The best variety of melons for your table. How to grow a melon in a greenhouse in central Russia from seeds Requirements for temperature conditions and watering

All melon varieties and hybrids described here are included in the State Register and are approved for cultivation in the Russian Federation.

Melon Torpedo, description and characteristics of the variety

Mid-season variety. The plant is climbing. The leaf blade is medium-sized, green, dissected.

The fruit is elongated, gray, with a grayish tint, smooth, mesh of medium thickness and medium density, mesh structure. The average weight of Torpedo melon is 2.5-6.0 kg. The pulp is greenish-white, medium thickness, melting, tender, juicy, excellent taste. Medium sized seed nest. The seeds are long, medium wide, dark creamy yellow.

Productivity: 1.8 kg/sq.m. The fruits retain commercial quality for 15-20 days after picking.

The Torpedo melon variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2017 for cultivation in private household plots.

Originator of the variety: Agrofirm SEARCH.

Melon Kolkhoznitsa, variety description, photo

Mid-season, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 77-95 days. The plant is medium-sized, long-climbing, the stem is thin, not coarse. The leaf is kidney-shaped, slightly concavate, medium in size.

The fruit is spherical and small, weighing 0.7-1.3 kg. The surface of the fruit is smooth, yellow-orange in color, without a pattern. The mesh is sometimes partial, coarse mesh. The bark is medium thick, flexible, hard. The pulp is white, thin, fibrous, dense, semi-crispy, juicy, sweet. The seed nest is medium in size, the placentas are dry, wall-like, dense. The taste of the fruit is good to excellent.

Marketable yield: 14.6-22.7 t/ha.

The variety is relatively resistant to bacteriosis and is highly susceptible to powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Variety value: good transportability of fruits.

Approved for use in the Central Black Earth, North Caucasus, Middle Volga, Lower Volga, Ural, West Siberian, East Siberian and Far Eastern regions in 1943.

Ethiopian melon, variety description, photo

The variety is mid-season, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 80-91 days, 10-11 days later than the Zolotistaya standard. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is wide-round, dark yellow with an orange tint, with a mesh of medium density and medium thickness, weakly segmented, smooth. Fruit weight is 2.3-2.8 kg. The pulp is orange, melting, tender, juicy, excellent taste, with a strong aroma. The seed nest is medium in size, the placentas are wall-like, dry, closed. The seeds are medium size, creamy yellow.

Productivity marketable fruits 89-145 c/ha, 43-49 c/ha above the standard. The fruits retain commercial quality for 14 days after picking. Flameproof.

In 2013, the Ethiopian melon variety was included in the State Register for the Lower Volga region for cultivation on dry land in private household plots.

Originator of the variety: agricultural company Search.

Melon Delano, description and characteristics, photo

Mid-early, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 63-77 days. The plant is vigorously climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is oval, dark yellow, smooth, with a continuous mesh of medium thickness. The average weight of the fetus is 1.5-2.3 kg. The pulp is light cream, thick, tender, melting, juicy, excellent taste, with a strong melon aroma. Dry matter content 8.9-10.6%, total sugar 5.7-8.8%. Medium sized seed nest. The seeds are medium sized, narrow oval, sharply pointed, light yellow. These melons are long-lasting and transportable.

Productivity marketable fruits on dry land are 88-302 c/ha, 14-104 c/ha above the Otrada and Tamanskaya standards.

The hybrid tolerates temperature changes well and is resistant to fusarium.

The Delano melon variety was included in the State Register for the North Caucasus region in 2009.

Originator: NUNHEMS (Holland)

Melon Amal, description, photo

Mid-season melon hybrid. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, heavily dissected.

The fruit is elliptical, ocher in color, with a pattern in the form of dots, smooth, with a thin continuous mesh of a linear structure. The average weight of the fetus is 1.4-2.6 kg. The pulp is dark cream, thin, melting, tender, juicy, excellent taste, with a strong aroma. Dry matter content 8.4-11.0%, total sugar 5.5-7.6%. The seed nest is small, the placentas are central, dry, closed. The seeds are medium-sized, narrow-oval, blunt-pointed, creamy yellow.

Productivity marketable fruits on dry land are 93-140 c/ha, for Otrada and Tamanskaya standards - 108 and 88 c/ha.

Advantages: excellent transportability, resistance to fusarium.

The melon hybrid Amal F1 was included in the State Register for the North Caucasus region in 2009.

