Melon crops - watermelon, melon and pumpkin - are cultivated to produce juicy fruits that are distinguished by high taste. The fruits of table watermelon and melon contain 6-12% sugar, vitamins B, B 3, C, PP, etc. Watermelon contains a lot of iron salts and folic acid. In addition to direct consumption, these fruits are used in the canning and confectionery industries to prepare honey (from juice), candied fruits, jam, marshmallows and other products.
Pumpkin with yellow flesh is rich in phosphorus salts and carotene, and contains many phytoncides.
Fresh fruits of forage varieties of pumpkin and watermelon are usually used to feed livestock. They are considered a valuable milk feed. 100 kg of feed pumpkin contains 10 feed. units and 70 g of digestible protein; 100 kg of feed watermelon - 9 feed. units and 40 g of digestible protein.
Edible oil is extracted from the seeds of melons, especially pumpkin.
The yield of the best varieties of watermelons on non-irrigated lands is 25-30 t/ha, and on irrigated lands - 40-50 t/ha or more. The yield of melon is from 16-18 to 50 t/ha and pumpkin from 35 to 70 t/ha and more.
Melons belong to the pumpkin family - Cucurbitaceae, which includes three most important genera in culture: watermelon (Citrullus), melon (Melo) and pumpkin (Cucurbita). Plants of these genera are annual, very similar to each other in the structure of their vegetative and generative organs.
Watermelon. It is represented by two types: table watermelon (Citrullus edulus Pang.) and candied watermelon (Citrullus colocynthoides Pang.).
Root table watermelon rod-shaped, highly branched, reaches a depth of 3-5 m and spreads laterally up to 7 m. The stem is creeping, long-climbing (2-5 m), with 5-10 branches covered with hard hairs. The leaves are strongly dissected into pinnately incised lobes, stiffly pubescent. Flowers are quintuple, yellow, dioecious; female flowers are larger than male flowers (Fig. 22). Cross pollination with the help of insects. The fruit is a multi-seeded false berry (pumpkin) on a long stalk, spherical, oval or oblong, colored white-greenish or dark green, often with a marble pattern. The bark of the fruit is leathery, fragile, from 0.5 to 2.0 cm thick. The pulp is of varying consistency, carmine red, pink, less often white or yellow, tastes sweet or slightly sweet. The pulp contains from 5.7 to 13% sugar. Fruit weight is from 2 to 20 kg. Watermelon seeds are flat, ovoid, 0.5-2.0 cm long, with a scar along the edge and a hard skin of white, yellow, gray, red and black color, often with a spotted pattern. Weight of 1000 seeds is 60-150 g.
feed watermelon its structure is somewhat different from the dining room. Its root system is more powerful. Leaves with larger, shortened lobes. The flowers are large, with pale yellow veins
Rice. 22.
1 - female flower; 2 - male flower; 3 - pollen; 4 - part of the escape
chick. Male flowers are located on long stalks, female flowers on short stalks. Fruit various shapes- spherical or oval-oblong, green or light green in color with dark stripes, marble pattern. The fruit pulp is pale green and contains 1.2-2.6% sugar. The weight of the fetus is from 10-15 to 25-30 kg or more. Seeds of fodder watermelon without a hilum. Weight of 1000 seeds is 120-130 g or more. Table watermelon is one of the heat-loving, heat-tolerant and very drought-resistant plants. In moist soil, its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 16-17 °C. Shoots appear on the 8-10th day. Frosts -1 *C are destructive for them. The most favorable temperature for the growth of stems and leaves is 20-22 °C, and for the development of fruits 25-30 °C.
Table watermelon is a light-loving short-day plant. Best soils for him sandy and sandy loam. Loamy and clay soils are of little use, since they firmly retain moisture and do not warm up well.
Fodder watermelon, compared to table watermelon, is less demanding on growing conditions.
The following varieties of table watermelon are common: Astrakhansky, Borchansky, Zemlyanin, Lotos, Unusual, Ogonyok, Rose of the South-East, Sinchevsky, Kholodok, Shironinsky.
Among the varieties of fodder watermelon, the most famous is Diskhim.
Melon. Represented by many species. We have common melons with soft pulp: khandalak (Melo chandalak Pang.), adana, or Cilician (Melo adana Pang.), cassaba (Melo cassaba
Pang.), and with dense pulp: Chardzhou (Melo zard Pang.), ameri (Melo ameri Pang.), cantaloupe (Melo cantalypa Pang.). These species are very similar.
The root system of the melon is less powerful than that of the watermelon; it consists of a main root, penetrating to a depth of 3-4 m, and numerous superficially located lateral branches. The stem is creeping, cylindrical, hollow, highly erect, coarsely hairy. The leaves are kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, on long petioles. The flowers are orange-yellow. The fruits are large, of various shapes and colors. The pulp is loose or dense, contains 12% sugar. The seeds are ovoid, flat, white-yellow, 0.5 to 1.5 cm long, containing 25-30% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds is 35-50 g.
In terms of its biological characteristics, melon is close to watermelon, but is more heat-loving and less drought-resistant, and can more easily tolerate loamy soils.
Varieties: Kolkhoznitsa 749/753, Kazachka 244, Koi-bash, Khandalyak kokcha 14, Dessertnaya 5, Ameri 696, Tavria, Zolotistaya, Livadia, Mechta, Golyanka, Ineya, Samara, Yantarnaya.
Pumpkin. In cultivation it has three species: common table (Cucurbita rero L.), large-fruited fodder (Cucurbita maxima L.) and nutmeg (Cucurbita moschata Duch.).
The root system of all types of pumpkin is well developed. Stem pumpkin creeping. Some of its varieties are characterized by a bush form (zucchini). The leaves are five-lobed, with coarse subulate pubescence. Male flowers are collected several in the axils of the leaves, female flowers are single, located on the lateral branches. The fruit is obovate, spherical or oblong, with fibrous sweet pulp containing 4-8% sugar. The seeds are medium-sized and small, oval, with a clear rim, white, cream or darker in color, containing 36-52% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds is 200-230 g.
