Melon pumpkin has a hard crust and a large fruit. It was selected by Russian scientists in 2006. It belongs to the mid-ripening variety (the crop is harvested after 100-120 days), is characterized by unpretentiousness, resistance to cold and drought. Feature - after eating pumpkin for a long time there is a pleasant aftertaste. Contains a shocking amount of sugar - 15%.
Melon pumpkin
Melon pumpkin tastes sweet
Melon pumpkin grows in all climates
General characteristics
Melon pumpkin is a long-creeping creeping plant with a branching root system. Pumpkin adapts to drought and cold (up to +2 degrees), but shelter is required for frosts. Maximum watering is carried out during the formation of ovaries and buds.
Planted in seedlings and seedlings, depending on the climatic zone (in the south, seeds are laid immediately in the ground, in the north seedlings are initially planted). Melon pumpkin is characterized by high productivity - from 1 square. m you can take from 20 to 45 kg of fruit.
Features of fruits and bush:
- the length of the root root is 4-5 meters;
- foliage - heart-shaped, five-lobed;
- petiole is long;
- the size of the sheet plate is 20-30 cm;
- flowers - a single same-sex type, large size, bright yellow hue;
- type of pollination is cross;
- sex of flowers: women have short pedicels, men have elongated;
- stem - thick, strong, creeping, over 4-5 meters long;
- the shape of the stalk is cylindrical;
- the root system is powerful, branched;
- large fruit - from 10 to 30 kg;
- roundish shape, slightly flattened;
- the color of the peel is rich yellow;
- shade of pulp - dark orange;
- pulp structure - compacted, juicy;
- fruit - sweet with a melon smack;
- calorie content per 100 grams of pulp is 22 kcal.
The variety has a wide range of applications due to its high sugar content:
- baby food;
- juices;
- milk porridge;
- desserts;
- salads;
- casseroles;
- pies, pies;
- mashed soups;
- second courses.
Not only the flesh is eaten, but also the seeds, which have a good taste. From a pumpkin, dishes are prepared at home, they are used in production. In addition to cooking, the variety is used in traditional medicine:
- restores the functionality of the liver;
- normalizes the work of the heart;
- strengthens the immune system;
- cleanses blood vessels;
- beneficial effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
- has a slight diuretic effect;
- appointment of seeds - helminthic infestations.
Growing Features
Pumpkin Melon grows under any climatic conditions, even in the North of Russia. The variety is resistant to low temperatures, but not for long. For example, if the air temperature does not rise above + 5-7 degrees for a week or more, then the plant stops its development. In these cases, it is necessary to create warm conditions - cover with agrofibre, a dense plastic wrap, and plastic bottles. If the temperature drops by 1-3 days, nothing will happen to the pumpkin.
Features:
- Soil under Melon pumpkin should have friability and fertility. To do this, the land is carefully fertilized when digging.
- Crop rotation. It is forbidden to grow a culture after cucumbers, watermelons, squash, zucchini. It is advisable that in the previous year, tomatoes and other nightshade crops, beans were planted on the pumpkin patch.
- Soil preparation begins in the fall. To do this, they dig it to a height of 1-1.5 bayonets of a shovel, while simultaneously applying organic fertilizer. Manure is great for this. It is brought in 6-7 kg per 1 square. m plot. Additionally, potassium chloride and superphosphate can be used.
- The variety does not like too dense soil, so it is made easier by pouring river sand.
- Digging is not required in spring, but it is important to remove the entire weed along with the root system. After this, loosening and leveling of the soil surface is performed.
- It is important to properly prepare the seed material. Before sowing, it is sorted by hand, removing damaged, spotted elements. Particular attention is paid to the presence of seed in the peel. If the seed is hollow, it is thrown away.
- Planting material must be soaked for 3-4 hours. For this, the seed is laid out in water with a temperature of up to +50 degrees, installing a tank on the heating radiator.
- The variety requires seed germination. You need to cut off a piece of gauze, roll it in several layers, moisten it abundantly in water and lay the seed material. Transfer the soaked grains to a shallow container, cover with cling film to create greenhouse conditions. Remove the film when sprouts appear. Remember to moisten the seeds daily.
- To make the pumpkin easier to adapt to outdoor conditions, the seeds are hardened. To do this, 2-3 days before sowing, they are placed in the refrigerator.
