Content
Melon Slavia is an unpretentious, productive variety with excellent taste. Drought-resistant, withstands low temperatures at night. It is popular among farmers and gardeners due to its high commercial qualities, excellent transportability and keeping quality. Melon Slavia retains its taste and marketability for a month after being collected from the garden.
Description of the melon variety Slavia
Melon Slavia is a climbing, late-ripening variety. The period from the emergence of seedlings to the harvest of the first harvest is 90-110 days. The length of the main lash reaches 1.5-2 m.
Leaves | Large, green, kidney-shaped |
Fruit | Yellow-green, round, without a pattern, smooth, with a coarse mesh |
Skin | Medium thickness, white when cut |
Pulp | White, dense, juicy |
Seeds | Oval, medium size, cream color |
Fruit weight | 1.5-4.0 kg |
Productivity | 18-25 t/ha |
Melon Slavia has a rich sweet taste and a fresh, pronounced melon aroma. This variety holds the record for sugar content in fruits. The sugar content is 8.8%.
Pros and cons of the variety
Advantages of Slavia melon:
- endurance;
- drought resistance;
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- good transportability;
- keeping quality.
Among the disadvantages of the variety, one can note only difficulties with cultivation. Not every region has time to fully ripen the fruits. In cooler climates, frostbite may occur in melons. When grown indoors (greenhouses), Slavia melon lacks sunlight and heat.
Growing melon Slavia
Slavia melon can be grown either by open sowing in the ground or by seedlings.
Preparing seedlings
You can speed up the harvest by growing Slavia melon in seedlings. Preparing seedlings begins with sowing seeds. It is recommended to use separate containers - plastic cups or peat pots pre-filled with soil mixture.
The optimal sowing time is mid-April. The seeds are sown to a depth of 2.5-3 cm, laying them on their side. The temperature required for germination is + 23 °C, after germination it is reduced to + 21 °C. It is important to provide the seedlings with good lighting at least 12 hours a day. Seedlings are planted in open ground when they reach the age of 25-35 days.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
The correct choice of planting site is the key to a good harvest. Melon is a heat-loving plant, so the beds with crops should be located on the sunny side - south or southwest. The site should be quiet, protected from strong winds.
You can, for example, plant corn and sunflowers in 2 rows around the perimeter of the plot. You can also plant melon in the rows of young gardens.
No less important is the choice of predecessor. The Slavia melon will grow best after the following agricultural crops:
- beans;
- corn;
- cabbage;
- potatoes (early);
- winter wheat;
- perennial herbs.
You should not grow Slavia melon in one place for more than two years, as this can lead to a decrease in yield. You can resume growing melon in the same bed after 5 years.
Landing rules
Sowing melon seeds in unprotected soil is carried out at different times, depending on the growing region:
- in the forest-steppe zone - from May 5 to May 15;
- in the steppe - late April or mid-May;
- in the western regions (the northernmost) - from May 20 to 31.
Seedlings are planted a little later, when the threat of night spring frosts has passed - approximately in the month of May.
Planting pattern:
Watering and fertilizing
Watering is important for melons from the moment shoots emerge until fruit sets, since during this period its root system does not have time to deepen. Watering should be done moderately but regularly, and always with warm water. It is recommended to carry out about 5 waterings per week, at the rate of 45 liters per 1 m2. 1 month before harvesting the first harvest of Slavia melons, stop watering.
The first fertilizing (with mullein or ammonium nitrate) is recommended 14 days after planting. The second and subsequent fertilizing is carried out using a mixture of fertilizers. For example, this solution (per 10 liters of water):
- superphosphate – 40 g;
- ammonium sulfate – 25-30 g;
- potassium salt – 15-20 g.
Formation
Proper formation of the Slavia melon bush and regulation of the number of ovaries on it is the main secret to obtaining a high yield. It is necessary to resort to this technique in order to reduce the ripening period and obtain large-sized fruits. The timing of formation depends on growing conditions and climate. This operation is carried out depending on the phase of plant development.
Female flowers of the Slavia melon are formed mainly on the side shoots, so the formation of the bush begins with pinching the main stem. The top of the shoot is broken off after 3-4 leaves, thereby removing the growth point. After this, lateral shoots - second-order shoots - begin to grow from the leaf axils. Good fruiting is ensured by leaving 2-3 shoots and no more than 6 fruits on one bush. You should focus on the growth rate of the plant.
When does the Slavia melon ripen?
Melon Slavia is a late-ripening variety that has a long harvest period (90-110 days). The first fruits begin to ripen in August, but sometimes you have to wait until September for the harvest. These terms depend on many factors. And from the climate zone in which Slavia is grown, and from the care for it, and, in particular, from how high-quality and complete it was.
Harvesting
Harvesting begins from the moment the fruits reach full maturity. You can harvest the first fruits 2-2.5 months after planting and until the beginning of October.
The ripeness of the Slavia melon can be determined by the following parameters:
- Aroma. In ripe fruits it is bright - honey, vanilla or pear.Overripe ones do not smell very pleasant. Green ones either do not emit aroma at all, or it is slightly perceptible.
- Sound. When you tap on the sides of a ripe melon, a dull sound will be heard, while for unripe fruits it will be ringing.
- Color. The color of the fruit should be uniform – yellow-green. The network of cracks should be moderately expressed, covering about ½ of the fruit.
When harvesting, ripe melons of the Slavia variety are separated from the vines, leaving a stalk approximately 5 cm long. Sorted by size and degree of ripeness, removing damaged fruits. For gradual and uniform ripening, melons are stored in groups of uniform ripeness. From 1 hectare of planting area you can collect 18-25 tons of marketable fruits.
Diseases and pests
Melon Slavia practically does not get sick and is not damaged by pests. In particular, it is resistant to powdery mildew, downy mildew and aphids. But sometimes Slavia can be affected by some diseases characteristic of other melon crops.
Diseases | Fighting methods |
Downy mildew | Bordeaux mixture and urea solution |
Root rot | Disinfection of seeds in formaldehyde |
Anthracnose | Sulfur solution and Bordeaux mixture |
Fusarium | Phosphate or potassium preparations |
Conclusion
Melon Slavia is a fairly unpretentious variety that even a novice gardener can grow. If you follow all the recommendations for cultivation and care, you can get a good harvest. Due to the fact that the fruits remain fresh and juicy for a long time, and are also easily transported, Slavia melon can be grown not only for one’s own needs, but also for sale.
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