Pumpkin fodder large-fruited has a cylindrical hollow creeping stem. The leaves are kidney-shaped, slightly pitted, pubescent with coarse hairs. The flowers are very large, orange-yellow. The fruits are spherical, flattened or elongated, reaching 50-70 cm in diameter, of various colors. The fruit pulp is loose, juicy, orange, less often white, and contains 4-8% sugar. The seeds are large, smooth, with an unclear rim. The oil content in them is 36-50 %. Weight of 1000 seeds is 240-300 g.
butternut squash has a creeping branched stem. The leaves are kidney-shaped, cordate-notched or lobed, pubescent with fine hairs. The flowers are green or reddish-orange. The fruit is elongated, with an interception, the fruit pulp is dense, contains 8-11% sugar. The seeds are medium-sized, dirty gray, with a clear rim, containing 30-46% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds is 190-220 g.
Pumpkin is less heat-loving and drought-resistant than watermelon and melon. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 12-13 °C. Seedlings suffer less from frost. Pumpkin grows best on loamy soils.
Varieties: Bashkirskaya 245, Biryuchekutskaya 27, Hybrid 72, Gribovskaya winter, Donskaya sweet, Zorka, Almond 35, Prikornevaya, Troyanda, Khersonskaya, Khutoryanka.
Cultivation techniques. Melon crops are demanding on soil fertility and cleanliness of fields from weeds. They work well on virgin and fallow lands, on layers of perennial grasses and on floodplains. In field crop rotations, good predecessors of melons and melons are winter grains, corn, and annual grasses. For specialized melon-growing farms, crop rotations with the following alternation of crops are recommended: 1 - winter rye + grasses; 2 - herbs of the 1st year; 3 - herbs
2nd year; 4 - herbs of the 3rd year; 5 - melons; 6 - melons; 7 - spring wheat; 8 - corn for silage. In such a crop rotation specific gravity melons account for 25%.
It must be remembered that fields where herbicides were used in the sowing of previous rotational crops are unsuitable for planting melon crops.
The correct use of mineral and organic fertilizers increases productivity, accelerates ripening and improves the quality of melon crops. As an organic fertilizer, manure is applied to watermelon and melon (during deep fall tillage) in the amount of 15-20 t/ha and for pumpkin - 30-40 t/ha. More high doses manure for these crops can cause a delay in the ripening of fruits and a deterioration in their quality.
At the same time with organic fertilizers contribute minerals. It is recommended to apply p^RtsLo or N 60 P 45 K 50 per 1 hectare for autumn tillage and N IO P 15 K, 0 in rows during sowing. Mineral fertilizers increase the yield of watermelons by 25-30%, and the sugar content by 2-3%.
In addition to the main and pre-sowing fertilizer, it is also desirable to fertilize the plants before flowering - N^R^K^.
Tillage under melons includes autumn (hulling to 8-10 cm and plowing with plows with skimmers to a depth of 25-30 cm) and spring processing soils consisting of harrowing and cultivation (at least two) followed by harrowing. In the northern regions of melon growing on highly compacted soils, the first spring cultivation is often replaced by plowing. When the top layer of soil dries out, rolling is used.
For sowing, seeds are taken from fully ripened healthy fruits. Seed germination should be at least 90%. Before sowing, the seeds are subjected to air-thermal heating in the sun for
3-5 days or heated for 4 hours at a temperature of 50-60 ° C, soaked in water at room temperature for 24 hours 1-2 days before sowing. Warming the seeds increases the yield of watermelons by 11-20%.
Seeds of melons and melons are treated in advance against diseases with 80% s.p. TMTD (4-5 g per 1 kilogram). The seeds are treated with a suspension of the drug - 5-10 liters of water per 1 ton of seeds.
The optimal sowing time is to set the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm for watermelon and melon to 12-14 “C, for pumpkin
9-10 °C. Watermelon seeds sown under these conditions sprout in 9-10 days, melon seeds in 8-9 days, and pumpkin seeds in 6-7 days.
When sown in insufficiently warmed soil, melon seeds can rot and sprout sparsely. Delay in sowing also greatly reduces their yield.
Sowing of melon crops is carried out using melon seeders. Corn and cotton seeders are sometimes also used on farms for sowing.
The feeding area depends on the variety, climatic conditions, and soil fertility. The following sowing schemes are recommended, m: watermelon -
2.5 x (1.5... 1.7); 2.1 x (2.1... 1.4); 1.8x1.8; melon - 2.5 x (0.8... 1.0); 2.1 x(0.8...1.2); pumpkin - 2.5x(1.8...2.0);2.8x(1.5...1.8).
The sowing rate for watermelon seeds is 1.5-3.0 kg/ha, pumpkin 3-5, melon 2-4 kg/ha. The sowing depth of watermelon and pumpkin seeds is 6-8 cm, melon 4-6 cm.
Caring for melon crops includes harrowing and loosening with rotary hoes before emergence to destroy the crust and destroy weed seedlings, as well as inter-row cultivation to a depth of 12-15 cm during the first and 8-10 cm during subsequent loosening. When cultivating row spacing, overgrown plant vines must be removed to the side so as not to be damaged by tractor wheels and tillage implements.
To do this, a cane spreader is installed in the same unit with the cultivator, which spreads the canes from the middle of the row spacing to a width of 50-60 cm, sufficient for the wheels of the tractor and cultivator to pass.
For inter-row tillage of the soil, cultivators KRN-4.2, KRN-5.6 and melon cultivator KNB-5.4 are used; for weeding in rows, the weeding unit PAU-4 is used.
To prevent the wind from tangling the lashes, 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 fight against peronosporosis, crops are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, a 1% solution, according to copper sulfate(600 l/ha), against powdery mildew, pollinated with ground sulfur powder (15-30 kg/ha). Processing of melons is stopped 15 days before the start of harvest.
Irrigation is of great importance when cultivating melons and melons in Russia. For melon crops, 3-5 growing season irrigations are given with an interval of 10-15 days. They begin long before flowering, then temporarily stop and resume when fruit sets. Irrigation rate is 600-800 m 3 /ha.
Cleaning. Melon crops ripen at different times. Therefore, table watermelon, melon and zucchini are harvested in 2-3 steps (as they ripen), and pumpkin and fodder watermelon - in one step, before frost sets in. Signs of ripening watermelon fruits are drying of the stalk, coarsening of the bark and the appearance of a clear pattern on it. Ripe melons acquire the color and pattern characteristic of the variety. The ripeness of a pumpkin can also be determined by the color and thickness of the peel.
