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Reading and viewing reviews about the Passport F1 melon, most gardeners set the goal of planting this particular variety on their plot. The popularity of the hybrid is due to the large number of positive reviews about the Passport melon.
Description of melon Passport F1
The appearance of the hybrid was facilitated by the scientific work of breeders from the American company HOLLAR SEEDS, which began at the beginning of this century (2000). Test cultivations showed the viability of the Passport F1 melon hybrid, and already in January 2002 an application was submitted to the State Variety Commission of the Russian Federation.
The characteristics stated in the letter were noted by Russian experts, and 2 years later, the Passport F1 melon took its rightful place in the Register of Accepted Seeds. The hybrid has been zoned in the North Caucasus region.
Melon Passport F1 is an early ripening hybrid, with a growing season from 55 to 75 days. During this time, the plant is able to form dense lashes with green, slightly dissected leaf plates of medium size.
A large number of female flowers are tied on long vines, from which rounded fruits are subsequently formed.The surface of the Passport melon has a smooth structure with a clearly defined presence of a continuous mesh; there is no pattern on the surface of the “false berry”, and the predominant color scheme is yellow with green shades.
The average size of the seed nest determines a large amount of juicy and tender cream-colored pulp. When cutting the fruit, the color of the pulp, tightly adjacent to the bark, has a green tint. The skin (or bark) of the Passport F1 melon is not very thick, falling more under the definition of “medium”.
The hybrid is very productive, since fruits can form in 85% of the total number of ovaries. “False berry”, depending on the region and growing conditions, can reach a weight of up to 3 kg.
When grown using rainfed farming (growing with insufficient watering) from 10 m2 you can get 18 kg of tasty and aromatic fruits. Growing melon Passport F1 using irrigation techniques, yield on the same 10 m2 will be up to 40 kg.
Melon hybrid Passport F1 has high taste qualities. The fruits can be used both fresh and processed. The aromatic pulp of Passport melon makes delicious desserts:
- cocktails;
- smoothie;
- fruit salads;
- ice cream;
- jam;
- candied fruit;
- jams.
Pros and cons of the variety
Melon hybrid Passport F1 has gained great popularity due to the presence of many positive qualities:
- Early ripening.
- Productivity.
- Unpretentiousness.
- Versatility of use.
- Taste qualities.
- Resistant to most fungal diseases.
Most gardeners consider the disadvantages of this hybrid to be the short shelf life of mature fruits, no more than 7 days after harvest, and the inability to collect their own seeds.
Melon Passport is a first generation hybrid.When collecting seeds for planting next season, you should not expect the same fruit in the second generation. Larger, but only male, flowers will appear on the vines.
Growing melon Passport
There are 2 ways to grow Passport F1 melon:
- Planting in open ground.
- Growing fruits in greenhouses and greenhouses.
Melon can be grown either without seedlings or in seedlings. All steps required to prepare the seeds will be identical for both options.
Preparing seedlings
In order to prepare for planting seedlings, you need to perform several sequential steps:
- Purchase of planting material (seeds) and universal soil substrate.
- Soaking melon seeds in a solution of epin or zircon - 2 drops of the drug per 100 ml of water. The seeds are in the solution for at least 4 hours.
- Placing seeds for pecking. This process is carried out using moistened gauze, on one part of which the seeds are laid out, and with the other part they are covered.
- Preparation and processing of containers for growing. At this stage, the containers are treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Having completed all the steps in sequence, in the third ten days of April you can begin planting melon seeds for seedlings.
When planting, melon seeds must be deepened 2 cm into the soil substrate. No more than 3 seeds are placed in one container, after which watering is carried out.
After planting, you need to sprinkle the soil with sand on top - this will avoid infection with blackleg in the future.
Containers with future sprouts are placed on a common tray, with the help of which subsequent watering will be carried out.
Having covered the containers on top with plastic film or glass, the tray must be placed in a warm place. When the first shoots appear, seedlings need a lot of light and heat. The best option would be to place containers on the windowsills of southern windows. The covering material must be removed.
Subsequent care of seedlings will not be difficult and will not take much time. By following step-by-step instructions, you can get strong and healthy seedlings:
- Only one seedling should be left in each container. The other two are removed by cutting to the very root.
- When the first true leaf appears, water it with warm, settled water into the pan. The sprouts are still very tender and direct contact with moisture is contraindicated for them.
- After the appearance of 3 pairs of true leaves, it is necessary to pinch the top of the seedling - this will stimulate the development of side shoots.