Originator: CLAUSE (France).

Melon Lada

Mid-season melon variety, the period from full germination to removable ripeness (first fruit harvest) is 74-96 days. The plant is climbing, the main vine is of medium length. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is round, yellow at maturity, without a pattern, smooth, with a continuous mesh, weighing 1.5-2.0 kg, resistant to cracking. The pulp is medium thick, light cream, crispy, tender, juicy, weak aroma. The taste is good to excellent. Dry matter content 10.5%, total sugar 8.4%. The seed nest is medium sized, cream colored. The seeds are oval, ivory-colored. Weight of 1000 seeds is 39.6 g. Seed yield is 1.5%.

Marketable yield fruits with irrigation 211-218 c/ha, at the level of the Yuzhanka standard.

Advantages of the variety: resistance to powdery mildew, tolerance to peronospora and aphids.

The Lada melon variety was included in the State Register for the Lower Volga region in 2005.

Originator of the variety: All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable and Melon Growing.

Melon Tale

An early ripening variety, the period from full germination to removable ripeness (first harvest of fruits) is 60-62 days. Maturation is friendly. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is elliptical in shape, yellow at maturity, without a pattern, weakly segmented, with a sparse network, weighing 1.6-1.8 kg (up to 2.3 kg). The pulp is light cream, 2.5-3.0 cm thick, crisp, medium juicy, sweet, with a weak aroma, good taste. Dry matter content 11.0-12.0%, total sugar 9.0-10.0%. The seed nest is medium in size and consists of three wall-mounted dry closed placentas. The seeds are narrow-oval, ivory-colored. Weight of 1000 seeds is 41 g. Seed yield is 1.0%.

Melon productivity Fairy Tale: 2.1-2.3 kg/sq.m., for the first two collections - 0.3-0.4 kg/sq.m.

Advantages: resistance to powdery mildew, tolerance to downy mildew, early ripening, smooth ripening.

The Skazka melon variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2001 for garden plots, homesteads and small farms for cultivation in open ground and under film covers.

Originator of the variety: Semko-Junior LLC.

Altai melon

A good, time-tested early ripening variety of melon. The period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 65-75 days. The plant is medium-sized, medium-climbing. The leaf is pentagonal in shape, weakly and strongly dissected, small. Petiole short, oblique.

The fruit is oval and short oval, medium in size, weighing 0.8-1.6 kg. The surface of the fruit is smooth or slightly segmented. In a ripe melon it is lemon- or orange-yellow in color, without a pattern; in an unripe one it is green or dark green. The mesh varies from partial to full, medium mesh, delicate. The bark is soft. The pulp is light orange or white, thin, granular, aromatic. The seed nest is large, the placentas are semi-liquid or liquid, filling less than half of the seed nest. The taste of the fruit is satisfactory.

Flaws: low transportability and keeping quality of fruits.

Marketable yield: 25.0 t/ha (with proper cultivation techniques).

The Altai melon variety was approved for use in the Ural, West Siberian and East Siberian regions in 1955.

Originator of the variety: WEST SIBERIAN VEGETABLE EXPERIMENTAL STATION VNIIO.

Melon Caramel

Mid-early hybrid of melon, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 62-66 days. The plant is vigorously climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is oval, at the ripe stage dark yellow, smooth, with a continuous thick mesh. Fruit weight is 1.2-1.9 kg. The pulp is light cream, thick, tender, melting, juicy, excellent taste with a strong aroma. Dry matter content 8.5-9.8%, total sugar 5.4-7.6%. The seed nest is small, the placentas are central, dry, closed. The seeds are medium-sized, oval, blunt-pointed, creamy yellow.

Productivity marketable fruits on dry land are 94-156 c/ha, for the Otrada standard - 104-128 c/ha. The maximum yield is 260 c/ha, 172 c/ha higher than the Tamanskaya standard (Krasnodar Territory).

Advantages of a hybrid: transportable, tolerates waterlogged soil well, resistant to fusarium.

Melon hybrid Caramel F1 was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasus region in 2009.

Originator: CLAUSE (France).

Melon Aikido

Sredneranny is a mid-season hybrid of melon. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, dark green, dissected.

The fruit is round, yellow at maturity, segmented, with a medium-density mesh, weighing 1.4-2.1 kg. The pulp is light green, thick, melting, tender, juicy. The taste is good and excellent. Melon aroma. The seed nest is medium in size, there are 3 placentas, their position is central. The seeds are creamy yellow and medium in size.