For selective harvesting of melons and melons, a wide-cover conveyor TShP-25 is used. Ripe fruits are picked and placed in the cells of a conveyor belt, which guides and places them directly into the back of a nearby vehicle. During the last complete harvest of watermelons, one-time harvesting for seeds and when harvesting pumpkins, a great economic effect is provided by the mechanized collection of fruits into windrows with the UPV-8 windrower, the selection of windrows with the PBB-1 picker and soft styling them into vehicles.
The described harvesting technology reduces labor costs by 5-6 times compared to harvesting technology that involves taking fruit to the side of the field.
When transporting melons, the container transportation method should be used more widely, which reduces manual labor during loading and unloading operations, improves product quality and reduces transport downtime.
Fruits without damage are selected for storage. Watermelons are stored at a temperature of 2-3 °C, melons - at 0-2 °C and optimal air humidity of 75-85%, pumpkin - at 10 °C and relative humidity 70-75 %.
Melon crops have high heat requirements. Watermelon and melon are plants of the sultry south. The homeland of watermelon is Africa, melons are Central and Asia Minor. This determined their main areas of distribution: primarily the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Transcaucasia and Moldova.
Nutritional value and chemical composition. The fruits of watermelon and melon are consumed mainly fresh and in the canning industry for the preparation of watermelon and melon honey (nardek and bekmes), various confectionery, candied fruits, marmalade, jam, marshmallows and other products. In Central Asia, the pulp of melon fruits is dried and eaten in this form or compotes are made from it. Non-standard young watermelon fruits are suitable for pickling. Melon seeds accumulate a lot of high-quality oil, which is used in the confectionery industry and for other purposes. Dry watermelon seeds contain 14...19% oil, melon seeds - 19...35%, pumpkin seeds 23...41%. Pumpkin and watermelon seeds are processed into oil
The resulting cake is valuable feed for livestock.
The fruits of melons and pumpkins are widely used as valuable succulent food for animals.
Table 1. Chemical composition of melons and melons
In terms of area occupied, first place belongs to watermelon, second place to melon, and only 10% belongs to pumpkin. It does not belong to such sugar-bearing plants as watermelon and melon, it is more different high yield- when grown using intensive technology over 100 t/ha.
Botanical description. Watermelon, melon and pumpkin belong to the Pumpkin family (Cuicurbitaceae), which includes more than 100 genera and about 400 species. The fruit is berry-shaped (pumpkin), reaching a weight of 20...40 kg or more. Fruits are distinguished by shape, color and pattern of the bark, color and structure of the pulp, shape of the seeds and other characteristics. Different kinds The Pumpkin family differs in anatomical structure, but the general structure of the fruit is preserved for all melons. The fruit consists of bark, pulp, placenta (sperm filaments or ovary sites from which the ovules arise) and seeds. Placentas in pumpkin are dry, in melon - dry 1 or wet, in watermelon they grow and grow together with the walls of the fetus. The bark consists of several layers. The upper one, bordering the external environment, is a single-layer epidermis covered with cuticle. Its purpose is to protect the fetus from drying out, evaporation, and other adverse external influences, and to limit transpiration. Under the epidermis layer there is a chlorophyll-bearing parenchyma of 8...10 cells. Each variety has its own coloring and pattern.
At the Research Institute of Plant Growing (VIR), among the diversity of its varieties, T. B. Fursa identified ten ecological and geographical groups: Russian, Asia Minor, Western European, Transcaucasian, Central Asian, Afghan, Indian, East Asian, Far Eastern, American. The identification of groups is based on the anatomical and physiological characteristics of plants and, first of all, the degree of xero- or mesomorphic appearance, manifested in the morphology and anatomical structure of the leaf blade, in the different suction strength and water-holding capacity of the leaves of these groups.
Russian ecological-geographical group combines varieties of table watermelon, common in the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, in the southern regions of Ukraine, as well as early ripening varieties grown in the northern regions of Ukraine, in Western Siberia. General form plants bears the features of a xeromorphic organization, which is manifested in the morphology and anatomy of the leaf, its relatively high sucking force. This type was formed in a hot, dry climate with intensive selection for sugar content and improved taste. Local varieties of the Russian group are valuable raw material for breeding due to high ecological plasticity and adaptability to unfavorable conditions environment. According to the sexual type, the varieties of this group are predominantly andromonoicistic - they produce male and bisexual flowers on one plant. Such varieties are only slightly pollinated when sowed together with others, which is important for establishing standards for spatial isolation. Among the watermelons of the Russian group there are varieties with uncut leaves: Tselnolistny 215, Yubileiny 72, etc. This trait can be used as a signal to obtain heterotic watermelon hybrids with free cross-pollination of the original forms. Most of the watermelon varieties currently zoned in Russia belong to the Russian ecological-geographical group.
Asia Minor Ecological-Geographical Group, uniting watermelons grown in Turkey is similar to the Russian one, for which it was the source. Asia Minor watermelons probably penetrated into the southern Russian steppes through the Greek colonies on the Black Sea, found here favorable conditions and gave rise to a more cultural type, ecologically close to the original one. The xeromorphic nature of the organization is more pronounced in Asian Minor varieties than in Russian ones. Among them there are many drought-resistant forms that are promising for use in breeding. There are almost no breeding varieties in the group; variegated and poorly cultivated populations predominate, but there are individual samples with a high sugar content in the fruit.
Western European Ecological-Geographical Group unites watermelon varieties cultivated in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy. A significant part of it was probably formed on the basis of the Russian assortment, but in general it is characterized by a more mesomorphic plant species, in accordance with the soil and climatic conditions of the region. Heterogeneous in composition and selection significance.
The Far Eastern ecological and geographical group is represented by varieties watermelon cultivated in the Primorsky and partially Khabarovsk territories Far East. In the conditions of the moderately humid climate of Primorye, a unique ecological type was formed. Far Eastern watermelons are the fastest ripening among the entire world assortment - the period from germination to ripening is 60-70 days. They are characterized by a poorly developed vegetative mass, very small fruits with low-sweet, tasteless pulp containing many seeds. The general appearance of the plants is mesomorphic; sexual type of monocyst. There are samples with lemon-yellow flesh. Varieties, as a rule, are represented by variegated populations, among which sugary forms can be selected. Far Eastern watermelons are of interest for breeding due to their exceptional precocity.
