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Pineapple melon is very popular due to its ease of care and excellent taste. Every gardener can enjoy delicious fruits that taste like overseas fruits. You just need to purchase seeds and plant them in your garden.
Description of pineapple melon
Pineapple melon is a high-yielding mid-season variety. Heat-loving culture, very demanding of light. The period from germination to full ripening is 80-100 days.
Main characteristics of pineapple melon:
- fruit color – yellow-golden;
- the peel is dense, but not thick, with a slight mesh pattern;
- the pulp is tender, juicy, slightly oily, light cream in color;
- shape – round, slightly oblong;
- fruit weight – 1-3 kg;
- bright pineapple aroma.
Pineapple melon is easily transported, even over quite long distances, and is stored well. The shelf life of harvested fruits is 1.5-2 months, without any chemical treatment. The variety is perfectly adapted to any weather conditions, in particular, it easily tolerates temporary drops in temperature.
Pineapple melon is consumed both fresh and processed. Preserves, jams, jams, candied fruits, marmalade, juices and compotes are prepared from ripe fruits. Used for a variety of baked goods. You can also freeze it for future use so you can enjoy delicious fruit all year round.
The large amount of vitamins in pineapple melon makes it very healthy. It is recommended to include it in the menu for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. It is also useful to consume this fruit for anemia, anemia, gout, and tuberculosis.
Varieties of pineapple melon
Based on the Pineapple Melon variety, several hybrids have been bred that have similar characteristics, in particular, a taste and aroma reminiscent of pineapple. But they all differ in terms of ripening, size, shape, color of peel and pulp.
Melon pineapple F1
Melon Pineapple F1 is a mid-season hybrid of the pineapple type. The growing season lasts 90-100 days. Characterized by uniform yield and stable, long-term fruiting. The fruits are very sweet and aromatic, round-oval in shape. Average weight 1.3-2.3 kg. The pulp is creamy white. The peel is thin, yellow-green, with a pronounced mesh pattern.
Melon Pineapple Americano
Melon-pineapple Americano is an extremely early hybrid that differs from other varieties in its miniature size and original color, as can be seen from the photo. The average fruit weight is 400 g.
Americano melon not only has a delicious pineapple taste, but also an attractive appearance.The light orange skin with dark brown stripes looks very unusual and decorative. The pulp is white, dense and at the same time very juicy.
Melon American Pineapple
American pineapple is a mid-season hybrid. Suitable for growing in open ground. It is characterized by high productivity and is not afraid of late spring frosts. The shape of the fruit is round, weight is about 2.5 kg, peel color is light green or beige. The pulp is creamy, juicy, sweet, reminiscent of pineapple in taste.
Melon pineapple Gold
A mid-season hybrid, which is easily recognized by the greenish color of the peel, with a slightly rough surface. The color of the fruit pulp varies from bright yellow to orange, sometimes even reddish, with a characteristic green rim at the base of the skin. The taste of the variety is excellent, with a pronounced pineapple aroma. Melon Gold is very sweet, sometimes too sweet. For those who do not like sweets, the taste of the fruit may seem very cloying.
Growing Pineapple Melon
In the southern regions, pineapple melon can be grown by direct sowing of seeds in the ground. In areas with cooler climates, it is better to use the seedling method of cultivating the variety.
Preparing seedlings
It is recommended to start sowing by preparing seeds, which should be soaked in warm water for several days. It needs to be changed daily. As soon as the seeds begin to “peck”, they can be sown in the ground. The optimal time for sowing is considered to be the first half of April.
Sowing is carried out in specially prepared containers, laying out 1 seed at a time.An important condition is the creation of a greenhouse effect, for which the crops are covered with plastic film. It is removed immediately after the first shoots appear. Place the cups with the sprouts that have appeared in a well-lit place, for example, on a windowsill on the sunny side. You can prevent seedlings from stretching by regularly rearranging and turning the pots.
After 30 days, the seedlings can be planted in open ground. It must first be hardened by taking it out into the open air every day. You should start with a few minutes, constantly increasing the time.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Pineapple melon is unpretentious to growing conditions. It grows on any soil, but the best harvest can be obtained by growing the crop on neutral soils. When choosing an area for planting, you should give preference to sunny, well-lit areas, protected from cold winds.