Productivity marketable fruits on dry land are 92-119 c/ha, at the level of the Otrada standard, for the first two harvests - 34-56 c/ha, at the level of the standard.

The hybrid is resistant to fusarium.

In 2006, Aikido F1 melon was included in the State Register for the North Caucasus region for cultivation in private household plots.

Originator:SAKATA.

Melon Raymond

Mid-early hybrid, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 65-75 days, 2-5 days later than the Golden standard. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium to large, light green to green, slightly dissected to dissected.

The fruit is elliptical, yellow with an ocher tint, smooth, slightly wrinkled, with a dense mesh of medium thickness. Fruit weight is 2.0-3.6 kg. The pulp is creamy, thin, crispy, tender, medium juicy, of good taste. Dry matter content 9.2-9.3%, total sugar 6.6-6.9%. The seed nest is medium in size, the placentas are central, semi-liquid, open. The seeds are blunt-pointed, creamy yellow.

Productivity marketable fruits in the North Caucasus region when grown on rainfed soil 108-284 c/ha, 7-213 c/ha above the standard, in the Lower Volga region when grown on rainfed soil - 112-128 c/ha, for the standard - 56-96 c/ha /ha, with irrigation - 214-346 c/ha, for the standard - 258-359 c/ha.

The hybrid is transportable. The fruits retain commercial quality for 30-40 days after picking.

Melon Raymond F1 in 2011 it was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions.

Originator: HAZERA (Israel).

Melon Dune

An early ripening variety, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 58-75 days. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is oval, yellow at maturity, the mesh is solid, of medium density. The average weight of the fetus is 1.4-1.7 kg. The pulp is light cream, thick, grainy, dense, tender, juicy, of excellent taste. Melon aroma. The seeds are oval, blunt-pointed, medium-sized, ivory-colored. Weight of 1000 seeds is 41 g. Seed yield is 0.7%.

Productivity marketable fruits on rainfed soil are 92-150 c/ha, 5-28 c/ha above the Autumn and Zolotistaya standards, with irrigation - 374-398 c/ha, at the level of 108 c/ha above the Zolotistaya standard.

The variety has good transportability.

The melon variety Dune was included in the State Register for the Lower Volga region in 2008.

Originator of the variety: Bykovskaya Melon Breeding Experimental Station VNIIO.

Melon Cossack

Mid-season variety, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 70-95 days. The plant is long-climbing, medium-sized, and the stem is thin. The leaf is kidney-shaped, strongly notched, medium in size.

The fruit is oval, medium size, weighing 1.2-1.8 kg. The surface of the fruit is smooth or slightly segmented, at the ripe stage it is bright yellow in color, without a pattern, sometimes there are mesh elements. The bark is hard, medium-strong. The pulp is white, medium thickness, fibrous, slightly crunchy, dense, juicy, sweet. The speed is average. Medium sized seed nest. The taste of the fruit is good.

Productivity: 17.7-28.7 t/ha.

The variety is moderately affected by powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Variety value: good transportability of fruits. Approved for use in the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions in 1964.

Originator of the variety: OJSC ‘ROSTOVSORTSEMOVOSHCH’

Melon Cinderella

An early ripening variety, the period from full germination to removable ripeness (first harvest of fruits) is 60-72 days. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is oval, yellow, without a pattern, smooth, with a continuous mesh, weighing 1.1-2.2 kg. The pulp is light cream, 3.0-3.5 cm thick, crispy, juicy, tender, of good taste. Dry matter content 7.0-11.4%, total sugar 5.4-9.3%. The seed nest is small, consisting of three central, dry, open placentas. The seeds are narrow-oval, ivory-colored. Weight of 1000 seeds is 46 g. Seed yield is 0.7%.

Marketable yield fruits 134 c/ha, for the first two collections - 96 c/ha. The yield of marketable products is 85%.
Cinderella melon is recommended for local consumption. The fruits retain commercial quality for 15-20 days after picking.

The variety is resistant to low and high air temperatures.

The melon variety Cinderella was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2005 for garden plots, household plots and small farms.

Originator: BRANCH OF KUBAN OS VIR (KRASNODAR REGION).