Transcaucasian ecological-geographical group represented by varieties of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Occupies an intermediate position between varieties of Russian and Central Asian ecological and geographical groups. Armenian watermelons are closer to Russian and Asian Minor ones, and Azerbaijani and Georgian varieties are closer to Central Asian ones. The appearance of plants is characterized by well-defined mesomorphism. The leaves, as a rule, are slightly or moderately dissected, the fruits are large and thick-barked. The assortment is dominated by local populations, and the sugar content is usually low.
Central Asian Ecological-Geographical Group unites varieties from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Southern Kazakhstan and Western China. It is very polymorphic both in morphological and economically valuable characters. Local varieties predominate, represented by variegated populations. The general character of the varieties is mesophilic, the sexual type is monocyst and anddromonocyst, occurring equally. The varieties of this group are characterized by large fruits with thick bark and rough pulp; many of them are valuable for their high keeping quality.
Afghan Ecological and Geographical Group unites watermelons from Iran and Afghanistan, which are in many ways similar to Central Asian ones. Iranian varieties are more diverse than Afghan ones in shape, fruit color, pulp, sugar content, but in general they constitute one ecological type; it can be defined as rude, uncultured. The fruits of the varieties of this group are usually large, often irregular in shape, thick-skinned, with coarse, fibrous, pale-colored pulp with a low sugar content. The varieties represent mainly heterogeneous populations, among which there are forms that are valuable for breeding. Heterogeneity is manifested by sexual type (along with andromonocysts, which predominate in this group, there are also monocysts), as well as in appearance plants, xeromorphic in some varieties and mesomorphic in others. Among the varieties of this group there are forms unusual for watermelon with yellow and orange coloring of the fruit.
Indian Eco-Geographical Group represented by varieties of North-West India and Pakistan
tan.Large-fruited varieties predominate, have thick bark, and the flesh is pale-colored.
They have food value.
East Asian group(Japan, China, Korea) - small-fruited with thin bark with a yellow or orange color predominate. Valuable for greenhouses.
American group- large-fruited varieties with cylindrical or oval fruits are evenly resistant to anthracnose and fusarium wilt (a source of resistance in breeding).
In each ecological-geographical group, certain morphological types of varieties are identified, which are based on the shape and color of the fruit, that is, distinctive approbation characteristics.
Based on these characteristics, the entire variety of watermelon varieties fits into 32 varieties:
1. Globular, white, without a pattern or with mesh elements.
2. Globular, golden yellow, without a pattern or with unclear stripes.
3. Globular, orange-yellow, without a pattern, segmented.
4. Globular, light green or light green, without a pattern, segmented.
5. Globular, light green, with mesh or mesh stripes.
6. Cylindrical, light green or white, with mesh or mesh stripes.
7. Globular, light green, with narrow mesh (filamentous) stripes.
8. Oval, less often spherical, gray-green, with mesh or mesh stripes.
9. Globular, light or gray-green, with dark green strokes at the stalk (marble pattern).
10. Globular or oval, gray-green, with dark green reticulated stripes.
11. Globular, whitish or light green, with whitish spiny stripes..
12. Globular, whitish or light green, with narrow dark or black-green spiny stripes.
13. Oval or cylindrical, whitish, with narrow dark or black-green spiny stripes.
14. Globular, whitish or light green, with wide stripes.
15. The same, but with completely closing processes (mosaic pattern).
16. Cylindrical, light green, with wide green spiny stripes.
17. Globular, light green, with blurred green stripes.
18. Globular, light green, with dots and dark green blurred stripes (calico pattern).
19. Globular, light green, with wide dark green blurred stripes, almost covering the background.
20. Cylindrical, light green, with wide blurry green stripes.
21. Globular or oval (pear-shaped), green with mesh and mesh stripes.
22. Cylindrical, green, with mesh or mesh stripes.
23. Globular, green, with an unclear pattern.
24. Cylindrical or oval, green, with an unclear pattern.
25. Globular, green, with black-green narrow spiny stripes.
26. Globular, green, with dark or black-green wide spiny stripes.
27. Cylindrical or oval, green with wide dark green spiny stripes.
28. Globular, green, with dim green blurry stripes.
29. Globular, green, with dark green blurred stripes.
30. Globular, dark green, with black-green spiny stripes.
31. Globular, black-green, with or without a hidden pattern.
32. Cylindrical or oval, black and green, with or without a hidden pattern.
Table 2. Inheritance of the main approbation characteristics of watermelon in a hybrid
The most promising option for hybrid watermelon seed production is the use of lines with genetic male sterility and marker traits for culling non-hybrid plants.
Melons contain sulfur, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium. They also contain riboflavin, thiamine, carotene, and vitamin C. For the most part, these plants are distinguished by long stems creeping along the ground, large leaves and large yellow flowers. However, there are also bush melons (the photo illustrates their characteristics). Plants are characterized by high resistance to drought. This is due to the presence of a powerful root system. To obtain high-quality melons and vegetable crops, you need a lot of light and heat. During fruit ripening, the weather should be dry and hot. Such conditions exist in the Lower Volga region, Central Asia, the south of Moldova and Ukraine, and the North Caucasus. In the central zone of the Russian Federation, melons and melons can also be planted. The species of these plants are diverse.
Plant specifics
The main feature of the varieties is their resistance to environmental conditions. For example, early-ripening and cold-resistant melons (watermelons, pumpkins) are suitable for the central strip. When choosing seeds, attention must be paid to the duration of the growing season - the number of days from the beginning of growth to full ripening. Early varieties should have time to go through the full cycle in no more than 90 days.
Agricultural technology
The climatic features of the central zone of the country do not allow the cultivation of large fruits. In this regard, it is best to give preference to medium-sized varieties. In terms of taste, they are in no way inferior to large southern fruits. High yields can be obtained from such varieties of watermelons as:
- "Spark."
- "Pink champagne"
- "Charleston near Moscow".
- "Siberian Lights"
- "Gift to the North"
- "Siberian Rose"
- "Crimstar" etc.
As for melon varieties, the following are of interest:
- "Iroquois".
- "Thirty days".
- "Dubovka".
- "Dessert-5".
- "Cinderella".
- "Kharkovskaya early".
- "Northern Cantaloupe"
- "Golden" and others.