Seedling method
First of all, you need to prepare the tanks. If other crops can be planted in one common box, then Melon pumpkin can not. This is due to the delicate root system, which does not tolerate a dive (transplant). Therefore, you can use peat glasses, plastic bottles, paper disposable cups, tetrapacs from sour-milk products.
If the container is not peaty, it is subjected to disinfection - it is washed, treated with special means or with a dark solution of manganese. At the bottom, you need to make several small holes for a drainage effect.
A universal horticultural substrate or a mixture prepared independently is used as soil. What you need: garden soil, peat, humus, sawdust.
Stages of planting and cultivation:
- Soil is laid in the tank, which needs to be moistened.
- Next, the seed is inserted, filled with soil.
- Light watering again.
- The container is covered with a film, installed on the windowsill from the sunny side (the film is removed when the first sprouts appear).
- Seed bookmark depth is 2 cm.
- It is necessary to water the plant with warm water, always defended or rain.
- The temperature regime for the cultivation of seedlings: 25-30 degrees should be air until seedlings are formed, another week - 15-25, the next 7 days - 15-18 degrees. Further enough room temperature.
- 12-15 days after the formation of the sprouts, top dressing is carried out using mullein or nitrophos.
- Transplantation into the open ground is carried out after the appearance of 3 full leaves. The seedling growth period is 20-22 days.
- In the garden, make holes with a distance of 0.8-1 meter from each other, pour warm water (1-2 liters), plant seedlings.
- It is better to dive in the morning or in the evening when there is no direct sunlight.
- 2 seeds are placed in one container. After germination, the stronger element is left, and the weak one is removed. You can’t dig it out with the root, since the root system of a strong seed is disrupted. Therefore, at the very surface of the earth, the stem is cut off with neat movements.
Seed planting
Pumpkin seeds can be sown in open soil at soil temperature + 15-18 degrees. You can measure the temperature with an ordinary thermometer, which is deepened into the ground by 10-15 cm.
Landing Features:
- The distance between the wells and the rows should be at least 80 cm-1 meter.
- Wells are made 25 cm wide (+/– 5 cm).
- Depth of laying of planting material varies from 6 to 10 cm.
- A couple of liters of warm water is initially poured into the pits, humus is laid. It contains 2-3 seeds. So that subsequently there are no problems with thinning the bushes, the distance from seed to seed should be 5 cm.
- Sprinkled with soil, watered with water at room temperature.
- Mulching is carried out using peat or humus, which will retain heat and the necessary level of humidity.
- It is desirable, but not necessary, to cover the seed material with a film before germination of the sprouts.
Watering
Irrigation with water should be regular, especially until half the fruit ripening period. Initially, 2 liters of water are poured under the root system, then the dosage is gradually increased up to 5 liters per bush.
The liquid must be warm and not piped, as the latter contains harmful chemical compounds. To avoid negative effects, water must be defended for 3 days.
Thinning and weeding
Thinning is carried out after the appearance of 3 normal leaves. The procedure is identical to that performed during thinning seedlings.
Tearing out the grass prevents pests, spread of diseases. The weed absorbs a large amount of moisture and nutrients from the soil, so pumpkin will not be enough. Weeding is carried out along with loosening the day after watering.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are applied in this way:
- 7-8 days after planting in open ground, you need to bring in slurry;
- during flowering, organic fertilizer is used (manure, humus, chicken droppings, compost);
- when ripe pumpkins ripen, wood ash and nitrophoska are required.
Possible difficulties
Possible difficulties and useful recommendations:
- If the seeds do not hatch, you need to pay attention to the temperature regime of air and water, which irrigates the soil. Another reason is unprepared seeds, as a result of which you planted hollow elements. In the latter case, you have to land again. In the first - increase the temperature.
- The cause of sprout weakness may be soil infertility. The best solution is the application of organic and mineral fertilizers.
- If the roots rot, then you fill in excessively much water.
- With a small number of ovaries there is no pollination (few insects). The artificial pollination procedure will help here. What you need to do: pick a male flower, open the petals, attach stamens to the female stigmas.
- If there are no ovaries, and the foliage predominates in an excessive amount, then the reason may be overfeeding with fertilizers. Add bad soil urgently.
- The fruits ripen too long. The underlying reason is a lack of light. Experienced gardeners recommend removing excess foliage that covers the fruit and prevents sunlight from falling onto the pumpkins.
