The Japanese are great experts in growing vegetables. They are skilled breeders and have bred many rarities that are famous all over the world not only for their amazing taste, but also for their exorbitant price. Such is the Yubari melon.
Description of Japanese melon Yubari
The Japanese believe that the real King of Yubari should be:
- perfectly round;
- have a well-defined mesh pattern and resemble ancient Japanese porcelain vases;
- have a delicate orange pulp, very juicy.
The taste combines pungency and sweetness, spice of cantaloupe, juiciness and sugariness of watermelon pulp, light but long-lasting pineapple aftertaste.
Melon King Yubari is a hybrid of two cantaloupes, they are also called cantaloupes:
- English Earl's Favorite;
- American Spicy.
From each of them, the hybrid variety bred in 1961 took the very best. The weight of the melons is small - from 600 g to 1.5 kg.
It is a powerful plant whose stems and leaves do not differ in appearance from other cantaloupes.
Growing features
The cultivation area of the delicacy is very limited: the small town of Yubari, located near Sapporo (Hokkaido island). Famous for their high technologies, the Japanese have organized ideal conditions for its cultivation:
- special greenhouses;
- automatically adjusting air and soil humidity, which changes depending on the stage of vegetation of plants;
- optimal watering, taking into account all the features of the development of the Yubari melon;
- top dressing, correlated with the requirements of the melon at different stages of growth.
But the main condition that gives the Yubari melon an unforgettable taste, the Japanese consider the special soils in the place of its growth - they have a high content of volcanic ash.
In Russia, such soils can only be found in Kamchatka. But you can still try to grow a Yubari melon on your site. The taste, most likely, will differ from the original, since it is impossible to achieve careful observance of the cultivation technology in an ordinary greenhouse.
The seeds can be bought in foreign online stores and from collectors of rare varieties in Russia.
Growing recommendations:
- This variety ripens late, so it is grown through seedlings. In the southern regions, sowing directly to the greenhouse is possible. The seeds of the Yubari melon are sown a month before they are planted in separate cups filled with fertile loose soil. Conditions for keeping seedlings: temperature about + 24 ° C, irrigation with warm water, good lighting and 2 additional fertilizing with a weak solution of fertilizer with microelements.Advice! Experienced gardeners advise soaking the melon seeds before sowing for 24 hours in sweetened wine - the taste of the fruit will improve.
- The soil for growing Yubari melon must be high in nutrients, be loose and have a reaction close to neutral. It is fertilized by making 1 sq. m bucket of humus and 1 tbsp. l. complex mineral fertilizer. But best of all, this plant will feel in a pre-prepared warm bed. For a heat-loving southerner, it is very important to have adequate lighting throughout the day. When choosing a landing site, this must be taken into account.
- Seedlings are planted when the soil warms up to + 18 ° C, the distance between the plants is about 60 cm. It is pre-hardened within a week, gradually accustoming it to fresh air. This technique is also necessary when growing a plant in a greenhouse. Melon really does not like damage to the root system, so planting is carried out by the transshipment method. Planted plants are watered and shaded until they take root.
- If you plan to grow the Yubari melon on a trellis, you need to take care of its garter to stretched ropes or pegs. If it is grown in a spread, a piece of plastic or plywood is placed under each formed fruit to protect it from damage and possible rot.Important! The planted seedlings are pinched over 4 leaves and only the 2 strongest shoots are left for growth.
- Water the plants with warm water as the topsoil dries out. After the formation of the fruits, watering is stopped, otherwise they will be watery. Overflow cannot be allowed - the root system of the melon is prone to decay. When grown in open ground during this period, it is necessary to protect the plants from atmospheric precipitation by constructing temporary film shelters.
- At the beginning of growth, cantaloupe needs one fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers; during flowering, phosphorus and potassium are required.
- In cooler regions, plant formation is needed. After the formation of 2-3 ovaries of the whip, the Yubari melon is pinched, stepping back 1-2 sheets. They are also formed in the open field.
The melons are harvested when they are fully ripe. The signal is a change in color, the appearance of a mesh on the peel, an increased aroma.
Yubari melon cost
Among all the delicacies, King Yubari ranks first in value, overtaking black watermelon and ruby grapes. Even an insanely expensive white truffle cannot be compared with it in these indicators. The reason for such a high price is the peculiarities of the mentality and lifestyle of the Japanese. They are used to appreciating everything that is perfect and beautiful, and the Yubari melon in this sense is the standard. An important role is played by an unusual taste and a small growing region. In other places, it is simply impossible to grow it: it does not reach the original in terms of taste. The delivery of ripe melons to other parts of Japan has appeared quite recently. Before that, exotic fruit could only be bought where it was grown - on the island of Hokkaido.
In Japan, it is customary to give delicacies for various holidays. Such a royal gift testifies to the material well-being of the giver, which is important for the Japanese. Melons are usually marketed in 2 pieces, with a portion of the stem that is not completely cut off.
Yubari melons begin to ripen in early May. The price for the first fruits is the highest. They are sold at auctions, which makes it possible to raise their value literally to heaven. So, in 2017, a pair of melons was bought for almost $ 28,000. From year to year, the price for them only grows: limited production, which employs only 150 people, creates an insurmountable shortage. Thanks to the cultivation of this exotic berry, the economy of the island of Hokkaido is stable. It gives 97% of the profit received from the agricultural sector.
All ripe melons are quickly sold out by wholesalers, and from them they go to retail. But even in a regular store, this delicacy is not affordable for every Japanese: the price for 1 piece can range from $ 50 to $ 200.
Those who definitely want to try King Yubari, but do not have the money to buy a whole berry, can go to the market. A cut-off slice of a treat is much cheaper.
It is simply a sin to recycle such an expensive product. Nevertheless, the Japanese make ice cream and caramel candies from Yubari melon, and use it to make sushi.
Conclusion
Melon Yubari is the first in a line of exotic delicacies with a high price tag. Not everyone will be lucky enough to get to Hokkaido during the harvest season and taste this exotic fruit. But those who have their own plot can try to grow a Japanese sissy on it and compare its taste with other melons.
