful of ash can be added to each hole.
Artificial pollination in a greenhouse is carried out with a male flower, it is determined by its impressive size. The flower is picked and applied to the female flowers. The crop should not be watered before pollination so that excess moisture does not affect the quality of the pollen. Many gardeners attract bees to pollination: they open the doors of the greenhouse, put saucers with sugar syrup.
Plant formation
As they grow, the stems are bred in different directions. In the future, they are tied to wooden or metal trellises.
To teach a good harvest, you need to follow the rules.
- The apical part of the stem is cropped on melons. This procedure will be sufficient for early maturing varieties. Late melon varieties are docked differently. In addition to removing the top, the side parts are also inspected, their thickness and power are assessed. Young lashes are removed, leaving 3-4 strong branches.
- You will have to tinker with watermelons. The cultivation of this culture is carried out in one stem, it is selected by the presence of shoots in the leaf axils. The stems, on which there is no ovary, are removed, the rest are pinched. When the culture grows above the trellis size, repeated pinching of the apical lash is carried out at the level of the 4-5th leaf.
Features of growing in the open field
Before planting plants in open ground, you should decide on a place. Watermelons and melons prefer to grow in slightly elevated, gently sloping areas that warm well and are illuminated by the sun's rays. Here they grow better, bear fruit abundantly and ripen early.
Care is carried out by loosening the soil, removing weeds and excess lashes. In the process of growth, several inter-row soil treatments are carried out. The first - when young leaves appear, to a depth of 6-8 cm, the second - when 5-6 true leaves appear, loosening can be combined with top dressing.
Harvest watermelons and melons as they ripen. The ripeness of watermelons is determined by the drying of the antennae in the axils of the leaves, the disappearance of dullness and the appearance of shine, and the clarification of the peel of the fruit. If you tap on a watermelon, a dull sound appears, but you need to have practical skills to distinguish it.
Melon ripeness is determined by the dried stalk.
Are melons compatible?
Can watermelons and melons be planted nearby? These crops consume similar chemical substances and need approximately the same processing methods. If you plant them side by side, this will greatly simplify the care procedures: watering, garter, groundbait. However, melons and gourds greatly impoverish the soil, and they can be planted in the same place only after a few years. To prevent this, watermelons and melons should be regularly fed with mineral fertilizers.
Collecting seeds from watermelons and melons when planting them together is not recommended, since mutual pollination occurs. The result of such a hybrid may not be very tasty.
If you are the owner of a large plot of land, it is better to plant these crops in open ground in different parts of the garden. If the site is small, then they can be planted nearby, nothing terrible will happen. The proximity of melons with each other will not affect the yield.