Caring for cold-resistant and early-ripening varieties is practically no different from the rules that apply to growing cabbage, beets or carrots. All these plants are planted by directly sowing seeds in open ground in the middle or end of May. Melon crops of other varieties can develop in greenhouses or through seedlings. In the latter case, the period of their stay in open ground is reduced. The popular Astrakhan varieties “Honey”, “Pineapple”, “Kolkhoznitsa” are classified as mid-season.
Sowing seeds
IN open ground, as mentioned above, early ripening melons and melons are sown in the central zone. To obtain the harvest, 2 and 3 year old seeds are used. As practice shows, they bloom earlier, which speeds up the ripening process of their fruits. If fresh seeds are used, they must first be dried at 30-35 degrees for 2-3 days. Planting is carried out using the nesting method. The distance between the holes depends on the plant variety. Short-climbing melons (melon, pumpkin and others) can be sown more densely, long-climbing ones - less often. The optimal distance is considered to be a gap of 1 m. Before sowing, 1-1.5 kg of compost or humus should be added to each hole. It is recommended to fertilize the soil under watermelons with potassium and phosphorus mineral mixtures. Seeds are planted to a depth of about 5 cm. The first watering of melons and melons should be generous. In this case, the water should be taken warm. The first shoots appear approximately 8-10 days after sowing. Watering melon crops during the growth process should be abundant, but not frequent (about once a week).
Pinching the tops
This process, according to many experts, has great importance for plant development. Due to pinching, female flowers on second-order shoots develop better. It is better to carry it out when 5-6 leaves appear on the seedlings. Re-minting of plants is carried out when the same number of leaves develop on shoots of the 2nd order.
Seedling
Melon crops planted in this way give good harvest. In this case, the growing season does not exceed 90 days. Seedlings should be grown in pots to prevent damage to the root system. Within approximately 30 days, the seedlings will be ready to be transplanted into open ground. Before sowing in pots, the seeds can be soaked so that they germinate a little. This will reduce the time it takes for seedlings to emerge.
Seed care
It has a number of features. First of all, it is necessary to ensure conditions in which the air temperature will be at least 20 degrees. In this case, good seedlings will be obtained. On cloudy days and at night, it is recommended to lower the temperature slightly. This will prevent the plants from stretching. It is also necessary to ensure that the seedlings do not touch the leaves and move the pots apart from time to time. Additional lighting for seedlings is not needed, since seeds are sown for seedlings in mid or late April. During this period, natural light intake is quite sufficient.
Soil fertilization
When using fertilizing, care should be taken, since melons and melons are poorly adapted to the synthesis of microelements. They absorb and accumulate nitrates and heavy compounds like a sponge. In this regard, all fertilizers during the growing season should be in an easily digestible form in the form of green, ash and humic concentrates. As for active organic matter with granular minerals, it should be added during the autumn digging of the earth. If minerals or manure are used in natural form when growing watermelon, for example, the fruits will be oversaturated with nitrate compounds, the pulp will be tasteless, mottled with inedible white streaks, with unripe seeds and a very thickened rind.
Preparing for landing
The finished seedlings should have 3-5 leaves. Melon shoots have some peculiarities. On the side shoots, female flowers form earlier than on the main shoot. In this regard, the tops of seedlings ready for planting should be pinched. Approximately a week before the day on which it is planned to move the seedlings into open ground, the daytime temperature should be reduced to 15 degrees, and the night temperature to 12. It is also necessary to periodically ventilate the plants. This way the seedlings harden and quickly adapt to open ground.
Formation of bushes
There are no female flowers on the main stem of the melon. In this regard, the first pinching should be done over the third leaf. Do not rush to plant seedlings, otherwise you will have to equip a greenhouse or greenhouse. Often, good weather sets in in the central zone by the beginning of May. But by the middle of the month it noticeably worsens, there may even be frosts. Under such conditions, the seedlings will inevitably die. Experienced breeders recommend planting plants at the end of May. You should first familiarize yourself with the weather forecast for the near future.
Placement in an open area
Before planting seedlings, depressions are made at a distance of a meter from each other. You can place two plants in one hole with the condition that subsequently the shoots will develop in different directions. You should first add fertilizer to the recesses (compost or humus, at least 2 kg). It is more advisable to do this 7-14 days before planting the seedlings. Before placing the plants, the recesses are watered generously warm water. The seedlings should be carefully removed from the pots and planted in the slurry in the holes. It is not recommended to bury the seedlings, otherwise the root system will begin to rot. The seedling ball is positioned so that it protrudes above the surface of the ground.
Sprout care
Usually there is no need to carry out any special events during the first week. Watering is carried out as the soil dries. In this case, enough water is required to wet the ground by at least 50 cm. Watering is carried out carefully. During this, you need to make sure that the hypocotyledon and plant leaves do not get wet. If necessary, weed and loosen the soil. To prevent plants from directing energy to the development of tops, but to spend them on the growth of fruits, the tops must be regularly pinched. It was said above that for the first time this is done while growing seedlings or after 5-6 leaves appear. After the fruit ovaries appear, pinching should be repeated, leaving 2-3 leaves. Unfruitful vines must be completely cut off. After processing, the tops are laid so that the plants do not interfere with each other. When the size of the ovaries reaches the size of an apple, you need to remove the weakest ones.
Top dressing
To obtain a high yield throughout the summer, complex fertilizers should be applied several times. In addition to them, you can also feed the plants with bird droppings or slurry. Before the fruits ripen, you should stop fertilizing and watering the crops. Otherwise, they will begin to crack and lose their taste.
Pests of melons and melons
The most dangerous to plants are wireworms, spider mites and aphids. Some birds also pose a threat. Wireworms, including false wireworms, are the larvae of darkling beetles and click beetles. They damage young shoots and gnaw through the underground stem part. Melon aphids are small greenish-black or yellow insects. They settle in groups, damaging the vines, ovaries, flowers, and the lower part of the leaves. Insects suck the sap from the plant, causing it to dry out and die. Spider mites cause damage in hot and dry summers. Insects settle on the lower parts of the leaves. The mite weaves a thin web around their surface. First, light dots begin to appear on the leaves, then some areas of the plate become discolored, after which these parts of the plants die. Another dangerous pest is tobacco thrips. This insect has a proboscis with which it pierces the skin of the leaf, usually from below near the veins. Thrips suck the juice from the plate. In this place, light shiny stripes and spots appear, which subsequently become dark brown. After sowing, damage is immediately caused by birds (rooks, crows and others). They select seeds from the fields, peck the ovaries, and damage young plants. Loosening the soil and spraying plants are used as means of control.