Melon Tamanskaya

An early ripening variety, the period from full germination to removable ripeness (first harvest of fruits) is 53-80 days. The plant is climbing. The main lash is of medium length. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is oval-shaped, yellow in color, without a pattern, smooth, with a medium-density mesh. The seed nest is large, the position of the placentas is wall, the structure is open. The bark is thin, creamy when cut. The pulp is creamy, medium thickness, crumbly, granular, tender, juicy. Fruit weight is 0.5-1.3 kg. The taste is good. Dry matter content 8.1-12.5%, total sugar 5.7-11.2%. The seeds are narrow-oval, ivory-colored. Weight of 1000 seeds is 28 g.

Productivity marketable fruits on dry land are 49-169 c/ha, for the Zolotistaya and Otrada standards - 55-217 c/ha, for the first two harvests 34-104 c/ha, for the standards - 37-78 c/ha.

The variety is transportable.

The Tamanskaya melon variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasus region in 2004.

Originator of the variety: VNII RISA (Krasnodar).

Melon Temryuchanka

Mid-season variety, the period from full germination to the first harvest of fruits is 70-95 days. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium sized, green, slightly dissected.

The fruit is round, dark yellow at maturity, without a pattern, weakly segmented, highly wrinkled with a thick continuous mesh. Fruit weight is 1.4-2.1 kg. The pulp is light cream, thick, tender, melting, juicy, very sweet, excellent taste, with a melon aroma. Dry matter content 8.3-11.1%, total sugar 5.5-8.7%. The seed nest is small. The seeds are large, oval, blunt-pointed, ivory-colored. Weight of 1000 seeds is 35-40 g. Seed yield is 1.1%.

Productivity marketable fruits on rainfed soil are 108-178 c/ha, 11-27 c/ha higher than the Kazachka 244 and Zolotistaya standards. The maximum yield is 317 c/ha, 186 c/ha higher than the Zolotistaya standard (Krasnodar Territory).

The variety is transportable and resistant to stressful conditions. The fruits retain commercial quality for 25-30 days after picking.

The Temryuchanka melon variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus and Ural regions in 2008.

Originator of the variety: All-Russian Research Institute of Rice, Nikolay Ivanovich Tsybulevsky (Krasnodar).

Melon Gold of the Scythians

Mid-early melon hybrid, the period from full germination to removable ripeness (first fruit harvest) is 70-80 days. The plant is climbing. The leaf is medium-sized, light green, slightly dissected, strongly toothed along the edge, slightly wavy.

The fruit is round in shape, yellow when ripe, with a thin dense mesh. Medium sized seed nest. The position of the placentas is central. The pulp is creamy, 3.5 cm thick, melting, tender, juicy, sweet, aromatic. Fruit weight is 1.1-1.3 kg. The taste is excellent. Seeds are narrow oval, ivory. Weight of 1000 seeds 41 g.

Productivity commercial fruits 6 kg/sq.m.

Hybrid value: high yield, excellent taste of fruits, resistance to powdery mildew.

In 2002, the Zlato Scythian hybrid F1 was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for garden plots, homesteads and small farms for cultivation under film covers.

Originator: LLC Breeding Company Gavrish.

If you grow any other good melon varieties, please share your thoughts about them in the comments. If possible, attach their photo. Your reviews about melon varieties will help many of our readers learn more about them and decide which varieties and hybrids to plant on their site.

At the dacha in 2005. In our first melon patch, 3 varieties of melons grew. That season, the melon of the “Kolkhoznitsa” variety worked best.

In 2006, we already worked with 5 varieties: “Lada”, “Kolkhoznitsa”, hybrids “Zlato Scythians”, “Gerda”, and “Joker”. Considering our still small experience in growing melons, the choice of these varieties turned out to be very successful; we received a very decent harvest from all plants. We tried the first melon from the hybrid “Zlato Scythians” on August 5, it was very aromatic and sweet. These two years gave an excellent start to melon crops on our site. Watermelons and melons were registered with us, and every year we grew melons at the dacha, both in a greenhouse and in open ground.

The summer of 2012 was unfavorable for these crops in the Northwestern region. Lack of sun, continuous rains and high humidity - all these circumstances excluded the possibility of obtaining a melon harvest this season. For these reasons, this year for the first time we had problems with harvesting melons in open ground. In the greenhouses we collected a decent harvest of sweet melons. Many years of experience turned out to be the key to the success of growing melons even in the past unfavorable year.
My wife and I try to plant 70% of well-tested melon varieties. But along with proven varieties, we annually introduce 2-3 new varieties, which we carefully select. We get information about new varieties of melons from various sources, read, analyze, and only after that we buy seeds and experiment with them.