- It is necessary to feed the seedlings twice before transplanting them to a permanent location. Complex mineral or specialized fertilizers for seedlings are suitable for this.
- Every 3-4 days it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil.
- 2 weeks before transplanting, Passport melon seedlings must undergo a hardening procedure. For a week, it will be enough to open the window slightly to allow cold air to enter, and then you can take the containers out into the open air. To begin with, for 6 hours, with each subsequent day increasing the time the seedlings stay outside by 1 hour.
Carrying out all the steps will allow you to begin transplanting annual melon seedlings, which will already have 6 true leaves, into open ground or into a greenhouse by the end of May.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
A site for planting melons. The passport must be prepared in the fall. Important planting site preparation procedures:
- Digging soil using a spade bayonet.
- Removing weeds and fallen leaves.
- Adding humus or manure - up to 5 kg per 1 m2.
- Sowing green manure herbs - mustard, oats, vetch, lupine.
The best place in the garden for melons will be areas where they were planted last season:
- Luke;
- garlic;
- cabbage;
- legumes - peas, beans, beans;
- corn;
- spicy and medicinal herbs;
- radish and daikon.
In early spring, it is necessary to dig up the area, with the obligatory embedding of green manure seedlings into the soil. The beds are formed in the form of mounds of hills with a mandatory distance of 80 cm between them. After the beds are formed, you need to cover them with non-woven material for better heating.
Landing rules
The best way to plant Passport melon in open ground conditions is to arrange the sprouts in one line at a distance of 100 cm from each other. This arrangement will allow for the development of a good root system in the future.
When planting melon seedlings Passport in a greenhouse at 1 m2 It will be necessary to plant 2 seedlings.
The most important criterion for the correct planting of Passport melon seedlings will be the elevation of the root collar by 7 cm from the ground level.
Watering and fertilizing
Melon requires frequent watering only during the growth period of green vines. Watering should be carried out only with warm water strictly at the root. Moisture on the vines and leaves can cause fungal diseases.
The plant must be fed every 14 days. To prepare fertilizers, you need to add and dilute the following to 10 liters of water:
- ammonium nitrate – 25 g;
- superphosphate – 50 g;
- potassium sulfate – 15 g.
Over the entire growing season, melon seedlings will need 3 feedings with a solution of potassium monophosphate (15 g of the drug per 10 liters of water). This will improve the taste and increase the sugar content in the fruit.
Formation
Depending on where the melon is grown, the formation of vines will also take place.
When planting seedlings in a greenhouse, a maximum of two stems must be left, and all emerging stepsons located below 50 cm from the ground level must be removed. Shoots that begin to appear above the 50 cm mark must be pinched. An important condition for the successful cultivation of melon in a greenhouse will be the installation of trellises that will hold the vines during the beginning of the formation of fruit ripening.
Ripening melon fruits can break the vines, and therefore many gardeners use the method of growing in nets. In the photo you can look at this method more closely. Be sure to tie the mesh bags to the rungs of the greenhouse. This will protect the melon stems from damage.
When growing melon in open ground, the formation of stems is not required.If during the appearance of flower stalks you leave no more than 5 flowers on the vines, then subsequently the fruits will be heavier. The use of this method, judging by the reviews of gardeners, made it possible to obtain a melon weighing up to 4 kg.
Harvesting
Full ripening of the first fruits occurs towards the end of July or the beginning of August. The duration of fruiting for the Passport melon is possible until the end of September, subject to stable and warm weather.
Diseases and pests
Melon Passport F1 is resistant to many fungal diseases, including fusarium wilt and anthracnose. If any foci of fungal infections occur, a solution of potassium permanganate will come to the aid of the gardener. To prepare it you will need 1.5 g of the drug and a bucket of water at room temperature. Before processing, it is necessary to remove the affected leaf blades.
The most common pests that can harm melon seedlings are:
- melon fly;
- melon aphid;
- spider mite
To control pests, it is best to use insecticidal preparations. Aktara, Confidor, Actellik, Mospilan, Talstar are the most popular drugs among gardeners.
Reviews about melon Passport
Conclusion
Numerous reviews of the Passport F1 melon allow us to say with confidence that the popularity of the variety is gaining momentum not only in southern latitudes, but also in regions of risky farming. And this is possible only due to the early ripening period, and there is no need to talk about taste and versatility of use. If you have the opportunity and desire, then it is better to grow a melon yourself and check everything from your own experience.