- Strong growth of lashes should not be allowed, as they will absorb all useful substances.
- To enhance the flow of minerals and moisture to the plants, it is recommended that the lashes be dug up with soil, as a result of which they will produce new roots that distribute the necessary substances throughout the plant.
- To taste the fruit was excellent, watering must be stopped when yellowing pumpkin.
- Rotting fruit can be eliminated with the help of improvised materials: glass, pieces of slate, boards, etc. are placed under the pumpkins.
If there is not enough space on your site, use the trellis method of growing Melon pumpkin:
- install wooden supports along the rows;
- mount the rails horizontally on them or tie a rope, fasten a strong wire;
- attach the lashes to the trellis elements;
- run them on rails or cord.
When trellis growing pumpkin crops, the distance between the holes should be 50 cm. This method not only saves space and space, but also allows the plant to receive enough light and oxygen. But note that large fruits should remain on the ground, smaller ones should be placed in a grid and fixed on a wooden base.
Diseases and Pests
Melon variety is considered resistant to disease, but with improper care, immunity quickly decreases. As a result of this, such disease:
- Bacteriosis. The ground part of the plant is affected. There is no specific treatment.
- Powdery mildew - the most common disease. It appears whitish bloom on the stems, leaves and fruits. For treatment, chemicals are used - Topaz, Strobi.
- Rot is white, black, root and gray. The most common cause is waterlogged soil. To eliminate the problems, copper sulfate is used, corresponding to the type of rot preparations.
- Mosaic virus occurs not so often and is not treated, since the fruits after the defeat become unsuitable for ingestion.
- Anthracnose. It is characterized by a pink bloom. It is treated with Bordeaux fluid.
Pests and insects:
- melon aphids;
- spider mite;
- scoop;
- slugs;
- sprout fly;
- wireworm.
For the treatment of diseases, traditional medicine and drugs are used. The processing method is spraying. To control insects, insecticides (Akarin, Fitoverm, Spark), wood ash, tobacco dust, tincture from onion husks, wormwood are used. It is important to adhere to preventive measures:
- control the level of soil moisture (avoid excessive sputum);
- comply with crop rotation rules;
- timely break through the weed, loosen the soil;
- treat plants with traditional medicine;
- disinfect seed material, tools, soil;
- prevent thickened bushes.
How to collect and store crops?
Pumpkin fruits must be cut with a knife or clippers along with the stem. Otherwise, the fruit will dry out. After the harvest, the pumpkins need to be spread in a dry place (room, street) for 10 days to fully dry. After that, the fruits are laid out in a cool room. It can be a pantry, a cellar, a cellar.
Before laying for storage, they examine the pumpkins for damage and illnesses - mainly whole and healthy vegetables are preserved for a long time. Shelf life is 12 months or more. The temperature regime should not exceed +15 degrees, humidity - 75-80%.
Pros and cons of the variety
Melon pumpkin has a mass the benefits:
- ease of care;
- excellent yields;
- adaptation to any climatic conditions;
- keeping up and portability;
- storage duration;
- increased sweetness.
Among the shortcomings - the taste, the conditions of cultivation and care affect the taste.
Reviews
Alina J., 32 years old. Melon pumpkin for me personally is a godsend, since I do not really like pumpkin flavor. But I need to consume the vegetable for health reasons. This variety is amazingly delicious. I don’t even notice its true taste, especially when I cook porridge with milk. I grow vegetables in small quantities, but I try to do this on the most fertile soil. Once I tried to grow several bushes right on the compost heap. The result was stunned - the fruits were even sweeter, larger, and there were more on the lashes.
Konstantin Sergeevich Vashchuk, 54 years old. I grow a melon pumpkin in a summer cottage. I chose this variety because it is unpretentious and tasty. I go to the country once a week. But each time I water the pumpkin, after which I mulch (I stack the leaves, sawdust, tops, etc.). This allows you to save moisture in the basal part. Whatever the drought in the summer, there have never been problems with watering.
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Melon pumpkin is a nutritionally valuable fruit that is used in cooking and medicine. The abundance of sugar in the pumpkin makes it possible to produce juices without adding granulated sugar. It is easy and simple to grow a variety, as it is unpretentious. Having invested a minimum of money on seeds, you can get an excellent crop.
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Russia. City: Zheleznogorsk
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