In this article I want to tell you what helped us get a good harvest of melons in the greenhouse. In the spring of 2012, we planted our proven hybrids “Roxalana”, “Joker” and “Zlato Scythians”, as well as new hybrids “Cantaloupe”, “Gallia” and the variety “Dune”.

Sowing and planting melon seedlings

Based on the accumulated experience, we have determined the favorable timing for sowing seeds for seedlings: from April 1 to April 25, depending on the lunar calendar. We do not pre-soak, we make the soil for sowing loose, nutritious, with a neutral reaction. Sow into half-liter sour cream cups. We fill the cups with soil to 2/3 of the height, and add soil as the seedlings grow. We put containers with crops in boxes and put them in a warm place. The seeds germinate quite quickly: shoots appear in 3-8 days.

We usually plant seedlings in the greenhouse in early May. In early spring, we prepare warm, high beds in the greenhouse for planting melon seedlings. They are rectangular stands: for one plant the area is 0.3-0.4 m2 (60 x 60 cm), for two plants 0.7-0.8 m2 (60 x 120 cm). You can use large wooden barrels without a bottom for these purposes. Our high ridges are wrapped in black film to quickly warm up the soil in spring and early summer. Around the ridges I leave a space for passage at least 1 meter wide.

On such high warm ridges, with abundant watering, powerful tops grow very quickly, which I form into 5-6 vines. These lashes occupy a large area in the greenhouse. Each cane left for fruiting should have its own personal space - so that the sun illuminates it well and the air can circulate easily. A high ridge, well filled with organic matter, and regular watering with warm water allows you to quickly grow a huge bush with a large number of fruits. All the fruits in the greenhouse have time to ripen, even in such unfavorable summer conditions. Some varieties of melons, after the first layer of fruits have ripened, still manage to produce an ovary and a second harvest, although all the fruits do not have time to ripen before frost.

Last season, we planted melon seedlings on May 8, under temporary film cover. After passing through the period of return frosts, we remove the temporary shelter from the ridges. We water the plants, begin staking and forming melon bushes.

Formation of a melon bush

On plants you need to leave the main shoot of the first order and 4-5 side shoots of the second order. With this formation, a powerful plant blooms longer and does not grow fat. The flowering period can last almost 1 month. During this time, 2-3 melons can be tied on each lash, just have time to tie them in Delano nets. To prevent thickening of the bush, I leave third-order shoots only those that bear fruit. I remove all other shoots of the third order. A strong bush, like a large tree, stimulates the development of the root system to a depth of 70-80 cm. Thanks to the powerful root system and tops, many large fruits set and ripen on the plant. In a favorable year, one plant can produce up to 40 kg of harvest.
Melon cultivation is carried out on a vertical trellis. We arrange special shelves for the fruits or hang them in nets. The faster the growth rate of the lashes, the more intensively you need to water with warm water. These waterings continue throughout the entire period of plant development. There comes a time when the first melon fruit begins to ripen, and watering is reduced. It is necessary to water periodically depending on weather conditions, the speed of fruit ripening, and also choose the time so that the fruits do not crack.

The maturity of melon fruits is determined by their appearance: the color of the melon becomes more intense, a mesh pattern begins to appear on the surface, it becomes clearer, and the bright aroma of the fruit spreads throughout the greenhouse.

It is impossible to explain all the intricacies of care, watering, and harvesting in one article. This is a creative process that depends on the confluence of many circumstances and each specific season. To get results you often have to rely on your intuition and many years of experience. A person must live the life of his plants and constantly feel what they need at the moment.
Growing melons and watermelons brings me great satisfaction. This year 2012 was no exception: the hybrid “Joker” did not disappoint - it produced a very good harvest of large fruits. From the hybrid “Zlato Scythians” we got an early harvest, 8-10 fruits from each plant. The hybrid cantaloupe cantaloupe set a lot of fruits, but not all of them had time to ripen, apparently there was not enough heat and sun, but these melons tasted very good. We also really liked the taste of the fruits of the Dune variety.

We will continue to gain experience and experiment with this culture. We wish you success in this exciting activity too!