Diseases of melons
Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, and anthracnose are considered the most dangerous. These diseases are especially intense in cloudy, humid weather, and also when melons are often planted in one place. Bacteriosis also poses a threat. Fusarium wilt is characteristic of all melons and melons. Young shoots become lethargic and depressed, grow poorly and eventually die. On an adult plant, first 1-2 lashes are damaged, and then the disease affects all other parts. On a section of the stem, browned vessels are visible, they are especially clearly visible at the root collar. At high humidity at the base of the lash there is a pink or white coating- fungus. The plant is affected through the soil, infected seeds, and crop residues. The mushroom can remain in the ground for up to 15 years. The fungus poses the greatest danger to plants in humid conditions at low temperatures. Withering of crops can also occur due to suffocation due to lack of air. As a rule, this is observed on compacted soil, especially in hot weather or after a cold rainy day. Powdery mildew is very dangerous for pumpkins and melons. Spots with a white coating appear on the upper and then lower parts of the leaves. Over time, they merge and cover the entire surface. Subsequently, the leaves become yellow, gradually drying out. Powdery mildew damages crops due to sudden temperature changes. For example, when it is too hot during the day and very cold at night. With downy mildew, leaves are damaged in all phases of development, starting with the cotyledons. Angular or round yellow-green spots appear on the plates. They grow quite quickly and cover the entire surface.
Melons are true champions among vegetables in terms of fruit size. The weight of a ripe watermelon or pumpkin is at least 5-6 kilograms of juicy pulp, and often 10-15 kg. Moreover, melon fruits are famous not only for their size, but also for their excellent taste. This is especially true for melon and watermelon. The bulk of melons are grown on large farms in the south of the country, but if desired, they can also be grown in your own garden.
Melon family
Melons, or simply melons, are a group of large-fruited vegetables, mainly from the botanical family Pumpkin, which have similar external characteristics.
In a broad sense, the melon family usually includes watermelons, melons, zucchini, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. But more often the term “melons” is used in relation to a narrower group, including only two species - watermelon and melon. Further in the article we will talk about melons only in this narrow sense, leaving out zucchini, pumpkins and cucumbers.
Common watermelon is an annual herbaceous plant, one of two cultivated species of the botanical genus Watermelon, part of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Melons have thin, flexible stems that creep (“crawl”) along the ground. The length of the stems can reach several meters. The leaves, planted on long petioles, can have a different configuration depending on the variety, but are always triangular in shape and consist of three pinnately divided lobes.
Flowers (usually pale yellow) appear in the first year. Subsequently, fruits are formed from them - pumpkins or watermelons themselves, filled with juicy red pulp and many flat black seeds. There are many varieties of watermelon, so the fruits can differ significantly in shape, size and color. The classic watermelon fruit is a green ball weighing from 3 to 15 kg or more. Since the structure of the fruit has much in common with berries, formally watermelons are also considered berries.
The homeland of watermelon is South Africa, but this fruit came to the Mediterranean region back in the days Ancient Egypt or even earlier. It is known that the ancient Greeks knew about it, but the watermelon was truly discovered by Europeans only in the Middle Ages, when the crusaders brought it from the Middle East. The Tatars brought watermelons to our country during their conquests Kievan Rus and his subsequent stay here.
Melon
As for melon, it belongs to a slightly different botanical genus - cucumbers. Like other melons, melon is an annual herbaceous plant with a vine-like stem creeping along the ground, which can reach a length of 3 meters. The leaves of the melon are larger than those of the watermelon and have a solid (not cut) heart-shaped shape. The flowers are yellow, bisexual.
The melon fruit weighing from 1 to 15 kg or more has the shape of a ball or oval. The outside of the fruit (pumpkin or berry) is covered with a thin peel, which, when fully ripe, often becomes yellow (less often brown, or remains green). Inside the fruit there is pale yellow juicy pulp. The seeds are cream or pale brown, elongated oval. Unlike watermelon, melon seeds are collected in the center of the fruit, and not distributed throughout the pulp.
Like any melon plant, melon comes from a hot region. Its homeland is considered to be Central Asia, namely northern India. It is likely that it was there that the wild melon was domesticated, and subsequently it spread both to the west and to the east. It is known that the ancient Egyptians were definitely familiar with this vegetable crop. Melon, like watermelon, was first brought to Europe by the Crusaders, and from that time on it began to be cultivated in the south of the continent. Melon came to Russia directly from Central Asia about 500 years ago.
Like all natural products, watermelons and melons are very beneficial for the human body.
Thus, watermelon has a very positive effect on the kidneys, helping to remove stones and sand from them. This vegetable is also useful for men, as it improves sexual potency. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of watermelon for those who suffer from heart disease, since its pulp contains a lot of potassium and magnesium, which are important for maintaining the cardiovascular system in normal condition.
A ripe watermelon is several kilograms of juicy sweet pulp, which will appeal to both children and adults. The taste of watermelon is so outstanding that as a dessert it easily replaces any confectionery product.
The main way to consume watermelon is raw in kind. The fruit is simply cut into slices with a knife and its juicy red pulp is eaten. No other flavoring additives are required.
And although, like zucchini, melons of this type are not usually subject to heat treatment, this is by no means the only option for how watermelon can be used.
Firstly, it is great for making fruit salads. Moreover, you can even use a hard green peel, which, with proper skill, can easily be turned into an original salad bowl filled with watermelon salad with other vegetables or fruits.
Secondly, due to the fact that watermelon pulp contains a huge amount of sweet juice, you can easily prepare a natural refreshing drink from watermelon, or make homemade wine.
Thirdly, sweet watermelon makes wonderful jam. Moreover, you can use not only the pulp, but also the hard skin, which after heat treatment easily turns into jelly.
Watermelon honey, or nardek, which is cooked without the use of sugar, deserves special mention.
Finally, watermelons can be pickled for the winter, after which they make an excellent side dish for meat or fish. You can also use them to prepare completely unique sauces for meat dishes.
Sweet types of melons are primarily healthy desserts. Thus, ripe melon fruits are rich in sugar, carotene, provitamin A, vitamins P, C and B9, as well as iron, folic acid, salts, pectins and fiber.
