Content
Pumpkin is a healthy and tasty vegetable. For its successful cultivation, it is important to choose the right variety. Melon pumpkin is an excellent option for planting on a summer cottage or farm plot. The variety got its name due to its good taste and varied uses.
Description of the Melon pumpkin variety
Melon pumpkin is a creeping, long-climbing plant. Its roots are tap-type, branched, reaching a length of 5 m. The leaves of the plant are heart-shaped, five-lobed, with a long petiole. The length of the leaf plate is up to 30 cm.
The flowers of the crop are unisexual, large, solitary, yellow. The first buds appear in June. Female flowers are located on short stalks, male flowers on long ones. The variety is cross pollinated.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the Melon variety are large, weighing 25 - 30 kg. The pumpkin is yellow in color and has a round, slightly flattened shape. The fruit pulp is dark orange, dense, and juicy. The taste is good, sweetish, reminiscent of melon.
The Melon variety is suitable for dietary and baby food. Calorie content per 100 g of product is 22 kcal. The fruits are used to make juices, purees, salads and other dishes.Regular consumption of pumpkin improves immunity, normalizes the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, stomach, and removes excess fluid from the body. The seeds of the plant are rich in oils, organic acids, and microelements.
Characteristics of the variety
Melon variety pumpkin has average resistance to drought and cold. Watering the plant is important during the formation of buds and ovaries. Before frost, the crop is covered with non-woven fabric overnight.
In warm climates, the crop is planted in open ground. In the middle zone and cooler regions, planting in a greenhouse is recommended.
The yield of the Melon variety depends on growing conditions, soil quality, moisture and minerals. About 2 - 3 fruits are removed from one bush. Each of them weighs up to 15 kg. Maximum yield per 1 sq. m is up to 45 kg.
Melon pumpkin ripens in the mid-early period. The period from germination to fruit harvesting is 110 days. The harvest is harvested from late July to September, depending on the climate of the region. In a ripe pumpkin, the stalk dries out and becomes hard to the touch. The peel takes on a bright orange color with a clear pattern.
The fruits last a long time at home. The recommended air temperature is no more than 8 °C. If the pumpkin is damaged, it is recommended to process it. The pulp can be cut, seeded and placed in the refrigerator.
Resistance to pests and diseases
Melon pumpkin is resistant to diseases and pests. The most dangerous fungal infections for the crop are: black mold, powdery mildew, anthracnose, white rot. The diseases appear as dark or light spots that spread along the stems, leaves and fruits. As a result, plants have a depressed appearance, develop slowly, and lose productivity.
To protect pumpkin plantings from diseases, copper oxychloride, colloidal sulfur, Fundazol, Topaz, etc. are used. The product is diluted with water and sprayed on the plantings. The affected parts of the pumpkin are cut off and burned.
Pumpkin attracts melon aphids, slugs, wireworms, spider mites and other pests. Insecticides Iskra, Fitoverm, Akarin are used against insects. These are also folk remedies: dusting plantings with wood ash or tobacco dust, spraying with infusion of wormwood or onion peels.
The following measures will help avoid the spread of diseases and pests:
- compliance with crop rotation;
- loosening the soil to prevent moisture from accumulating;
- weeding weed;
- forming a bush to avoid dense plantings;
- preventive treatments with folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to the description and photo, Melon pumpkin has the following advantages:
- ease of care;
- high productivity;
- good taste;
- keeping quality.
Disadvantages of pumpkin:
- requires a warm climate or shelter;
- the taste depends on the composition of the soil and weather conditions.
Growing technology
In the southern regions, it is better to plant Melon pumpkin directly in open ground. The work is carried out in May or June, when the soil is well warmed up. When using the seedling method, the dates are shifted to April-May. The seeds are planted at home, and the grown pumpkin is transferred to the beds.
The seeds of the Dannaya variety are first processed. First, they are heated in the oven for 10 hours. Then prepare an ash solution: 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of hot water. Roll the gauze into several layers and lower it into a warm liquid. After heating, the seeds are placed in gauze for 1 hour.This preparation will speed up the appearance of sprouts, which will be easier to break through the thick skin.
To obtain seedlings you will need peat cups or separate containers. They are filled with a substrate consisting of humus, fertile soil and peat in a ratio of 2:1:1. Wood ash is added from natural fertilizers. Place one seed in each cup. Cover with a thin layer of earth on top. Plantings are watered abundantly and kept in a warm place.
The seedlings of the Melon variety are constantly looked after. Seedlings are kept at a temperature of 20 - 25 °C. At night, the temperature should not fall below 13 °C. To prevent plants from stretching, they are provided with good lighting. If necessary, turn on phytolamps.
Seedlings of the Melon variety are watered moderately. Excess water is drained. Plants are fed twice with an interval of 3 - 4 weeks. Prepare a solution of mullein, to which 15 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added. It is not recommended to pick the crop. During the work, the root system is easily damaged, which leads to the death of plants.
2 weeks before planting in the ground, seedlings are hardened off in the fresh air. For several days in a row, open the window in the room for 2 - 3 hours. Then the containers with the pumpkin are moved to the balcony, without allowing drafts. Plants are protected from bright sun with paper shades.
The plant prefers fertile soils. Its taste and productivity directly depend on the composition of the soil. Beds for plants are prepared in the fall. To do this, dig up the soil and fertilize it with compost.Remove weeds and remnants of previous crops. In spring, deep loosening is carried out.
To successfully transplant the Melon variety, depressions are made in the beds. The seedlings are transferred together with a clod of earth. For work, choose a cloudy day or evening. After transplanting, the pumpkin roots are covered with soil and watered well.
When planting seeds of the Melon variety in the ground, follow the instructions:
- Holes with a diameter of 30 cm are prepared in the garden bed.
- 2 liters of warm water are poured into each cavity.
- When the moisture is absorbed, place 2 - 3 seeds at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
- Seeds of the Melon variety are covered with a 6 cm thick layer of soil.
- The beds are mulched with humus or peat.
- To speed up the emergence of sprouts, cover the soil with film.
In open ground, pumpkin seeds germinate within a week. When the seedlings of the Melon variety have the 2nd leaf, choose the strongest plant. The remaining sprouts are not pulled out, but cut off at ground level.
A good yield of the Melon variety pumpkin will be ensured by caring for the plant. The beds are weeded to remove weeds and the soil is loosened. After planting, the seedlings are watered every day for 7 - 10 days. When plants adapt to new conditions, watering is kept to a minimum. After the fruit size is 10 cm or more, the pumpkin is watered more intensively. One bucket of water is added to each bush of the Melon variety.
It is recommended to feed pumpkin of the Melon variety according to the following scheme:
- a week after planting in the ground - water with slurry;
- during flowering - repeat organic feeding;
- during fruit ripening, add a solution of wood ash in the amount of 1 cup of fertilizer per 10 liters of water.
Pinching the shoots will help normalize pumpkin yield. On average, up to 4 buds are left per lash. Under heavy load, the Melon variety pumpkin will not have time to ripen.
Conclusion
Melon pumpkin is a valuable variety that is suitable for planting in various regions. This variety has a bountiful harvest. To grow a crop, it is important to choose the right location and improve the soil composition. During the growing season, the Melon variety pumpkin is fed and watered according to the rules of agricultural technology.
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