If in the south of Russia melons feel almost at home, then in the middle zone they do not have enough warmth and sun to fully ripen and be filled with juiciness and sweetness. After all, this light-loving plant, which so needs warmth for full growth, is accustomed to completely different conditions, different from the Russian terrain. Many people think about how to grow melon in a greenhouse in the regions, not without reason believing that in a greenhouse you can get the desired result.

Melons ripen in a greenhouse

Greenhouses made of polycarbonate or film are perfect for melons. A warm garden should be prepared from the end of March. Clear the surface of snow, then carefully check all cracks. Join the material tightly, and if you find any holes, fix them. This can have a detrimental effect on the fragile stems of the seedlings.

A greenhouse for growing melons must have a suitable volume. Height is at least 2 meters. For 1 m2 you need to insert 2 trellises (vertical wooden or polycarbonate rods along which the stem curls). In addition to the anchoring part, the plant needs a sufficient amount of light. Therefore, if your design or climatic conditions do not allow the plant to be fully saturated with light, purchase additional lamps. In addition, it should be borne in mind that melon does not like excess moisture. Acceptable moisture content is 60%.

Once the greenhouse is prepared for growing crops, make a bed of organic fertilizer.

Experienced gardeners prefer to grow melon separately from other crops.

Preparing fertile soil

To grow melons in greenhouse conditions, at least 40 cm of land per plant is required. It turns out that at 1 m? no more than two melons can grow. This fact should be taken into account when placing melon vines on a trellis. Loose, crumbly soil will be ideal for planting melons. The soil should not be acidic or saline.

Before growing melon in a greenhouse, the soil should be pre-fertilized. For these purposes, leaf humus, peat, the contents of compost pits, rotted hay or animal fertilizer are used. The best time to add organic matter is the beginning of April. When you start planting seeds for seedlings, then you will need to dig the ground 30-40 cm. Pour fertilizer into the resulting hole. The organic mass is evenly distributed at the rate of 1 m? for 2 kg of fertilizer. You can add ash if you wish. It will add sweetness and richness to the fruit.

After the fertilizer is applied, it is watered with hot water, and the dug up soil is laid on top. The prepared layer is left for 10-14 days so that the applied mass “burns out”.

How to grow seedlings from seeds

You should not choose random species for growing melon in a greenhouse. There are specially tested varieties suitable for growing in the middle zone.

Suitable varieties for melons in a greenhouse

They have been tested by experienced gardeners for many years. These crop varieties produce a large harvest, which ripens in a short time. Here is a list of suitable names for greenhouses:

Zlata;
Dunna F1;
Krinichanka;
Gold of the Scythians F1;
Amal F1;
Mallet;
Titovka;
Dana;
Lada.

Choose varieties that suit your climate conditions

Suitable for northern Russian latitudes:

Barnaulka;
Golden;
Amber;
Altai;
Hybrid;
Dessert;
Dream;
Early-133.

Advantages and disadvantages of greenhouse varieties

Greenhouse varieties have been tested by experienced gardeners for more than a year, each of them has its own characteristics:

Zlata is not afraid of drought. The fruits of this variety grow and ripen evenly. Vegetative growth lasts 75-90 days. A ripe melon has a golden yellow color.

The average weight of Zlata is from 1.5 to 2.5 kg

The hybrid variety Dunna F1 is known for its high yield. Melons grow together, and several fruits are formed in the ovary at once. They reach maturity already at 75 days.

Krinichanka ripens in 70 days. The fruits of the melon culture are yellow-orange in color, juicy yellow-greenish pulp, sweet taste and thin skin.

Transportability of Krinichanka is average

Scythian gold F1 was bred by hybridization. The fruits ripen in 75-80 days. They have a pleasant fruity aroma and a divine sweet taste. The pulp is juicy and yellow. The average weight of the fetus is 1.5 kg. The skin of Zlato Scythian F1 is covered with a yellow-white mesh.

Amal F1 belongs to the Pineapple type. Melons ripen in 70 days. Fruit weight is around 3 kg. The fruits of this variety are characterized by a certain oval shape and an alluring sweet aroma.

Pineapple varieties of melons have a stringy mesh on the outside and fine-grained seeds inside.

Ripe melons of the Kiyanka variety are ready for harvest on the 60th day. The round fruits have a shiny, smooth yellow surface and a thin skin. The mallet is known for its lemon color and missing pattern.

Titovka is another popular variety for greenhouse cultivation. He is rightfully recognized as one of the precocious ones. The growing season is only 55 days.