It is recommended to eat melon for diseases of the blood, cardiovascular system, nervous disorders, problems with urination and intestines. In addition, melon is good for those who are on a diet, useful during pregnancy, and is a good remedy in the fight against dehydration. Melon is also in great demand in cosmetology. Toning and healing melon masks have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.
Ripe melons and watermelons are an excellent dessert vegetable that can replace any confectionery sweetness. It is worth noting that the taste and level of sweetness of melon greatly depends on the variety.
Traditionally, melon is eaten in its natural form as a completely independent product. Like watermelon, melon is simply cut into wedges and the sweet flesh is eaten away, while the tough skin is discarded.
Although melon also contains a lot of water, unlike watermelon, it lends itself well to drying. In Central Asia, dried melon is often used as a dessert when drinking tea. In addition, melon makes wonderful jams and preserves. Like watermelon, it goes well in salads and various soft and alcoholic drinks.
Interestingly, in some Mediterranean countries, melon is a side dish for other dishes. For example, in Spain it is served with jamon and shrimp, and in Italy it is eaten with mozzarella and other cheeses.
Varieties of watermelon and melon
Since watermelons are grown all over the world, wherever agroclimatic conditions allow, the abundance of existing varieties is simply enormous. In addition to purely geographical varieties, it should be separately mentioned that there are watermelons with unusual pulp yellow color and seedless watermelons.
In Russia, melon fields are planted with our most famous Astrakhan variety, which is famous for its very sweet pulp, although it ripens already in the last ten days of August. Another very sweet, but earlier variety is the Crimson Swift variety.
Melon is slightly less popular than watermelon, which is why it has fewer varieties. But those that exist are quite enough to satisfy the needs of gourmets and gardeners. In melon farms in Russia, melons of the “Kolkhoznitsa” variety are most widespread. They are the ones cultivated in the Volga region. The variety is easily recognized by its bright yellow skin, small size and spherical shape of the fruit.
In Europe and America, the Cantaloupe variety is most widespread. They are not so sweet and less juicy, but much more aromatic.
The best Uzbek variety is “Torpedo”. These melons have an elongated, cigar-shaped shape and are large in size. Uzbek melons are famous for having perhaps the best taste characteristics.
In the Mediterranean, where Uzbek melons are not available, their analogue is the Moroccan variety “Honey Melon”. These fruits do not have characteristic grooves on the skin, and the color varies between ocher and greenish. The taste is actually almost honey.
Watermelons and melons are heat-loving crops. Moreover, they love warmth so much that a really good harvest can only be obtained in the southernmost regions of our country. Already at the level of the 50th parallel (Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov) and further north, growing melons loses its meaning, since here watermelons simply cannot ripen and the fruits are small (maximum 2-3 kg) with insipid pulp. Melons are less picky and in hot summers they can produce quite decent-sized and sweet fruits even north of Volgograd.
However, in general these crops prefer hot, dry weather. Drought is more preferable to them than rain and high humidity. In order for melons and watermelons to gain the desired mass and sweetness, they require a lot of heat and light. In the post-Soviet space optimal conditions for these crops are available in the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, the Black Sea regions of Ukraine, Moldova and especially in the countries of Central Asia. In other regions, growing melons is not commercially profitable.
Watermelon growing technology
Watermelon prefers sandy loam soils warmed by the sun and protected from the wind. Over-moistened and heavy soils with high groundwater levels.
Before planting, you should prepare the seeds by soaking them in warm water (50 ° C) and keeping them in it until they sprout. After this, the seeds are ready for sowing. The timing of planting in open ground depends on the region. It is optimal when the ground temperature reaches from 12 to 14 °C, which in the south of our country usually occurs in late April - early May.
The first shoots should appear in the second week: 8–10 days is considered the norm. If a cold spell occurs after sowing, the timing of emergence of seedlings may shift significantly, and the seeds themselves may well die or become infected with pathogenic flora. For this reason, in the central regions of the country, where spring frosts and cold snaps are commonplace, it is better to postpone sowing watermelons until the end of May or even the beginning of June.
You need to sow melon seeds in individual holes 5-8 cm deep. Since watermelons are plants that creep along the ground, the distance between the bushes should be significant - at least half a meter in a row and at least 1.5 meters between rows. To increase the chances of successful germination, it is advisable to add a tablespoon of ash and a little humus to each hole.
To increase the growth rate of watermelons, mulch is often used in melon patches. Film shelters and agrofibre are best suited for this role. This simple technique can speed up the ripening of watermelons by 15-20 days.
Although watermelons are a drought-resistant crop that does not like excessive moisture, it is impossible to do without watering at all. It should be carried out on initial stage growing season until the moment when fruits begin to set. You need to water no more than once a week.
Until the melon crops cover the entire bed, you also need to take care of loosening the soil and weeding.
In this matter, melon has a lot in common with watermelon. It also requires a well-warmed area of sandy loam soil protected from the wind. In the fall, you need to add 4-6 kg of humus per each to a pre-dug bed. square meter. If the soil is loamy, then you should add half a bucket here as well. river sand. In spring, the soil needs to be fed with superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium salt.
The peculiarity of melon is that from last year’s fresh seeds, mainly male plants grow, and from old ones, evenly male and female, but the fruits are much smaller. For this reason, it is better to combine last year’s seeds and seeds of 2-3 years ago in one sowing.
The timing of planting melon seeds generally coincides with the timing of watermelon. True, it is better to wait for slightly warmer days: when the soil warms up to 16 °C. The seeds are planted in the soil to a depth of about 3-5 cm. The planting density is higher than that of watermelon: 10 seeds per square meter. This is done in such a way that not all seeds will sprout.
The bed with newly sown melons must be moistened with warm water. Shoots should be expected in the second week. As soon as five full leaves are formed on the shoots, the plants need to be hilled up and the soil around them must be carefully loosened.
As in the case of watermelons, melons need to be watered only until the ovaries appear, and even then not very often. After the fruits appear, watering should be stopped. But this is not enough. Since melons do not like moisture, to increase productivity it is advisable to cover the bed with growing fruits with film whenever it rains.
When planting this or that heat-loving plant, novice farmers rarely think about the features of agricultural technology. In order to easily grow melons, it is important to understand which species are included in the group and how to properly care for them. To obtain a rich harvest of tasty and healthy fruits, people use time-tested planting techniques.
