Content
Pumpkin is a healthy and tasty vegetable. For its successful cultivation, it is important to choose the right variety. Melon pumpkin is a great option for planting in 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-leaved plant. The roots of its rod 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 sheet plate is up to 30 cm.
The flowers of the culture are unisexual, large, solitary, yellow. The first buds appear in June. Female flowers are located on short pedicels, male flowers on long ones. The pollination of the variety is cross.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the Melnaya variety are large, weighing 25 - 30 kg. The pumpkin has a yellow color and a rounded, slightly flattened shape. The flesh of the fruit is dark orange, firm and juicy. The taste is good, sweetish, reminiscent of a melon.
Melon variety is suitable for dietary and baby food. The calorie content per 100 g of the product is 22 kcal. The fruits are used for making juices, mashed potatoes, salads and other dishes. Regular intake of pumpkin increases immunity, normalizes the work of the heart, blood vessels, stomach, removes excess fluid from the body. The seeds of the plant are rich in oils, organic acids, and trace elements.
Variety characteristics
Melon pumpkin has an average resistance to drought and cold weather. Watering the plant is important in the formation of buds and ovaries. Before frosting, the culture is covered overnight with a non-woven fabric.
In warm climates, the culture is planted in open ground. In the middle lane and in cooler regions, planting in a greenhouse is recommended.
The yield of the Melnaya variety depends on the growing conditions, the quality of the soil, the intake of moisture and minerals. About 2 - 3 fruits are removed from one bush. Each of them weighs up to 15 kg. Maximum yield from 1 sq. m is up to 45 kg.
Melon pumpkin ripens in the early stages. The period from germination to harvesting is 110 days. The crop is harvested from late July to September, depending on the climate of the region. In a ripe pumpkin, the stalk dries out, which becomes hard to the touch. The peel becomes bright orange in color with a clear pattern.
The fruits lie at home for a long time. Recommended air temperature - no more than 8 ° С. If the pumpkin is damaged, it is recommended to process it. The pulp can be cut open, seeds removed and refrigerated.
Pest and disease resistance
Melon pumpkin is resistant to diseases and pests. The most dangerous for culture are fungal infections: black mold, powdery mildew, anthracnose, white rot. Diseases appear as dark or light spots that spread along stems, leaves and fruits. As a result, the 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 are used against insects Iskra, Fitoverm, Akarin. These are also folk remedies: dusting plantings with wood ash or tobacco dust, spraying with an infusion of wormwood or onion husks.
The following measures will help to avoid the spread of diseases and pests:
- compliance with crop rotation;
- loosening the soil so that moisture does not accumulate;
- weeding weeds;
- the formation of a bush to avoid planting thickening;
- preventive treatments with folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to the description and photo, the Melon pumpkin has the following advantages:
- unpretentious 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 the Melon pumpkin immediately in the open ground. Work is carried out in May or June, when the soil warms up well. 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.
Preliminarily, the seeds of this variety are processed. First, they are heated in the oven for 10 hours. Then a solution of ash is prepared: 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of hot water. Gauze is rolled up in several layers and immersed in warm liquid. After warming up, the seeds are placed in cheesecloth for 1 hour. This preparation will speed up the growth of sprouts, which will make it easier to break through the dense skin.
To obtain seedlings, peat cups or separate containers will be required. 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. One seed is placed in each glass. Top covered with a thin layer of earth. Plantings are watered abundantly and kept in a warm place.
The seedlings of the Melnaya variety are constantly looked after. The seedlings are kept at a temperature of 20 - 25 ° C. At night, the temperature should not drop below 13 ° C. To prevent the plants from stretching, they are provided with good lighting. If necessary, include phytolamps.
Melon seedlings are watered moderately. Excess water is drained. Plants are fed twice with an interval of 3 to 4 weeks. A mullein solution is prepared, to which 15 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added. It is not recommended to pick the culture. In the course of work, the root system is easily damaged, which leads to the death of plants.
2 weeks before planting in the ground, the seedlings are hardened in the fresh air. For several days in a row, the window is opened in the room for 2 - 3 hours. Then the containers with pumpkin are rearranged on the balcony, while drafts are not allowed. The plants are protected from the bright sun with paper caps.
The plant prefers fertile soil. Its taste and yield directly depend on the composition of the soil. The beds for plants are prepared in the fall. For this, the soil is dug up and fertilized with compost. Weeds and remnants of previous crops are removed. Deep loosening is carried out in the spring.
For a successful transplant of the Melnaya variety, depressions are made in the beds. Seedlings are transferred along with an earthen clod. For work, choose a cloudy day or evening. After transplanting, the roots of the pumpkin are covered with earth and watered well.
When planting seeds of the Melnaya variety in the ground, follow the instructions:
- Wells with a diameter of 30 cm are prepared on the garden bed.
- Pour 2 liters of warm water into each well.
- When the moisture is absorbed, place 2 to 3 seeds at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
- The seeds of the Melnaya variety are covered with a layer of earth 6 cm thick.
- The beds are mulched with humus or peat.
- To speed up the emergence of sprouts, cover the soil with a film.
In the open field, pumpkin seeds germinate in a week. When the second leaf appears in the seedlings of the Melnaya variety, the most powerful plant is selected. The rest of the shoots are not pulled out, but cut off at ground level.
A good yield of Melnaya pumpkin will be ensured by caring for the plant. The beds weed and loosen the soil. After planting, the seedlings are watered every day for 7 to 10 days.When plants adapt to new conditions, watering is kept to a minimum. After the size of the fruits is 10 cm or more, the pumpkin is watered more intensively. One bucket of water is added under each Melnaya bush.
It is recommended to feed the Melon pumpkin according to the following scheme:
- a week after planting in the ground - watered with slurry;
- during flowering - repeat organic feeding;
- during the ripening of the fruit - add a solution of wood ash in the amount of 1 glass of fertilizer per 10 liters of water.
Pinching the shoots will help to normalize the yield of the pumpkin. On average, up to 4 buds are left on the lash. Under heavy load, the Melon 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 place and improve the composition of the soil. During the growing season, melon pumpkin is fed and watered, according to the rules of agricultural technology.
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