Landing rules
You should start planting pineapple melon based on the ambient temperature. The approximate date for sowing seeds is the end of spring, the last ten days of May. One of the main parameters is the degree of soil heating. The soil temperature must be at least + 15 °C, otherwise you may simply not wait for seedlings.
Don't plant the seeds too deep. The optimal embedment depth is 15-20 mm. You can speed up seed germination by covering the seed holes with film. Immediately after emergence, it is removed.
It is recommended to plant pineapple melons at a distance of 80-100 cm from each other, since the variety has a tendency to grow intensively.
Watering and fertilizing
Pineapple melon needs regular watering. The recommended water consumption rate is 500 ml for each bush. As the plant grows, this volume gradually increases to 3 liters.
The frequency of watering is reduced during flowering. During this period, the melon is watered no more than once every 3-5 days. Bushes are watered even less frequently when the fruits are ripening. Stop watering pineapple melons 7-10 days before harvesting the fruit.
It is convenient to combine watering with fertilizing. Pineapple melons are fertilized in several stages:
- 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground. Under each bush, add 2 liters of nutrient solution (20 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water).
- During the budding process. Fertilize with ammonia solution or mullein (1:10).
- 2-3 weeks after the second feeding, add a complex of mineral fertilizers to the bushes. Prepare the solution in this way - dissolve 50 g of superphosphate, 30 g of ammonium sulfate, 20-25 g of potassium salt in 10 liters of water.
Formation
Pinching vines is the main agrotechnical technique that affects the yield of pineapple melons. Their fruits are borne on third-order vines. After the first 4-5 true leaves appear on the shoot, its top is pinched over the third leaf. Over time, second-order shoots will begin to grow from the axils of the remaining leaves.
After 4-5 leaves appear on them again, the lower shoot should be removed, and the tops of the two upper ones should be pinched. Third-order shoots will grow on them, on which flower stalks will appear (in the photo), and then the fruits of pineapple melons will set.
When the size of the ovaries reaches 4-5 cm, the weakest branches should be removed, leaving only 5-6 on which the largest ovaries are located.
Harvesting
You should start harvesting by making sure that the pineapple melons are fully ripe. First of all, attention should be paid to the color of the fruit and the mesh on the surface of the peel. Ripe pineapple melons are easily separated from the vines, have a characteristic color, and a network of cracks is evenly distributed throughout the skin. But such fruits should not be left for storage, since they will not last longer than 1-1.5 months.
For long-term storage, it is recommended to select melons with a moderate network of cracks, covering no more than half of the fruit. Such fruits are collected selectively as they show signs of technical ripeness. Collection is carried out in the morning, before the onset of heat or in the evening. Picked pineapple melons are left in the garden for 4-5 days, turning from side to side every 5-6 hours. After which they are removed to a dry, cool room.
Diseases and pests
Pineapple melon is resistant to powdery mildew, late blight and other fungal diseases. But sometimes it is susceptible to diseases characteristic of other melon crops.
Diseases and pests | Signs of the disease |
melon aphid | Located on the back of the leaves, sucking the juice out of the plant |
Wireworm | Drills holes in fruits, laying eggs inside |
copperhead | Pink spots on the surface of the leaves |
Spider mite | A thin web on the underside of the leaves, which subsequently spreads throughout the bush |
Scoop | Feeds on fruits, leaving deep holes on their surface |
Melon fly | Lays eggs inside fruits, causing them to quickly rot |
Fusarium | It primarily affects young shoots, the leaves and stems of which lose their natural color. |
Powdery mildew | Leaves and stems become covered with white coating |
Downy mildew | All parts of the plant are covered with a yellow coating |
Preventive actions:
- During planting, you must place onion peels or eggshells in each hole.
- Carry out periodic spraying of the bushes with a solution of laundry soap or ash, whey, onion and garlic broth.
- Plant plants that emit a strong aroma, such as marigolds, around the area with pineapple melons.
Reviews of pineapple melon
Conclusion
Pineapple melon will appeal to both adults and children due to its original taste and aroma. The variety is unpretentious and can be grown both in greenhouse conditions and in garden beds. Suitable for growing in any latitude, fruit set occurs even in stressful climatic conditions.