Fragrant Titovka reaches a weight of 2 kg

Dana is ready for harvest at 90 days. At this point, the oval shape of the fruit is saturated with a yellow-golden color. The top of the peel is covered with mesh stripes. Dana matures weighing up to 1.5 kg.

From the moment the sprouts sprout to harvest, the Lada variety takes an average of 75 days. Melons have a round shape. The fruit has a weak aroma and crispy flesh. Juiciness is moderate.

Lada is famous for its excellent taste

High-quality selection of seeds

The germination of the crop will depend on the quality of the selected seeds, so for a good harvest some conditions must be met:

for sowing, choose seeds suitable for your native latitudes;
The seeds should have a long shelf life. Do not take those whose suitability is running out;
buy only proven varieties;
stock up on early-ripening crops so that the fruits have time to ripen in a timely manner;
Crops whose fruits weigh more than 3 kg are not suitable for greenhouse cultivation. Small melons develop better.

It is not necessary to buy seeds; you can prepare them yourself

Sowing and caring for seedlings

Before sowing, the seeds must be soaked in a solution of weak manganese. Leave the dense large seeds and remove the rest. In the first half of April, plant melon seeds in planting cups. These can be either ordinary plastic cups with holes in the bottom, or polyethylene, self-decomposing, cardboard or plastic containers.

Mix the earth with humus in proportions 1:3. Plant one grain in each glass. You can also plant them in large containers at a distance of at least 10 cm from each other. The sowing depth is no more than 3 cm. Place all planting pots on the windowsill, so the sun will promote rapid seed germination.

The optimal temperature for germination of melon seedlings is not less than 21°C. When the plant has its first two leaves, it needs to be fed with a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer or a mixture of ash and potassium sulfate. After two weeks, the procedure should be repeated.

For the comfort of the seedlings, move the cups away from each other at such a distance that they do not touch the leaves. All this time, the growing crop must be watered with warm water. In total, the growth period of seedlings is 35 days. When the plant has 5 full leaves, transplant it into the ground and pinch the top of the densest shoot.

For uniform growth, seedlings are placed on the south side

Features of planting seedlings in the ground

Seedlings need to be planted in the ground, the temperature of which is kept at 15 ° C. Before the procedure, you need to dig a hole and water it generously with at least 1 liter of water. The result will be a slurry from the ground, which is where the ascending plant needs to be placed. No more than 2 seedlings can be planted in one hole. As they grow, the lashes are directed in different directions. The distance between them should be at least 40 cm. An interval of 70 cm should be maintained between the rows.

Sowing rows and distance between them

If you grew seedlings in peat pots, then you do not need to remove the seedlings from there. It is important to be careful when replanting plants from plastic cups. Carefully invert the container, holding the clump at the base of the stem. Tap the back of the glass and remove the seedling.

High-quality melon seedlings

If you used containers or pots for growing seedlings, water the future melons generously and wait until the soil is saturated with water. Make sure that the root ball is intact when removing. Then replant the plant in the ground.

After planting the seedlings, cover them with soil

Caring for homemade melons

After the melon is planted in the ground, you can relax a little. But you shouldn’t forget about some care measures.

Temperature and watering requirements

Maintain the temperature in the greenhouse no higher than 30°C. Open the windows daily for ventilation, if the temperature outside the greenhouse walls allows.

If you notice that the ground has become crusty, start weeding. This way the plant will receive more oxygen. This procedure should be done before the first flowers appear.

Melon pollination is carried out similarly

Watering for melon needs moderate. It is better to wait until the leaves begin to droop. This will let the melon know that the roots need moisture. If the plant has an excess of moisture, there is a risk of rot spreading.

As fertilizers, ammonium nitrate or ash should be applied weekly. Once the fruits begin to ripen, fertilizing should be stopped. This will protect the fetus from the accumulation of nitrates.

Melons need to be grown in bright greenhouses.

Greenhouse pollination and thinning

Due to the fact that melon plants are almost always in a closed space, bees have limited access to them. Accordingly, natural pollination is unlikely. In order for melons to bear fruit, pollination must be done by hand.