Plant Characteristics
All members of the family are native to the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia and America. They are not only consumed as food, but also used as a feed additive for livestock breeding. Fruits and vegetables are eaten in the phase of physiological maturity, and grown in specially organized fields - melons.
Table watermelon
The most common type of the family, it surpasses many fruits in terms of sugar and vitamin content. Low in calories and tasty, it is simply created for dietary nutrition. Most often used fresh, sometimes processed into:
- nardek;
- jam;
- molasses;
- confectionery.
The herbaceous annual has a powerful root system. The main rod runs vertically and can go down to one meter. The lateral shoots are located thirty centimeters from the soil. The creeping powerful stem has strong branching and grows up to 5 m. The long petioles are split into three or five lobes.
Due to the structural features of the plates and roots, the crop is classified as a drought-resistant species. Powerful underground parts are characterized by increased suction force, extracting liquid from the lower layers of the soil. Under the wide leaves a shadow is formed, in which the moisture necessary for development is retained for a long time.
Watermelon produces three types of flowers - male, female and hermaphroditic. The fruit is a multi-seeded berry, with juicy pulp and covered with a thick crust. Color, shape and size depend on the characteristics of the variety. The formation of buds begins 40 days after germination, and after fertilization the fruits set and grow. The vegetative period lasts from 60 to 120 days.
Fragrant melon
Many people do not know that melon is a melon crop, so the tasty fruit is mistakenly considered a fruit. Consumed fresh immediately after harvesting or several weeks after storage. In addition, melon can be used to prepare:
- jam;
- candied fruits;
- bekmesa;
- marinades.
grassy annual plant has a similar root system to that of watermelon, but not as powerful. The main stem does not grow more than 100 cm, and the side ones - up to 2 m. The melon's vines are long (up to three meters), creeping along the ground. Flowers are most often bisexual, although hermaphroditic ones are also found. The fruits are elongated berries, the shape, taste and structure of which depend on the variety.
Seeds germinate on the third day after planting in the ground, and after 3 weeks the growth of the main stem begins. The buds appear after three months, and the berries ripen in 60-120 days. The plant has increased resistance to drought. In hot weather, melons reduce fluid release and increase sucking properties.
Delicious pumpkin
Nowadays, more than 30 varieties of vegetables are known, possessing all kinds of aromatic and external characteristics. Food varieties are used for preparing dishes, canned food and juices. Valuable pumpkin oil, which has regenerating properties, is obtained from the seeds.
The annual herbaceous plant has been grown in melon growing for many years. The root system is similar to melon and watermelon, but much more powerful. The main stem goes to a depth of two meters, the lateral ones grow from the vines to 5 m. The strong creeping stem consists of the main vine and secondary shoots. The leaves are large, with elongated petioles.
Under suitable conditions, the seeds will hatch within a week after sowing. Otherwise, development, bud laying and fruit formation proceeds in the same way as in “relatives”. From the emergence of seedlings to ripening, it takes from 75 to 135 days. Pumpkin is less heat-resistant than other members of the group.
Zucchini and squash
Without this type of melons, the list will not be complete. Creeping vegetables with thick stems and large five-lobed leaves. The plates are covered with a hard edge, sometimes with white spots. Petioles are elongated, with noticeable edges. A powerful root system with a pronounced vertical shaft and lateral branching is typical for the entire group.
The appearance of the fruit depends on the characteristics of the variety. For example, the surface of zucchini can be either smooth or ribbed. The squash is different unusual shape and sizes. Under the thin skin there is a watery pulp with small seeds. Vegetables of technical ripeness that ripen 35-60 days after sowing are eaten. “Old” specimens lose their beneficial properties and are used to feed livestock.
Landing Features
A distinctive characteristic of all plants in the group is thermophilicity. Seeds will begin to germinate only at a temperature of +14−16 C. The most active development is observed in heat from 25 to 30 degrees, although +18 C is enough for normal formation. When it gets colder to +12 C, the seedlings freeze and may die. Even minor frosts will destroy watermelon, pumpkin and melon.
Representatives of the species prefer to grow in flat areas on a hill, well warmed up and illuminated by the sun. In the lowlands, the soil does not retain heat well, so there is a threat of fusarium infection and wireworm invasion. It is prohibited to grow plants of a related group in one place for several years in a row.
Due to the weakness of the roots in the first stages of life, cultivation by seedling method becomes more difficult. After transplantation, the bushes get sick for a long time, so professionals recommend using the method direct seeding into the ground. For regions with short summers it is better to choose early varieties, managing to ripen before the end of the season.
Before agricultural work, the raw materials are heated and then placed in a damp cloth for germination. Hatched seeds are planted in wet soil, watered an hour before the procedures. hot water. Planting rate per square meter (in pieces per hole):
- for watermelons - 7;
- for melon - 8;
- pumpkin - 4;
- zucchini, squash - 6
Activities begin when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to +14 C. In the southern regions this is mid-April and May, and in the Middle Zone and the North - the end of spring. After planting, the plantation is irrigated abundantly. If there is a possibility of return frosts, cover them with polyethylene overnight.
Rules of care
After hatching from the seeds, the plants are weeded and watered. After two weeks, you can thin the crops. Three large and powerful bushes are left in the hole, and the rest are pinched. At the stage of four adult leaves, the procedure is repeated, discarding half of the weak seedlings.
Plants such as zucchini, watermelon and other melons are very sensitive to soil aeration. Hilling up is a mandatory procedure during loosening and irrigation. Reception creates conditions for the formation of additional roots, improving the absorption of nutrients from the soil.
The maximum need for watering is observed during flowering and fruit formation. Don’t be overzealous and flood the plants with liquid. Excess moisture is just as dangerous as deficiency. Wet soil is an excellent environment for fungal diseases to occur. The soil must have time to dry before the procedure.
When growing plants of this group, you need to sprinkle them with whips. The wind turns long stem, breaking off foliage and flowers. If the procedure is not carried out, the growth and development of the bushes will be slowed down. Liana is fixed in in the right direction, securing a third of the shoot with earth.
Watermelon, melon, pumpkin and zucchini have long become favorite foods in the human diet. While creating ideal conditions melon crops develop equally well in both southern and northern regions. Understanding the characteristics of cultivation, you can get bountiful harvest with minimal investment of effort and resources.