How to tie melons

After the flowers grow, pick one male bud. It will be distinguished by a swollen area at the base of the flower. Run it over the women's flower bowls. They grow, as a rule, on the sides of the whip and are smaller in size. For every one male flower there are four female ones. This action must be performed when the flowers are fully open. Be sure to check whether pollen has spilled onto the pistil. It is small grains of yellow-white color that are found in the flower. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

The first tying to the trellis is carried out on the 10th day after planting the seedlings

If the outcome of the operation is positive, fruits will begin to form. When they reach the size of ripe apricots, they need to be thinned. Leave no more than 4-5 “balls” on one plant, and tear off the rest. This way, all the nutrients and moisture will go towards the full development of the surviving fruits. Upon completion of the procedure, you need to water abundantly and fertilize the soil.

Harvesting the long-awaited harvest

If the fruits develop successfully and ripen in a timely manner, the first harvest can be harvested in mid-July. It is very simple to understand - a ripe fruit emits a pleasant fruity aroma. There are cracked rings at the base of the ponytail, and if you press a little further away, a trace of pressure will remain. The surface of a ripe melon springs when squeezed. The color of the fruit should be rich.

Immediately after harvesting, you can begin tasting the fragrant fruit. If you plan to store fruits for a long time, then you need to stock up on cardboard boxes. Just like in the garden, melons do not like being cramped when stored. Place them between each other with paper and leave them in a cool, dark place until ready to use. Remember that moisture is detrimental to the safety of the crop.

Despite the fact that melon comes from the cucumber genus, it is usually classified as a fruit

By following the listed rules for caring for and growing melon in a greenhouse, you will be able to reap a full harvest, even if you are new to this business. It's not that hard to do. You just need to follow a certain sequence, and you will not notice how you will need to harvest from the greenhouse. Don't be afraid to take risks, melon is a crop that can be cultivated almost everywhere, with the exception of the northern regions, where the earth barely warms up.

The first time we tried to grow melon at our dacha was in 2005. In our first melon patch, 3 varieties of melons grew. That season, the melon of the “Kolkhoznitsa” variety worked best.

My wife and I try to plant 70% of well-tested melon varieties. But along with proven varieties, we annually introduce 2-3 new varieties, which we carefully select. We get information about new varieties of melons from various sources, read, analyze, and only after that we buy seeds and experiment with them.

In this article I want to tell you what helped us get a good harvest of melons in the greenhouse. In the spring of 2012, we planted our proven hybrids “Roxalana”, “Joker” and “Zlato Scythians”, as well as new hybrids “Cantaloupe”, “Gallia” and the variety “Dune”.

Sowing and planting melon seedlings

Based on the accumulated experience, we have determined the favorable timing for sowing seeds for seedlings: from April 1 to April 25, depending on the lunar calendar. We do not pre-soak the seeds; we make the soil for sowing loose, nutritious, with a neutral reaction. Sow into half-liter sour cream cups. We fill the cups with soil to 2/3 of the height, and add soil as the seedlings grow. We put containers with crops in boxes and put them in a warm place. The seeds germinate quite quickly: shoots appear in 3-8 days.

Formation of a melon bush

On plants you need to leave the main shoot of the first order and 4-5 side shoots of the second order. With this formation, a powerful plant blooms longer and does not grow fat. The flowering period can last almost 1 month. During this time, 2-3 melons can be tied on each lash, just have time to tie them in nets. To prevent thickening of the bush, I leave third-order shoots only those that bear fruit. I remove all other shoots of the third order. A strong bush, like a large tree, stimulates the development of the root system to a depth of 70-80 cm. Thanks to the powerful root system and tops, many large fruits set and ripen on the plant. In a favorable year, one plant can produce up to 40 kg of harvest.
Melon cultivation is carried out on a vertical trellis. We arrange special shelves for the fruits or hang them in nets. The faster the growth rate of the lashes, the more intensively you need to water with warm water. These waterings continue throughout the entire period of plant development. There comes a time when the first melon fruit begins to ripen, and watering is reduced. It is necessary to water periodically depending on weather conditions, the speed of fruit ripening, and also choose the time so that the fruits do not crack.

Growing melons and watermelons brings me great satisfaction. This year 2012 was no exception: the hybrid “Joker” did not disappoint - it produced a very good harvest of large fruits. From the hybrid “Zlato Scythians” we got an early harvest, 8-10 fruits from each plant. The hybrid cantaloupe cantaloupe set a lot of fruits, but not all of them had time to ripen, apparently there was not enough heat and sun, but these melons tasted very good. We also really liked the taste of the fruits of the Dune variety.

We will continue to gain experience and experiment with this culture. We wish you success in this exciting activity too!

Text and photos: Boris and Galina Romanov